Wow, nice size for mail order.
My Intro
Geez---this was all too long to read and a bit boring for me--as i do not plan anything,
do not search by names--and do not run to plant sales just to obtain something new.
A bit too far "out there" to hold my interest.
Sorry! I have limited space--and whatever grows there--stays there.
Now and then--I have to hunker down and get rid of something so I can plant something new.
This takes huge effort. So--I don't do it very often. Almost---never....
G.
Yes, Aspen... I was pleasantly surprised at the size of the young tree when it arrived.
Cam, what a pretty dogwood! It looks nice and healthy, too.
Thanks... yes, for being in transport for three days and the root ball pretty dried out, she's in great condition. Watching her grow and fill out is going to be very interesting. I'll post some pics this weekend once I get that bed finished.
Thumbs up CAM.
And I'm amending my 'gangly' comment to 'lyrical'!
:)) Thanks, Coleup.
BTW, I'm going to snip off all those little "branches" on the bottom of the tree. I want it looking like a tree and not a bush.
I was going to suggest that you do that ; - )
It looks very nice against the brick. I know it's in a temporary spot, but it pairs well with the variegated hosta.
Yes Muddy, it does, huh? Especially in that red pot. =)
Yes... I'm planting it in a bed just 15 feet from those hostas, Muddy.
That little beauty will be a great centerpiece in your new bed! Did you find somebody to do a stacked stone wall for you yet?
Gita, did you seriously just post to say you don't like this thread? If you don't care for the discussion -- DON'T READ IT. We're clearly chatting about CAM's landscaping, and he's a careful, detail-oriented guy. Click "unwatch" please.
CAM, are you looking for modern or historic irises for your driveway bed(s)? The historics have a much softer look, fewer frills, graceful falls... I think most of what we've been posting in the what's blooming thread are modern ones.
As you plan those beds, remember that irises don't like a lot of humidity around them, so give them more "airy" neighbors and avoid mulching over the rhizomes... you might even consider putting a meandering raised strip, like a miniature berm, to be sure the rhizomes get good drainage & air. I say "meandering" bec. I don't generally like soldier-straight rows of plants... but along the driveway, you could probably just put in a narrow raised strip straight down each side (with a wider bed beyond) and use that for a lovely border of irises.
Thanks, Jill... yes, I think that little bed is going to be a pleasure to look at from my kitchen window for years to come. Thanks so much for suggesting it !
And thanks for the info on the irises, so much gardening knowledge around here. I tend to like the newer Irises with their great colors. And yes, I will make a raised, meandering berm for them as you suggest, thanks again. Definitely don't want them lined up like soldiers...will give me nightmares of Air Force Basic Training in 1979. Hahaha
Oh.. and by the way, no stone retainer wall yet. I'll get estimates on that project mid to late summer.
Planting irises on mounds (or meandering mini-berms) is a good idea in "mixed" beds, not only for better drainage but also so you can mulch to your heart's content around the other plants without such odd-looking "holes" around the irises.
I'll find the date for the FSK sale and add it to the events thread as well as letting you & Terri know!
Excellent info, Jill. I think it will make the beds look better too.... raised, meandering Irises... awesome visual. :) Thanks, appreciate the help !
I know it was for Cam's benefit, but I gotta say "Thank You" Jill, that is really great info on the Irises! When I move mine I will be sure to add some extra oomph to the soil to raise the area a bit. :)
Cam, really REALLY looking forward to the pics of your Iris bed(s) when you get it/them done; MAN that is gonna look great!
going to start working on those new beds in about two weeks. Should me mostly be done by the fall swap. I will leave room for Irises from the swap, of course. :)
oh yeah just leave spaces. I would think you're going to have other things for interest the other 48 weeks of the year. I like my irises better when they are just a few fans, not huge clumps.
Yes, Sally... have to plan for things that will catch my eye even a few years from now. And have to leave room for everything to mature.
So, how often do you have to 'divide' your irises to keep that look Sally?
gosh, coleup, I can't really say, because min are all on different phases. I think each 'fan' will split into two and have a bloom in the middle, the next year. Jill will probably chime in with the details.
I always end up crowding the beds in back. Single fans or small clumps of iris get buried by blooming perennials, but big clumps get ratty and make a hole.
Well, I could not have picked a worse place in my 1/3 acre yard to plant that dogwood. I had to cut thru some white pine roots that were damn thick despite being 20 feet from the neighbor's trees. Then I got to the bottom of my hole and hit rock... no biggie, I hit rock all the time, I just pry them out and move on. Yeah, not this rock. I got enough of the rock exposed that it's taking up about 40% of the bottom of my hole. Crowbar still wouldn't budge it. Appears to be a mini boulder. Thought about moving my hole over a bit but it would have made the tree way off center in the bed. Oh well, I'm guessing tree roots will find their way around it and it won't affect the growth of the tree. But woweee, that was a chore.
Cam, how old is your house? Is it possible that it is a piece of concrete from the construction of the house.. ya know, builders "create" garbage and just toss it into the yard, figuring they'll just hide it. tsk tsk!
I actually came across just that the other day when I installed the St. John's Wort. Thought I'd been through every inch of that Big Bed, but nope, there was a big slab of concrete surprise waiting for me in there about a foot down. Sure wish they wouldn't do that! I've found foot-long spikes in there, concrete slabs and blocks, beer cans, and emptied pudding cups, it's shameful.
Oh no, I've seen that before too but this is pure rock. I had enough of it exposed that it was clear. And I dug up quite a few much smaller rocks of the same type in digging that hole. Nope, mother nature made this big boy.
Okay, off to the post office to pick up another part of this bed I'm creating.
Well that can be kinda cool then; if you can unearth that bad-boy maybe you can use it as an attractive focal point? :)
I didn't have the gumption to unearth that monster. And it appeared long and flat, not what I have envisioned for the beds I'm making soon. Had pretty color tho... light grey with dark speckles.
Sounds like granite!
I love huge rocks in gardens! Ads so much impact.
Aspen has them all over....
Pics from her Swap in May 2011. Gorgeous property!
That is gorgeous !
New bed is done.
Tiny Sensation Lilies by the bird feeder. Trailing Petunias by the bird bath, and of course the Dogwood "Summer Fun".
Cam, when I was planting my Limelight hydrangea, I hit a rock that was too heavy for me to lift. I asked DH to help me dig out it out, but we couldn't find the edge of it. Luckily it was pretty brittle so we could break it apart as we kept digging, but we ended up excavating down to around 3 feet deep and 8 feet wide. There were still rocks beyond this point but we were hitting the edge of our property line, so we gave up. I remember having to buy a ton of Leafgro and topsoil for this area since we were left with a giant hole to fill. The hydrangea is doing really well now.
We did use some of the rocks elsewhere for edging and the rest went to the dump.
I remember DH asking me to just plant it somewhere else. But I'd bought it specifically for that corner! The rocks had to go! :D
'Summer Fun' looks great in that spot!
I pounded this guy with a hammer for several minutes and only accomplished waking the neighbors I bet. :)
Yeah... You rrrrrreally wanted that Hydrangea there, SSG. Lol.
Thank you. :)
WOW Cam, that bed looks fabulous!! Man, just think... next year, when the babies are more mature and they really fill in.. OH BOY that's gonna be soooooo gorgeous!! =)
Thank you, Speedie.... yes, I think once everything matures, it will be much better. :)
That turned out beautifully. How nice to have that view from inside, too.
We always seem to find at least one rock when we dig, but so far not any that big.
Thanks, ecnalg. Yes, nice to sit in my kitchen table and look out at that. Hope to attract some good species of birds to watch.
Yeah, when I had a home up in Gettysburg, I couldn't dig a single hole (and I dug over 100 in 2 years) without hitting a decent sized rock. Here, not too many, mostly fist sized and smaller. Hope this big guy doesn't have any cousins around my yard. haha
Cam--
I love the way your grass defines each part of the bed and the walkway
further down.
A beautiful green carpet!!!
G.
Thanks, Gita.... it's a work in progress but previous owners didn't do too badly. The back yard especially, gets a lot of afternoon shade, keeps it thick and healthy.
I just LOVE that new bed! Really made me smile when I mentioned that I could envision a little bed there with a birdfeeder, and you said you had the birdfeeder stored away, waiting for a good spot!
Too bad you couldn't get the rock out... it would have made a nice platform for your bird bath! It's down deep enough that I don't think it's going to be an issue for anything planted in that bed, though.
LOL @ SSG's (and her DH's) determination! Bet they were stubborn kids. When you're little, people use the word stubborn... but when stubborn children reach their 20's, people use "good" words like determination, focus, drive, and stick-to-it-iveness.
Thanks, Jill... you mentioned a great spot for the Dogwood tree and birdfeeder and yes, I ran with it and presto... what a nice way to add something eye catching to the back yard. Thanks again!
BTW, for those who haven't had the Grand Tour... the doorway visible in CAM's photo of the new bed leads into a huge "open air" room with screened windows all around, what my grandma used to call a "sleeping porch." He says the (indoor) cats really like to sit out there.