This is my newest project. Well, one of the two…or twenty! I’m still on the veggie fence and new bed but my workers have abandoned me for a few days. They’ll be back, but since I can’t plant my vegetable garden yet, I’ve turned my sights elsewhere.
These photos are at the end of the river rock path that runs along the side of the house. This whole area is at the end of our driveway and before our septic field, which is just a grassy area. This is a nice, sunny hole in the woods and I got a vision last summer to plant wildflowers and cutting flowers here. The statue I bought last week is the anchor for this area, and I’ve decided to name her, Artemis! Thanks to Annie, at The Transplantable Rose, for the idea. It was hard to pick – thanks to everyone for giving me lots of great suggestions — it was tough to decide. Flora ran a close second – thanks also to Kate at Kate Smudges in Earth, Paint and Life, for the suggestion.
So, yesterday I bought some larkspur and society garlic (to deter the deer) and some blackfoot daisies and some corralberry to frame the area and feed the birds. I bought those gigantic sunflowers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center last summer and planted them here and they will be back. I’ve also sprinkled some seeds here from my other native plants over the last year. I’m going to leave these new plants sitting here and ponder them for a while. Isn’t that part of gardening, pondering? I tend to be impulsive in the garden (and in life, let’s be honest, here!) so I’m trying to think this through for a change.
For some strange reason, I don’t usually draw out landscape design plans for myself, I just start throwing stuff in the ground. Generally, that works for me. But I will also be pulling OUT 4-5 plants from the front bed for exactly that reason — I over planted the summer before last. That wouldn’t have happened if I’d drawn the design out formally because I would have seen clearly that there was too much material there. But there was a sale at the old Marbridge farms and I went nuts. So, now I get to dig it back up and guess where it’s going? The edges of this new bed! Irony. And, I’m kind of an old dog — hard to teach me new tricks.
These little fillers will look nice in front of the lantana and guara and ferns when they come back in.
It’s drizzling and overcast and we have a 30% chance of rain today, so I’m not sure I will get these plants in the ground. But, with the moisture, they’ll be happy outside anyway.
Looks like a good plan, so much fun to design a new bed, and still fun to move every single thing in it again and again. That’s just gardening, as you say.
Frances at Faire Garden
I never plan and I’m a little concerned that I’ve planted too many trees and shrubs. They were small and I need lots of coverage. Enjoy your time working outside.
I am so jealous that it’s warm enough for you to be planting! I guess I can hold out for a bit longer, it shouldn’t be long here.
Frances – it IS fun to move things around and pontificate. And, I can do it any way I want to, now can’t I?!!! Thanks for reminding me.
Robin – I know I planted some trees too close in the bad but like you we desperately needed some shade! I’ll be dead or gone when they become too close (I know that’s not very nice, but hey – we had needs now!)
Oh Christine — I am SOOOOO jealous of your seedlings and all your plants. I’m going to post a picture of my pathetic seedlings tomorrow and you will laugh at me!
I’ve overplanted any number of times, but I don’t mind dividing and moving plants around as necessary. I’ve even moved a couple of misplanted trees after a year’s growth showed me my mistake. Trowel and error, as they say.
Have fun digging and planting!
Good luck with the veggie fence – sounds interesting!
I wish I had known you wanted larkspur as I have tons of it. I tried to give away some to Vive who wanted flowers blooming for her wedding but she already had some. Well if you need any more, let me know.
Pam: I like that, trowel and error! Your comments made me feel vindicated. Now I’m thinking of moving even more things. I’ve had good luck thus far, so what do I have to lose, right?
Togveg: Thanks! I need all the support I can get. No show on my workers again today.
MSS: I’d love some larkspur. I’m quite fond of all the really tall flowering plants – delphinium, larkspur,those giant sunflowers and then cor cut flowers, gladiolas are among my favorites, too.
Oooh, is that a Japanese aralia that I see in the last picture, on the left? I’ve been trying to figure out what that plant is for months and months, ever since I first admired one growing in my neighborhood. I tried every single nursery, and then walked into Home Depot last night and there it was. 🙂
Do you have to give yours a lot of extra water? How much sun? Any weird quirks? I’m thinking of putting one in my side yard to replace the acanthus mollis that swoons to the ground every time the sun hits it.
Lori – it is an Aralia and I love it. It gets light but almost all shade, as it is up against the west side of the house and we have woods that block most of the afternoon sun. I do water it a fair amount, but no more than most of my beds. It’s just pretty protected, so if you have some shade, it should be happy. Good luck with it – post a picture of it!
Also, I’ve gotta say that Artemis’ geranium hat reminds me so much of Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady!
Now Lori has me imagining Artemis saying “Come on Dover – move your blooming arse!”, just like Audrey at the races.
How cool that you liked my name suggestion, Diane! Your garden is really looking fine. I have a few things from Marbridge, too – wish we could still go there.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose