DG Inspiration

Ric and I get such good ideas from everyone here at DG. Several of our projects are a result of things we have seen, suggestions or discussions that lead us down a different path or add more dimension to an already started project. Thanks everyone that has helped us this past year and hope to continue with more projects and additions in the coming year.
Please post pics and stories of your DG Inspiration.

Ric, built this plant shelf after seeing a picture of a similar piece in the DG Photo Contest.

How utterly adorable is that?!?!?

Thanks Chantell, What is your DG Inspiration?

My Inspiration is viewing DG pictures of mass plantings, I'm am such a "spot gardener" one plant here, one there.
http://davesgarden.com/tools/blog/index.php?tabid=10158
Follow the link to see what I am viewing to inspire me. Daleagardener is my source of inspiration for this mass planting of Coleus. I also want to mix some OSPV in the mass plantings.

When are you going to launch you new business " Rent a Ric" I'm sure it will have a large customer base, LOL He does such great looking projects.

Just about everything ya'll do inspires me...teaches me...helps me grow as a gardener...and as a person, I might add. I love to see the things others have tried - things I might not have thought of etc. Mercy and tell me about a great scented plant...course THAT inspires me to go ISO of it!!! LOL

Chantell, I started a new thread, you inspired me LOL
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/pf.php

Opps! Sorry just follow Chantell to the New Thread........

This message was edited Jan 3, 2009 12:56 PM

You are too funny...hope you don't mind... http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/939331/ I couldn't find your thread via the link above. Ahhhh fragrance....back in the day it was C & S (for Becky and I)...the past year plus it's been the "fragrants" both hardy and tropical.....RUNNING to new thread....

Not only is your gardening bench practical, but it's beautiful too! I winning combination!!

Lady, Chantell has inspired me in that area too. I don't have a particularly good sense of smell and didn't pay much attention to scent when designing my beds. This last year I added several plants to my sitting areas just because she told us how nicely scented they were and they were very much enjoyed. Love your new thread. BTW there are Tuberoses included in the Caladium Co-op. They were one of the scented additions I made last year that I really enjoyed.
For some reason I couldn't open the link you provided to the mass planting pictures. I got an "Access Denied" message. I like mass plantings also but don't have much of them. I expect that is something I will be able to do more of when we can start more plantings in the back yard. It's a bit bare back there as I need to keep open areas until the big pond and greenhouse have been done.
I will start a "Rent A Ric" business up just as soon as he finishes all my projects. Maybe in another 20 years or so. LOL

well, ladygardeners beaitful columbines re-energized my efforts to beef up the soil around some shady beds and sow more columbine seeds. This is my oldest one so most of my seeds are from this or crossed with it.

Holly sorry the link didn't work for you, I put the picture in my garden Blog under "inspiration" maybe you can access it if you click on my screen name and look at my Blogs. Dale the Gardener has a lot of pictures in the Coleus forum worth taking a look at. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=5772075 ( I preview this one, should work)

Sally, you flatter me, shucks (looking at ground and drawing a circle with toe). The old fashion columbines like ours are tough plants from seeds to bloom. I have found them growing in tiny cracks, and other places that I never thought they would prosper. I have bought some hybrids and killed them the first year.

Sallyg..............Like your mulch. Looks nice. That will sure bring in the worms for sure not to mention helping keep weeds down and more even moisture.

Thanks Lady, That is beautiful, I remember last summer seeing someone post pic's of Coleus planted in their garden beds. Made quite an impression on me. I don't think I had seen that much before, more just seeing pots of it here an there. I would very much like to try that myself next year. You are right about the OSPV. The Blackies and Margratias would look great growing under them especially at the front edge would look wonderful. I have Coleus plugs coming thru my Greenhouse Assoc. but I have no idea which ones or how many I will end up with. LOL

Holly, I am over wintering 4 types of OSPV and 3 Coleus. One OSPV is the tri colored, so far I only saved 3 of the tri color.
Here is a picture of some I am over-wintering. And I usually start seeds of Coleus Giant Exhibition Mix, " it's like a box of chocolates, don't know what you are going to get".

LOOK at ya'lls pretties!!! *sniffle* Those Columbines are soooo pretty...they just won't thrive for me...too much sun maybe?????
Chris - OMG, what beautiful colors!!! Aren't they difficult to start from seeds? I know they're easy to root but seeds are still scary to me. YOU'VE inspired me!!
Oh Holly you got to be blessed with the tuberose scent??? Isn't it amazing?? That's one of the plants I don't mind (even as lazy as I am) having to dig up each fall and over winter...the scent is just THAT good!!

Chantell , Coleus are very easy to start from seed and fun too. The one in my combination pot in the picture was a plant I purchased. Some coleus colors can only come in the plant form, so I try to over-winter the plant or cuttings.
I start seeds about the 2nd week in March in 6 packs in the basement under lights. Here are some of last years babies.

Chantell, I probably wouldn't have bought them if it wasn't for you. Now that I have tried them I'm ordering more again this year. In fact when I ordered them last year I wasn't really sure what they looked like or where to plant them. LOL
Lady good luck with your OSPV, I didn't get much in the way of tubers this fall but I have a few and hope they will produce for me. I gave 100's of the Blackies and Margaritas away last year.

I have a few rooting upstairs but they aren't looking the best. Then I had a chance to get these from my HGA Co-op. I have quite a few plugs of different plants coming not entirely sure what all I finally ordered or how many. I think I may have 100 Pansies coming. LOL

Another inspirational picture! http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/142723/

Holly, my 3 Tricolor OSPV cuttings are still hanging on.

Oh, you just have to love those Fl. landscapes.

Yes! I would really love it this time of the year. Sun, warm, dream on.....

http://www.provenwinners.com/combinations/default.cfm?s=1&sPotStyle=Upright+Container

This site is great to get some creative juices flowing. Inspiration for combo containers.

Check out this blog. This is a beautiful garden, talk about DG inspiration. http://davesgarden.com/community/blogs/t/eden100/9991/

Now that was a feast for the eyes! So neat and tidy. And full of color. Loved those EE! and the bike.

Holly, that garden is just charming. I can't believe she was able to grow that in 2 years. I suppose having sun helps!!! LOL Her ornaments gave such a whimsical and happy tone to the garden.

I have some fun ones too and hope to get them into the yard this year.

I found this thread very inspiring, for what it is, as well as for the unusual plant combinations. Please be sure to go to his link.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/930172/

These two gardens supreme are at the hands and minds of determination. Makes my fifty and more years of gardening look like childs play. The way over the years that I arrived at a spot in my half acre approaching beauty like these two gardens show was to work up one bed at a time. At some point maintenance demands slowed the development and reverted to lots and lots of loving work. None the less all the work provided what I was proud to have created. However my garden always suggested change and development. We loved each time period as if it were a new masterpiece.......changes of just a few plants or the addition of an object kept us in the flow benefiting from the work and the beauty of creation. No matter how small....even the creation of a small spot became the masterpiece of the year. Looking at emense creations was always a benefit when we zeroed in on just a small project and proceeded to grow it into a beauty spot. Eventually a picture was created and continues to be tweeked although moving or adding more now is down to just a few items a year. Condensing our growings to mow around maintenance is now what is important. We and our gardens grow older. They need to be adjusted down to what we can handle or Mother moves in and shows us the beauty weeds. More and more mulch and fewer plants is not bad news for we oldsters. LOL

Doc, You will never know how many people your gardens have inspired over the years, which I am sure is many. Just look at how many lives you have touched in your year at DG. I see your influence on many threads, and not only on DG. It is admirable that you are now molding your beds to serve this phase of your life. Another great example of good stewardship.