If I could get a 'do-over' with my garden, I would...

I would have spaced things futher apart and farther from the sidewalk.

Gee, slow day here!
I would have been better off, saved some work and made things look much nicer with LESS variety.
THen again, trying different plants is a learning process, and the planting process is just fun for me, mostly.. Without trying and failing, I didn't quite believe everything I read about certain plants. Or visualize how the garden became too messy looking with too many oddballs.

I was going to say I needed to plan more and stick with my plans. My beds would look more cohesive, BUT..... then I wouldn't have a lot of the really cool plants that have made me very happy over the years.
Soooo, no do-over for me!
Barb

I wish I had started with more food bearing plants. I want an edible yard and Im having to take out some things in order to have room for plants that produce food. The hardest part of that is getting rid of 5 yr old trees that are ornamental but dont produce food. I want to replace them with a pear tree, an apple tree and another peach tree. I have a small space so I cant just add, I must subtract first.

I voted more natives, although several others fit the bill as well. Some beds should be bigger, others could be smaller. Planning works well in the winter, but is often tossed out when bringing home impulse buys from the nursery. Enjoying the process is definitely a keeper.

I also voted more naitves but I would love more edibles too. I'm working them in though. I do impulse buying then I make room. lol

I would have cut down all those damned *rain trees* while they were still small, and, although I love my Rosa bracteata (aka The Dominatrix), if I had known her vorpal nature, I would have planted her someplace where it was harder for her to obtain the bleeding flesh of freshly-killed humans.

I would have held off on plants and started with hardscape. Now, I have to dig more often than I necessary.

I chose "other" because I would get rid of the pre-existing trees and invasive plants that the previous owners left behind. I'd start by replacing the silver maple trees with a few smaller native trees. Then, I'd completely erradicate the bermuda grass, clematis sweet autumn vines, hummingbird vines, and Japanese honeysuckle that I've been fighting to eliminate for over 20 years.

Since I change and experiment as I choose anyway, I didn' t vote other and have loved all that I Have done and learned along the way- As has been done, so shall it be again tomoro, chuckl.

I see myself in almost every post here except the planning part which for me is a waste of time Greenbrain I would never get rid of my Sweet Autumn and in this part of Oklahoma the Honeysuckle is here to stay ,My flesh eating tree is the Black Locust they come up like weeds in my yard ..Greenbrain if you want to get rid of those you could import some Blister Beetles they can kill SAC in a week did I mention they would also eat all other Clematis plus all of your squash ..I have finally gotten rid of 2 very large Sweet Gums but have two left they are going to bite the big one next year ..It is all just part of the process of gardening what to grow and what to cut/dig/burn we never quit learning...

I agree with greenbrain, except my invasive tree is an elm I pulled up from my cousin's yard and planted in the wrong place. Tha t was in '76 Now I have elms comming up all over the place. It is not an American elm, but one of those sidewalk elm trees. I should have been suspicious when it came up and lived so easily. luciee {;^)

steadycam3, try planting dwarf varieties and esplaier them so they take up less space. I'm probably going to try it with a peach along the back fence.

I would start more slowly. By that I mean that instead of building all of the beds and planting things right away, I would plan (roughly) the entire yard, but only add beds one small section at a time. I would only add the next bed when I was sure I had the 1st bed or two under full control: weeding, pruning, etc.

When I started my garden, I was eager to build a lush, cottage garden ASAP. I didn't realize that newly turned soil produces LOTS of weeds the 1st season or two, and if those weeds aren't removed promptly, they produce still more seeds, until over time the weed population grows exponentially out of control. By starting so many new beds in just one season, I found myself unable to keep up with the weeding. I've since stopped all new planting until I can get the maintenance under control. If I had started slowly, making sure I had each bed or section under control before adding another, I could have avoided this problem.

There are other things I would change, as I suspect is true of most gardeners. Rarely is anything perfect the 1st time around. In time I plan to make some design changes. I actually did a fair amount of planning up front, but things don't always work as planned. Plants chosen to bloom in tandem may actually bloom a few weeks apart thus ruining a seemingly well planned color scheme. Colors that look lovely together according to marketing photos may clash horribly in reality. (All of these things have occurred in my garden, several times over.)

Although there are these and other things that I would change, that doesn't mean that I'm not happy with the garden I have. It's a wonderful place to be in spring when it's just a riot of color and bloom, with all of the plants seeming to be in a race to out bloom each other. All year round, winter included, there is always something blooming in my garden. It's a wonderful place to relax after a stressful work day. I've learned from the process of planting it, and there are things I would do differently if I had it to do over, but I still love it even as it is. It's a work in progress though, and likely always will be.

DreamofSpring,
You said, "I would start more slowly. ...but only add beds one small section at a time. I would only add the next bed when I was sure I had the 1st bed or two under full control: weeding, pruning, etc. "
OMG!!! That is the funniest! Are we supposed to have self-control when gardening???? I mean this laughingly.
When I started, I had all kinds of plans on paper; I researched what plants should work in my garden, decided what would go where, etc., etc., etc. Then Spring came...... Yep!
In the 10 years I have been working in my gardens, not once did I have enough self-control to follow any of the plans I made. I still have them and look at them occasionally. Sigh.....
Barb

Thanks frogymon. Ive considered that but so far cant figure out where to do it. Im still pondering it.

ROTF, Barb,

I totally understand. I started out with almost too much self control, but then I lost it all somewhere along the way. Before I started, I read books on design, drew up an elaborate plan, assigning plants and colors to various areas, even sketched it out (artist background). I'm something of a 'commitment-phobe', so I was afraid to commit any plant to any spot. Then I read a book that said basically, "Just put them where you think they should go. You can always move them later." That book was both my friend and my nemesis. It got me to stop planning and start planting, but it also gave me license to stuff things into every nook and cranny once my plants overran my well made plans. The idea that I could move them later if I didn't like them, gave me carte blanche to put anything anywhere. I carried out the original plan, but I bought maybe 3x the plants I planned for. Once I finished the plan, I started cramming plants into any unused spot.

By the 2nd and 3rd years it became more and more difficult to remember the exact location of bulbs and other plants that were not 'up' at the time. This made it almost impossible to put things next to their 'color mates' or even where they fit in logically in size and shape. The only saving grace was that my plan had assigned color combos by area. When looking for a space to fit a plant, I could, at least, make sure to put it in the correct area based on color. However, that didn't prevent 2 reds, one an orange-red, the other a blue-red, for instance, from looking garish next to each other.

The result was a mixed bag. Some areas of the garden were awesome, others not so much. Some of the best color matches turned out to be happy accidents in my 'holding area'. A few lilies towered comically above their bed-mates. It was a learning experience for sure. With so many plants of all kinds crammed together into every available space, the garden was a riot of glorious color all year round, but especially in spring. From early Feb when the 1st daffodils opened until mid summer late summer, it seemed as though one or more new plants opened their blooms daily. I spent hours daily just trying to record them all in photos. The garden was an awesome place to be in those days.

So, how about you? How do you like your results given that you didn't use your plan?

All of the above. Everything y'all have said so far... I voted for a professional, because I need help planning what to do. I think so far I've done okay. This is my 4th spring in this house. But I wish I had a professional eye to give me some suggestions I may not have thought about. Zone 6 is new to me. I'm still adjusting.

But most of all, I lose control... and I want one of everything!

I made some mistakes because I moved here to zone 9a from a colder zone. I had visions of a spring filled with azaleas, forsythia, chameomelis, dogwood and bridal wreath. Well, most of the time I would get a few blooms on each. It usually does not get cold enough here to create my vision. Im slowly getting rid of those and replacing with more zone appropriate plants. It has taken me a while to figure out what zone appropriate means for here. About every 6 years or so, we get 4 days in a row of 23* and every thing dies to the ground so it keeps me from fully investing in tropicals. It has been an adventure to put it positively. Lantanas are very reliable here so I have several colors. I use some Texas natives and most sages work well here. The Louisiana irises are pretty reliable and Turk's cap likes it here. Esperanza is very reliable as well as Duranta. Most of these I had never heard of in my previous zone of 7b/8a. This year for example, the only thing nipped by frost was some of the coleus, not all. The leaves finally fell off the trees in December. Most things just kept going. Trouble is, one cant count on this from year to year. Miss one weather forecast and you could be wiped out.

Do need to say I wish I would have planted some Crepe Myrtles but I came from the high desert of Northern Nevada and did not know that the Crepe Myrtles were just really well suited for Oklahoma ..We had a ice storm a couple of winters ago that just devastated the Azailias in most parts of Oklahoma ,but the crepes just kept blooming ..I went to the Gulf soon after Katrina and the crepes were doing just fine It is just one tough mutha

Though I did the hardscape first and did draw plans (and kept up with them), I didn't plant shrubs at the rear property line because I loved the look of the neighbor's yard, all grass, as "borrowed landscaping". Time changes everything and the neighbors died. The new people put their big boat...and the canoe and kayak, on the grass. Now it's an eyesore to me and even changes how I photograph the gardens. Shrubs would have grown large by now and obscured the eyesore.

Here's the before and after:

Gorgeous- before. I can tell your new neighbors are MUCH younger- by the amt of toys they keep anyway!

Thanks!

He's getting ready to retire. The wife does not have a job. They bought the big boat with the proceeds from a former home. The canoe and kayak belong to an adult son (48) in Florida and have never been used since they were placed there. It takes him so much longer to use a separate hand mower around all the water toys, then there's the edging.

pirl,

What a dramatic difference. The old view was very nice. I can see why you miss it. I think you decision, at the time, to avoid covering it up with shrubs was well thought out, even if it doesn't work so well for the current situation. You can never really plan for what may happen in the future, as I'm sure you know. Who knows, in time the neighbors and the view might change yet again, perhaps to something even better than the 1st view - or worse. In the mean time, maybe you could find some fast growing cover. What about vines as a screen, perhaps some of more lovely clematis vines growing on a fence or other support - and/or some climbing or rambling roses. Roses and other vines have done a great job of covering up my view and keeping my garden secluded.

My property also goes through changes as the neighbors have kids, kids grow up, etc. One kept a huge houseboat parked behind his house (and in front of mine). The boat was against HOA rules, but he said the hoa fines were far less than the cost of storing the boat, so the boat was my view from the upstairs office for several years. Thankfully, my backyard is set off by a privacy fence and the forest, so it's less subject to neighborhood changes.

By any chance, can you grow ligustrum (sp?) up there. Here it makes a fast growing, carefree shrub that is easily shaped any way you please. When I bought my house there was a row of ligustrum hedges about 3-4ft high on one side. I like more privacy, so I let it grow higher. In just a few years it was a 7ft wall. Hope you find a solution that meets your needs.

I'm enjoying this thread. Pirl, your flowers are magnificent.

Thanks to both for your nice comments.

I wasted no time in putting up netting for the Silver Lace Vine to do a good job hiding the view. Then I added a Broughton Star clematis and it should take off this year and help even more.

You're right, Dream. I wasn't wrong to initially blot out the serene background I had. A houseboat had to be a horror. I'll check out the Ligustrum and in the meantime I dug up five more Silver Lace Vines and planted them in addition to the one that's been there for about five years. It is finally beginning to do a good job.

My other thought was to have someone install the horizontal panels (about 2' high and 8' wide) along the entire property line and tell them they're for clematis vines since I do have several planted up against the fence. I'm hoping for the best - that they win the lottery and move to Florida to be near their son and boating! Thanks for your good thoughts.

I just want my original view back or at least not a view of their unused toys.

I wouldn't really change much about my own garden--I'd change my neighbors'. I'd chop down the whole line of sickly Monterey pines and huge ligustrum that line one side of my property and make a constant mess of dropping needles, leaves, and berries--not to mention all the privet sprouts that I battle year round. Grrrrr.

I've always maintained that if you want control over your view, you must own it. No telling what neighbors may or may not do. That said, we bought our land years ago at a bargain price because the neighbor directly below us was a junker. We immediately planted a screen of evergreens which now totally blocks the neighbor, so all is well. And now, after 6 consecutive junkers, I think the latest new owners may actually clean the place up.

I'd get rid of my neighbor!!! I'm on a corner lot and can control 3 of 4 sides. Biggest problem is neighbor's junk trees, ugly bushes and cheap crappy fence. At least the driveway in back separates us.

Planning is great advice, but sometimes you have to go with what was already there and improvise. My yard has gone from open and sunny and I could grow all types of flowers. That was eleven years ago before the oak trees rocketed up in size, and now I have almost all shade. So the challenge has been to transition from sun to shade landscaping. In the process I've had to remove things from Yaupon Holly trees, Holly bushes, privets, and the like due to life cycle or hindrance, replacing them with different plants.

The oak tree in back is a five trunked tree that has now grown together to form a massive base. Very impressive tree that forms a mushroom cap and micro climate over the entire back yard now.

Chuck - your home is gorgeous and I love the sun and shade areas of your property and your gardens!~

Treasure that shade. The older I get the more I wish I had shade and we do buy trees but the wait is long to get the shade I need to work outside for as long as I want.

Beautiful!

I voted for more native plants, since I read Noah's Garden by Sara Stein and later Bringing Nature Home by Douglas Tallamy I tried to change my English influenced cottage garden to a more bird and insect friendly garden with native plants.
After a few false starts, I didn't originally understand native to the whole United States was too broad and now stick to NJ natives, I think I have a pretty cottage garden using natives. Along the way I've found some wonderful plants, trees and shrubs that please me visually and are useful environmentally.
Not an entirely native garden but I am working toward a good balance of over 70% native.

This message was edited Feb 10, 2013 10:31 AM

I voted no regrets. I've been gardening at my apartment/townhome for about 20 yrs now and with the limited space and my varied and changing favorites and interests--it's paid off not to be locked into one particular arrangement.

I like trying new things, love some old favorites and sometimes have to make cuts to the garden team. Sometimes the most sucessful plants aren't my favorites and I get to share with friends when I give them the boot and some of my favorites are a challenge for me to get going but I'll keep buying them every year hoping for my string of failures to finally work out:lol: I can say I've never had the same plants in the garden or containers two years in a row.

I love seeing established perennial gardens like many of the members have here and one day when I buy a home--I'll love to have that for myself but for now I like having the garden on "shuffle". Hoping what I learn about my plants here will make for future sucesses in a more permanent situation.

Would have made the paths wider maybe sometime I will get around to making the change.

Install security cameras to catch the neighbours in the act of spraying it with herbicide.

Nasty neighbors! Shame on them.

Would have hired someone with a backhoe to eradicate the San Augustine grass entirely - and that would have entailed digging up about 2' of dirt and replacing it with other dirt, which would have been too expensive anyway. And then it would have crept back in from the sides. Sigh. I hate San Augustine grass.

Ouch!

Brigidlily,

I'm the opposite of you, I hate Bermuda grass. It gets in the beds and is almost impossible to get out. I paint a little Roundup if I have some invaders I can't dig up.

But St. Augustine is the easiest to control and/or kill. I love my SA Del Mar variety grass. It's better for shade, colder temps, wider grass blades, and darker in color. If it's a warm winter I have to occasionally mow it in the winter. I'll send you some brown patch to kill out your St. Augustine................I have problems with it every year taking out portions of my grass, and I use organics.