What plant combinations are you planning this year?

Thank you, GS. I will check there. I am sorely lacking in lilies and this is the year I'll pick some favorites.

Carolyn - sorry about the mulch! I do grow allysum but you can't see it in any of the pictures I posted. I believe it's called Royal Carpet and it looks stunning with Stella D'oro lilies.

grampapa - I got those birdhouses in a plant exchange! Some guy said I don't have anything to trade but I build birdhouses. I gave him all the perennials he could handle and then some and I got the matching houses for my 'birds and bloom' garden. I love the hot colors and did all the birdhouses in primary colors.

Bev - after the neighbor knocked over all his mature trees we had no choice but to have bigger trees brought in! It will be years before we have the privacy we really want.

Helen

gemini
Is it legal to share the name of that greenhouse in Paris on DG I have a sis in Cynthiana and it might be possible for me to check that place out sometime.
VB

Yes, VB, as I have no affiliation with them other than as a customer, we can share info about our favorite vendors. Smits Greenhouse is the one. They also have a full service florist, so they're open year round. Do try to stop by! Such a gorgeous variety of stuff and nice, down-home people. The prices are good too. What kind of stuff will you be looking for?

I'd like to pick up some novelty Geraniums (Pelargoniums) this year, and keeping my fingers crossed they'll have some with unusual foliage. They have all kinds of trailing foliage plants to add to containers and hanging baskets that I love to browse. There are usually some perennials I can't leave without too. Thats where I used to get perennial Oriental poppies in cell packs. They've always carried them the years I've been going, and last year that was the #1 thing on my list, and wouldn't you know I came home with none! I can't remember now if they were out, or the remaining plants they had looked picked over, but that's #1 on my list again this year. I have no luck starting them from seed. Another thing I like about them is they have an outdoor display area, and use cold frames, so much of the stock is already hardened off by having already become adjusted to the elements and cool nights.

Gemini
Don't have anything particular in mind. I just love nursery and flower places. If I get to visit in the spring for a day or two just thought it would be nice to stop in. I know Paris is close to Cynthiana. The fact that they have hardened plants is nice too.
Since you are in Ky have you ever been to Rockcastle Trading Co. close to Livingston. I have been reading about Jon Carloftis for several years and this is the place he owns. He started it for his Mama. Last spring we were on 25 and passed it befroe we knew it. We just thought we would go back but you know how that goes. We hardly ever hop in the car and drive 200 miles just to be doing something. lol. I was born in Ky and it holds a special place i n my heart.
Veronica

Veronica, I just read about him a year or so ago, and have wanted to visit the Trading Co., just haven't gotten around to it. The pics I've seen were lovely, and he's very creative and does wonderful work.

Did you read about Rockcastle County Trading Company in Kentucky Living? My sis read it and saved it for me, not even knowing that I was a fan and have been dreaming about going there for years. Imagine my aggravation when my other sis who is not even a gardener told me she had stopped in 3 or 4 years ago. ARGGGGG!!!
It will definitely be on my planned trip this spring when I visit the Smokies.

Rockcastle looks like a great little town to stop in for a poke around!

And that gardening fellow is so good looking! But it sounds like he lives in Buck's County PA now...

http://www.rockcastlecountyky.com/play.html

I doubt we would find him in Rockcastle........Shucks

Hi Neal, I'm here now -- was busy off doing stuff for the family.

Love, love, LOVE your pictures, people! I want some of everything I'm seeing, which is why these threads & posts are so bad for me...I can see me looking for Echium seed and Kangaroos Paws and/or getting totally off what I have planned by seeing the pastel garden....which would be disastrous since i have 1000s of seedlings in the basement!!! OMG! Can you imagine if I started in on pinks and pastels with all the reds and oranges I have going?

Neal, Yes, I like the hot colors, and yes, I have a couple things I am doing this year. Funnily, one is Tabasco's from 2 years ago. LOL! (The one with the short orange Cosmos, the Prairie Sun Rudbeckia and Mexican Hat.)

Then there is one from Karen, also from Cinty, Showing Prairie Sun Rudebekia, Purple Verbena bonairensis and Red Emilia. (I think that's all that was there, I have to find the pic.

Then there is this one from TNN I want to copy for the shade. THIS IS NOT MY GARDEN, it's a combination I want to copy from plants I am buying from Fairy1004's Perennial coop in the coop forum.

Suzy

Oooohhh, Suzy, I love that combo! Intense colors with mostly foliage! Glad to see you back :-)

Veronica, I saved that issue of Ky Living for a long time; great article. That was when I heard about Jon Carloftis. I did a search and found this interview with him on a KET show. Click on the box to see the interview, it lasts about 20 minutes. What a great guy!

http://www.ket.org/publicaffairs/onetoone_112_carloftis.htm

tabasco, in some of those pics he looks very GQ, but seems very pleasant and down to earth.

I've finally taken the plunge and ordered some Japanese Iris to work into my Cottage Chaos. I've admired these beauties for years, so I'm excited! Now working out what to combine with them. Since they bloom in June, Roses are at the top of the list to accompany them. Any of you growing JIs? What do you like paired with them?

I wish I could find the photo of my flower combinations you referred to, Illoquin. I got a new computer and left most of my photos on the old one and I have to go crank the old one up and see what I can find... They were bright colors that summer. Very joyful.

LOL Yes, 'GQ', that's exactly right. But he made quite a career out of his gardening that he learned at his mother's knee, didn't he? And their shop looks wonderful. Maybe I can get him to come and talk at our garden club. The ladies would swoon.

Gem, When DH and I drive down your way we'll just keep going to the Trading Post. Fun little outing.

A good bit of blowing snow and wind going on out my window. They said on the weather last night that those south of us in KY were going to get the brunt of it--as much as 15 inches of snow! How ya doing down there, Gem? Are all your little daffodils tucked in OK?

We've got a lovely blanket of snow, probably about 4-6", and more could come today. Well, I just looked out and more fine snow is falling. A blanket of insulating snow on all those bulb pips is perfect, its sub zero wind chills on clear nights that make me worry. The crocus blooms poking through the snow are soooo cute!

tabasco, watch out, you may find a stowaway in the trunk when you head to the Trading Post, LOL.

LOL Well, that would be fun, wouldn't it? ! Let's go!

I came across this Flckr page of beautiful cottages in Carmel, CA that I just have to share with everyone-- there are so many ideas for flower combinations and interesting paint jobs on these houses! I have to get busy! Spring is just around the corner. (Isn't it? Or not?!)

Click on the Slide show, Let it load, and then enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/from_linda_yvonne/sets/72157600130746798/

Oh, it would be great fun! The easiest way to drag myself out of the garden is to go visit a nursery or another garden, LOL.

Loved that slideshow! Those cottages are precious! I love the look of wood shingles, especially on those irregular tall peaks.

Tab, I think this is the picture I was so taken with.

Yes, I had seen the Cottages of Carmel before and in fact, was going to buy a series of 6 or 9 photos to put on the wall here, but then I changed my mind. Maybe. Or maybe I didn't change it, maybe I just didn't make up my mind LOL!

Why don't we all go together and buy a cottage in Carmel? We could use it as a time share and everyone help to design a part of the garden?!

Someone had mentioned the gardens of the late Christopher Lloyd on another forum, I googled for pics and came across this site. Click on The Gardens at the top, then there are 4 pics at each catagory. Some wonderful cottage inspiration there!

Suzy, you know how you were talking about not seeing many cottage gardens with hot colors? Well these are full of bright, hot color!

http://www.greatdixter.co.uk/index.htm

There is a pic in the Annuals and Bedding section that I'm finding deliciously gaudy, with red poppies and magenta Byzantine Glads! And those same glads are used beautifully in the Meadow plantings too.

Those are pretty!! :)) I bought some glads at the glad coop, but I don't think I bought any that color. Darn!

Suzy

Helen,

I love your picture that you posted on March 2 of your yellow, orange, and red garden. Your birdhouses are really nice. Do the birds use the birdhouses?

I was looking through my Christopher Lloyd book last night looking for good combinations. He really was rather racey with his combinations, wasn't he? Some are even too gaudy for me! Very cheerful though.

I am trying for my moody violet, mauve, cream, and yellow spring garden now (more along the lines of Gertrude Jekyll, I think). (I know, I'm planting too early but we're heading to CA next week and I want to get it in before I forget about it.) Bought some lavender and cream violas, some purple-y pansies with the little faces in yellow, and my first little yellow daffs and hyacinth 'woodstock' are blooming. Tomorrow I'm going to transplant my alyssum 'blueberries and cream' seedlings from Renee's garden seeds into that garden too along the walk to the front door. And I bought 2 weeping pussy willows from Lowes for large pots by the front door that I will underplant with lavender violas, alyssum, and baby daffodils.

Making the little spring garden cheered me up after these grey days, even if the happy effect only lasts one day (I saw the weather and they are predicting snow for tomorrow!) )-:

Illoquin, I'm glad you liked that daisy style combination. I am waiting for my R. 'Prairie Sun' seeds from Specialty Perennials so I can start a few plants. I'm surprised you like that pairing--sometimes it seems a bit prosaic to me and I always spice it up with red/orange daylilies, liatris, and of course I like the zinnias in there too. (A Christopher Lloyd styling?) In past summers I used tassel flower for filler but this year I am going to omit it in favor of giving the perennials more space to grow and bloom out.

To All - beautiful gardens and combinations

I've been off of DG for about a year so it's nice to be back.

Attached is my favorite photo of my garden from last year. It was taken at the end of July. We hadn't had rain for at least two weeks and the flowers still looked good.

It's a nice little vignette - the little Wild Petunia (Ruellia humilis) nestled next to the bigger clump of Orange Coneflower and all the bigger prairie plants as a nice backdrop.

I think (plan on) I'm going to do a bunch more hollyhocks this year. I heard people talk about how "easy" they are.... well, I don't know if it's my climate or my microclimate..... but I struggle with them. But last year I found a really good spot for them. One did really well, so I hope to get a whole bunch in there and "saturate" the area with hollyhocks.

Sanna

Everytime i grow Hollyhocks here they Rust................ I love them, but won't grow them anymore.....!!! Shame.

I started seed from some of the old fashioned single cottage garden hollyhocks mainly for the painted lady butterflies to lay eggs on and to attract the hummingbirds to our garden. I read that the seed is erratic in germination and so far only one out of five seeds has sprouted -- it's been about 3 weeks. If they get too ugly from rust (assuming they come up) I will yank them. But I do love to have the Painted Ladies around the garden.

(Somewhere recently there was a thread here about how to control hollyhock rust.)

GoNative, I do like your 'au naturel' cottage garden. Can you tell us more about the flowers in the back??

I try to use natives in our garden but I always get side-tracked into 'not natives' too though!

Lol on the Sidetracked by Non Natives, Tab. Same here!

Hey, Native!! Welome back. I missed your posts and pictures!

I didn';t have any Hollyhock rust last year, but it was so dry, I'd be surprised if anybody did!

Suzy

Tabasco, you're right about a posting about a home-made concoction for controlling rust. I may have tagged it. I'll go check. Last year I didn't have too much problem with my **one** plant. :o)

Here it is.... the recipe is down just a bit in the link. I have never tried it so "taking no responsibility for its actions". :0)

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/54094/

Sanna

- sorry, haven't read the entire thread... but what i'm doing new this year is adding herbs to my rose garden.

I do have one rose bush with that funky virus thing that I may have to yank out [and doesn't it always seem to be your fave plant that dies?] but that will leave a gaping hole that will have to be filled.

tcs, here is a link I saw posted on another forum about beneficial plant combos. The bottoms chart shows which herbs they recommend with roses:

http://www.tinkersgardens.com/vegetables/companionplanting.asp

thanks gemini -- Looks like the Feverfew has found a home.... right with my roses.