I love the colors in this photo. This area has just gone into almost complete shade (the sun has almost fallen behind tall trees as it is lower in the sky), and the colors are so vivid. This is what I love about having foliage.

Alright, this is almost all green, and foliage again, but several different shapes and shades of green.

My favorite area to sit in the garden and I do use it pretty often. I love this angle of the area under the big oak.

This is part of the path in the back and I wanted to show the dombeya seminole in full bloom right now although it is in shade 2/3 of the day. The bees go crazy for it and I love it too!

The pond has looked better and it has looked worse. Wrong time of day to take pictures of it, but here it is. The lilies are still blooming their hearts out although they are in the shrinking fall/winter mode.

The main part of the yard. The foreground is the area I lasagned just a couple of years ago.

Lastly, an area in the other back corner which I love. Again, it's almost all foliage, but the different textures make me interested.

Thanks for letting me share. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I have so very much to be thankful for.

Anna

1) Do you know where I can get Lily Pad begonia (also called Water Lily Begonia, Begonia nelumbiifolia) shown in the foreground of your second photo?

2) In your fourth photo, what are both the tall and the short plants with pink flowers on the right-hand side of the path? I have no idea what the tall, pink-flowered plant might be. The shorter plant with pink flowers could be pentas (?), but I'm not sure.

Just gorgeous! Thanks for all of the inspiration!

Love the yard you are too nice. I got the begonia nelumbiifolia about five years ago at Crowley's, east of Sarasota. Don't know if I've seen it anywhere else. I try to divide it every couple of years and you can see it is also in the next to last picture. It is an easy plant as long as the drainage is good. I am borderline 9b/10a and it has not balked in the winters. Not even the last two. I think it may be worth a try for you. If you like, I can see if I can find one that I can take a piece off of. I don't know how it would do for a couple of days in the mail though. In the fourth photo, the bush with the pink clusters is dombeya seminole. It does partially defoliate here in the winter. The others are the tall pentas. I have tall pink pentas everywhere in my garden. One of my very favorite plants and so loved by bees, butterflies and hummers. I spend all year trying to propagate them. They do overwinter here and those you see are in their fourth year in that spot.

Thanks, Marcia. This month makes 6 years we've been gardening here. We were fortunate to have acquired the large oaks for shade. Other than that and a few other trees, we've planted everything else and put the pond in 5 years ago. You know, too much grass can be remedied with a good lasagna! I think you are in Northport? If you're ever my way, please visit.

Hi Wallisadi. That silk floss tree came home in my husband's prius 5 years ago. It was a skinny stick about three feet tall. I love it too. Thanks!

Amberroses and Christine, thank-you. It is never exactly the way I like it, but that's the fun of it.

Anna

Carol B. Sarasota

Silvia

How do you plant lilies in a pond? They are very pretty.
Sharon

Carol B.- I love my orange chairs too. I have some of the same inside the house. I am partial to orange and you see that interspersed in my garden too! You, Hester and I should visit each others' gardens- we are so close

Justine, I just love to tell people about lasagna gardening! It is a no-till gardening method that works beautifully. It is based on layers of materials, and that's why they call it lasagna gardening. I did a very long post on it with pictures a few years back, but did not see it in the archives. It's titled something like "Less is more". I did find a link of Melissa's (gardencpa) lasagna early in the year and that is included below. Basically, you get a hose out and you mark the border of grass you want to get rid of. You put cardboard down in that shape- right on top of the grass (don't dig it, kill it or spray anything on it). Overlap the cardboard pieces by about 6 inches or so. Then you pile whatever organic material you have on top. If I make a lasagna in Feb-April, it is sure to have several inches of the neighbors' oak leaves on it, perhaps some grass clippings, coffee grounds, soft, non-diseased cuttings from my yard, and probably a layer of chopped up oak mulch on top. That would be a really good one. The reality is that frequently I don't have as much material as I need, so I just put the cardboard down and pile the wood chips on top. Several months later I might have loads of bags of oak leaves and I pile those on, or coffee grounds, etc. It all decomposes in place and attracts earthworms. If you didn't disturb the soil it will be almost weed-free. It's a great method and most of my garden is made like that. This is just one picture of an area of my yard with a lasagna taking place:

Looks like I just had oak mulch and coffee grounds on top of the cardboard at that time. Try it, I think you'll like it.

Silvia and Hester, thank-you. Hester, your beautiful yard puts mine to shame.

Marcia, email me when you'll be in the area. I wouldn't wait until the first real cold spell comes. Things are declining already.

Carolbcoastal and Christit, you are too nice.

Sunworshipper, that plant is a bird's nest anthurium. It is carefree and has tolerated the last two winters without covering it! I love that plant. I try to put different shaped leaves next to each other for interest. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Thanks, Sharbear. The lilies are planted in pots submerged in the pond. They get repotted in February each year and it is a huge, awful job that takes a whole day, but they give flowers almost every day of the year so they are worth it. I got the original one from Garyfl, who still frequents the forum, but not as often.

Well, you have all made me want to go out and work in the garden! I feel like I got a big pat on the back. Thank-you!!!

Anna

I can't improve on anything anyone has said so I guess I'll have to add a couple of visual statements....

Tom

Angela

Gatormom, tell Melissa we'd love to see her garden! I miss her pictures and we need more ornamental postings. I am always inspired by her garden. Please!!! I would love to get some mushroom compost, but I don't know how in my area. If anyone knows, please divulge. Gatormom, I've never seen your garden. Won't you post pictures?

Justine, once you start lasagna gardening, you'll never stop. It is a lot easier than tilling, and spares you a lot of weeds if you don't disturb the soil. There is a lot of info out there on lasagna gardening and there is no wrong way of doing it. You will become a scavenger of organic material. I am always on the lookout, and almost nothing gets wasted around here.

Angela, it got down to 27-28 the last two winters. I don't know if it would make it down to 23. Does Leu gardens have them outside? You could call and ask. Also, if they do, they might sell them there. All I have to offer you is a tiny, tiny one that would take a couple of years of nurturing to get to a decent size. Let me know if you want it.

Anna

And I agree, please tell Melissa we would love a photo tour of her garden!

Justine, Anna is right about the sparing of weeds. I'm a big, big cover it up with newspaper and leafs/needles fan. My neighbor gets down on his knees every few weeks and digs tons of weeds (that he puts out for pickup). You can literally see a line where our gardens meet. He asked me one day 'I never see you pulling weeds, how come you don't have weeds?' He gives me his newspaper, so he knows what I do. And he has watched me a few times. /shrug

~dianne

Looks amazing though. I've started the Lasagna thing as well. :)

T: Whose garden is that?
M: Anna's. My garden will look like that when it grows up and retires to S. Florida.
T: It's gorgeous. Haven't I heard her name before?
M: Of course. She taught me all about lasagna gardening.
T: Lasagna?
M: OK, cardboard gardening.
T: Aha. We have plenty of that.

So meanwhile, I am scrolling down and what do I see but my name and a link to our last project. I had to laugh. And I was very rewarded to see that series of pictures. That front bed has come a long way since January. And I did take Ricky's advice and dig a trench along the front and fill it with mulch. And then I get to Mary's (gatormom) post and had to laugh. You all have to realize that Mary is my plant pusher, disguised as a mild-mannered master gardener. I don't think she has ever shown up here without a plant in hand or has let me leave her place empty handed either.

Anna, I will have you know that I have passed on the cardboard gardening advice to anyone who will listen. My sister just started it too and she has hardly ever listened to me her whole life! :o)

I will get out tomorrow and take a few pictures and see what I can find from summer, when it really looked magnificent. Like you said Anna, it is starting to decline and I recently moved a few things to better places. I also have a puppy who is almost a year old and the damage she causes can be impressive.

Melissa

Again, please post photos more frequently!

Randy

Cammunizm, I did use to pick up grounds almost daily at starbucks (as evidenced by the silver bags), but since then I've established a relationship with my local coffee store (small business) and I get large bags of coffee every time I want. I buy lots of coffee and other goods they have in exchange. We've become friends.

Hey thanks, Gary! I've never been able to grow s'berries very well, so keep us posted if you find the secret. I miss your posts. Wished you posted more frequently. Thanks for the hello! By the way, I killed my trevesia palmata ages ago. Love that plant, but don't know if I'll try again. Requires too much worrying.

Sun worshiper, I will dig it up and put it in a little pot. Give me a few days to make sure it will make it. I will do it before the cool snap comes this weekend. If it looks good, I will email you for your address. Let us know what they say about it at Leu gardens.

Katkin, thanks. I wish you would post photos of your lovely garden.

Ha ha ha, Melissa! Good timing. I can't wait to see your garden update! You know, I've been pushing lasagna gardening since I experienced how well it works, but it is a well-known technique around for many years before I knew about it. I'm always pushing it too. Great for recycling and for plants, earthworms, beneficial bugs, water conservation, as you well know.

Randy, this is a great time of year to start your lasagna. Leaves will be available in a couple of months to supplement it. I think one layer of cardboard is just fine. Two might be too much of a barrier for water? Maybe temporarily? Not sure. Just keep expanding wider!

Thanks for posting everyone.

Anna

Here are a few pictures. Some are from Thanksgiving day and some are a few months ago. I didn't seem to take many during the summer when things looked really good. That is my busy time at work and I really just walk around and enjoy it at the end of the day.

Happy Holidays everyone.

Melissa

Gary, I am so sorry for your health issues, I'll pray for your recovery. I loved seeing your posts. :o)

Your lasagna is holding up beautifully. That russelia sarmentosa is out of this world!!! The lion's mane (I'm having a senior moment and don't remember if that's what it's called) is really lovely too. That area in the front with the ruellia, firebush and porterweed is gorgeous and my favorite. What is the big bush/small tree in your new lasagna area that we see in the distance? Your beautiful blue basil makes me miss mine. It perished in a low-lying area during a prolonged rain storm. Your place looks so peaceful. I would love to have more acreage, but can barely take care of what I have. Thank-you for showing us your lovely paradise. It was a real treat with my morning coffee!

Anna

I'm in Southgate and willing to come
any time!

Carol B.
pabrocb@yahoo.com

And I should add that lasagna gardening isn't just for flower beds. The areas that were all viney and overgrown I have cardboarded and mulched and left. Then the leaves fall and I add more and it just makes it look richer. Like this:

and while I love my flowers, there is no way I could garden this size property so the rest is more like this (you can see where there is more viney stuff to work on):

Take care everyone.

Melissa

Anna, I'm with Carol, I'd love to see your place in person and Hester's too...invites?

Gary, I'm sad to hear you're going through this again. I'll be sending you good Karma, you will remain in my thoughts daily.

Tom

Hi Tom, I know Hester was sweet enough to offer her place for a swap earlier in the year and somehow the swaps ended up somewhere else. Jane is coming over Friday (I think), and Carol probably next week. I would love to show you my dwindling garden Friday afternoon or maybe later on next week. Otherwise I prefer next spring when things are looking like they're on the upswing rather than tired, gasping and on the downswing! With the sun being low, much of my garden (behind large trees) has been in shade for a while now. Let me know. I love visitors!

Anna

Randy

Randy, it was a great day to garden today. Hope you got your fix and had fun.

Anna

Carol

Carol, thanks for the compliments. It is no trouble, but it is a bad time of year to try to split a plant. Maybe next spring when there is new growth. It is a busy time of year, and I really don't have a lot more to show, but I will look around and see if I have anything worth showing. Thanks!

Anna

Anna