I see from several comments that many of us have new beds planned or in the works. I would like to know what people are doing and what plant combinations are going in.
My theory of gardening is ; see it, buy it, stick it where I can in the existing beds. This is not a good way to win a beautification award. I have spent a little time this morning noting what is blooming and what looks good together.
Current partners that I like are ;
1.Luna Blush hibiscus with wine red bee balm,
2 double orange daylily (the old one) with salvia Indigo Spires and a tall white achillea. These have a long period of bloom and the daylily is a rebloomer with enough watering during July and August.
3. perilla , setcresea, and copper leaf hibiscus with silver foliaged plants
My newest planned bed is roughly triangular. It will be about 30ft long and 15ft across at the widest point. As soon as I can start backfill on it I will be shifting plants around to make space in existing beds for growth or to leave some vacancies fo my buy it and stick it design method.
So, show and tell folks. What's in the works.
Beth
New flower beds
Thanks for sharing Beth. I am afraid that my landscaping is of the same variety as yours and would love to have some help with arranging my conglomeration of "posies". I will be watching this post for ideas.
Take care,
Deb
Forgot to say that Pictures are worth a thousand words. I'd love to see pics with descriptions of what is planted there. Even though we cover at least three zones in GA, we should see pretty much the same hardiness and similar flowering times so most choices would do pretty well throughout the state.
Gosh, you have my same planting theory. I usually wait until it's matured and then move it if needed, when it's bigger and stronger.
This is one of my favorites, I have red monarda, with white speckled leaf callas, yellow croscosmia, and at the base of them I have purple balloon flowers, you can't see all of it but you can get the idea I hope. It is always just beautiful!
Janet, you always post the best pix. Someday I am going to show up at your place just to see your garden in person, or should it be in flora, or phylla - oh whatever.
How much water do the callas need? I suspect that my sandy soil might be too dry for them.
Beth
One of my favorites is my ginger bed. In front of them I have blue and red salvia. Patriotic too, lol.
I have so many brugs it's hard to underplant with perennials. This year I couldn't buy any annuals, so it's tough.
Beth,
You are welcomed to come anytime! My callas do not get special watering....they are in sun for the most part of the day, they are mulched, planted in red clay with added compost and of course the mulch has been replaced a couple of times...I find them really easy to have..you are welcomed to some of them if you would like to try them...let me know...I will have to send them after the 27th of June...I have a daughter getting married the 24th and will be out of commission for a couple of days after I am sure...LOL...
Just a couple of days?
Beth
LOL,
I hope so....I will be out of town Sunday thru Wednesday, actually early am on Thursday we will get home, have the rehersal dinner of course on Friday, the Wedding on Saturday, A friend's Son's wedding party on Sunday after brunch with my new in-laws and family from out of state, and a friend I haven't seen in 25 years is coming to visit me on the 27th...so I think it will take at couple of days to get back in shape...maybe I am being a little optimistic, but with my MS I have decided that is the best way to go...expect the BEST and maybe it will happen that way! I still have some days that aren't the BEST, but I don't get as down as I used to with it! So let me know when you would like to visit me...really!!! I would love for you come.
Maybe we can get together the first week in October. It will be a little cooler (for both of us) and my school has intercession that week. One thing about being an art teacher, no one expects you to work the educational extension weeks.
I just got in from sketching out the perimeter of the new bed with a flexible curve (garden hose) and a can of marker paint (bright , bright orange). It looks really tacky at the moment.
The next move is newspaper and pine straw to discourage grass. Note that I don't say to kill the grass. I try to keep my expectations somewhere in the neighborhood of reality. I am debating whether to edge the bed or not. Most of the cement edging and the other commercial types leave me cold. I love moss rock, but it is not readily available here. Brick costs 53 cents each, which is more than I can do right now.
In July I will be shifting plants around. Double orange daylilies from several spots will be concentrated in one or two spots. I need to color tag the plants while I can. In July I won't know what's what.
Boy, I am falling asleep at the keyboard. Obviously I should not stay up until 2AM. I think I'll go prune a dogwood to wake up.
Beth
You are too funny! That sounds like a great plan! I love October!!!!! I recently used some river rock for a bed and I really love the way it looks. Also I like to edge with the stokesia asters...they look really good in bloom and stay green afterwards as well...
Two 4 inch diameter limbs down and more to go that I can't reach with the twelve foot step ladder. I think those may be a ' honey do ' problem. I don't go higher than twelve feet off the ground without backup.
I love stokesia. I have one large plant that I need to divide. They look great with so many other colors. They look fabulous with a lemon yellow daylily AND they tolerate a fair amount of shade. My only problem is that the selection in my garden gets too tall and flops. Peachie's Pick is said to be less floppy. I may need to order that and Kim's Knee hi purple coneflower. Heaven forbid that I should stake my plants or give them some sort of support to grow through.
Where did you get the river rock? Let me guess - already on your property. Rock does not occur below the fall line. We have sand dunes in spots. We have great swamps. We have field after field of cotton, peanuts, melons and very crispy looking corn, but... We do not have rock, unless it has been trucked in on a flat bed trailer. I priced rock at Home Depot and Lowes. Not in this life time.
If I thought that it would hold up to our weather, I might consider the papercrete that the garden art folks are so taken with. Hmmm. I do have a friend in Atlanta who would probably loan me her mortar mixer. If I used quarter inch ply for the frames with a lot of support stakes I might be able to make formers that would handle the curves I have laid out. The last time I did this, I was making the foundation for my green house in Birmingham. It worked really well, actually. Things to think about.
Beth
Boy, girl, you have a lot of energy! My stokesia really clumps well. The older it is the better it clumps I think...but you are welcomed to some of mine..I have tons. If you are interested that is...it will have to wait till the wedding is over..LOL
I just started growing stokesia about two years ago and I love it too. It has found it's way into several beds in front and back! I do have one Peachies Pick I got from Parks, and it does tend to be bushier than some others I have, but then it's older too.
Janet I will be praying for you especially for the remainder of the month. I came down with Guillian Barre just before my only daughters wedding in June 2001. I had to leave the hospital in a wheel chair to attend and return right afterwards. (I was two hours late getting back, thoroughly done in but very happy). I threatened to leave ama if the doctor did not let me go! Despite all, I would not have missed the occasion for anything. However, take it as easy as you can and refuse to sweat the small stuff. I know the summer heat is hard on you so CHILL--how's that for a mouthful of youthful slang?
Take care,
Deb
Thanks Deb,
I take all the prayers I can get!!! I would not have made it these past three years without all of my prayer angels! I am trying not to stress over the wedding, and so far so good, now if the rest of life would go a little more smoothly it would be great. Stress is just an ever day thing and I am trying harder all the time to manage mine more effectively. It is difficult as I have two large families, mine and my husbands, so there is always something going on that is stressful. I hope you are recovering as well. Sometimes I think our bodies just shut down to get us to SLOW down! Take care and thanks again!
Janet