Taming the wild garden

I guess I'd better plan on having a good long chat with my newest garden resident on his duties and responsibilities today! :)
(Hmm, does this mean I can talk about "my groundskeeper" now?? He is about the right size for my lot, I think! ;) )

Susy, you have a groundskeeper????????????? Envy is growing in leaps in bounds.

I do if I can count my new gnome. ;) He can do a daily round on his snail and survey the "estate"....lol!!!!


Otherwise, it's just me and the rest of my staff---myself, and I. For myself, the weeding is getting tedious and would like to go on vacation. I would like to get the rest of the planting done, and as for me, getting the dirt out from under my fingernails for more than two days would be lovely... ;)

This message was edited Aug 6, 2007 1:19 PM

I know what you mean about dirt under the nails My vacation is over go back to the grind in am Not wanting to OOOOH well.

I am at the other end of the schedule - I am sooooooooooo looking forward to the next three weeks when I DON'T have to spend the last two hours of Sunday trying to return my hands to the state where I DO NOT look like someone who thinks that compost is the most magical stuff in the world (I do think that, but I don't think it benefical that they know that). The day cannot be far off when someone not only refuses my proffered hand, but literally quickly withdraws theirs and shrieks "EWWWWWW, ALLIGATOR PAWS" -

And Tills, I send my commiseration on your return to work - alas, as much as I like my work, there does come a point that I am glad to see the back of it (I've decided that's healthy!) - but work we must, as long as mortgages exist, the taxman comes forward, and there are breakfast cereals to buy. Poo.

Now, to focus the mind, and become a workworker. Three more days. Concentrate.

Injoy Laurie and have some fun.

Tilly - you had asked a couple days back if there was a Ceanothus in the pic - no, it's a common Japanese Holly. They are 'plain janes', but have no problems, and do well in full sun to part shade. I like to use them for Clematis to scramble into, as their flowers are tiny & insignificant. Well, at least to us: the bees like them. They are very slow growing & can be pruned, or left to their own devices.
If you have room for a Ceanothus, I would recommend 'Julia Phelps' - a stunner in bud & bloom:

detail:

Katye - not such a plain jane - that is another one I hadn't heard of, and will now need to locate.

If that's a jap. holly I have never seen one like that. or I have them confused with something else.
The leaves look the same as the ceanothus "dark star" that I bought. except it doesn't have the red fuzzy stems, but the pic on the tag looks like the flowers on yours.
I think I need to find me one. no I need one or do I have one and don't know it ?????
Soooo Confused.
I'll get a pic of mine, but it has no blooms for this year.

putting an end to the confusion:
post #3181745 has a japanese holly in the background, just below the birdhouses.
The other 2 shots are Ceanothus 'Julia Phelps'.

If you are so inclined, plant this Ceanothus. She is a beauty, & the buds glow at dusk.
In any case, she is either smaller than the others I have had, or verrrry slow growing: planted her 7 years ago. I prune as little as possible, just enough to clean her up. I think she's my favourite, & the bees are all over her every year. Nice true blue, too.
Just wait until next spring, Tilly - you will be doing your blue-happy dance!

This message was edited Aug 9, 2007 5:43 PM

Katye -

I think you meant #3821745 on August 5, right? It's a beautiful pic!!

Kathy

How do you like my new watering system. I have to pump from the creek and have little water presser. I dont use or well because if not careful it will run dry then no water to the house. not fun.

Very nice. Necessity is the mother of invention . . .

Kathy

Yes and flower pots have other uses too

I have been working in the garden and not doing much on the computer but tonight I decided to look in on this thread to see what has been happening and you have all been as busy as little beavers in your garden too and, from the pictures, it looks like you have all chosen very beautiful plants that will add to the enchantment of your garden.

Pixydish posted a picture of the Gunnera leaf and pedestal she made. What talent!!! The leaves were gorgeous but what I loved is how you finished the pedestal the leaves sit on. I particularly admired how you colored the pedestal. You have an excellent color sense and that pedestal contained all the pale colors I love. I hope when you have time you will send me an e-mail and tell me how you do the pedestal. I would love to do the leaves too but have no idea where I could get large enough leaves here so they would be wider than the pedestal.

Tillysrat made me green with envy when I saw her beautiful garden seat under the Purple Haze Clematis. This clematis is a perfect companion to the butterfly bush. I hope you spend many happy hours sitting there admiring the garden you have created, reading or just relaxing. It looks perfect for all three.

Pixydish wanted to start a new thread about color combinations and I thought you might like to see my deep Purple Iris and red Oriental Poppies. It is a very rich color combination and you don't want too much of it but we love them. Because the irises are so shiny, the sun in the photo makes them look paler than they actually are.

What is the name of that Iris love the color, I am a purple and blue nut.
That clematis is 2 different plants, this is the 2 in the pic
And I thank you, We could have refreshing drink if you are ever in the area, but I dont know where you are in zone 5.
Pixy started a thread on combos

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/749537/


This message was edited Aug 22, 2007 5:51 PM

Tilly, I am so sorry, I can not tell you the name of this iris because they were planted by the previous owner of my home. She didn't remember what any of the names of the plants I was not familiar with were because she neither saved the tags nor wrote them down. She loved irises in every shade of purple. I have a pale mauve one I love, also left by her so I don't know its name either. Among the places this one is planted is next to the Princess Victoria Louise oriental poppy which is pink with pale mauve veining. I will attach a picture of the pale mauve iris with this note if I can find it. I will also send you a poor picture of the pink oriental poppy too in another post as I think you can only send one picture to a post. Every year I plan to get out and get a much better picture of this poppy. You know what they say about good intentions. My friend Gail has promised to paint a picture of this poppy for me if I send her a good picture so she can see what it really looks like. She lives in Tasmania and doesn't grow poppies in her tiny garden for the obvious reason.

I love the color combination of the two clematis plants. They look perfect together. Now I have twice the plant envy than I had when I thought there was but one plant 8>). I should explain the reason for my "plant envy", my friend Rita, several years ago, brought me a clematis with bright blue flowers and placed it at the foot of my Japanese Maple tree on its north side. She said it was problem free, never needed to be trimmed, told me that it needs cool roots and its vines in the sun. Every year it begins to grow for me but it grows along the ground. I have tried to drape it over every plant it can reach so it will get the idea that it is supposed to climb. No luck, with the wind's help it manages to get back down onto the ground again.

I actually live in Zone 6b in Surrey which is in British Columbia, Canada. I had always used the Sunset Garden Book zone guide, then the government issued a new zone guide and using the one for the U.S. didn't seem quite accurate. Finally I found a zone guide for Canada and now I know I definitely have a Zone 6b garden. However (life seems so full of howevers), I don't think they have taken into account the fact that we do, when conditions are right in the winter, get Arctic air streaming down the Fraser River Valley at us which can bring -15°F weather with it. With that lasting for a week or more, most Zone 6 plants would be mush so I try to stick with plants that are hardy to Zone 4. They seem to survive.

I'm sorry to say I don't know where Poulsbo is as I rarely need to venture far off I-5 when I am in Washington. I would love to see your garden sometime and have that refreshing drink under the clematis and get to see more of the state than I-5 offers.

Tilly, attached is the Princess Victoria Louise Poppy. I am not really a person who loves poppies as I think they are a 'messy' plant but the color of this one was too much to resist. There is also a lovely salmon oriental poppy which I also like very much. If I find it for sale, I'll probably end up with it too.

Phils
Sorry you couldn't find it, but that's okay I know the first Iris I bought I lost the tag, no I take that back it was wrote on the side of the pot and I don't know where it went. But I wish I had read it a little better because the first time it bloomed I thought it was the ugliest color I have seem I almost missed it. It was a sickly color of yellow and I had a yellow butterfly lawn ornament in the same place so I almost didn't see it. It did not bloom this year, maybe it knows I don't like it. I was never really into Irises until I started one from seed 2 years ago, Its a Setosa and they have gotten rather big going to divide them soon and I am going to try to get seeds this year will send a pic with this tread. But I do love the color of both of yours I will be looking. And I love the color of your Poppy's I have The salmon oriental one and yes there are messy but where I have them it works.
Where I live is along way from I-5. I'm on what they call the Kitsap Peninsula if you are in Seattle you would take the Edmonds ferry to Kingston then go another 20 miles them you are in Poulsbo. I live in the woods so to speak. If you are ever in the area there is a lot of beautiful country to see. I could never move to the big city we do have 2 little city's its call Silverdale and Bremerton.
And I have never been out of the states would love to see Canada. maybe some day, how far is Surry from Victoria?
That is kinda strange your clematis likes the ground, have you tried to tie it and force it to go up? I do know the draping on plants does not work. My honysuckle vine will tell you that, I made a big mistake with it now I have to live with it. to late to change it, it has been too many years ago.

Phils
I looking for my Iris I found a pic of the yellow one

OK, I will start again. Without thinking I wanted to look at the full sized picture of Tillysrat's Iris and without thinking clicked on it, losing everything I had written so far. I like the brownish veining on this iris as bronze, rust, brick colors are quite popular for summer plants, don't know about spring. The iris is bright enough, at least I think so, but if you want to punch up this area of your garden why not go with some deep orange tulips, whichever ones bloom at the same time as your iris. When you divide your setosa irises, if they bloom at the same time as the yellow iris, why not try putting some of them with this yellow iris as well. I think that color combination would look very nice. The best (but most expensive) thing to do is what I do, (very unfortunate for my bank balance) go to the nursery looking for plants in bloom that look nice with the poor orphan at home.

Your setosa iris is much larger than mine and absolutely gorgeous but I just got them earlier this year. I have a spot under a camellia tree which I know kills anything good I put in it. I expect it is a combination of soil that is very dust-like and an inconsistency in watering. Without thinking I asked Reggi to plant three of the four I bought in this location because they were short and below it is going to be my alpine garden where nothing should be more than a foot in height, the fourth of these irises she planted in the raised bed which began life as a berm for two cedar trees which we didn't like so had a stone "D" wall (only its a backward 'D' with the flat side running along the driveway. The other three sides are round. Had them truck in top soil and replant everything I liked in this bed. The setosa iris in this bed really thrived and I think I will get Reggi to replant the third setosa (and only other living setosa) iris from under the camellia tree somewhere near the other one in the former berm which now is known as the Cedar Tree bed. We have to move the Euphorbia griffithii "Fireglow" out of this spot because it is encroaching on a red peony which my husband likes and peonies don't like to be moved so it's the euphorbia that has to move, like it or lump it. Doing this will also give me room for the other setosa iris without crowding them.

If I find that salmon-colored poppy next year I'm definitely going to get it. It will have to go somewhere in the back yard border which runs for approximately 75 feet along the back of our small back yard. My husband is not really a flower person but he loves any flower that is red. Because of this we have numerous red poppies in the back yard border and, without him knowing, Reggi and I are going to have to remove some of them because I don't think that red and salmon in close proximity go well together.

I do know where Bremerton is and have always wanted to go there as I think there is a Burlington Coat Factory store in a mall there. They used to have one near the Southcentre mall, located near the SeaTac airport, but that was years ago and once, when we went to look for it, something else was in its place. I loved shopping at the BCF, also liked shopping in Seattle but haven't been there for a long time either. I have Sjogren's Syndrome so don't like to travel alone for any length of time any more.

Our geography is very confusing if you haven't grown up with it or don't have a really large good map. Victoria is on Vancouver Island which is the large island a beautiful ferry ride away from the Lower Mainland. It isn't the ferry that is beautiful, of course, it is the views seen during the crossing. If lucky you might even see some of the black and white orca (killer) whales. Most of them migrate but because the water remains fairly warm, a few always stay and it is a treat to see them. There are several local pods. To get to the ferry you travel by car from Victoria to Schwartz Bay, take the ferry to Honeymoon Bay, then you travel along the road from Honeymoon Bay, which used to be quite an attractive little place, through West Vancouver, across the Lions Gate Bridge, a beautiful suspension bridge across Burrard Inlet, to the city of Vancouver (there is also a North Vancover which is actually north of West Vancouver. Burnaby is north of the city of Vancouver. Clear as mud? On reaching Vancouver you follow signs to "Seattle" or "to Highway 99" which is the route south to the border with Washington State where it becomes I-5., which everyone living along the West Coast from British Columbia to Mexico knows. Follow Highway 99 practically to this border and take Exit 2, the White Rock/Crescent Beach Road exit. Follow the Crescent Beach Road to 128th Street and turn left on it and you are in the lovely suburb of Ocean Park in Surrey where I live. It is much easier to go to Bremerton and follow the highway east to reach I-5, follow it north through the border and take the first exit, Exit #2 (don't ask about Exit #1, I've looked and its definitely missing!) Follow it to the first roundabout, curving around it to the left and over the bridge, follow the second roundabout around to the left too and just past the King George Highway, take 8th Ave. Follow it as far as it goes (right to the built up railway tracks with the ocean on the other side and turn right along Marine Drive. Follow it with the ocean on your left and the City of White Rock on your right. You will probably miss the pitiful marker that lets you know you have left the City of White Rock and are now in the City of Surrey. Continue along Marine Drive to reach 128th Street and turn right along it until you reach the first stop light and you are in Ocean Park.

I just let the clematis run along the ground as it doesn't seem to dislike being there. Reggi is the one to patiently drape it over the plants. I have a white oriental lily, a beautiful very fragrant flower (I'll attach a picture of it), which grows higher every year and is now about 7 feet tall, we thought would be perfect for this poor misguided clematis to grow up on. No luck. I think next spring we will take your suggestion and when it gets long enough we'll tie it to the Japanese maple tree and see what happens.

I would love a honeysuckle vine as they are supposed to be very fragrant and I love flowers that are not only beautiful to see but smell beautiful too. Reggi bought a Passionflower vine and one day when we were in the nursery they had them for a reasonable price and she persuaded me to buy one too. I really didn't want to, look at the luck I have had trying to get a clematis to get up off the ground!! I said they weren't hardy in our zone, she said they were and if I planted it in a pot I could bring it in at the first sign of frost and keep it in the garage where my husband overwinters his red fuschias. He is very proprietary about these fuschias, Reggi and I don't touch them 8>). I couldn't think of any other excuses so did buy it, it is now September but there aren't any flowers on it. I think that it is because my yard, with all the trees, just doesn't get enough light. Just in case we happen upon honeysuckle vines next year and she persuades me to buy it, please tell me what you did wrong with yours so I don't do it 8>}.

Next year I will have to plan a trip to BC it sounds like a wonderful place.

As far as the my dumb luck went with my Honeysuckle was, A fiend of mine had one in her yard and I took some cuttings, I didn't have a greenhouse back then so I just stuck them in the ground down by the creek by a old stump, And I totally forgot about them never even thought about them for a couple of years. I had a cherry tree and my DH built a ladder to pick the Cherry's well my horse killed the tree so
the ladder ended up by the stump and a few more years go by and the Honeysuckle has grown in and out of this ladder and all over the stump the ground And now I don't know which end is up or down. So I just left it alone. With a someday I'll do something note on it.

I Just moved some of my Poppy's and the irises I mixed the blue and yellow like you suggested. I hope when I divide the Setosa I didn't hurt it.

Love your white lily here's a pic of my last to bloom this year Pink Stargazer
I goofed wrong pic this is where I put the Irises, in Happy Trails

Here's the pink stargazer

I just thought of something I have some seeds left over when I got my greenhouse built I went out a got a whole bunch of seeds of all kinds of plants, and I have some poppy seeds left I could send then to you if you would like to try
These silly things bloom twice a year here. They say their pink/salmon but they look orange to me. D-mail me

Tillys - you grew these poppies from seed? They look orange to me, too, with a red-orange splotch. Very nice! Do you know the name?

They are call Papaver Oriental Pink/salmon

I'd love some if you have any to spare. They look good enough to eat (but you're right - they look more orange than salmon).

Kathy

Send me a D-mail I will send you some. Or would you like I can pot you one up and you can pick it up at my store, And I could really like to meet you. I Will be back to work work as Laurie says on the 18th of Sept. let me Know

Tilly

This message was edited Sep 5, 2007 7:55 PM

I'm skimming my mail, trying to catch up . . . Tilly, have you been on vacation again?

Philsflowers, I live on Honeymoon Lake which is part of the Honeymoon Bay community (of course, it is in Washington State!!!). I am on the ferry a lot and, although I hate the lines waiting, I do enjoy the ferry ride. The other night I was able to catch some glorious photos of the sunset . . . haven't done anything with them yet, but found myself going "oooooh" "ahhhhhh" as I snapped away! Your incredible white lily looks like it could be Casablanca, a favorite for weddings.

Tilly? Your horse killed the tree? Isn't this a tad unusual?

Yes Murmur again I still had 80 hours on the books had to take them or loss them by Oct. Not allowed to take any in Oct, Nov, and Dec. then in Jan its inventory time , them we start all over.

Laurie it is not unusual for a horse to kill a cherry tree they like to eat the bark. I even had it fenced off but he still got it.

Oh my, Tilly, what a crime it would be to lose your hours!!!!!!!!! Glad you're taking them.

I'd sure like to take 80 hours out to the garden - but it would probably rain!

This week looks pretty promising, Katye - and I have my fingers crossed for Friday and Saturday to remain free for me to be in my gardens . . . they are suffering badly from my being away so much lately.

I hadn't known that about horses and tree bark, Tills, is this just cherry or do they nibble at other tree bark too? I know deer and squirrels can ring bark a tree and kill it.

enjoy your gardening time -

They also like to rub their butts and bellies on trees. My horse Randy loved to rub on the Cypress trees that we planted. He managed to kill three out of seven of them, by rubbing his big Quarter Horse butt on them!

Well, I have worked on this project all summer, and plain proud I am too - until I tried to photograph it! Sheesh - this is a case where a picture isn't worth a single word - it just looks like space. No change - but I have the stiff gardener's bottom to prove that i have wheelbarrowed planted, stumped and huffed my way over this space, and to what avail! It is just unphotographable (I am sure that is a technical term!)

But I am posting a couple of pic's anyhow so that 10 years from now, when I bump this thread up to the top again it will have some sort of record that I did hump and bump my way through the mud, leaves and grass.

The first one is dog, welcoming you on the tour - (terrier loves that we spend so much time down here - this is mouse territory! A good way to spend the day).

This is the path looking up the hill towards the house (in the background). This is my new lasagne bed measures approximately 12mtrs top to bottom and 2.5 mtrs from the path towards the trees. there is another path (in my imagination going along the tree side.) Goodness knows what is going to get planted in here. First lets get the dirt friable, and the path marked out.

And here is a halloween photo - this bed looks a tad like a graveyard with eccentric tipsy headstones. They are actually rotting logs marking out my very young shrubs - gillenia trifolia and bayberry (can't remember the proper name) - this part of the area can be considered woodland marginal - stays cool and moist, but gets sun in the summer until noon.