And a final late fall pic in the sun -- it is a section of the new conifer bed. The huge sunflower in the back is a volunteer (as far as I'm concerned)!! I just went into the prairie area last fall, and threw seeds around -- no prep, no weeding, no watering, no nothing. It is nature's greatest accomplishment, in my opinion --
Oh, and I can't resist this one -- my assistant, and completely photogenic (looks like she is posing) Olivia in the middle of a hosta bed in the fall --
Thanks for looking!
Dax
Thanks for posting. You have a fantastic garden. Enjoyed every picture but the last one is great. Your dogs are cute. Sure like the pink lilies with the hosta.
Every time I look at these pictures I am in awe. So lovely to see. I could pick your brain a alot.
Instead of going to heaven when I die I want to go to your garden! Wonderful, Dax and I do love Olivia. She really does seem to be posing!
dax, Your garden is just beautiful. And so nice to look at it now when everything is cold and white here. Thanks for posting them so we can all see your beauty.
Donna
Looks like Heaven to me. Gotta tell you, this made my day. Here in KY. it is cold and grey. Seeing your beautiful peaceful gardens brought joy to my heart. Good job....A real piece of Heaven. Thank you so much for sharing. Lesley
I love that aqua fountain.
So do I.
Thanks SO MUCH for the kind words -- I found that fountain in Missouri "World Emporium" in October -- everything was half price and I couldn't resist it. You should have seen me and my BF loading it onto the back seat of my car -- 2 old ladies, 1 heavy fountain -- it was hilarious - fortunately a couple of the men around came running to help - they probably thought we were going to have heart attacks with all the huffin and puffin --
That's what I also love about gardening -- there are so many great memories (many very funny!) Gardeners have the best laughs in the world --
Here's a pic from the first year I had it -- you can see it's nice shape --
Dax
Dax, your gardens are beautiful! Our deer population here in our community would have a feast on your Hostas. How many years have you been working to get your gardens looking this full? Do you buy new plants each year or just keep dividing a lot of what you already have? Everything looks so lush and healthy. I love how you added that cobalt blue fountain..
Thanks for sharing your photos with us.
Dax, your gardens are what I dream of -- just lovely!
Dax is one talented person and it shows!
This is a beautiful garden. Great photos! ^_^
Thanks so much for the kind words -- I just do what I love -- and my garden is my church -- I'm beginning a patriotic bed this year as my son is now a proud Marine, and we are so proud of him -- so stay tuned for some pics in the fall -- it will be a red, white, and blue (mostly perennials) bed in honor of America and the Marines -- Dax
That's a fabulous idea!
God bless him and all who serve our country!
I agree.
.. just stumbled on this thread- woweee zowee, it is beautiful. I've always been a fan, but really it is stunning. Thanks for the inspiration !
I always enjoy your garden pictures, it looks like a lot of hours of care. I hope you take time to smell the roses. Know when I take the time to snap some pics I have visual proof of the beauty of it all. It makes time spent tending worth the effort.
I know exactly what you mean -- right now, I'm spending full days in the woodland, preparing the beds for the season. It's not work when you get to be surrounded by this beauty as you're weeding, mulching, and edging -- here are some pics from yesterday, since I know if I don't take any, it will have changed next week -- the iris are blooming, as are the Dame's Rocket (I know they're invasive, but soooooo lovely). I'll be up in those woods for another couple days -- I love it!! The covered bed is a new one I'll be putting in later in the fall. I cover new beds for awhile, just so they can cook and cogitate. Grasses and native forbs will eventually surround the old tiller. -- Dax
Dax..you are so creative and seeing your pictures made my day! How many years have you been creating this masterpiece? Do you have some type of landscape design degree? Does DH help you in the gardens beside mowing? I notice that a lot of people in the midwest areas use the red cypress mulch..Here on the east coast, it is not used a lot..it adds color but how does it hold up compared to shredded hardwood mulch? I love Hershey cocoa bean mulch and it smells like Chocolate but has a tendency to get moldy with a lot of rainfall..also more expensive than shredded hardwood.
I see you grow Coreopsis "Cream Brulea" I grow the Zagreb variety but have been hearing several people on the DG website brag on "Cream Brulea" What's it's growing habit compared to the Zagreb or Moonbeam?
Hi, Pippi -- Can't believe it's already September! My plans got changed (as many did) as we moved into drought -- I ended up not planting either bed, and instead potted up all the plants and kept them on the patio all summer so I could water them. Hopefully, I'll be able to plant them this Fall -- so far August and Sept. have at least kept up, but we still need to make up about 9 inches. Yuck! So I spent this year just keeping stuff alive.
Anyway, thought I'd post a few pics since the gardens were still beautiful -- thanks to those drought tolerant superheroes -- since I didn't supplement any woodland beds or meadow beds.
Pippi, - Thanks! I don't have any degrees, just am retired and so have the luxury of doing exactly as I'd like -- and that's spend LOTS of time outside in the garden. I began gardening in 2005, so am just coming up to 8 years. My DH is a Science Fiction nerd and has no interest in gardening - but as he says, he helps tremendously by supporting anything I want to do. I use the red mulch only for paths to add color, and need to renew each year just because the color fades so much. I use hard wood mulch or straw for all the beds. All the woodland beds have a 7/8 page layer of newspapers under the mulch, which almost completely eliminates the need for weeding.
I love CB because it is the improved Moonbeam, so much stronger, denser foliage, and reblooms dependably throughout the summer. It sounds quite similar to Zagreb -- I'll have to try it.
Here's a few pics from last May. It was a great start to the season. I'll be adding more in the next week or so --
Love them all, Dax, but that last one is SO stunning!
Zagreb is my favorite coreopsis. It blooms constantly from June to October - can't ask much more of any plant. Haven't yet tried CB.
June with lilies
July with daylilies
Late June/early July with Japanese irises
September (lower right) with rose Graham Thomas
It bloomed all through August but I guess the heat kept me from taking photos! This year many of us will enjoy wearing a sweater or a jacket again.
Dax..forgot to tell you how adorable the Fairy Garden area was...quite a conversation piece..What a great idea to use the red mulch just for color in paths..I would have never thought of that..As I said, red mulch is not used in our area much..most hardwood or shredded variety. With all that property, you don't have deer around? Gosh, they would really enjoy all those hostas you have..that must be their favorite plant..A neighbor of ours on next court but I see the back of her house from my sunroom had the most beautiful hostas and she faithfully sprayed with Liquid Fence almost every other day, but they had a family critis and didn't get to spray and she went out one morning and saw where Bambi had made a visit to the hosta bed and chomped almost all of them down..She called the man that does her planting and mulching and asked him to come dig the rest of them up, Bambi had defeated her. She calls me next and asked if I wanted what was left. I'd asked when she divided them to think of me..and she did..what a way to divide. He left her one whole one and part of another one..Her hostas were to die for..beautiful, lush and some were as large a tire. They had been her babies and she takes such great care of her flowerbeds..she really felt defeated. I took what she gave me and divided them and have managed to make about 6 plants, I know that 3 or 4 have new leaves out and two must bloom later..Since I don't know what varieties they are, I can't tell which one blooms when. I felt quilty taking them from her, in her devastation.
I'm going to share a few with a new gardening friend at the upcoming plant swap next week..I know they'll get a good home with a fenced yard..
Dax, I saw that Token from Gardenweb.com wintersowing forum has grown Coreopsis "mahagany Midget" It's kind of crimson color..that would be something different..
Coreopsis is so easy to grow and divide..some don't dig up the entire plant, they shovel prune it and it comes back beautfiully for them. I always dig the entire plant up but maybe I'll try their method the next time.
