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| The garden was a bit of a disaster for part of the year. Last year I started re-doing a couple areas of the garden and I had NO CLUE what to do with these spots until a couple months ago. Spring gardens are more of my "thing", but lately I've been trying to ramp up the late summer and fall garden. It's starting to look pretty good in certain areas I think, though others still look disastrous. There have been a few unexpected plant failures that have left me scratching my head as to what to do there next. I have also been taking out or shifting a few things around I wasn't happy with, so things look a bit ragged right now. Naturally I am angling my camera away from those spots, LOL.
My mind has really been preoccupied with some things lately, so I haven't felt like doing too much out there (also the fact that it has suddenly turned so chilly, lol). Today I got some new batteries (whoo hoo!) and had fun simply walking around snapping a few pictures of things I liked. Great way to de-stress, wandering thru the garden! Love this combo. Coreopsis 'Sienna Sunset' with background foliage of blue fescue (Festuca 'Elijah's Blue')
Phlox 'Nora Leigh' and a turtlehead. Never liked the color of that phlox's flowers much, until I saw the turtlehead next to it! Brings out the pinkish eye nicely. My good GW bud Susan sent me that lovely turtlehead last year ;-)
A medley of fall plants. Carex buchananii (made it thru last winter!!), Coreopsis 'Route 66' (not sure if this one is hardy or not), Oenothera 'Sunset Boulevard', gold variegated Salvia officinalis 'Icterina', and Cabbage 'Red Acre' (poor dear never got very big, LOL!)
Barberry 'Helmond Pillar' with''Moulin Rougue' sunflower in the back, matching it's burgundy foliage!
Eupatorium coelestinum (Blue Mist Flower, highly underused in my opinion!) against my favorite gold Spirea called 'Goldmound'
Some plants by the patio. The Anemone 'Robustissima' is in nearly full shade, so leans and falls over a little. Part of it is also draping over the back of a patio chair. I find it kind of charming when it does this (plus it looks so weird staking it up!)
Thanks for looking ;-)
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Follow-Up Postings:
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| WOW! for "no clue what to do in these spots in your garden" I would love to see more pics. of your garden with your ideas for "these spots"! Your garden is simply beautiful!! |
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- Posted by paulah-gardener 6 (My Page) on Mon, Sep 19, 11 at 9:45
| My My what a fun garden. I would love to walk through. Paula |
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- Posted by plantmaven 8b/9a TX (My Page) on Mon, Sep 19, 11 at 10:30
| Thanks for showing us. It is so much fun to see plants I have never seen or even heard of. What is the green and white grass in the last pic? I used to travel with my DH when his job took him somewhere I was interested in. I always walked around looking at gardens. The first time we were in upstate NY I was amazed by the hostas. Finally I just knocked on a door and asked the lady what they were. k |
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- Posted by crackingtheconcrete 7a (My Page) on Mon, Sep 19, 11 at 10:50
| I really like the Eupatorium and Spires combo and also really like the garden backing the pretty leaf lantern, but the most stunning plant to me was the moulin rouge sunflower!! I'm not always a lover of dark flowers, but it is fantastic! |
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- Posted by kathi_mdgd 9 S.Ca (My Page) on Mon, Sep 19, 11 at 18:03
| Your gardens are Beautiful,nothing wrong with any of them IMHO. Kathi |
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- Posted by silvergirl426 z5 (My Page) on Mon, Sep 19, 11 at 18:58
| I loved that walk-through. The Nora Leigh phlox with turtlehead is a GREAT combo. I might just try that. And does your blue eupatorium thrive like the regular pink Joe Pye Weed? And what is the flower that is next to the pink JPW in the third and 5th pic? lucia |
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- Posted by christinmk z5b eastern WA (My Page) on Mon, Sep 19, 11 at 22:25
| Thanks so much guys ;-) LOL. Well my bad areas are REALLY bad! By the side of the fence garden there are a lot of spring to early summer bloomers there, plus some things like columbine and malva moschata that have reseeded too much and dominate the area. I'm thinking I need a large plant in the back to add structure, then something unusual with broad foliage to add a subtle focal point. Now the trick will be figuring out what plants fit that bill, lol! -plantmaven, that is a Japanese Forest Grass, Hakonechloa 'Aureola'. Painfully slow to clump/bulk up, but well worth the wait! I love it so much that I am thinking of trying out some other cultivars. -Ariel, I like the MR sunflower too! Only thing I can say against it is that the dark color doesn't show up very well where I have it now (dark trees as a background). I was thinking just the other day how much better they would look against a lighter backdrop... -Lucia (what a beautiful name btw! ;-), the orange one?? That is Helenium 'Mardi Gras'. I love it! The thing has one of the longest bloom periods I have ever seen on a plant. Or did you mean the purple Aster? Not sure exactly what the name was, think that one could be A. novi-belgii 'Magic'. |
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- Posted by sweetannie4u midOK_z6b/7a (My Page) on Tue, Sep 20, 11 at 17:35
| OMG! I would die for a garden like yours! EVERYTHING is AWESOME! You have an eye for it, girl. An EYE! Come help me out! ~Annie |
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| Aye! You do have an eye for this cottage garden style! Love it! |
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- Posted by sweetannie4u midOK_z6b/7a (My Page) on Tue, Sep 20, 11 at 20:28
| I'm going to be on the lookout for Phlox, 'Nora Leigh'. Love her variegated leaves. I love variegated leaves. So many other flowers in there that I don't know. What is the purple flowering plant next to the Joe Pye.? Looks like some kind of tall aster. ?? Other things in there that I love that add textures and fill in like Nature does. It is gorgeous! Funny honalee. Aye...funny. :) |
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| Christin, thanks so much for posting photos. Everything looks so huge and lush! That phlox is beautiful. I didn't know she got that tall. Also, is that Karl Forester in the photos? If it is I'm going to cry because mine looks like crap! That is one gorgeous grass! I love the mood of the lantern photo. In the 3rd photo, what is the short variegated plant in the front? Is that the 'Icterina' salvia? Which geranium is that in the last photo? Also, I like the combo of the fern with the hakone grass. Actually I like all the textures you have going on in that last photo. Nice job! Beautiful pictures! |
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| Annie ~ The only phlox I have been successful with, not that I have tried too hard, is Nora Leigh. She is beautiful in my garden but is in a bad spot. I'll probably move her next week when I plant all my DLs from the pot ghetto. I have also tried Karl Forester grass only to find that he didn't make it overwinter.:( So I grow all kinds of heirloom and ancient grains for the birds. As well as many different native grasses. Native to the cold north that is. :) I would love to grow Dierama pulcherrimum (Angel's Fishing Rods) but it is not hardy here. Anyone ever try it? It is beautiful! Just like little fairy mobiles! :) Christin, your fall garden is just awesome even if you are a spring garden lover. :) |
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| Honalee, I just saw Dierama pulcherrimum at the Helen Dillon garden in Dublin and it was so beautiful! I had never seen it before and was sad when she said it wouldn't overwinter in my zone. |
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- Posted by sweetannie4u midOK_z6b/7a (My Page) on Tue, Sep 20, 11 at 22:41
| Christin, I looked at your garden pics again. I gotta look for Route 66 Coreopsis! I live only a few miles north of Route 66 that cuts through central Oklahoma. :) That would be something special to have in my garden for sure! And the colors are gorgeous! I love fiery colors like that. Where did you get it, if I might ask? Love the photo with the lantern. Perfectly dreamy. I really love, love the area along the wall. (and the little basket with twigs hung on it - birdhouse or just decoration?). The wall sets it all off. Love the twig teepee...and well...just everything! Very "cottagey". C'est bon! The Japanese Forest Grass is unbelievably beautiful. Mmmm!Mmmm!MMMM!!!! Not sure It would make it through our hot summers though. That wouldn't stop me from trying though. And the Mardi Gras Helenium is superb! We can't buy Heleniums here for some blasted reason. And there are so many varieties. It is inexplicable. I happen to like the phlox where it is. Why do you want to move it? Thank you so much for letting us walk through your garden with you. I could almost feel the grasses and smell the plants and flowers...and that wonderfully earthy dirt you have up your way. |
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| It may overwinter in your zone.....but it won't get as big as like a zone 7 or 8. It is really beautiful tho. :) |
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- Posted by christinmk z5b eastern WA (My Page) on Tue, Sep 20, 11 at 22:46
| -Annie, I love variegated foliage too. Every grouping of plants needs at least one item with interesting foliage (variegated, bronze colored, gold, etc) in my opinion! Phlox 'Nora Leigh' has the most vibrant variegation, really glows in the moonlight too. Hey, it may even be a perfect addition to your White Garden! :-) There are actually a LOT of other variegated phlox out there. Think I made up a list of them at some point...The purple flower is the one I mentioned earlier, Aster novi-belgii cultivar likely 'Magic'. -Susan, THANKS! That is another cultivar of the Calamagrostis grass called 'Overdam'. The blades on this one are green with white edges. Too bad yours doesn't do well. Does it flop or something? Maybe your soil is too rich for it?? You are right, that is 'Icterina' Salvia. Not sure if I mentioned it to you before, but this plant made it thru last winter. Didn't expect it to since the one I had in the front garden died out during the previous winter. The perennial geranium is a seedling of 'Midnight Reiter'. Unlike the parent it is a bit larger and more robust. The foliage isn't as dark and the flowers are a shade lighter. I like it better in fact, since it doesn't mildew as bad as 'Midnight Reiter'. -honalee, sorry your grass didn't make it ;-( What kind of grains do you grow? Any that you think look neat in the garden? I had some millet (latin name is panicum miliaceum I think) from birdseed germinate in the garden. I think it is kind of pretty- plus the birds go CRAZY over it. So fun to watch several of them perch on the stems and lean the plant over so others can pick at the seed head!! I've been tempted to just try that Dierama. There was one I saw on a UK site with dark purple/burgundy "mobiles" that was so beautiful. Not sure if it is worth growing as an annual though, since it might only 'bloom' second year. Perhaps it could be overwintered inside though?? |
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| PS I have seed for Dierama pulcherrimum that I ordered last year. I'd gladly send you some, tyme. |
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- Posted by sweetannie4u midOK_z6b/7a (My Page) on Tue, Sep 20, 11 at 23:00
| I bought and planted four little Asters the other day. Two are Dragon and two are Magic. I didn't know the Magic got that tall. Awesome! Anyway, yesterday my Girls scratched around and dug out one of the Magics and tore it all up. They also dug out several of the newly planted Pansies. I was able to replanted the pansies, but the magic is toast. I made them stay in their pen today. I'm madder than a wet hen! |
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- Posted by christinmk z5b eastern WA (My Page) on Tue, Sep 20, 11 at 23:14
| BOY! You guys are quick! I posted my last entry and when I looked again there were more posts from all of you!!! ;-D -Susan, thanks again. I love playing around with texture in the garden, as well as color. Sometimes I will move a plant simply because the texture is too similar to one of its neighbors or doesn't "look" right to me, lol! -Annie, you are such a dear ;-) I so enjoy taking pictures in the garden and finding unusual angles. I think the neighbor must wonder about me when he sees me sprawled out on the lawn trying to get a shot of something, LOL!! That Coreopsis WOULD be perfect in your garden. I got it at a grocery store in town that has a garden dept. Not all of the newer Coreopsis are hardy, but I figured for $4 why not give it a try?! Real annuals are often more than that. I'm not positive, but I think I see seeds forming on it. Not sure if they will come 'true', but if you want any I would be pleased to share. That is too bad Helenium can't be found for sale in your area. If I can ever figure out what the heck a Helenium seed looks like I could send you some too. I have several other cultivars. The Japanese Forest Grass isn't too picky. As long as it has shade and soil that doesn't dry out too much it should be okay. I do like where the Phlox is. I think I must have said above that I didn't quite care for the flower color but moving the turtlehead next to it helped bring out the pinkish eye. The basket/twig thing was a project of mine a couple years ago. It is supposed to be a 'living wreath', except I can't get anything to STAY alive in it, lol! I made it out of an extra hanging basket, old wire/chicken wire, moss, bark, and twigs. |
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- Posted by sweetannie4u midOK_z6b/7a (My Page) on Wed, Sep 21, 11 at 2:32
| My bad. Somehow I got it in my head that you had thought about moving it. Well, I'm glad. It is a focal plant, me thinks. I just love your Living Wreath twiggy thing. I tried making one of those too, with herbs. Saw it in a magazine years ago. I did everything it said to do, and everything died anyway. So, I hung the "dried herb wreath" (lol) in my kitchen and it smelled really good all winter. I wish I could get down on the ground to take pictures like that. Heck! I wish I could get down like that for any reason. My house would be much cleaner if I could. :)/ Thanks Hun. |
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- Posted by gottagarden z5 western NY (My Page) on Thu, Sep 22, 11 at 19:18
| Looks great at your place in the fall! Everything is so neat there. I've got great flowers now, but unfortunately I haven't cut back the old dead stuff, and they don't look good side-by-side. Love your phlox! |
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| I love your cottage garden. The plants are great but I am inspired to make a wood stick tower or whatever you call them. Will I actually do it? I hope so. |
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- Posted by hosenemesis SoCal Sunset 19 USDA (My Page) on Fri, Sep 23, 11 at 0:21
| Beautiful! Thank you for providing so much pleasure. I especially love the photos with your twig tuteur. I think it is really difficult to have a beautiful fall garden. You've done a great job! Renee |
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| CMK ~ Here is a list of the ornamental grasses and grains that I have grown. Amaranth 1. Burgundy Prairie Garden 09 Amaranthus 1. Autumn Palette T&M 09 Barley 1. Job�s Tears Pearl Baarley Greta�s Org. Gardens 09 Millet 1. Bronze Prairie Garden 09 Rye 1. Canada Wild Rye Bedrock Seed Bank 09 Wheat 1. Black Prairie Garden -09 Ornamental Grasses 1. Alfalfa 500gr OSC 09 Ornamental Grains 1. Broom Corn Vesey�s 09 More enabling! Enjoy! :) Ginny Garden |
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- Posted by christinmk z5b eastern WA (My Page) on Fri, Sep 23, 11 at 12:58
| -Thanks much for the compliments gottagarden, helenh, and Renee! The twig obelisk wasn't all that hard or time consuming to make, as long as you have a second set of hands to help. -Ginny, WOW yet again! I first was introduced to the idea of using grains as ornamentals on Nancy J. Ondra's blog. Think she had rice or something in one of her beds. I do love the look o the birseed millet I have in my bean bed, and have been thinking of trying out some others. Your list will be a good reference! Tell me, do you find any of the grains are invasive? That is the only reservation I have in adding them to the garden... |
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| No invasion here that I have noticed and the grains are annuals. I keep them in check as I have a fair amount of space here so they could go wild I suppose. I leave the grains on for the birds and sometimes I have them popping up in various places in the yard if the birds drop them but I don't mind that. All are fast growing and most are from Canadian growers so they are zone compatible here with the exception of Pampas grass. :( I really like the height and texture they add to the garden , not to mention the fall garden. :) |
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| No invasion here that I have noticed and the grains are annuals. I keep them in check as I have a fair amount of space here so they could go wild I suppose. I leave the grains on for the birds and sometimes I have them popping up in various places in the yard if the birds drop them but I don't mind that. All are fast growing and most are from Canadian growers so they are zone compatible here with the exception of Pampas grass. :( I really like the height and texture they add to the garden , not to mention the fall garden. :) |
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| Ginny, really, you are blowing me away with all the stuff you have grown between the grasses and grains above and the sunflowers on the other thread. Do you scatter them in the garden through direct-sowing? Winter sow? Start indoors in winter? When you say they are from canadian growers are you planting the whole plant? How much property do you have that you have room for all this stuff? We need some pictures!!!!! Sorry, Christin, don't mean to hijack but I think you and I are on the same page when it comes to this stuff! |
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| For those who are interested, I posted a new thread with a bit of my story and answers to questions. Christin, I would love for my gardens to look like yours when they come together in their cottagey sort of way and in my organized chaos! Thank you for posting. I hope to see more, more, more! |
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- Posted by oldgardener_2009 8b (My Page) on Sat, Sep 24, 11 at 16:24
| Christin, your garden is absolutely beautiful! Love looking at all the pictures. |
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