Beginner Gardening: DJ"S SHARING GARDEN DESIGNS "WHAT TO GROW WHERE ???, 2 by warriorswisdomkathy

warriorswisdomkathy wrote:
Carolyn...I think we all start out with the polka dot effect...lol. It's as the pallette expands that we decide that something like look fabulous planted next one of our other favs....Problems is when starting they are all favorites.. Or another I'm guilty of is....ooooh I like that plant, buy it, take it home and then, oh my, where am I going to put this? Lol. Will it get lost, or having to wait till it get's big enough to divide or get seed and grow more on so you can get to that point of mutiples...

I'm like Pam in a way....large area to cover, (my own choice tho). Here in pix 1, this is Valariana officinalis. Not really fitting into my scheme of things yet as a patch that will be coheasive.....but I loved the fragrance of it...It's only a spring bloommer at 3-4ft ht. After it's done blooming it will get cut back to 12-14" ht and stay green the rest of the season. So my present dilema is do I plant it toward the front of the border cuz it blooms early or place it at the back of the border because of it's height? (and then have little tufts at the back making it look like there is a gap....).. So far, I've got most at the back and fill in with reseeding comos (waiting for larger perenns to grow up and out). But it still has not multiplied for me yet, (was 'spose to reseed and hasn't yet). Pix 2, lower right is the valariana in bloom, I left one at the front to I could smell it when passing by, but this coming spring will have to decide if it get's relagated to the back of the border as it will begin looking out of place with it's shorter neighboring plants. Or I could plant more in the multiple rule and make it a statement...wanting to see beyond this plant to the next area down the path... then when cut back I could seed in something thin enough (root wise) but may bush a bit to over lap the shorter foliage and yet not a large enough root mass to disturb the Valariana. Another reason for liking reseeding annuals...lol. My problems is I want as many blooms as possible going on at the same time...

So what will you be doing in your garden come spring, what are you going to be dividing? Tell us more....lol.

And Pam just love pix 2 wow that's alot of color!!!! I love the draping down effect that you've created...And have often wondered if that's how some of those English Cottage beds have been made, (the bed itself actually being taller in the back or it's just the right placement of plants..... And Pam, do you not have any Iris or just not like them (german bearded?). And was wondering if you've tried growing Monarda Lambada yet since you like your monardas? It's in the lavender range and the flower is more teired, but it will bloom all summer and reseed too. ('spose to e hardy in z7 and south.) I love it and need to grow some this year, guess I better put that on my list of seed to get...lol. Hey did you ever eat any of your nasturtiums yet, suppose to have a peppery tatse to them, Monet had masses of them in his gardens at Giverney. Just beautiful!! And I just still marvel at that peachie Geum, I don't know why but my eye gets drawn to it every time I see one of your pix of it....Maybe cuz it's not screaming....LOL.

Pix 3. Here's another small vinette, (at my daughter's garden), here I was after contrasting foliages and I just love this combo...Sad to say she has had me rip it out as the Hops vine was not to her liking...but I am thinking I will be adding this one to my garden this year. Plants are Centranthus ruber (pink, heaviest bloom in the spring, cut back and will still bloom but not as thick), Geranium Rozanne which just blooms and blooms all season (it does need deadheading but can be done frequenty to keep heavy bloom coming) and The chartreuce (sp) is Hops vine aures (golden hops), if it were upright could get to 20 ft, but here has been allowed to sprawl and gets yanked on to keep it in bounds. Wasn't planned, cuz the vine was actually suppose to be attatched to the side of the house and grow upward but never put anything up for it to grow vertically....