New Gardenbed Layout and started Planting.

I laid out the plan for all the space opened up by my now gone and carted
away tree in the front yard now totally full sun bed. It is making it sunny
not only in the immediate area but the beds in front view off the street are
getting more sun also. Even though they got enough before.

I got smart and made a plan. This is going totally cottage garden. Area now
will be in front of an existing rose bed as viewed from picture window of my
living room. I put in sticks for markers and bricks (temporary) to outline
sections were things are going. It helps me to visualize and see if I have
enough room or need to move things before I actually plant.

I am transplanting a row of 7 extra early daylilies I had in another area.
That is first daylily row. Then I have staked out the second daylily row
which will be all late blooming daylilies. I still haven't decided if I will
use ones moved in there for the late bloomers or buy new.

In front of the daylilies, instead of having them right up to the edgers, I
have left room so that I can have a row of tulips and crocus there which I
will plant in the fall for spring.

Off to the side area next to the nice new front yard walkway redone last
year, I have a small semi circle area using these concrete round edgers I
had laying around. It is just enough to plant 5 tall bearded Iris. Then in a
semi circle around at the outside edge of those edgers that will contain
bearded iris I will put Siberian Iris to outline.

In back of the rows of daylilies and off to the side of the iris will go a
grouping of lily bulbs and I will have room to put daffodils in that area
also. Then path to access the one side of the existing rosebed. I am
thinking if the lilies should be a double row of orientals or what. The
exact lilies that will be there or even of I should go some trumpets, I have
not decided as yet.I need to still think on that and my spring lily bulbs
are not ordered yet anyway. I want to make it another of my "mass" displays
of lilies and want to go heavy there for lots of bloom. I might be able to
go asiatic and oriental in back, have to do more measuring to see what could
work there.

At any rate this should give me the look I want of lots of different types
of bloom at various times thru the summer and make it a lively cottage
garden section. Since this area is near areas already planted with roses,
lilies, Siberian Iris and other plants, it just extends the cottage garden
look.

There are some years that I remember going out to garden in March wearing my winter coat. Not this year. March started off warm and it has stayed that way. Today is another over 70 degree day and we have been having high 60s or over all week and High 50s to low 60s the weeks before.

If I were to do a combo type massing of lilies and used asiatic, oriental, and trumpets (or a trumpet hybred) putting them in rows how should I group them? Not asking about heights, I can buy the heights that work. Simply thinking of what goes in front and back acording to bloom times.

I figgure it should be asiatics in front to bloom first then orientals. I don't think I have room for a row of trumpets also but if I do then they should be the last row?
Have to figgure this out before I look for the bulbs.

Rita, let's see a picture so we can better follow your visualization!

This sounds wonderful, Rita! I agree with Steve, let's see a picture!

Here it is with the front two rows of daylilies planted.I moved them over from other spots in the garden.

After putting in the daylilies, I can see that I am not going to be alble to go with multiple rows of lilies. Too crowded. Instead of going rows like rows of orientals and or rows of asiatics I have decided on a mixed row that with be asiatics and orientals in the same row. Will do two rows staggered. That is pull the bulbs further apart than I usually do in these group situations and then stagger them. Not the way I did it in other areas but the way it will work for this area while still looking very good when all is done.

Woman, where do you get your energy from? could you bottle it and send me some! ;) LOL

This is nothing. I have been thinking I have hardly anything to do this spring. Of course it will get busier as it gets warmer and there are more things to plant!

Want to come to Iowa and play in my gardens? :) I just mulched my new lily and peony bed yesterday. 50 bags of 2 cubic feet of mulch. I was one tired little Ticker last night... Now I still have all the older beds to weed and mulch...

Ha, I could never get that done in one day. I am slower than I used to be when younger. I just do something everyday and it does all get done eventually.

This bed is in direct sun and it was 82 here yesterday. I thought about quitting when I had half of it done, but then I remembered that it was in full sun and well, it would be hotter when I got back to it, so I just trudged on through. :) I am thrilled it's done, now I just wish the other 3K square feet were done... :) LOL

See, now you are super organized this year. And a very big job was done so you will not have to concern yourself with it later in the year.


I just love done projects :-)) It gives me energy for getting the rest of things done. Otherwise I would never have motivation to keep working.

Eh, yeah. :) LOL Super Organized and Me, heh, no... LOL

Well, It sure sounded like you are. Getting all that mulching done so nice and early in the year :-))

Rita, that's going to look great - but I think you have room for a couple of rows of lilies at least! I will be excited to see it as it develops.

Diann, I saw the pic of your new bed you posted the other day - that is going to be AWESOME! I like tke kind of odd shape and it will be striking against the field of open green grass.

I originally thought I could get maybe 4 rows of lilies there but after I put the little sticks in, I decided it was too crowded. Now I am thinking 2 rows. But going to be making the two rows mixed asiatic and orientals, instead of one row of each.

I want to be able to get some spring bulbs in there too, back by the roses. There really isn't much room and I have to lay out what will go there before I can actually buy it. I am still working with the layout. Thats what I do, I put sticks and sometimes bricks for markers and then I look at it and think on it before I go any further.

Rita,

One thing I do when I plant is put things in clusters/circles of three or five bulbs each, sometimes more. Seems like you can get lots more in and there is ALWAYS something in bloom. I will put a perennial in for example and then little circular clusters of lilies, daffs, tulips, hyacinths, etc around it.

Clusters, No I don't usually do that. I have a habit of doing lots and putting them in rows. I have to think on your clusters idea and see if that might work out better.

This is a closer shot of that little front yard space. As you all can see, there is not that much room there between those daylilies that I moved in there and the little rose section in the back.

I am not going to be keeping these bricks there in back of the daylilies and the ones in front of the rose shrubs. I just put them there to define what I already planted and whats already there so that it was easier for me to focus on what space was left.

It's going to look great, Rita - especially being on a hill and all facing the street. I can't wait to see what you do with it.

Well, it is going to be lilies in there just the thing is which kinds, how many, and how to arrange them.