Help me before I shop again...

Oh - too late. I'm leaving in a minute to go to look for more plants...

I've been on Dave's Garden for a while, but not been very active - finally have some time and would like to introduce myself and say "Hey!" to you other cold-weather-new-england gardeners.

We bought our house 9 yrs ago - it was a clean slate with the exception of poison ivy, 4 rhodies and huge European Beech trees in the backyard. We spend most of our spare time outside, buidling new "garden rooms", dividing, planting, trimming, oohing and ahhing. Have 2 young daughters who are love fairy gardens....the oldest one transplants "baby" volunteer seedlings into her own garden space.

My favorites: petasites, rodgersia, darmera, astilbe, hosta (tons), bleeding heart, rhodies, rhodies, rhodies, spiderwort, joe pye weed, bee balm, bamboo, leucothe, japanese iris, stewartia, (white) red bud, heptacodium, dogwoods (all gifts from my neighbor), hollywood junipers, hinoki cypress, carex ice dance, elephant ear, japanese maples, lots of miscanthus grasses, weigela, buddleia, brugmansia, fern, fern, fern and more hosta - just to name a few!

As you can see, my tastes are very strange!

Here are a few pics - hope everyone is getting outside today - it poured here earlier, but now is gorgeous and sunny - and so many things to plant!

Kara

Going 'round the corner - at the bottom of last years' big project - a dry river bed...

Here's the dry river bed - red Bloodgood Japanese Maple on the right, rocks mostly from our yard with the exception of the "river rock" which came from a local mulch/rock place - ribbon grass was one big clump that we divided into a million pieces - don't plant it!

Turn around when you are standing on the dry river bed and you can see the side yard - and get a glimpse of one of our big Beeches...

Hi Kara,

Very nice! I like (and have) many, if not most, on your list. Hope to see more pics.

Victor

Walk down that brick/rock path and turn the corner and this is what you see in the back yard - one of the fairy garden architects swinging!

The huge tree to her left looks like it has giant claws! How big is your property?!! Beautiful.

We bought these hostas 9 yrs ago (at Walmart!), and haven't divided or moved them - they are truely awesome....(sum & substance, blue angel, great expectations)..

Hi Victor - So what is your favorite plant off that list? My Rodgersia is bigger this year then it's ever been - it's already 16" across (one leaf). They haven't done much til this year. We have about 1/2 an acre - not much space - but lots compared to a lot of yards "intown"! Kara

Really beautiful, Kara :-)

Hi Kara,

So hard to pick one. Love Heptacodium - not many have it. I'm crazy about J. Maples these days. I love Cornus kousa - you did not say which ones you have. Also alternifolia. I like Rodgersia - it's only my second year. Love Ferns, Astilbes and Hostas. Love Crapes too - don't know if you've tried them. No Hydrangeas? They're among my faves also.

Victor

Really beautiful Kara. I would love to have a big huge tree but it's not an option here. Claws and all :)

Hi All - Thanks for the notes about our trees - they are awesome! Those trees are about 80' tall and several hundred years - there are 4. We are very lucky to be alive right now, and enjoy them in their dotage - so plant shade trees right now for your great-grandchildren to enjoy! Our house was built right next to them (on purpose) in the 1960s. Many people who saw our house and the nearness of the trees asked us if we were (gasp) going to take them down!!! GOODNESS NO!

Victor - All the dogwoods I have are Kousas - they are babies (now about 4' tall all of them) of my neighbors very old kousas. None have bloomed yet, but they are not old enough. And oops, I forgot to mention hydrangeas - oak leaf is my favorite - also have a row of lace-cap too. Is the Alternifolia you mentioned a Cornus? I covet Cornus Controversa Variegata - my mom has a 20' tall one in her yard. It's absolutely gorgeous. And yes, the Heptacodium has really dazzled me this year. It's only the 2nd year in - and the leaves this spring are 5" - it's full and happy. I'm actually thinking of getting a 2nd one - the local nursery (where I got mine last year) have them this year - they are 12' tall! Such a great bang for your buck there....

This is one of the Kousa babies - it's the biggest one - almost 5' tall. Love it!

So many things, so little money!

Kara

Oh isn't that the truth! I have C. kousa 'Satomi' and I love it. Yes, alternifolia is a Cornus - known as Pagoda Dogwood. It's gorgeous. I lost a new one last year but I'm trying again this year. Fingers crossed.

My Heptacodium is about 10 or so feet high now. It's a real dazzler in the Fall - first the flowers then the calyxes. Like so many of my shrubs, I have a Clematis climbing through it.

Oakleaf Hydrangea is one of my favorites. I like the lacecaps and the paniculatas as well. The arborescens are nice too - big pom pom white flowers that bloom on new wood.

Love my Stewartia pseudocamellia too! Had my first bloom last year.

Another great shrub you might consider is Bottlebrush Buckeye - Aesculus parviflora.

Have fun!

Kara, what a beautiful house and gardens! Those beech trees are spectacular. I'm so happy you're protecting them! I also love your giant hostas. I've seen photos of the giants, but never in context with anything else, so it's been hard to visualize the size until now. Wow!

Hi Kara & welcome!
Nice pictures. Glad that you've joined us.

Dave