'Things I've Given Up On' Section of the Garden

In response to some of the questions asking "Will this plant survive and come back next year?" I have a suggestion that has worked for me. Identify a section of the garden or a particular window box as the area for lost causes. It's hard for me to just throw a living thing away, and very rewarding to give it a shot and see it come back later. Some of the nicest things that I have are from that section. I have the Charlie Brown syndrome that adopts abused plants knowing that others will take the best ones, and between those, and garden experiments or mistakes, it works out nicely. Something always survives. That's where the old forced paperwhites and hyacinths go, and even when they aren't spectacular, I am glad to see them come back.

I've always kept a section of the garden for just that, and I call it The Orphan Garden. If they happen to come back and perform well there, they get to return and play with the rest of the 'kids.' I had an astilbe that I was sure was dead that I put out there the middle of last summer. Well, by early fall, it was back in the regular garden! I've had that happen with quite a few things that I put out there and ignored.

My whole garden is like that. If, for example, I have a little experimental vine, I will plant annual vines (tried and true) to cover the area and take them out as (or if) the little one takes over. The same practice with annuals around questionable perennials.
K. James

Me too. Along the back of my fence near the pond I have an area that I move plants to as they become "tired" or are going to seed. I have tilled in some very good soil and just line them up like little soldiers. The scuppanong grapevines cover the area and make it shady and cooler. I hate throwing any of them away so this way I can baby them along until next year.

My area is for those that don't ''fit'' anywhere else, or reseed, or spread too much. Zebrina hollyhocks, common columbine, primrose(fructosa) etc. I don't want to get rid of them, just keep them under control.

Yes, we have our 'plant hospital' where we put tired, lagging, experimental, garden center bargain bin rescues, and extra plants. Often they take off and we transplant and take great joy from that. Sometimes they fail and we quietly dispose of them and move on. Kind of a fun little corner of the garden to observe.

We also have a kind of nursery bed where I test colors and varieties to see how they perform and where they might fit in the border...it's a good learning tool for me since I am a newbie at gardening.

I get down on the ground and look at colors thru colors. Sometimes I'm lucky and just get it right the first time. Last year I made a new half-moon bed and put my red peonies, fern peonies, coral bells, husker red penstemon, maltese cross and other purple and whites in. I have no idea how it's going to turn out. I made a couple of beds like that. I can't wait to see what I've done!!!