Whimsy is a GOOD thing! I do have a couple little frogs also, a real one was overwintering in my geranium pot when I bought it in a few weeks ago! Well....after warming up, the little froggie jumped out the pot and hopped all over place with the shrieking girly pumpkins running in the opposite direction.... I do need to do a more thorough job in inspecting pots and plants coming inside! So... you see we definitely need whimsy! ;0)
So what makes a Cottage Garden, well, "Cottagey"?
I love chickens roaming around the garden too, but have'nt been able to keep any since I've lived in the woods where they're practically ripe fruit waiting to be picked off by preditors. I've heard in some areas certain livestock breeds classified as exotics (like pigmy goats or crested chickens) can be kept as pets even within city limits. When I had bantams they would jump in every hole I dug to plant something to pick the worms out, lol. If considering chickens, remember they love fresh tilled soil, both for worms and dust bathing.
What I REALLY want is a pair of peafowl. Would'nt that make a garden setting complete! Kinda noisy, but pretty, lol.
Tammy I love that grouping! Why are you thinking of reworking it? The only change I'd suggest would be to move that gorgeous lily, but only so it could take center stage, not that its clashy. But then, I'm kinda partial to lilies.....can ya tell? lol.
Oh this place is so good for a gal's ego! I very carefully threw pinches of larkspur seed in there. And the black eyed
susan self seeded from ones I'd grown from seed several years ago from an old seed pack I got from Vermont Wildflower
Farm. There are various lilies & eremurus / fox tail lilies in there too. The folliage in front is peonies.
Here's a picture from the front of the bed - you can see how truly disorganized it is. The white is an henryi clematis.
Tam
Neal - I actually bought a pair of pea chicks about 6 years ago but they escaped. I may just hunt up another
pair. They would be so cool wondering around this place!
Here's a pick of that same bed in April with the daffodils in bloom.
The reason I keep thinking of reworking the bed is that it just is this riot of color and growth in a sea of grass.
I can't articulate the issue properly. And probably will never have the nerve to dig it out but it just doesn't quite
work.
Tam
Here's the peonies blooming with baptisia in this same bed ... last year.
Tammy - you are your own worst critic honey. It looks lovely to me.
Tammy, I love the bed, and truthfully with that kind of backdrop, you could be growing dandelions and teasel and it would still look good....fence, trees, grass, rocks... You have it made!
Suzy
Prairie, that was a wonderful story to tell your daughter!! Your flower bed sounds very pretty! I do think constant bloom is cottagy. Isn't that what we strive for no matter what ?
Critter, they are a pretty flower even if they aren't ''chocolate.'' I absolutely love Gaura! It's too touchy to live for me very long. Drat zone 5a sometimes!
Knautia, I loved it! A beautiful red, reseeded, then it reseeded some more and now I've had to dig out the crowded ones. It's airy too. I also have Wormwood, Guizho. It's tall and has small white flowers like babys breath but it's tall and skinny. It's a late bloomer too. Bachelor buttons, till they take over.
Tammy, I wouldn't change a thing! Its beautiful! The second picture is better. I love your entire yard! I agree with Prairie and Suzy!
This Knautia with Verbena and Shasta Daisies. The Daisy is Sonnenschein and starts out pale yellow fading to white. It doesn't like hot sunny sandy soil tho. It wilts a little.
Well - with all those kind words, I'm gonna share a few more pictures. Its just wonderful seeing all these images
of summer isn't it?
Here's my very favorite shrub. Its a deutzia I got from Heronswood called Magicien. I have seen it for sale elsewhere
more recently. Its got very pretty flowers - pink with white edging and as you can see, blooms cover the stems. I'm
gonna show you a few more pictures of this special shrub so please be patient with me. LOL
Tam
Here's a lucky match in color of the magicien bloom with the peony in that same bed
And here's a close-up of the bloom
It's gorgeous, especially with the peony! I love the deep blue delphiniums in the back drop. Another perfect color combo!
bigcityal, what is your floppy - Jade called, That is sooo pretty, you by any chance have seeds for that would you?
Tammy that magicien bloom is beautiful :o)
Connie
tammy magician is a stunning shrub. thanks long tall billy (LOL) I have also failed at gaura. Knautia looks like a good red, does it like clay? If so, I'll take your discards. Please. :P
On a dark, wet, gloomy day these photos are a blessing!
Tammy, imho your garden spells cottage with a capital C!! Lovely. I've not heard of deutzia before - I must look for it!!!
Prairie, I can save a lot of seed next year. I have it down to a few plants here and there. Stripping the seed will help me keep it under control. I think this plant would live anywhere. It's one of those almost considered weedy, but the color is so deep red, you forgive it.
BillyP, do you have a close up of that plant? It's mighty intriguing!
Connie - that's called Jade echinacea. It's a Plantspotters plant. I didn't save any seeds this year - I really doubt they would be true. I did send some out last year to a few people to try.
this was my knautia - 11/1
Murmer, that was the only picture. I took it with DD practice digital and didn't get any others with the new camera. Al has a good picture of it. It's the pincusion flower you can't get in red :)
How about Centaurea montana. It's an electric blue. Is it too bright to be Cottage? This is another practice picture and doesn't do it justice.
Al, do you have a better picture?
BillyP, once I saw it up close, I realized I already have it - lol!!! I also have it in yellow, which I strongly advise against because for some reason the yellow is downright invasive, while the red and the blue are not. I love the Centaurea - I don't think it's at all too bright for a cottage garden!! It's very old-fashioned and delightful (can you tell I have some?).
Tammy, I LOVE that deutzia! Perhaps I could entice you with something to trade for some cuttings, hehehe.
I don't think Centaurea montana is too bright to be in a cottage garden. Its so soft and lacy, the color never looks gaudy (not that I have a problem with gaudy, lol).
I'll take cuttings of that deutzia and see if I have any luck w/'em for you Neal. And anyone else who
wants to try 'em. It really is a gorgeous shrub. (Next spring. It must be too late now - right?)
Murmur - any bright blue is a perfect foil for other colors in the garden if you ask me. I did try centaurea years
ago and it self seeded its heart out. I don't know what species it was (this was 10-15 years ago when I was
just a novice). Do you have any troubles with montana? I've seen one that has bright yellow folliage and have
been tempted but am afraid of the self seeding...
Tam
Some hardwood cuttings are best taken in fall (like lilac), but I don't know about deutzia.
I used to grow Centaurea montana and I don't remember any reseeding issues, but that can depend on several factors.
Tammy, it was BillyP who was talking about the centaurea montana - I do have it also, though, and have had no trouble with it. It self seeds, but not invasively and I just dig up little plants and share them anyway. I still have a couple blooms left, but the rain has turned most of it to mush.
Sorry BillyP! I'm watching TV while doing DG. And obviously not reading carefully enough.
I'm gonna take some cuttings tomorrow. I actually remember I was able to propagate azaleas
from cuttings taken this time of year a few years ago.
I'll have to get over my fear of Centaurea I guess. Whatever it was that I had, it was horrible. I had
a bed with centaurea, cleome & nigella. Those three were duking it out for control of the world in
my back yard. LOL
OK - I'm signing off before I insult any one worse than I might have already.
Goodnight all.
Tam
Mrs. Billy - I do have a centaura montana pic somewhere in a thread(that's where I save some.LOL)
I have seen mine reseed.
how about centaura dealbata - much nicer foliage
Not insulted at all! When we all have the same plant it's hard to keep everyone straight.
I did look at the yellow one, but read up on it and didn't get it for that reason. I love montana! It reseeds very well for me. I cut it back when it looks ragged and it reblooms too.
I'm never sure if a cottage garden looks better with the soft pinks and yellows, and the deep blues and purples. Or if strong colors are all right.
Phlox, daylilies, white balloon flower and a bit of Knautia!. I missed that earlier.
billyporter,
a cottage garden can have it all, in my book. it's the one garden that can support all colors, not look ragged even when something is past its prime becaue so much else is going on, I hardly notice the spent ones. To me that's part of the beauty of CG'ing. There is no perfection expected and all the happy accidents jsut seem to work together.
Hey Big City! I like that! Montana does get rather ratty looking. I don't think I even have anything close to that color either. You're north of me, when does it bloom for you?
Where are you at in Wisconson. Top, bottom etc.? Have you been to the House on the Rock?
Tammy, I bet it was the annual batchelors button centaurea you had that reseeded so much. I've had that happen with them too. And you...insulting? Aaahhhh, ...never!
Thanks Jude. It seems like the ''real'' Cottage Gardens were Delphiniums, Phlox, Larkspur, Campanula, but, all pastel soft colors. I still need to learn combinations. I crouch down to see what flowers blend with each other even if they are in separate beds. Then I write it down. My problem with flower books is, their flowers that bloom at the same time aren't what I have blooming. I keep track of my monthly blooms.
I live in the NE part, on the north side of Lake Winnebago. We have been in the parking lot of House on the Rock.LOL The kids are probably old enough now to make it through without too much whining ;)
dealbata blooms in early summer, I had someone that wanted seeds but the finches at ALL of them. About the same height as montana.
What colors and time of blooms are you looking for?
billy, I like the description of cottage garden here. . . http://butterflywebsite.com/articles/bgq/CottageGarden.htm better than others I've read. Maybe it just suits my preferences more but I thought I'd pass it along. The mention of using plants for dye sure doesn't sound to me like they should all be pastel.
I really like the color. It's different, yet bright.
HOTR is really worth seeing! We first went back in the late 70's, before the merry go round. I was blown away! I was ready to live there! Take plenty of coins to play the machines they have. There is more to see in one day really. And so many cool things to see! Then you go downstairs and walk the streets of yesterday. They have added so much since. I haven't been for quite a few years now.
Back to the thread. This is practice digital too. Silene Electra. It's a vibrant magenta. A good reseeder. It blooms in early spring, but there is always one in bloom all summer. It's an easy color to work with.
I'm leapfrogging over everyone. Al, nothing in paticular for bloom time. I think July and August are my skimpy months. I need to get into annuals!
Jude, I'll hit the link next!
I bookmarked the link. I like the term eccentric because sometimes I am! I have a lot of flowers on the list too. I will be moving some next year. Thanks!
Mrs. Billy - those months are pretty good for me although I am not an intentional cottage gardener(I call it American or common sense). The slowest time for me is late May and June.
OT(maybe) - the 'what's growing' threads in the NE forum would place dates with blooms pretty good if you need better info.
I am slowly getting around the state. :)) I figured I needed to go a zone colder, but then I have Texas natives too. It's nice to run into someone you shared a thread with before they went back ''home.''
Tomorrow I'll get my ''blooming by the months notebook'' and see what I have blooming then. Now, I'm off to bed. I was up too late last night!
T'was a good discussion everyone!
Good Morning All!
I have to comment on that Silene Electra "Mrs Billy" aka BillyPorter... if its the same as the silene I bought at
a plant sale a couple of years ago, its a gorgeous imperialist, determined to take over the world. I bought
just one tiny little plant and didn't cut it down right after it bloomed. I pulled every one of the babies except
one (I thought). I let this one bloom but cut it down before it went to seed. HAH! I've got babies still.
Oh its beautiful but its very determined. Is this your silene BillyP?
