Nice JoAnn. I like the hydrangeas and Lily combo. It does amaze me how the plants just explode after a few years, and I do love when a plan comes together, even when it isn't precisely the way I thought it would be. A good job for sure.
Looking Back on 2009
thanks patti - i thought i planted deep too and i did run into some i planted last year in the long bed by the driveway - i only split a handful and replanted the others - not as bulb crazy as you since i plant 4 bags of standard yellow daff's a year with hyacinths mixed in over 4 years - it is all done now although i have only gone half way to the wall so i suppose i could fill it all in - need to start over planting have not done that at all
planting daff's with dl's make sense dnut
I am amazed at some of the lucky compositions here. The first year I didnt have a plan so 2008 meant challanges with 2007 bulbs mostly ,planted in colors that weren't quite right.
As we all know its a slow process but I would recomend to anyone to have a plan before you start to develope any large area.
This is the same border 1 year apart.
I am retired so I can put in the hours. I would be in a rubber room if I didnt keep busy.
A plan? What's a plan?
Plan for us non designer is to find a open spot & stick a plant there. I do best with a vague idea about plant conditions. I wanted a 'hot border', but the area shades over faster than I can aquire plants. Did not like the coleus which I tried. The year before I planted silver mound as a relief & they turned out well.
Really I envy those who can do a well designed plan. That is why we can enjoy the gardens of others so much.
I agree ,everyone to his or her own.
Many of my plans include an escape clause in case I forgot something.
I havnt seen a bad garden yet.
oooo I like the escape clause idea.
ohhhhh yes. I gotta have them. Short term memory isnt worth mud.
Is the escape clause usually a shovel?
LOL Shovel and fork.
Oh yes I agree JoAnn. I always start out with a plan. Works out well until some of those wayward plants just show up or jump in a wagon here and there. JoAnn is correct there is no such thing as a bad garden, only unfinished ones, like all of mine. My shovel is the move to another file or delete button of the garden.
Delete button ^_^ I would like an 'edit button' to 'fix' stuff.
I would like an edit button for the garden that is my life, which resembles Joann's Garden! I always start out with a plan....
The edit button IS the spade.
Nooooo.....that would be the delete button! The delete button is not available for pushing today!
i think joann is right, spade = edit, delete = death by disease
I had to give up on tulips....too expensive to disappear after the first year! I think we had too many underground culprits. Nothing bothers the daffies, so I stick with them. However, some have already finished blooming by the time we show up in NH. I think they are so cheery greeting us when we arrive!
I am going to replace no-return Tulips with Daffs and Narcissi
Very nice, JoAnn, and a fitting start to this thread. I second Cousin Nut on liking the plantings around the foundation of your house.
Sherry, I was wondering why you said Misery. ????? Maybe I'm out of the loop or have forgotten what's going on for you. I hope things get better, in any case.
Pat, your side path garden is really looking nice. Like you, I'm hoping for more balanced weather this year, too. Most times, though, it seems to be feast or famine when it comes to rain. Either too much or too little. That's one thing man hasn't learned to control 'yet'.
Did I misunderstand you, Bill? You want less time so you can't do as much this year? I want more time to do a lot more, or at least to be able to keep up. I now have 3 days off a week, so actually that will give me more time. Technically I don't have one of those days off, but since my shift is an asleep overnight one, and I don't start till 8 p.m., then I really feel like I have the day off. I do have the 'day' off.
Meredith, you have some beautiful shots in your albums.
AYC, your place is looking good!
Thanks for sharing your pics, too, Patti. I remember seeing them earlier in the year. I'm sorry for the medical issues you had, but glad to hear you're well and back at it. Spring will be here before you know it. I still want to make it out to your place. Maybe this spring when all the bulbs are putting on their show.
Polly, a lot of tulips are planted as annuals. Like JoAnn said, the Darwins are faithful. Like IrisMA, I have trouble with deer eating my tulips here, at least the ones in the back. I have Darwins in the fron that they leave alone. Something always eats my crocuses every spring. I think it might be rabbits. Very disappointing.
JoAnn, I have plans in my mind, but they're always subject to change. And their not complete, either. I just kinda go for it. My gardens are always a work in progress.
Karen
I will try planting some Darwins then, thanks. I did years ago, but recently I've been so frustrated by no tulips coming back I haven't planted any.
You're welcome. I love my Darwins. Maybe next year I'll plant more. The ones I have in front are called Appledorn. Here's a pic of them.
Karen
Species tulips: tarda, gregii, kaufmania will return everso. They are shorter than the hybrids but very prettiful.
Tarda and gregii returned for a short for me, then gone. Maybe two years, three max.
Appledorn is a beauty.
Polly I just dug up a bunch of 6 yer gregii this fall to divide cuz they got too crowded. I wonder if it's cuz you have more moisture? hmmm.
That could be. I know spring bulbs like to be dry.
Thanks Karen!
Tulips don't return well here either, at least the few I've tried. I had some Darwin Oullioules (spelling is probably wrong) the Lily Flowered Tulips returned better than them the second year, but still not very well. Perhaps those are just not one of the reliable Darwins. I don't think, them not being dry enough, is a problem here. My yard is so dry that our lawn goes dormant if we don't water it all the time, it's very sandy. I usually just get the leaves every year after they are planted which is a pain because I have a hard time locating and removing the bulbs without disturbing other plants. I still like to try a few here and there because they really are beautiful in spring.
Loving the progression pics.
Here's a collage of fircle in the front corner of my house, I need to change the edging(eventually)
Look at the willow in the upper left how tiny, I think it was less that 12" when I planted it. Now(of course) can't find a full pic of it but bottom right is taken at eye level.
Hope this collage works....
Front of house
Top left April, top right May, middle left June, middle right July-frost(2008)
Bottom July-Frost(2009)
New shade garden
June
October
May my little wildflower garden
June
August 08
Have since changed the shape
May 09 close up work in progress
nice work Jen!!
Looks really nice! Jen
Looking luvly flowerjen.
Looking great, Jen!
May I make a recommendation? If you find out you are having problems with weeds in that bed, as it looks so rich, mulch it with straw for a year or so. The straw is cheap, easy, really easy to lay down. It doesn't look the best, but is the best mulch I've ever used. Once you have few weeds sprouting up, you can just pull the straw up, and mulch it with pine bark mulch or whatever, but the straw works wonders. Although maybe you won't have a weed problem, but that rich soil is just a weed magnet.
Looks like you are making great progress. Seems like more grass gets gone every year. It is amazing that small plants can grow so much in such a short time. I love to see the changes.
Here it is in August.
