So....describe your garden....

[WebmasterPete]

My garden is a little "eclectic". Since I rent my house, I don't want to do anything too permanent (I'll be buying a house early next year), so I mostly do things I can grow in containers. I'm finding that with the right size container, there is very little you can't grow. My back patio is screened in (with a pool....like every other house in Florida), and I find that it's a great area to get very creative in. My favorites right now are Bougainvillea (I've got three bushes), Hibiscus (just picked up two grafted hibiscus that have the largest blooms I've ever seen), and Bromeliad (which is my all time favorite). I've dotted the landscape with Orchids (mostly Phaleonopsis, but some hybrids as well), not to mention an assortment of Celosia, Impatiens, and Begonias. I recently picked up two confederate Jasmine plants (which I seem to be systematically killing for some reason), and two Hawaiian Snowbush plants (which are gorgeous). I end up changing around the location of the plants about every two weeks (another plus with container gardening). I also have grown about 10 Morning Glory plants, and have them in large window boxes vining up a trellis. They seem quite happy and are almost ready to bloom.

So...let's hear about your garden!!

Pete

 

[NHMickey]

Well my garden is a work in progress. My main scheme is more landscape style. I have built 4 raised flower beds two built in to the side of a hill and one against the house and another on front of a split boulder and put in 3 ponds with different water falls and such. I have started to incase the section of yard with a small stone wall and am going to put in a paver walk way... Next to Disney it is my passion I find it to be a great place to relax... I will post a few pictures of what I have done.. This is so cool Pete.. Thank you for making this forum!!!!

 

[Kermit]

My garden is made up of a lot of dead things, which is why I came here.

I do plant herbs in pots every summer with good results. This summer I'm going to try planing lettuce too. I need to make some raised beds with decorative flowers, but I want to improve my ability to keep things alive before I spend a lot.

 

[Patrick IL.]

Mine is smaller. I do vegs- Celeberty tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, green peppers and cucumbers I have done corn in the past, pumpkins, green beans, red peppers and carrots. My DW is in charge of most of the annual floral stuff we do around the outside of the house. She changes that every year. I have the bushes, a burning bush, dogwood, some perinenials, a cone flower, crocus, lillys of the valley and my tulips

 

[mrsv98]

This is only the second season we have had our house so I am still discovering new plants all the time. The people who owned pur house before were older and wanted something fairly low maintainence. As a result, there are tons, and I mean tons! of hostas growing in my yard. I could start my own nursery there are so many and such variety. Last year, I reclaimed some of the grass in the back yard from hosta and pachysandra and replanted grass. This was in preparation for our DD's swingset that arrives Sat! Then I took out all the rest of the hosta and pacysandra in the garden off the patio and planted a blue, yellow and white shade garden. I have a variety of perrenials and I fill it in with some annuals. It will be fun to see what comes back and what I need to replace. This year, I have a big project and a few smaller. First, I am building a raised veg garden in the front side yard. I would prefer to have it in the back yard for protection but there is way too much shade. I think I will do two layers of sleepers so it will end up being 4 feet wide and 8 feet long. I plan to plant corn with pumpkins (for DD), a green bean trellis and a couple of variaties of tomatoes. I built some new steps up to the front door last Fall so I will landscape those with a beautiful, compact form of lavendar called hidcote and perhaps two or three rose bushes. Then I have a bunch of transplanting to do and quite a bit of pruning if it ever gets above 40 degress! I discovered late last spring that we have raspberry canes on the west side of the house so I have to prune those back soon or they will be out of control. I have a lot more plans for a large garden in the front, some hardscaping and other stuff, but I always run out of summer...and money! Whew, that was a long description! Thanks for this forum, it will be fun to see everyones plans!

 

[Rajah]

Originally posted by Kermit
My garden is made up of a lot of dead things, which is why I came here.

That was going to be my answer. I also have a black thumb. I've only had one plant I can think of that hasn't died shortly after coming under my care, and that's a wierd tree-like thing that I'm about to post in another thread

 

[Tulirose]

We have lots of old bushes around our house but plenty of different places to plant other things. Last year I made a circle garden in part of the front lawn and planted a Kousa dogwood (white flowers) and several red azaleas around it.

I have an area under the garage windows which have iris and hostas and that is where I planted a Shasta Daisy last year in memory of Sylvia. I hope that the daisy comes back this year.

My big area of concern is behind the pool. Large area that we have been working on. Planted several Rose of Sharons next to the fence two years ago. They are coming along okay - hoping for them to grow a little higher and fill in and become like a privacy hedge. Planted a different type of hydrangea in that area last year (can't think of the name just now) but I almost killed it by not planted it promptly. Anxious to see if that comes back this year. Planted some peonys last year in that area that I got from my mom's house which my grandmother had originally planted which she brought from her farm in Connecticut. Also have two azaleas back there flanking our Mary statue.

We have an INTERDIMENSIONAL PORTAL (aka gazing ball) back there too. There are some other plants back there also. I'm almost amazed as I sit here typing all that is back there and the place looks empty, even in season. It's a large area. I gotta get a plan for it.

 

[Barb]

What a great idea for a forum! Thanks, Pete!!

My gardens are a work in progress, too. They're a pretty sad work in progress, but a work none the less. I have a perennial garden in the front and that changes every year. I plant what strikes my fancy, mostly going with the die hards-marigolds, petunias, impatiens, etc. What I would like to do is create selfsufficient gardens on the sides and back of my house, keeping the front for playing with. I have been planting tulips, daffodils, etc. on the sides to fill them up. I must say they do look amazing when everything is in bloom. My biggest problem is landscaping the gardens. I need to clean them up. I hope to use garden bricks this year and finally get it finished. As we have horrible soil here, I was never able to establish a healthy vegatable garden. So, I've begun planting veggies in large flower pots on the back patio. It's working out very well, actually. Tomatoes, especially cherry, do well and I am going to try cukes this year, using a teepee for them to climb on. I did zucchini last year in the pots (my DH thought I was nuts) and we have a great crop!
I look forward to hearing about everyone's experiences and all the little tricks and tips you use to have great gardens.

 

[DixieDreamer]

hmmm... describe my garden.... WHICH ONE!?! LOL! I have a couple.

My main flower garden is what I describe as a "cottage style prairie garden". It is a chaotic blend of many colors and heights... and yet... it seems to feel very harmonious. It is anchored by roses (tea roses and climbers) and old fashioned hollyhocks in shades of peach and yellow. In the early spring there are the early blooming bulbs. During the summer months ... there is a sea of purple coneflowers (echinacea) that beckons the butterflies and dragonflies to stop for a while. Mixed in are many varieties of salvia, rudbeckia, gallardia (blanket flowers), pincushion plants, coral bells, spider wort, baby's breath, obedient plants, liatrus (gay feather), centranthus, clematis, and coreopsis... and others I am forgetting. It is enclosed in a tall fenced in area... like a room away from everything else.

Next to it, in the same fenced in area... is my rather sizeable vegetable and cutting flower garden. The only thing that remains the same here... is the strawberry patch. Everything else moves around every year. I grow tomatoes, pole beans, lettuce, beets, watermelons, and peas ... and sometimes potatoes, corn, or pumpkins. It depends on what sounds good to me as I plan the summer garden ... during the short dark days of winter. There is usually at least one row of annual flowers... for cutting purposes.

Off my patio is another flower garden... it is dominated by roses... climbers, and cascading carpet roses. Mixed in are Johnson's blue geraniums, spider wort, iris, coral bells, salvia, and spring blooming bulbs (tulips and daffodils). On the patio are many potted containers. Each year I try different combinations of plants.. and rarely do I get it "right". LOL! Beside my pathways are russian sage underplanted with mallow plants. On the other side are lavender and evening primroses.

My big project for this year, is a whole new garden around three sides of my house. I have been building a wall around the three sides - and will be bringing the topsoil in (in about 2 weeks). It will have a variety of plants but until they are there... the plan is subject to change. I will share with you when it is completed.

The rest of my property (40 acres) is a wild desert landscape. Nature has created the perfect garden here... and I choose to leave it be.

 

[bsnyder]

Great idea for a new board!

DH and I also love to putter in our yard. He does most of the work, and I buy stuff and tell him where to plant it, LOL! But I do weed the beds very thoroughly!

Down here in Florida, we don't have very big lots (unless you live out in a rural area). I think our lot is 65 by 130, so it's really not a lot of space to do much with. Our front yard is sodded with St. Augustine grass. We have 4 huge Florida pine trees and hedges along our lot lines of holly, with beds of azaleas. The pine trees have algerian ivy around the base, and it has climbed nicely up the trees.

Our back yard has a 13 x 25 foot inground pool, surrounded by a brick patio. We have a covered porch that runs the whole length of the house, in an L shape. It also is bricked, and has a nice eating area. I'd love it if this area was large enough for an outdoor kitchen/serving area, but it's not.

The pool/patio does not leave any room for a grassy area but the entire patio is bordered by flower beds. We also have two oak trees that we planted when we built the house, and three ligustrum trees in the bed along the back fence. Some of our other plants that we've had success with are giant spaths, impatiens, gardenias, lillies, azaleas, iorex, indian hawthorne and lirope. Our biggest obstacle, that limits us to what we can plant, has been our lack of water. Our county has been on watering restrictions (once a week) for over 2 years, and much of the stuff we originally planted when we built the pool just couldn't handle the drought. So we recently invested in a drip irrigation system, to replace the sprinklers in the back yard. We can use the drip system every day, if we want, and it's made a big difference in the health of our plants!

Looking forward to reading more about my fellow DISers' gardens and learning along the way!

 

[amid chaos]

I have 2 main beds and then many foundation beds.
I love ornamental grasses and have many varieties of all shapes, sizes and colors.

I have a perennial garden in the back that my DS designed and made stepping stones for.

I have a large garden out front which has many grasses and perennials.

I plant large and cherry tomatoes in containers on the deck.

And I am making a trellis for morning glories which I have started by seed. Giving moonflowers a shot too. this will be on one side of the deck.

I also love large houseplants which I put on the screened in porch in the summer and looks so good with my white wicker.

 

[Mamu]

Spend the day gardening, collapse from exhaustion. Wake up the next morning to find a garden thread. Awesome. THANKS PETE!

I have many, many gardens through the yard. Some are small, some a little larger. Most have a combination of bulbs, annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees (some dwarf). I spend about 40 hours a week in the yard. I have a fairly large vegetable garden. A water garden with goldfish and aquatic plants. I also have a bird garden, this garden has, plants that produce seeds, fruits and nectars for the birds.

 

[DixieDreamer]

Mamu has AWESOME gardens.... she is being very modest in her description.

 

[KirstenB]

Like much of the southeast, we have red clay for soil, ughhh!!! Did I mention we have 3 acres of red clay?!!

Seriously, it means every time I want to stake out a flowerbed, I have to dig about 12 inches deep throughout the plot, then bring in a load of topsoil, and fill it all in. We've been in our house 5 years, and we have beds up next to the house with hollies, daylilies, liriope, hostas, periwinkle (ground cover), and veronica.

In the big bed I dug out a few years ago we have daylilies, euphorbia, various ornamental grasses, dianthus, irises, salvia, coneflowers, strawberries, liriope, periwinkle, phlox and one lonely hydrangea that has never flowered for me. If anyone has any hints on getting hydrageas to bloom, I'd love some help. It's a variety called Merritt Island.

I need to dig some more beds but we've been doing a 2 story addition to our house (doing the work ourselves) for 1 1/2 years, and I haven't had extra time or money.

I'd love to see some of y'alls gardens---sounds like we have some wonderful talent on the DIS!!!

 

[WebmasterPete]

Dixie:

40 acres????? I'm SOOOOO jealous!! A pre-requisite for me buying a house is that I must have at least one acre of land...can't imagine having 40!!

Pete

 

[Tiggerkeeper]

We have several beds but my favorite is Mom's Garden..it is about 4 feet wide and surrounds the patio. Several years ago we decided for privacy to fence around the patio so we put up resin latice and left 4 feet of dirt between the patio and the fence. The area varies from super shady to full sun. In the corner we fashioned a fountain from a whisky barrel and an old watering can. Around the front of the barrel I usually plant seasonal flowers. There is a neon purple rhododendron, coral azeleas, ajuga, varigated hostas, native ferns, blue knight salvia, acuba and red grass planted in river rock in the bed.

There is another small semi-circle bed at the far end that has several variations of native fern and a chair with flowers planted where the seat should be. Then a walkway bordered by moss and a huge pin oak with hostas, ferns, bleeding heart and a ground cover spilling out of a large pot turned on its side. And of course there are hanging baskets on the fence posts and hanging from the over hang of the house. I spend every spring, summer, and fall morning having my breakfast here. This is my sanctuary!

Can you tell it is my favorite garden?

I remember summers with my Grandmother going from bed to bed tending the flowers and plants. She had 20 acres and it looked like a nursery!!!

 

[pumba]

it is all fenced in .....so on the back fence are twelve lilac trees........we have the traditional purple lilac tree......and double french white and purple......they are just gorgeous and make me sneeze for the three weeks that we are in bloom......we have four high bush blueberry plants on one side of the fence......these are pesticide free and good eating when we are outside........on the other side of the fence are twelve trailing rose bushes......we lost quite a few this year to winter kill.....not enough snow cover to protect them.......next to our house is a very old rambling rose.....that thing sure stinks.....in the areas in the yard itself are four cherry trees......we had a party last year with the neighbors and they came over and picked all they wanted.......(before the cedar wax wings ate their fill)......Jasmine our dalmatian would go out and eat the lower cherries and spit the seeds out.......she loved that tree......we have two different types.....and one is self pollenating......we also do above the ground veggie garden..........we had built up boxes of tomatoes ....green peppers and cukes.....also yellow beans and beet greens.....this may be our first year of not having a garden because of the drought conditions in maine.......in the front of the house we also have four lilac trees.......

 

[Boots]

I live in the country and we have several gardens. Our vegetable garden is the closest. It starts out with my row of sunflowers, then it will have green beans, corn, potatoes, onions, radishes, okra, squash, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, watermelons, and cantaloupes. My long skinny garden has my oranmental gourds, my ornamental corn, and my "funny" squash. Then there is my big garden. It has my pumpkins. Lots and lots and lots of pumkins, little, big, and jumbo. Or at least I hope it does! I haven't had any to sale the last two years. DH is trying a different approach this year. Going to try to have them far enough apart that they won't cross pollinate and see if that is the problem instead of the weather. DH has it plowed but it won't stay dry long enough for us to get anything planted!

 

[sudiequ]

DH has a vegetable garden. I have various perennials all around my house. I try to add a perennial every year (to that i include my snapdragons that come up every year in a rainbow of colors!

. Right now my Crocus are in bloom and i'm waiting for my tulips! I have a special area that i dedicate my "Butterfly Garden" to. That area includes plants like Cosmos (beautiful white, pink or burgundy flowers) and milkweed (the butterflies choice for laying eggs!). You also have to have a little sand in your butterfly garden, and keep it wet they like to drink from there. Looking forward to great tips on this site!

 

[gina2000]

My garden is a bit of a mish mash. It has tons of perennials, both sun and shade scattered in different locations.

Part of the beauty of my garden is where the plants have come from. When I first moved here, the lady across the street came over and began to bring me snips of different things she grew in her garden. She was elderly, vague and totally immersed in her garden. I had known her in high school as my health teacher and now I was to know her as an equal.

Those first few summers were magical. I dug beds in every conceivable area of my yard. And every time she saw me outside she brought me over samples. Shasta daisies, iris, hostas, montauk daisies, asclepias.....you name it, she brought it over. And always with a story...and a big smile. I learned more about gardening those first summers. And I credit it all to her.

My beds are now carefree splashes of color, random in selection and totally whimsical. Some years they flourish but recently, drought has taken its toll. My friend has had to go to a nursing home, a travesty. But there's never a day I don't think of her while walking in my yard. And I remember all her words of wisdom and the joys of gardening.