Well, that sums it up. And I have about 300 lilies & calla lilies coming from DG co-ops, plus what I pre-bought, over bought and over wintered. My meager 1/3 acre suburb lot is pretty full; I keep moving stuff to different places because I can't seem to find the "best" growing environment; I don't any rhyme or reason, much less a theme. Worst of all, the more I like a plant, the harder it is for me to get it in the ground because I feel I MUST find the PERFECT spot for it.
The sun travels right OVER my house (full sun am in front, full BLISTERING sun pm on back and the side yard gets some sun all day but the plants are always reeeaaaching for more!) My flowers in the front get the am sun, but not enough to really put out the blooms on the 50-60 daylilies that really need dividing. The full sun in the back isn't consistent because once it reaches the next house, the back of the back yard falls into the shade from the neighboring houses for the rest of the afternoon.
Whew. Why do I love going through this over and over each year? I just wish I could make my yard look like this http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=4580979 . (She gave me permission to use her photo)
I don't want a landscape designer. I need a garden designer to teach me what to do, while letting me think I am putting what I want, where I want it. Is this too much to ask!! Just kidding, because apparently it is. :-)
Please, bombard me with tips, photos, ultimatums, whatever to help me have a BEAUTIFUL garden this year!
Help. I'm a plant collector, not a garden designer.
What a nice compliment! Thank you.
I don't take photos of my mistakes though it would be a fun thread...maybe.
We'll need photos if we're going to try and help you so please post some. For a starter I'd say make your labels now and pot up those lilies. When they bloom take photos first and them mark each label with the date of bloom. It will help you when you get to planting them.
Get a friend who wants daylilies to help you dig and divide (or cut through them with a sturdy knife while they're in the ground) and you'll both benefit.
If you can't find anyone who wants the daylilies just put the extras at the curb with a big FREE sign and they should disappear fast enough.
After you post some photos we can give you food for thought.
Your gardens are just breathtaking. I know it took a lot of work to develop them and even more to maintain them. Many of our problems here in GA are due to the lack of water.
Due to the continual drought here in Altanta, we are losing many of our dogwoods and cherry trees. People used the little water we had trying to keep their grass alive instead of putting it into their greatest assets, the trees.
Sometimes I feel like just putting in artificial turf! They've made great strides in perfecting the different varieties. Isn't that funny. You know we will start seeing it in new yards before too long. Here's a look at what I've done so far:
Ha Ha Ha! I WISH! That's a photo from a City Park in Seattle WA. Couldn't resist :-) I'd be to embarrased to put up any current photo's of my yard. Maybe in the spring...IF I can get an angle that makes it look good!
That was a good one! Here I was wondering why you were looking for help when you had such a dazzling display. You're supposed to save that for April 1st.
Your fellow Georgians should have lots of experience with what survived the drought and be able to name the plants that did the best and those that didn't make it. That alone should be a huge help to you.
Hey Catherine, I'm thinking wow, that looks great. You dog, you.
Brenda
I couldn't resist and was giggling the whole time I was looking for a great photo!
If my yard looked even remotely like that, I'd know I was in the wrong place. I'm a plant collector for sure and I sure don't have a design! Because of how my house is placed on the lot, my front yard is the best flat space. So that's where my vegetable garden is. The back is basically neglected. A few plants, some straggly grass, moss and weeds. Then the woods. The front has been a work in progress for years. Oh, did I say the small greenhouse is also in the front yard. Good thing we have 3 acres with the house in the middle. Can't see much from the road which is good. So I guess I need help too.
It must be your own private retreat and a glorious fall sight. It's lovely to me.
I applaud anyone who takes advantage of their site for a vegetable garden or even a greenhouse. Garden design is nice but a lot of it belongs on glossy pages in magazines and isn't meant to live with every day of the year. I'd have to have a garden if my grandkids couldn't go pick the raspberries or the tomatoes.
I saw Pirl in GA and had to come see why she was paying us a visit.. that photo IS amazing of your garden :) of course, we don't take pictures of our mistakes do we?? :) And goodness knows I've made plenty of them. Love the brick work.. are they loose bricks or are they set?
Ha HA you got me real good too with that city park photo.. Was wondering what the heck you were complaining about!! :)!! LOL... Funny! :)
Don't you dare leave daylilies out on the driveway without giving me your address first! I had a friend ask me if I wanted irises and I told him I did and wouldn't go get them. He emailed me a picture of them laying in his garage and all he said was they went in the trash Monday.. I got my tail in the car and went and got them! :)) Motivation!
Susan
I was friends with Carmen (pins) so I feel I have a tiny connection to Georgia. Such a very sad ending for such a sweet lady.
The edges are set in cement and the rest is laid on/in granite dust. I'm glad we had it done when we did and not at today's prices.
Wish you lived closer Susan. You'd be seeing the daylilies in my driveway come April and May.
The good thing about daylilies is that they are pretty drought tolerant. Just make sure that they get water when you see the scapes forming. They will drop buds if they get too dry.
Plans are in the works to send water to Atlanta from down here in the SW part of the state, just don't hold your breath. There is a lot of infrastructure to put into place and people like my daughter (who is all of 17) are saying ," Keep the water here for our farmers!"
Beth
Yes Pirl, it was very sad for Carmen to pass.. Motivated me to live a fuller life and go all out on my garden dreams and other goals cause you never know when your time comes.. Don't want any regrets. The brick is very nice.. and the plants and flowers are amazing.. Pirl, I'd pay you postage if you boxed them, goodness!! :)
Beth, water seems like it is going to be an issue for a while.
Susan
It is so fun to see your posts and grab my photo from last years round up (that beclu sent) so I can see who I'm "talking" to. Of course, I don't have a photo of you pirl, so you get to look like whoever you want! Rachel Welch, Sofia Loren, Pamela Anderson? JK
Turtle, I'm not around the forums too much, but still haven't seen you pop up for a while. I believe I got some crinums from you on the way out of the RU last year. Am I correct?
Only a few daylilies seem to keep putting out more and more fans each year. I don't know the names. But according to the daylily society guy, my foliage problems are probably from being to low in the dirt. Who wants to spend time lifting 50 daylilies? We'll see.
Y'all keep referring to Carmen (pins), but she left before the photo was taken last year and I am not familiar with her. I'm very sorry for your loss of a good friend and fellow gardener. Y'all speak so highly of her, I'm sure it would have been my honor to know her.
Y'all have a great time at the RU and please let me know if you take a group photo, I'd love to have one again!
P.S. Still looking for a volunteer designer/assistant!
Here's the memory thread for Carmen (pins2006):
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/742386/
Jack and I in my daughter and SIL's garden.
Than you for the link. I do remember her from the RU last year. In fact I remember exactly when this photo was taken because I was behind them and trying to get out of the way. I remember them setting up the wine bottle and everything. It is really perplexing as to why certain moments in life that seem so usual sometimes stay in your mind. I don''t know why this moment stands out from the rest of the RU. Maybe so I would remember her and appreciate what life has to offer and all of my blessings.
Thanks for the photo pirl. I think you fall under the "Pamela Anderson" category. :)
O'm a better fit for WOG - worn out gardener.
This is a wonderful thread! Y'all keep talking and showing pictures. Had me going there for a minute on that Park garden too! I was bout to bulldoze up all of my stuff and start over.
Pirl, so nice that your daughter has an appreciation for the garden too! :)
Susan
Yes, Susan, both my daughter and SIL love to garden. SIL is more of a collector but loves anything I buy for them.
Sweet... I'd love anything bought for me too!
:)
Susan
That's the fun part of trading with DG people, too. Often there are surprise plants and they always make me smile.
This is my favorite thread for inspiration:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/563917/
As if I'm not "watching" enough threads, now I'm watching one from 2005! JK I love the photos and trying to get some ideas. I kinda know in theory what's supposed to look good together (at least I know it when I SEE it, that is), but I just can't seem to make it happen. It's kinda like me with chess. I try to anticipate what the other guy (plants) will do, but when I plan for that strategy, the other guy (plant, weather, pests) does something else.
How many years will I be doing this before I get an area to look as "purposely put together" as the ones pictured here and on the other threads? I guess I've been actively pursuing this for about 5 years. (The first 5 in my house were spent with babies and lucky if the grass got cut.) Don't get me wrong, I'm loving the journey, I just thought my "design" skills would keep up with the bits and pieces I've learned about the different plants. Design is an art, not JUST acquired knowledge. It can be learned, but seems to take a bit longer than learning facts.
I'm going to keep flooding myself with garden magazines, trips to HD and Lowes and watching the threads for inspiration from y'all. So keep the photo's coming please!
You might want to add this one to your watch list. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/774521/ Susan's cottage garden (SoulGardenLove). Just beautiful.
Well guess who is NEVER coming to my yard!! (Unless it's to help!)
It was a lovely way to spend time with that first cup of coffee today.
Yall are just a bunch of really sweet people :)
Susan
Susan, I copy-catted your marigold 'Solan' with Artemisia 'Silver Mound'. Didn't quite get the same look last year as yours, but I've still got your picture for this year. I also bought some Dichondra 'Silver Falls' seeds in hopes of one day perfecting your spill over container.
3gardeners. now with this here new thread, it's giving everyone more inspirations. I'm waiting to see what you're going to do with all those callas and lilies.
I'll post pictures one day and y'all can say, "Ummm, that looks just like MY garden!". When you come across my pictures please receive it as a compliment to you all should I forget where the inspiration came.
OMG, the heat is on! I need LABELED photos. Back to my Garden Gate magazines of past! (Who cares if they are old, a beautiful garden is a beautiful garden, no matter what year.)
soulgardenlove, was that one years worth of growth with the Dichondra 'Silver Falls'?
If so, what size plant did you start with. I see that is going to be this years "must have".
Last year it was Persian shield and copper plant. I didn't know I could overwinter the Persian Shield until reading a thread last night. Drat. I just left them out like annuals. I hope I can get them as cheap as I did last year. $1 for 4 inch pot at Growers Outlet.
Grower's outlet is open!. Just went to the website. http://www.growersoutletllc.com/ Open 7 days 9-5. Whoo Hoo!!!
Deborah, I have found it's really hard for me to make things happen in the garden and I really don't plan lots of things.. (of course somethings I do plan!) they just kinda work themselves out that way! :) I loved the Silver Falls and if it doesn't come back, I will certainly be on the lookout for it as well. Yes, that picture was one years worth of growth and it was a small 4 inch from Lowes.
I see that growers outlet is open, but what great stuff can they have out now before Mothers Day??
Susan
Is that place an open air market? I'll be in the Lagrange area for ball games and wouldn't mind stopping by. Seems like Loganville is near there. I may have to map search that area to make sure.
None of the nurseries around here really have any perennials out until the week of Easter as a general rule.
I need to start myself a written shopping list. Most of the time when I go to nurseries, I get so confused with all of the assortments offered. Without having some kind of list in my pocketbook I end up over buying. Y'all keep up the talk. I'm taking notes.
..
Deborah... Lagrange is where Jim lives and Loganville is at least a two hour maybe three hour trip... Depends on how strong your bladder is :)
I've never made a list. I shop by lust.
Susan
Ok, I was thinking of Callaway high school was just right out side of Lagrange. Forget the name of that community but it's in Troup Co.
LOL gotta have a big pocketbook on your shopping trips!
Heading out to pre-spring sow. Winter, I hope is just about over!
IT is an open air market and you can find their available list on thier web page. It changes often.
http://www.growersoutletllc.com/