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Rosa 'Winnipeg Parks'
Perennials in the garden setting: Show us your pics!
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Bee balm, balloon flower, and common milkweed
Looks like Minneapolis is ablaze with color! That Rosa Winnepeg pParks is
luminescent! Is it really that bright neon color?
Tam
Tam, it is that color isn't it amazing.
Pauline
Here is someone else's work, I am just not good enought to pull this off...
Shoulda faked it, date_a; we'd never know! So how much did you spend there? (LOL)
xxxxx, Carrie
Thank you Tam and Carrie for you kind words. Here is a continuation of that foundation planting as it goes along the south side of the house. It all hides an air conditioner. The dark color at the far end is a Diablo Ninebark.
This is a full view of the peninsula with the plantings wrapping around the east and south foundation. The peninsula includes Berginia that is well shaded by the daylilies from the summer sun. Also a Birds Nest Spruce, Hill Billy Blues Hosta and Dicentra Formosa reside there.
Again - lovely use of color & texture!
Here are a few of my decidedly more rural gardens. Here's a cute little vignette
along my fenceline garden.
Tam
And another of my rocky hillside garden - with the daisies in bloom.
There are even some orange mum's starting to bloom. My dad dug these
out last Nov & brought them to me at Thanksgiving (in plastic bags).
I got them planted in mid-Dec. They went through some cold & snowy
days before getting in the ground but still survived. Tough customers!
And here is my agapathus blooming. Its the newest variety that is hardy to zone 6.
This is its third year (planted spring '04).
lovely Tammy - and that view! wow!
Tammy, what variety are the cute short liatris?
gazania, it looks like your foundation planting has something for all seasons. Do you have pics of it throughout the spring?
Mickgene - I got a pack of liatris bulbs a number of years ago. I can't help
with any identification. thanks.
Jerseyridghearts - thank you. We do enjoy the view.
Gazania, Now that is the way to disguise an air conditioner. The curve of your garden, the color and texture are beautiful. You should post those photos when people are trying to figure out how to disguise an air conditioner.
Tammy the view is wonderful, I like your use of stone as well. Nice gardens.
Tam, I agree that is a lovely view. Mickgene, no other pictures of that area. I just bought my first digital camera. Trying to learn how to use it. We (Dh is my partner in crime) have put in 8 island beds plus the foundation plantings in the 8 years we have lived on this 3/4 acre. This year alone we added 103 new perennials. Most of them went into 2 new this year 20ft round beds. So I will have lots of practice subjects with the camera.
Ganzania, Did you do much research into cameras? I am going to start to look for a new one and want to make sure it does a good job with gardens and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
Gazania, your gardens are masterfully designed-just lovely!
Tammy, your rocky hillside has come along amazingly! I've loved seeing the progress- great job!
Someone IS tryingto disguise an airconditioner! I forget where, but I'll find where and copy this thread over!
xxxxx, Carrie
Gazania, more photos of your island beds please! I'm trying to reduce my lawn and this seems the way to go.
Zenpotter, My Dh researched cameras for at least 4 years trying to make up his mind. (he is a Libra, they don't make decisions easily) In the end he chose a camera with a lot of whistles and bells that I didn't think necessary, but it is fairly small and light weight. I have some physical limitations so light weight was a must if I was going to use it. It is a Panasonic DMC-FZ7. Final cost after sale price and rebates was a little over $300. He is happy, so that is all that counts.
Here are more photos of my island beds. Took them this morning before the sun came over the trees. All are taken from above standing on my porches.
First from front porch facing east. This bed is about 25 x 8 feet.
This is taken from the back porch facing south west. The far bed is near the lot line and is 35 x 4. Planted in a line is an Amalanchier, butterfly bush, Amelanchier, Butterfly bush, River Birch, Butterfly bush, and Amelanchier. The middle of the picture is a bed that is 40 x 6. It contains a mix of grasses and perennials and a Praire Fire Crabapple. The foreground is showing a little of another bed in the next picture.
This is my butterfly bed. Kidney shaped about 15 x 6. It gets pretty ratty looking, but the butterflies and bees like it. The tall stuff is A Nepeta that the hummers love too.
This is another kidney shaped bed that is the opposing bed to the last picture.The bird feeder is between them. The grass sticking up in the foreground is planted at the northwest corner of the porch.
This is shot due west off the back porch. At the lot line is another narrow bed with Amelanchier and River Birch plus Clethra 'Ruby Spice' and Lobelia 'Fan Scarlet' . I put some Echinacea White Swan in there to brighten it up, but I don't expect them to winter over as this is a rather wet area. One of the new 20ft diameter beds shows here. It is not all planted yet. I am still thinking. The other round bed is to the left of this one and has veggies in it for now. DH surprised me with that one. It wasn't in my plans when I ordered for the first one last winter.
The island beds work for me because I do all my gardening from my handicapped scooter. I can reach into them to do most of the maintenance. And if I stick with small bedding size plants (like come from Bluestone) I can do most of the planting. DH is a big help, but his interests lie elsewhere, and I try not to bother him too much, although he is always willing.
Try not to look at the piles of top soil, etc. in the back by the clump cherry and shed. We put in an addition to the house last fall and there is still some work to be done to fill some ruts and replant the area around the foundation. The back porch is part of the addition along with a large room with lots of windows from which to look out on my domain.
This message was edited Jul 20, 2006 8:13 AM
Gazania, your domain is wonderful. Don't you love the evening scent from the clethra? I have a big stand of the common one. I planted a ruby spice last year, but it didn't make it. I will try again as I think I put it in too late. Your garden looks like a very inviting park. Thanks, Patti
Gazania, thanks so much for sharing the pics of your wonderful beds. you are an artist! they are all lovely. including the butterfly (which is NOT ratty). this is very much what I am going for. we have been in our home for 4 years, also have 3/4 of an acre, but that includes our 'piece' of a small manmade lake. I can't fathom how you do all this from your scooter. I have some physical limitations (fibromyalgia) and work full-time so fitting in gardening is a challenge for me. DH is disabled and can't get out into the gardens at all, so I bring him pics and bouquets so he can see what I'm up to.
we put in 2 new island beds last year in the rear 2 corners of our lot near the lake, both kidney-shaped, about 35x18. All of yours look so full and 'finished'. there is so much bare space in mine. I think I was afraid to overcrowd things (I have a tendency to do that) and went in the other direction. I'm going to try to get some more perennials in this fall. here's my fairy garden (hummingbirds/butterflies)
edited to say: the top pic is from when it was put in spring '05, next 2 are from June '06, bottom is from a few days ago at dusk
This message was edited Jul 20, 2006 9:53 AM
here's the second bed, my heather garden. also working on a collection of dwarf conifers with the heath and heather. the front area with the river rock is intended for a future rock garden...kind of a place holder. again, top pics are from spring '05, closeup is a dwarf mountain laurel 'Little Linda', put in to add some spring color
I'm doing the same as gazania, buying small plants that I can manage myself. I'll have to check with some of the 'tree' people to see if this makes sense, but I'd like to order some small conifers online for fall planting. the west end of this bed is almost desperate for them. I've already ordered a dwarf willow.
grampapa, great looking beds. And I love your rocks. I have been begging for a large rock to have a fall blooming clematis climb over. The collection of small conifers is lovely. I keep trying to stick a few conifers in here and there. We built here 8 years ago. Early on I lost several hollies and a couple rhodies, I am sure due to the heavy clay content of this soil. We keep ammending and gradually things are improving. I too tend to crowd things a bit. I like a 'full' garden, but i need to thin out a few things in the bed with the crabapple for sure. That will mean calling on the helper DH...if I can get him away from the antique tractor that he is restoring.
Patti, yes, the clethra does smell wonderful. I put these Ruby Spice in spring of 2005. They have done well. I am pleased...this is a very wet area at times.
This picture takes in both kidney shaped beds that are right off the back porch. It doesn't look it, but they are about 10 feet apart. This was taken a week ago.
This message was edited Jul 20, 2006 11:11 AM
gazania, heavy clay here, too. I bought an amendment for clay soil this year that is supposed to be a permanent solution, better than just adding organic matter. it was recommended at the nursery I use, but of course they are selling it. I've been digging it in every time I plant something. figured it was worth a try.
the boulders just happened to be left on our lot (see attached pic) when the developer was leveling the land, so I got lucky. our builder said he'd move them if I didn't want them. I even had someone stop buy and ask if he could buy them. the guys who put in my pool arranged them for me with their backhoe. I think they like playing with it.
Hi gram! Very nice to see your garden grow-up. They are filling in wonderfully.
Gazania, Very nice! Just the picture of well-maintained island gardens.
Dave
Gazania your gardens are beautiful! In your butterfly bed, what is the tall spikey plant that has the lavendar colored flowers? It's the tallest plant you have in that bed. I would love to know so I can see if it would do well here in my zone 8b. I love the look of that plant.
Gram your gardens are filling in very nicely and are very pretty. I love your rocks/boulders.
Lin
Lin, that tall lavendar in the butterfly bed is Nepeta 'Subsessillis'. I have read that it is supposed to grow to 15 inches tall. Last year, its first year in my bed, it grew to about 30 inches. This year, it is all of 4 feet tall. It is definately a Nepeta... but maybe mislabled? I ordered it from Bluestone. I have N. Walkers Low and N. Six Hills Giant and it isn't either of them. Whatever it is, I love it. It has been blooming since the first week of June, and it has remained standing tall through some very heavy rains. Butterflies, bees and Hummers love it too!
I will note here that everything in my beds has exceeded it's expected height this year. I spread mushroom compost over all the beds in late April and quickly stood back! I don't use mushroom compost every year, but when I do, I can really see the difference in the way everything grows to excess.
thanks, Dave & Lin. I'm glad I've started to keep a photo record. It's really nice to look back. Ain't digital cameras wonderful?
Absolutely - they are so much fun!
I've been using an old wheelbarrow for annuals for years. [ oops, wrong forum!]
This message was edited Jul 21, 2006 4:08 PM
Sometimes, to deadhead or whatever, my trusty rusty electric wheelchair and I must venture out onto the treacherous grass to access the right side!
Ooooops, what am I stuck on? Back up, back up, oh no, I'm really stuck! Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooops!
I was too broken-hearted to take a picture of the rest of it. My wheelchair had gotten stuck on one of the wheelbarrow handles. We put it back in but in pieces, like a broken cake going back in the cake pan. A few days later, no-one could tell the difference!
xxxx, Carrie