Will do ...
So what makes a Cottage Garden, well, "Cottagey"?
Actually I work in lawncare and have never done anything with nematodes either way. I do know they can do damage and have some pics to look at if needed, they do make up a good percentage of soil.
Suzy - I'll try cutting them back earlier, I need to stop moving stuff more to know where I want bulbs. I like yellow plenty, pretty much covered all year.
Al, Where are those daffodils located? Any way you can sneak that intruder out of the stand? It's driving me crazy LOL!
After seeing CrockNY's pic, I am going to add that a Cottage Garden really has to have Foxglove in it, too. Hollyhocks, Foxglove & climbing roses. Flax & Cosmos and Poppies & Larkspur. :)
Aren't a lot of these selfsowing? Wouldn't it be funny to find out the prettiest CGs are just a bunchof self-sown seedlings?
Suzy
Good morning; I had started this note: Justforkids - thanks for the mention. Per the mnfctr., it's OK, but that does go against much of what I've read. Still haven't gotten to it so it will probably wait till spring. Levilya I have read about "bene's/un's" but being a new gardner I'm a bit paranoid about doing harm from good intentions. Illoquin - Thanks, I can put my paranoia to rest. Then I came back to the note and whoops, Bigcityal you've retriggered my paranoia. I sure would appreciate some pics. Are the pics of the effects of the "beneficial" nematodes. Thanks for all your responses.
Since we have at least 3 threads going for Cottage Gardens...I thought I'd check out the others....here's two more. Jo
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/667305/
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/668765/
Thanks Jo, and good morning to ya
Daisy - I just have plates of nematode damage in turfrass, I'll pull my book out later.
Suzy - those daf's all came out of the same bag, I do get blamed if they flower facing the wrong way from my garden critic. This is the summer crop for that small bed - not the oxalis ;)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/124308/
WE GOT IT!!!
the new cottage gardening forum:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/f/cottage/all/
fancyvan, I am just getting around to looking at all the great photos in this thread and have to tell you how impressed I am with the colors in your garden bed. Love how the greys look with the lavenders and yellow. Illoquin, you have a wonderful background of trees for you beds. One problem I have in my back garden is an ugly chain link fence. I am trying to grow more bushes and vines to cover it up, but it takes time. Sounds like you are really making a lot of changes. Your lilies are wonderful. Can't wait to see how everything looks next summer.
Susan
I think one of the elements of a cottage garden should be the surprise factor. Like, you have to walk around that curve to see -- oooh! a birdbath! Or something like that. You shouldn't be able to see the entire garden at once. Hard to achieve here, but I'm working on it!
If anyone watches "Rosemary and Thyme" the first episode has some good shots of Thyme's garden and gives a good idea of what I mean. There in the front, kind of off to the side, is a bamboo trellis for beans! And you hear water from the front, but don't see it until you go out to the middle.
I have a rose garden I'm working on out front, and there will be a little curving stepping stone path around the birdbath to a (hopefully) hidden little bench. I'll post photos if I ever get it looking halfway satisfactory.
Brigidlily, you could also post photos of your progress - I think we all love to watch a plan come to life!
Absolutely, brigidlily, post as you go please. It's ideas and encouragement for all of us (especially me).
I find the surprise factor to be one of the hardest things to acheive in my small garden. I do have a few tall ornamental grasses in the back that hide the part of the garden that is behind them, but think I need to work on creating a little more mystery in my gardens. I have a couple tall arbors in the front yard that I am thinking about joining with low picket fencing to make an enclosed front courtyard type area, but am not sure if it will feel too closed in that way or not. Also, I don't want to add anything that would shade my plants too much. Most everything I grow needs full or part sun. I think I will try drawing up some plans of both the back and front gardens this winter and try to get some suggestions from all of you.
Susan
This message was edited Nov 14, 2006 6:37 PM
I agree that the little rooms and surprises behind taller things is wonderful, but I am sun challenged anyway and adding big (eye level) bushes would cut the sun even more.
In addition to that, we need to get the big Garden Way cart from point A to Point B, so everything I add like that just cuts down on my mobility. In other words, yes, Lincolnitess, same here. LOL!
I did add 2 Sweet Bay Magnolias Magnolia virginianum this spring and they really add a lot. Of course you can see right through them, but just that little veil helped. In fact, I could use one more, but I put in a butterfly bush instead. All bushes are still little, but hopefully when they get big they still will allow light to pass through. A good one for less soil moisture is amalanchier canadensis.
I am practicing my italics...can you tell?
Suzy
I keep refering back to your pics an wondering how to tell each of you that have achieved near perfection, not to change too much unless you realy want to... but know its not necessary.
how do you use italics here? all i know is that the usual means don't work here. I see blue quotes, italics and bold popping up here and there and have no idea how others are managing to do it. share?
To add bold underline or italics
http://davesgarden.com/faq/forums/#131
To place a quote in a blue quote box
http://davesgarden.com/faq/forums/#172
:-)
carol
brigidlily, I do so agree about the element of suprise. I have a nostalgic love of being pulled into a garden to see what lies within. I think my love of cottage gardening has much to do with it being such an interactive garden, welcoming the viewer to walk the paths, touch the lamb's ear, smell the herbs and blossoms, observe the butterflies and bees up close. Its a style that encompasses the 5 senses, not just to be viewed from the road.
I've been taking pictures, and I DO thank you for your interest. I want to wait and put them all on one post, though. As soon as there is a decent series, I'll get them on here.
Do y'all find yourselves wandering around with a plant until it says, oh! HERE! I WANNA BE HERE! and not planting it until you hear that? I'm still wandering periodically with the weeping butterfly bush.
" Do y'all find yourselves wandering around with a plant until it says, oh! HERE! I WANNA BE HERE! and not planting it until you hear that? "
All the time! The neighbors think I have lost my mind! "look at that poor old soul just wondering around in circles" LOL
thanks for the links, I feel really dumb not finding them myself
LOL, yup, me too. Wandering around talking to myself with a pot and trowel in hand.
Don't feel dumb Jude, I refer to myself as technologically retarded, lol.
lol
If talking to yourself is retarded, I'm a retard too. ROFL.
gemini-sage, I posted a ? about how or if you contain your Gooseneck- Lysimachia Clethroides that I spotted in one of your pictures, I posted it when they added this new forum, so I guessed you missed it.
I have one that is growing towards the sidewalk in the corner garden, I don't want it taking over the whole area.
Chris
This message was edited Nov 14, 2006 12:04 PM
Chris, I have the gooseneck loosestrife in an area that is almost all gravel and rocks. It looks like the previous tenants had spread it there for a reason, but I can't imagine why. It works well for keeping the loosestrife in bounds. It does try to escape, but I yank those out when I'm weeding so it has'nt been too problematic. I have a couple of other rocky, dry areas where I use evening primrose and some other typically overzealous growers too. All about the right plant for the right spot I suppose.
Just finished reading The Secret Garden to my son as I did to my daughter years ago. What a wonderful garden in that wonderful book. I read it to my daughter when I was first getting into gardening. The synchronicity was great. I was coming alive with my gardening as the garden in the book did.
Suzy, I planted 4 different Japanese Anemonies, but only Honerine Jobert lived 2 years before it died. I was mad and disapointed at the same time. (They were not cheap.) Do you mulch your's? I think I should have. I want to try again because I really like them!
Justfurkids, the moles/voles also eat earthworms, so it's sort of a losing battle. A cat would help. :)
Does anyone grow Tall Bellflower, Campanula americana? It's almost a weedy reseeder, but I love the blue color.
I've been reading about the goosenecks and trying to find somewhere info as to if they would have a chance here in the desert. full sun elsewhere is not the same as here and at this point, I can't make a decision. Anyone have any idea before I try them? If they won't, any suggestions for a tall, lacy white with minimal flowering (more like spikes or intermittant) and more greenery that will grow in my full sun?
Jude, I don't know how it would perform in your area, but its so tough I can't imagine much bothering it. I have plenty and would be happy to share; dmail me if you're interested.
billyporter, I have'nt mulched my Japanese anemones and have'nt had a problem with overwintering here. I did plant a couple in areas that were either too dry or where there was too much compitition from other plants and lost those the first year, but I think that was because they were new babies. I saw my first blooms on 'Margarette' this year; the blister beatles devastated them as they were budding last year.
I forgot the picture. Tall Bellflower Campanula americana.
Gemini, that's beautiful! I had mine spread out under walnut trees. Some spots are wetter than others, but it does dry out. Honerine would have had the most sun, but early morn only. I'm thinking of trying some on the east side of the house. Morning sun again. but shaded the rest of the day. It has bark mulch already down.
billyporter - Is that a Honeylocust tree in your pic? p.s. Is your nick after the ghetto superstar or the Scottish comedian? thanks.
Prairie, no, that's the sun in the west shining thru the walnut. I didn't realize how golden it was.
My name is from a Mick Ronson song called Billy Porter. He used to play for David Bowie in the early years, and Mott the Hoople briefly. Billy Porter was written when he was imagining Lou Reed in New York. So far only one person on Dave's knows who he is. :)
When I think of a cottage garden , I think of a small home with beautiful gardens , taking up whatever space there is of yard. Usually paths leading through the garden. I often think of quaint and organized, with a flow to it. In my mind it is the garden of all gardens. I have a particular home in mind as I think, it is the home of a dear friend of the family who lives on the Puget Sound. As long as I can remember, she has gardened. She is now 100 years old and , although her garden isn't quite as tidy as it once was, she still gardens her heart out ;0). Her home is what I think of, as I think of a cottage garden.
Magnolia, I was drifting along in your beautiful description. How wonderful your friend sounds. I send wishes of good health to her!
That's interesting. I have to admit I still don't remember him. I do remember staying up really, really late (midnite, LOL) to catch Mott the Hoople on The Midnight Special. Had a Bowie/Diamond Dog centerfold inside my closet door, I think my mother about fainted when she saw that! When I finally got tickets to see him, I was in the nosebleed section by a concrete pole that blocked the view.
Billy Porter-
I love that campanula. I've never heard of it, before. If you truly have a host of seeds, I'd love to trade for some.
Email me, please, if interested. I've got a lot of seeds for trade, on my drying rack right now... Ü
Edited because it wasn't cottage material.
This message was edited Nov 15, 2006 10:49 AM
magnolia, thanks for sharing your idea of a cottage garden. I love it. certainly put a lovely picture in my mind.