Beginner Gardening: DJ"S SHARING GARDEN DESIGNS "WHAT TO GROW WHERE ???, 4 by Pfg

Pfg wrote:
Good morning Susie... Maybe your Bee Balm would get taller with some shade, just a thought...mine survived for decades with no care in light-to-medium shade. I brought it forward into one bed, it needs regular watering in the hotter months. Didn't you say there's an Oak tree in the garden? Or near it? Eventually it will give you some shade, but I guess it will take a while, lol. But nothing good happens in a day, isn't that what they say? It's true about gardening, that's for sure!

Pic 1 is from 2007, the year I came to the garden. It's a wonderful spot, and although much serious gardening had been done there in the past, when I got there the beds were overgrown and overrun with all kinds of weeds and out-of-control perennials. The main list: Ferns, Raspberries, Tradescantia, Goldenrod, Bittersweet, a particularly pernicious vine called Apios Americana, and all the usual thugs: Jewelweed, Deer Tongue, grasses, Garlic Mustard, and lots more I can't remember or don't know the name of. And Ticks. The first year I found at least 1 every weekend, even 'suiting up' with socks, long sleeves and spray. Finally DH found 3 on himself at the same time, now we have a service come and spray regularly.

The garden is on a steep hill, terraced by stone retaining walls into 4 levels with a sleepy stream at the bottom. Pic shows Top and Middle Lawns. The long narrow section had just been cleared and replanted with a few shrub roses and not much else. Above are peonies and day lilies planted 30+- years ago by DH, who ran out of steam long before I came on the scene. Beyond the big box shrub are a Siberian Iris bed infested with many scourges, and below ditto minus the Sibs.
Pic 2, I made do with lots of Nasturtiums. Sometimes I think it never looked better!
Pic 3 is the Long Border, June-ish 2012. Getting closer all the time to the cottage effect I'm looking for. The top level had been cleared and left unplanted for a year while I fought some battles with invasives. The Sibs spent the year in pots, and I just replanted them last fall. This fall I added more peonies and spring/early bloomers in front of the Sibs, and will keep working to fill in front of them with longer/later flowering plants.
The deer nipped some essential color blocks, phlox especially, during a drought at the far end bottom level. Usually they leave me alone, but I've started spraying with Deer Fence just in case (ugh, stinky, but it works). The orange is Geum Totally Tangerine, a superstar for me. Farther down is Heuchera Coral Charm, another winner at this time of year, finally expanded enough to make a statement.
I've already done some re-arranging, will continue in the spring. In addition to other things, I see in this pic I need more blues coming up the border toward the camera!
Pic 4 the long view
Pic 5 later in the season, still missing the phlox :( The pink mound is Saponaria. This spring I put a peony grid up for it to grow through, which works great! Made it taller and not so floppy so it doesn't sprawl all over the plants in front of it. Makes it easy to shear off, too, after the first flush. Behind it, not blooming(!) are Phlox David's White, Laura (lavender) David's Lavender, Kathleen (lavender), a shorter white, and Tigerlilies, also gone for some reason, probably beetles.
My idea was to have lots of purple and blues to play off the Cotinus, and a pop of bright orange from the volunteer Tigerlily, but this year without the big flowers it fell flat. I think the original idea is too dark, anyway, even though there's quite a lot of white. I've added some more bright spots since then, also added some daylilies to the top level. I also have big plans for the spring. Next summer will show how that all works.
The Casablanca Lilies in the big barrel are about to bloom, Asiatic Centerfolds just going by. With them are a white Nicotiana (I thought it was alata, but the tags were mixed up and it turned out to be Sylvestris, too tall, too spindly, too late) and some Snapdragons (gone by), and I added a white non-vining Clematis, C integrifolia Alba, that I hope will hang 2-3' down the front of the barrel. The idea is all-season white flowers... A work in progress...



Edited to add info
This message was edited Dec 9, 2012 9:38 AM

This message was edited Dec 9, 2012 10:11 AM