Starzz, it looks like a very cool and relaxing place to sit. :-)
Sanannie, I love that heliotrope and planted some in a couple of containers this year but it is just too hot for it here.
Here is a shot of one of my "street beds" I took today. The red ornamental peppers were purple for the first couple of months and just recently turned.
Here is the opposite "street bed" that also has contrasting colors but doesn't get quite as much sun.
Won't it be fun to come to this thread when we need a little inspiration for next year? Everyone's pics are truly remarkable!
trunnels, I love those ornamental peppers. I keep looking for them in cell packs up here because I'd love to line my pathway with them. Oh well, maybe next year. I like the way you tie the two plantings together by repeating plants.
Starzz, your garden pic reminds me that I'd really love to have such a spot in my own garden - someplace special and tucked away where you feel safe and serene. Where you can sit and here the water bubbling....oh boy I must get on that!
jmorph, the chartreuse makes those blue flowers pop indeed!
trunnels, those plantings are lovely; great color use! The ornamental peppers offer such great color and textural contrast.
sanannie, the heliotrope and licorice are so pretty. I've found myself using similar 'recipes' over and over of colorful goundcovers with annuals and just about everything. I feel like any plant I dont like, I just have'nt found what to pair it with yet.
starrz, I would'nt want to leave that spot!
jmorth, blue and yellow is one of my favorite combos. I've said this about another, but your pic brings to mind blue skies and lemonaid.
Thanks all for sharing! Neal
Trunnels..your corners are wonderful...is that Million gold you have there.
You gals are giving me ideas...
I have never tried Evolvulus ..in fact I don't remember even seeing it for sale here.
I'll have to look it up. It is very pretty.
Hey guys how's this for contrast? Alternanthera 'Purple Lady' with Dusty Miller.
Yea!! Thanks, Starzz for reminding me of the name of those cute little flowers. I have added a picture to the PlantFiles.
Sanannie, don't you just love that Alternanthera? I planted some for the first time this year and it is just beautiful (it is in the last picture I posted) but I really had to cut it back because it just about covered that bed. I think it must be a taller variation of your Purple Lady. Does Dusty Miller grow year round for you?
trunnels, Dusty Miller will only come back in the spring for us sometimes. I tried an Alternanthera last year that grew a bit taller and it looked like yours. I think it was called Purple Knight, but I couldn't find it this year. Boy, you are right in saying you have to cut it back - the Purple Lady has spread about 4 feet!
I love alternathera/dusty miller pic!
sanannie, the one w/ the licorice plant is super. In houston they sell that chartreusey one as well as a blueish one (coloring very similar to dusty miller). I planted a hanging basket with both types of licorice plants with a coleus that picked up both shades and it was phenomenal. The thing about licorice plant here is that it burns to a crisp when temps reach ninety. but it does beautiful in spring and fall. dies back in winter.
great sizzling pics everybody.
Here is a better picture of it (right before I cut it back). Next year I will plant some in a spot big enough for it to grow to its full size.
terry, what is the name of the ornamental grass. I've seen a lot of it this year and I like it because it seems to have a place in a regular garden as opposed as pampas, which can become monstrousities (sp?). that is a great pic
Hi Nery! Guess we were typing at the same time. I love that licorice plant, too, but you are right about it burning up.
LOL, we did it again. That is bunny grass and I just love it because it doesn't get too big. Start watching for it to be on sale in the nurseries about now. You can probably find it for $5-7 a gallon (or less).
trunnels - your wrap-around bench in the background is gorgeous.
Oh, thank you, Sanannie. I had always wanted one of those tree surrounds and my husband bought it for me as an anniversary present last year.
A bit of a subtle foliage punch with Hosta 'Paul's Glory' and Heuchera 'Amethyst Myst', with Heuchera 'Lime Rickey' down in front.
Sanannie - nice! I like the fencing in the background. Whittle fence?
Did you make it yourself?
Tam
I have found that all the new different shades of huechera can contrast and brighten up almost any combo.
Tam - thanks! I made the fence out of cedar and willow about 7 yrs ago, it was fun. I just noticed, though, there's a couple of pieces that need a nail or two - hee hee, I guess it's age is showing!
woodspirit1 - yeah, don't you just love all the jazzy heucheras? Do you have a favourite?
sanannie..that photo of your garden is breathtaking!
When I saw it I just went Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......
I just bought some new heuchera..Creme Brule and Amber Waves.
I'm thinking I might have to go back and see if they still have Lime Rickey..
Sanannie, that fence is incredible!! Can we see more pictures of your gardens and fence?
trunnels - Funny you should ask, I just finished posting some pics over in Canadian Gardening forum. It's too hot to garden today! http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/545026/#new
Yipee!! Off to see them now. :-)
sanannie, your garden pictures are providing me with endless pleasure and inspiration! I've been wanting willow fencing since the first time I saw it; but never have I seen one as beautiful as yours.
ooooooo.... i've got a willow tree and you've inspired me. Could you share a little on
how you built that gorgeous fence Sanannie?
Thanks,
Tam
Tam - each piece is separate like a trellis and then you assemble it when done. I screwnailed the frame, which is made of cedar. Then wattled (weaved) the willow which is nailed in place with panelling nails. I peeled the willow in the top triangle so it stood out as a different colour, but now it's weathered. Ummm what else? Oh yeah there needs to be 'legs' to go in the ground. Actually, when assembling I used PVC pipe in the ground and fit the right leg of one panel and the left leg of the other panel snugly in a PVC pipe in the ground. This helped it stand up really well without worrying about concrete. I also wired the tops together. If you do build one I'd be happy to pass on more tips if you DMail me.
Thanks for the nice comments, guys!
Just beautiful! What time of year did you harvest the willow?
Tam
Sanannie --
Could you show a close-up photo of the arbor section, too? I really like use of the natural materials. Don't have willow, but am starting to use palm front stalks (cut off the frond portion).
Has anyone ever planted a living willow fence or bench? I've wanted one ever since I first saw it in English Garden magazine. The one I saw was just living canes stuck into the ground and curved over and woven to form the back of the bench. A fence would also be stunning, just stick one cane in every few feet and curve it to the next.
Tam - I must have harvested the willow around this time of year because I remember it was October when I was making the fence. I kept the cut willow in the pond to keep it supple until I was ready for it. The cedar, I believe I cut earlier in the year and let it dry over the summer to reduce shrinkage.
soozer - a close up of the arbour section you asked for. It's all cedar except for the grapevine I weaved through it:
what a good idea for keeping the willow moist!
I'll see about trying it this fall. Maybe next year - I've
got to put in a shrub border!
Tammy, I'm glad you mentioned your shrub border. What are you using and how is it going to function in your landscape? I'm putting a curving L shaped border of shrubs and shrub-like perennials. Inspired by this color contrast thread, I'm trying to use an assortment of mostly blooming shrubs for 4 seasons of interest and color. This is also the clearance wrack border; almost everything in it was marked down dirt cheap. There are 4 whiskey barrell halves in the border where annuals and tropicals go. Between the barrells are groupings.
Here are some of the combinations so far. Any suggestions any of you have for what to use to fill in would be welcomed. Some areas have summer covered, but spring will be dull, or visa versa.
1. Magenta-red double althea, red-purple butterfly bush, bright yellow potentilla, variegated weigelia, Russian sage, salmon daylilies, magenta dianthus, yarrow'The Pearl', shasta daisies, and 'Homestead Purple' verbena.
2. Hydrangea 'Forever and Ever', white butterfly bush, Lilac 'Belle de Nancy', tall white/yellow Oriental lilies, dwarf Korean lilac, and blue Russian sage
3. Crimson crepe myrtle, blue mist caryopteris, 'Katherine Havemeyer' lilac, and shasta daisies.
4. Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight', yucca, Russian sage, and daylilies 'Custard Candy' and 'All Glorious' underplanted with Lysimachia 'Persian Carpet'
I'll fill in with spring bulbs, but there are still some blank seasons. Thanks in advance, Neal.
I am working on creating a garden room of sorts in what used to be a horse pasture.
I've been adding beds each year and this will be the last one. (I'll have to find a new
spot to work - I bought this 9+ acre farm so I wouldn't run out of space!)
Here's a shot of the area - I put in a rose garden at the center last fall. This gives
you a very rough idea of the terrain. The area is fenced on two sides, has my
veggie garden in the back and a pond on the fourth side.
The shrub border is going to be about 40' long and 12' wide.
On the rose garden side it'll curve in-ward. On the other side,
it'll run parallel to the shrub border I put in front of the veggie
garden. So there'll be approx. 40-50' of grass about 20' wide
between these two shrub borders.
The one in front of the veggie garden has a couple of varieties
of witch-hazel, a weeping purple beech and a flowering quince.
I put in cana's to fill in the space the first few years and then
the heliathus filled in.
The new border will have 1-2 witch hazels (intermedia type this
time - for late winter bloom), a purple cotinus (smoke bush) and
several hydrangeas (Endless Summer). I also have a few
Knock-Out Rose starts I grew from cuttings last fall that I think
I'll put in too. To echo the rose garden.
Now I just have to get it dug out & amended! I will get it done
this month! (My soil is very rocky so its not easy digging!)
Tam
Here's a shot of the area in June - this will be the "garden room" flanked on all sides by
flowers/shrubs and in the center, my new rose garden. You can see the outline of the
new border (planned) in the foreground.
Tam
And one last shot - you can see the border in front of the veggie garden
from this angle plus the shrubs I bought & am trying not to kill before
I actually put in this new border! (May 12)
Tam
Oh - and we're replacing that whacky fencing. Just replacing so it'll still be the charming
post & rail that we've got but will be straight the whole way! Between a few run-ins with
my tractor when I first was learning to use it and a run-away rototiller and old age, its looking
pretty raggedy now.
Tam
Gemini-Sage aka Neal - I've ripped out all my butterfly bushes 'cause they just kep self seeding
all over the property. Just keep an eye out for this (or scrupulously dead head it). I have a few different
types of weigelia and just love 'em. Wine & Roses and another yellow-w/red edged leaves. Forget
type - got it from Heronswood as a little $6 start).
I just started trying my had at hydrandgeas - I have a gorgeous oad leaf hydrangea in place and plans
for the "endless summer" macrophylla type. You'll have to let me know how the "Forever & ever" and lime
ones work!
I've decided to have different gardens peak at different times of year. That way there's something
spectular at all times rather than just parts of one that's spectacular. Adding in a few annuals helps keep
even the down-time gardens pretty though.
I love bulbs! They are so exciting in those green-starved weeks of early spring. Daffodils are great 'cause
no critters bother them.
Tam
sanannie--I guess I have to admit that I am (very) peeved that you posted your garden pictures on the 'Canadian' forum and left all of us 'southerners' to wishful thinking about a virtual tour of your garden...luckily I checked out your link! I'm still in a sulk though.
Also, like everybody else--I love your willow fencing--so wonderful in your garden and I believe there are several threads about willow fences and structures (live and cut) that gardenwife had posted several months ago that I recall and probably would come up in a search...good info there if anybody wants to build one (like I do, actually, like I want my DH to do!)...
Tammy, I am looking forward to following along your garden project. I agree it's very satisfying to have one stunning garden during each bloom period--I haven't achieved that yet, though! LOL
