Plans For a Darkly Gothic Garden

I know I'm jumping the seasonal gun (well, perhaps not, since I've already seen Xmas stuff in the stores. . . ), but Halloween is by far one of my favorite holidays, especially since I'm a big classic horror film buff.

I've just begun to plan the landscaping for the farm I purchased 8 years ago, & would like to give one of the beds a "gothic" theme - little stone gargoyles & all - lol!! - & would really enjoy plant suggestions that are either gothic by name or association, or in black/deep purple/white Halloweeney color theme .

So far my partial list includes:

Black &/or White "Bat Flowers" (in suitable gothic-type containers that can be brought in, as they're tropical)
"Bela Lugosi" daylilies
Several "black/near black" varieties of Bearded Iris
"Queen of the Night" tulips
Lily of the Valley
White Hyacinth varieties
White Daffodils
Sea Holly (for the spininess)

Thoughts? Ideas?

Love the idea, wish I could do it. Maybe I'll try something in the couple pot level. I don't have any ideas now, but I'll think on it.

Oh - & I also have some potted Venus Flytraps that will fit in nicely I think.

I got this site from Moby I am going to try to do something like this in an area of my yard...

http://www.gothicgarden.net/


Only issue is he does not sell the seeds just keeps the list on there!

There's a great black elephant ear. "Blackie" or "Ace of Spades" sweet potato vine is cool, too.

YES - I've seen that Gothic Gardening site & it's great - although I am going to try & avoid planting highly poisonous plants, which that site seems to like. They do have some good ideas though.

Don't forget black hollyhocks, Nemesia Penny Black (something like that), Black Magic and Illustris Colocasia, Echinops is silver with bluish flowers but definately has that thistle quality. LOL Perilla stays a very nice dark purple color. You might even consider Persian Shield and Alternanthera. I'll have to think some more. I am not feeling too creative right now. :)

Oh yes - forgot about the black hollyhocks - "Nigra" is very popular around here since it was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson. That I would have to stake very securely, as we're in a very windy spot (although we call the place Breezy Meadow Farm, my husband said it would have been more aptly named Hurricane Hill - lol).

Pandoras Box might be an interesting daylily to add . . . the whole greek myth and such.
There are lots of Dark named Daylilies that might be great for the garden for some day interest....

LOL about the wind! :) Got some nice 8' ribar?

That's what I'd probably have to use - lol!!!!

You can find plenty of it in my garden. :)

The almost white Dames Rocket that I have, gleams like white eyes in the dark OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Oh, I thought this such a funny idea.... Darkly Gothic... coming from Breezy Meadow!
LOL Ab

Lol - I know, sounds weird. I probably shouldn't have said "darkly" Gothic, as I'm not a cultist or anything & the rest of the place is quite cheery. I just want my own little year-round "halloween" garden corner!

Scabiosa comes in black and white.
Salvia Discolor is black.

Dont forget to plant a few pumkins - white pumkins are really good for a goth garden. THink about Flying Dragon Citrus, it will be hardy in your area and looks very twisted.

It made me smile!

I'm glad - always happy to make others happy - lol!!

With reference to staking extremely tall plants like Hollyhocks in windy areas - how the heck does one get tall stakes into good old southern red/greasy/cement clay without ending up requiring medical attention?

Ah - easy rebar and a hammer! Just keep those fingers out of the way it really hurts!

With something like Hollyhocks tho, wouldn't one need a ladder?

I use a sledge hammer, 8 pound I think. You do not have to stake the full height so long as to get the base and uppermost part. They can take a bit of sway, just not a typhoon. LOL

Hmmm - they won't take a typhoon, huh? May have to rethink Hollyhocks then - lol!!! (& I'm only half kidding. . . )

Yes I have used a ladder - not the most fun but it works. We live at the end of a field so there is a lot of wind. So far they have made it with nothing lost!

I'm also thinking that perhaps planting a few garlic cloves around my planned little concrete gargoyles might be fun as well!!

Want some chives before I nuke them? LOL

Definitely NOT!!! I have Garlic Chives all over the place - & that's after giving a bunch away.

And how could I think of designing my new Gothic garden without my faithful desk/computer penholding companion. . . . .

That is so cool. My brother collects gargoyles, he would love that one. We got to see some nice real ones when we went to France this winter.

LOL

Those gargoyles sort of freak me out. They remind me of Rottweilers with chains, wings and don't some have horns?? There was one on the side of the road last summer so the kids and I stopped and got it. By 'on the side of the road', I mean it was going to the trash. LOL I didn't pick it from a garden! It was solid cement, about 18" tall and that or more wide. By the time we got home, one wing fell off. I figured I would fix it. It sat in the driveway a few weeks and the other wing dropped off. I guess I wasn't meant to have a gargoyle. :)

Zhinu - I have a pair of those & got them both off of E-Bay for very little $$.

They were originally made/sold by Levenger - the fancy-schmancy fountain pen & writing materials company.

Levenger doesn't make these anymore, but like I said, they do crop up on E-Bay occasionally. Do E-Bay searches for "Levenger" & also for "gargoyle".

Breezymeadow - I hadn't thought of that. I'll see what pops up on Ebay the next couple of months and maybe I'll find a really cool Christmas present for my brother.

Badseed - I would have kept it without wings. It's one of the things I love about them, new they look cool one way, damaged they look cool in a different way.

Did you know that what we think of as gargoyles aren't officially gargoyles? Technically a Gargoyle is a shaped waterspout, the name comes from the sound the water makes when pouring through the opening. Even the official shapes aren't necessarily what we think of as a gargoyle. They can be along the lines of the modern gargoyle, but often are comic people, or even animals.

Here is a picture of an official gargoyle, from Chartes Cathedral in France. The slot at the top is where the water runs down and there is a hole in the top of the head through the mouth. I have a whole lot more pictures of gargoyles if people are interested.

Wonderful pic!! Thanks!! My house isn't suited to something like that, but it certainly would be neat to have - a gargoyle that spits out water at you on a rainy day - lol!!!

OMG! That view makes me ill! LOL

Michele!!! For shame!!!

Does this look like a gargoyle to you?

LOL!!! Kidding!!!!!

Nicole

Michele!! For shame!

Does this look like a gargoyle to you?

LOL!! Kiddin!

Nicole

I don't understand! My posts won't post - then post twice! I even backed out and came back in. Oh well!

This message was edited Sep 14, 2005 1:08 PM

What is going on?? This is weird! My posts don't show at all - show I backed out and came back in and.... twice..

Huh??

Nicole

Oh well!!

Frankly umm, yes. LOL Both of them! LOL

I had a "Creepy" garden one year and still have a few plants left ~ Dragon's Blood sedum, Blood Grass, etc.

Some gargoyles are quite amusing ~ this one was on the Church across the street from my hotel room in Paris. It's a lady with her fingers pulling her cheeks apart and tongue hanging out. Couldn't get a good focus on it tho ~

(Or if your home castle was being attacked, you could pour boiling oil through onto the invaders)

But you can get some that really do spit water. :)