My garden often looks like a giant riot of happenstance blooms and branches but really, for the most part, everything I plant – annuals and veggies as well as perennials, shrubs and trees – is in its spot for a reason. The exceptions, of course, are volunteers like the sunflowers that return year after year, or the wild and often native perennials that I encourage and enjoy, such as goldenrod, aster, Queen Anne’s lace and evening primrose. These grow with such abandon and abundance that the most I have to do is ‘edit’ them – removing them where they encroach too much in the more genteel parts of the garden.
Did I mention veggies? I do have a few raised beds but they’re far from a water source; mostly I fill them with garlic and bush beans. Vegetables I actually like to eat I plant closer to home, in the kitchen/cutting garden outside the back porch, in a small garden on the sunny west side of the house and even in the Island garden, where last year I grew heaps of yellow zucchini.
I’ve been creating a long shrub border half way between the house and the driveway – I want to create some context, definition and create various perspectives. It’s been fun slowly adding to this border; filling the blankness between the shrubs with perennials and some annuals (can’t have bare spots while the shrubs grow!). I try to chose shrubs whose foliage or flowers will interact well with its neighbours.
Sometimes colour combos turn out better than expected; for instance, if a seed packet produces something other than what was labelled, or if willy nilly colours magically appear in just the right place.
I quite frequently plant something only to realize, a year, a month, sometimes just a day, later, that it’s in the wrong place. I did that this year with a little Ice Plant. Low growing. Dainty flowers. Knowing it liked good drainage, full sun and is drought tolerant I planted it in May on a slope on the Island, forgetting that, come July, the slope was totally covered by foliage from other perennials that also like full sun and good drainage. The Ice Plant seemed a goner until I moved it to a vacant spot in the shrub border.
Sometimes, of course, you don’t want or need colour. Just a single exclamation point. Something architectural that provides interest most or all year. Perhaps with some aspect of the plant repeated elsewhere in the garden, so that the eye draws connections. Purple shrubs in three spots. Solitary Emerald Cedars in strategic corners (ie not as a hedge). Tall ornamental grasses.
That’s it for my Six this last Saturday of the month. To see Sixes from around the world head on over to The Propagator’s site.
Nice pictures and beautiful colors, especially with echinacea ! Don’t you think that the weeping pine won’t have much room in the future? Maybe a dwarf variety?
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I doubt it’s a dwarf variety so yes, it will soon be too crowded! easy to move the Echinacea. then maybe some low growing Geranium instead.
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The variety of cone flowers is stunning, and the idea of letting wildflowers have their way is one I hope to adopt, too! I enjoyed your post very much.
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Thanks! I’m fortunate enough to have the space let things be, often.
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I’m still waiting for my goldenrod so I appreciated the photo of what’s to come.
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there’s patches of it here and there – in a few weeks it will be in bloom all around the wood edges
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Loved seeing your massed plantings of flowers. I’m hoping my echinacea will look as good as yours if it ever gets going ( has been dormant all winter). Rose of Sharon is a terrific plant that flowers for months.
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Love that ornamental grass. What a beautiful photo! And I like the repeating color of the black-eyed Susans with the goldenrod. Although, considered a weed here, no one grows goldenrod on purpost.
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thanks! goldenrod is also a ‘weed’ here for most people!
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Funny how we share the same common name for different plants. I was studying your ‘Rose of Sharon’ and thinking that’s not right, so had to look it up. I see your name is for a Hibiscus Syriacus whereas for us it usually refers to a Hypericum – two very different looking plants. I guess that’s why I always try to use the Latin name. Common ones can be confusing! Saying that I like your planting very much.
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I know! I usually add the botanical name, unless it’s such a gorgeous day I prioritize spending time outdoors over looking things up!😁
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Quite right too 😀
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I love the unexpected colour combinations too..often they are so lovely I note them and try to recreate them the following year too. Lovely to see your garden
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many thanks!
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Your garden looks amazing Chris. I’m not good at organising when planting at all and often realise at this time of year that I don’t have enough for Autumn colour. I’m going to use the photos I take this year to sort that next year.
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that’s a great idea….I do the same in the spring otherwise I’d never know where I should/can plant new bulbs!
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I have a few things like your grass, important in the overall scheme but not colourful and showy, so often overlooked when you consider what’s happening at a given time. They’re always happening, but quietly.
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they really add to the movement and the feel of a garden don’t they?
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Is kohrabi like a turnip that makes a fat stem instead of a fat root? I have never grown it, and have not seen it since the late 1980s. I have grown both turnip roots and turnip greens, and mostly turnip roots that happen to make good greens, but have never grown kohrabi.
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yes that’s a good way to describe it. smaller than a turnup though.
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Well, I do not grow big turnips anyway.
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By the way, your goldenrod ROX! After seeing so much of it online, I want to grow it next year. I want to eventually grow Joe Pye weed too, but not next year.
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😊😊😊
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It’s wonderful to have the space for swaths of the same plant. Most of my colour combos come by chance, as I’m not very visual. From the look of your photos, it seems you’re able to bring what’s in your mind’s eye, into the garden. Would love to see that rose once it grows bigger’n the rudbeckia. Think that would be gorgeous. Is there a photo of the ice plant? When I Googled it, there were several options, so wasn’t quite sure what it is.
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thank you- yes I’m very fortunate! I’ll get a shot of the ice plant posted next week!
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I live the white coneflower and plan to add this my planting soon. Also on my wish list is a white hibiscus with a red splash so I was thrilled to see yours looking so good. Do you know which variety it is? I’m looking at ‘red heart’ and ‘monstrosus’ but can’t see what there differences are! Any thoughts? Beautiful garden btw.
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i dont know the variety – sadly –
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they were purchased at a yard sale!
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😂 love!!
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