A fountain water feature would be perfect surrounded by Hosta.

Steve

'Empress Wu'.

Don B.

A water feature would be nice. Don - I first thought Empress Wu also. It would be nice if a Japanese Maple would survive our winters........ wishful thinking on my part. What about some tall grasses that would add winter interest?

I see you are fairly new. Where in Minnesota do you live? I am in Minnetonka.

Teresa

If you decide on statuary, be sure to put it on a pedestal - the hosta will eventually get pretty tall and you will want to see it above the greenery. I think the white of the statuary surrounded by hosta is very restful and serene and would give you some winter interest without having to run electric for a pump.

I have also used a 30" tall cobalt blue glazed pot that is cracked at the bottom (so I really can't use it for anything else) for color and I simply set a heuchera in a plastic nursery liner in the top (so I don't have to worry about mosquito larvae). Surprisingly, this heuchera is the best looking one in my garden and really looks great with the blue pot! (I don't leave it there in the winter, though) - You could also set a small hosta in the top as well!

BettyLu

Hi, I live in Forest Lake. I actually do have a small Empress Wu that I could move into that position. Another choice that I could move in there is a Humpback whale. Would something like Key West look good there? I am also trying to think of something that is beautifully shaped.

Either a fountain or a small ornamental tree or shrub. I have redbuds in my beds, but I wouldn't give them a hardy recommendation. They do have pretty leaves, beautiful spring flowers, an attractive shape, and give nice filtered shade - but they also seed themselves everywhere.

Nice beds, BTW. I've been working a a couple beds all summer, still have a long way to go on the one that's getting hostas. No problems with height here. I have to build retaining walls every time I want a new bed. The whole place is a steep slope.

I think 'Key West' would be a great choice as well, as it has great shape, great color and will eventually get huge. Guess you can't go wrong with a giant blue 'Humpback Whale' either.

Don B.

Perhaps you would like to have some winter interest as well as looking at it the rest of the year. I like dwarf columnar conifers, see attached a Blue Spruce Picea omorika 'Pendula Bruns'. This one was 7 ft tall when bought and cost $150 or so, but I bought one 5 ft tall one at Home Depot during closeout in late fall for $20. Bernd

Berndny, I always like those columnar evergreens like yours. I swear they remind me of a Tim Burton Halloween figure. Put a couple of props for the fall season around it, maybe a snow shovel and some mirror sun shades, and it would take on the Burton qualities. They don't sell those down here at HDepot. For my tall thin things, I am testing two pencil hollies. And of course, the Italian cypress, which take special care because they don't like high humidity places. Nor too much rain.

About the focal point on your bed. How about having a series of focal points since it is a very large bed? I see edging going far into your property. Put the one you like best in the main spot. Then further around the bed, place a little lower one of the other major gorgeous hosta. If you use Key West as the main attraction, then put your Empress Wu where she will be secondary. And then have a third one at the farthest end because it should be in threes....odd numbers.

Love the look of your beds weaving around your garden. By the time they've aged in place and your hosta are growing larger, you won't even see the boards. It's going to be beautiful. Look at all the room you have for planting! Wow.

I think Key West is a good bet. Then I would be sure to plant dark green and blue hostas all about it so it really pops.

It is true, you could put something for winter interest. I would only do that if you could see it from a window. I added a couple of evergreens this year after watching those late snows on my Stone Pine and Blue Spruce - it was stunning.

BeverlyMN (Roseville)

I do believe some sort of artful center interest would make this area pop. I think a focal point is needed or the eye will wander aimlessly. What to look at first, is it necessary the center of the garden? I don't know.

Now art can be anything, even that giant empress. I like to use such things that can be out of the ordinary, I have a old wheelbarrow in one spot, a old red wagon in another a huge rock with a planter on top in another. I had a ton of ugly rocks and made a small dry riverbed and found a big blue tinged rock for the dry pond, old fishin pole stuck in the ground and voila!

Paths (not straight ones)that draw me up to the focal point is what my eye enjoys. I almost feel like I am reading the book journey that the gardener is telling. For this it takes time, my hubby is always saying why are you moving that plant. Some of these options (the ones on wheels)are easy to move for when that giant specimen plant makes your jaw drop.

Please know i am not for gaudy, all these ideas would not look good in one area, but one or small versions of many that people only saw as they walked the path would be stunning!!

I am not sure if it is central Wisconsin soil, But I have moved huge hostas without them being any worse for the wear, yes taped Ken, I do realize this is not easy for all but these are just some of my ramblings.
It is not only the hostas that keep me getting up each day but the way they can be artfully arranged. Posting pictures still eludes me with this iPad but hopefully soon!

Bird baths have come a long way. There are some beautiful ceramic and stained glass ones on pedestals or other unusual bases.

DD

How about a statue of St Francis,like this one in my garden. It is 31 inches tall,taller than most hostas. Phil

How about Victory? It gets massive and has a beautiful vase shape.

An assortment of conifers and hostas would look great, too, though.

First of all... nothing right in the center. Google "The Rule of Thirds" Old photographer's trick that improves amateur photographer by 100%.

So... not in the center... either one third from the left or one third from the right along the axis of the bed that is perpendicular to where you will view it from most often.

If a hosta, another big vote for Victory.beautifully shaped, tall, wide, and with 6-7' scapes...

I do like garden art... and you don't have to limit yourself to something in the garden center. I like garden art that reflects the gardener. St. Francis is fine if you are a fan... also St. Fiacre - patron saint of gardens and gardeners.

But if Jim Morrison of the Doors is more your kind of guy - go for it! Or something whimsical that catches your fancy.

Or here is my favorite idea - make something yourself!

You can check out one of the Vesper College (in North Minneapolis) Groupon/LivingSocial/Amazon deals for their welding/art classes. I did one on TIG welding and made a nice little hanging thing for the garden, but Sheila is taking the one they have for garden art... in 5 hours ($69) you make a piece of garden sculpture in iron and stone...

or something whimsical... an old bicycle or an old wheelbarrow or a wheeled grape collecting basket thing or an antique gas pump or... whatever would make you happy or bring a smile...

you need some height.. which rules out all hosta ... as the center piece .... or.. as the idiot suggests... the off center-piece ...

what about a statue of me???

ken

Here is a link that might be useful:

like I said... whimsy... Jim Morrison... Elmer Fudd... ken... something like that!

Ken, best link ever.

"You" must be pointing at a carpy hosta and yelling "TO THE SIDEWALK WITH YOU!"

thx

i wanted to do the statue of David.... but i couldnt get around the whole oak leaf thing....

i am... after all ... shy ....

i am slightly amused by the fatty fat fat david ... lol ...

now.. what statement.. that would make.. is beyond me ... lol ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful:

I do love those statues Ken. Perfect for any garden.

Jim- I will need to order a Victory from you. I am trying to wait until the road contruction is done on 169. The last time I was at your place, I sat in traffic for over an hour at that spot. Maybe over Labor Day. I will let you know in an email.

I agree with a water feature but off to the one side would look and sound great . I made one of tufa and get loads of enjoyment from it and was also fun to make

That fountain is really beautiful! I have bought the cement to create something in hypertufa but haven't done anything yet. This is an inspiration.

the problem i see with a fountain ....

is that you left no maintenance path.. other than to clomp thru your bed ...

and the fact that in z4 ... half way to the north pole MN ... what are you going to have.. 4 weeks of frost free water... before it refreezes ... lol ...

ken

Ok, taking the suggestion of using old gardening tools, I looked in the garage and found these two plow things. I tried to place them off center.

I kind of like this one against the tree.

This one not so much. Fine line between art and junk.

Jim, can you explain what you mean by the classes on Amazon? AMAZON? And what is the welding all about?

I have a nice old bird cage which is square, but has lots of material in it. I was planning to toss it when we build the pergola for more shade, but now I see I'd like to do a tall metal columnar evergreen with the Tim Burton look to it. Since it is going to be in the privacy of our garden, if I wanted to hang my Swarovski stars on it, that would work. Or, perhaps that could be large enough an "art piece" to make it a "bottle tree." I have a lot of blue wine bottles, and a few greenies, but it could work nicely as a bottle tree too.
Do a search on BOTTLE TREES and you'll see a bunch of them. They capture the evil spirits, you know. This sort of thing is linked to the Aladdin Lamp with the genie trapped inside. Many cultures have such ways of outsmarting the spirit world. Over the years, I've given many bottles to others for their trees, now it is time for my own. My DH who is a traditionalist, looks askance at some of my ideas.

It is a fine line we walk between garden junk and garden art. It is all in the eyes of the beholder. Since I created the garden for myself, it's my party and I'll try if I want to. Whatever works, just like Jim said. Go for it!

Well Mocc, at least he's not bored.

What holds up the middle of the raised bed? By that I mean the higher level. Does it have some kind of support, or does it sit on dirt?

bk

Even in the cold north we have hosta . ponds and fountains that freeze but we generally pull the plug of the pump and bring it in or at least drain them lol I used a kiddy paddle pool for it the overflow iand it is hid with rocks and pea gravel or crushed rocks. If you maybe put it at an edge of the bed( say behind the tree you don't have to trudge over the plants . I like your yard treasures VP I have an old plow share in one bed and rusty looks good

There are some bracings (I think concrete blocks) in the corners. My husband (Dennis) engineered it. Inside is all compost from the city. I realize that this may settle lower than I would like, but we will see what happens after winter and add what we need to. Here is a picture of when we were building it.

sorry if I was confusing, mocassin... I knew Vicky is close enough to Minneapolis to be able to consider a one-day class in Northeast Minneapolis. There is an art college there that regularly has community education classes on welding and bending that relate well to garden art - you always go home with something.

They "specials" are listed for $69 instead of $300 on Groupon, LivingSocial, and AmazonDeal (or something like that - their discount voucher competition for Groupon... actually partnered with LivingSocial.

So that message was for Vicky... and also a hint that folks might watch for similar kinds of deals in their neighborhoods around the country...

Vicki... I like your implements a lot... you might be able to group the two of them together since you find the second a little underwhelming... not sure if the bigger one has to lean on the tree to remain standing... I'll bet a clever erson like yourself could find an attractive way to put the second one next to it and run a little screw to connect them and make it a freestanding "sculpture"

and see if you don't have a chunk of fieldstone or slate or irregular concrete... or a platform made of scrap wood... something that you could set them on - that way the dirt would always be splashing up onto them and it would set them off a little...

I love the fountain idea. I just don't use mine as a fountain. Got it free off of Craig's list had hubby drill some drain holes in it and made it into the most beautiful three tiered planter. This was the first year that I Planted inpatients and the deer loved the easy access to the plants so to post a picture would make me cry. When you find that special feature you will know it immediately. I can't wait to see what you come up with!!

I love my dogs, so here is what I did to add interest in my new 2013 hosta bed.....I want to add some rocks, old pots, etc. next year....and maybe a piece of an old stump for height and put a pot on it filled with maybe inpatiens...lotsa ideas!

Here at the far end is an old bird house......

I love everyones ideas....

A simple bird bath on a post would work. You could use a larger one than this, but no plumbing required for a bird bath

If I had a choice and had a wish for a hosta back ground with height this is what I would love to have... anyone else want this too?

Such a waterfall from all those rocks into a pond would be also great into my garden. But I thought about maintenance! So I only have a 60 ft dry creek collecting rain water from 2 gutters and the landscape.
But on a small scale, a waterfall can be bought at a Big Box store for not too much money.
Bernd

How do you guys keep the leaves out of your ponds and bird baths? All this summer, trees have been dropping leaves, and I keep fishing out the trash from my bird baths.

I have a huge thick walled oval flower pot that I used for a while as a small fish pond outdoors. I added the greenery to it, and some mosquito fish (some kind of silver guppies). They did fine, even had babies. But my pot sprung a leak that I could not find. Bye bye fishies.

Now I'm waiting for my remodel to do it again, with a pond liner to keep it from leaking. I really want a koi pond, might make one out of cinderblocks and pond liner and such, but that is a lot of responsibility to provide for such large fish. And my gardening space is taking more and more away from any emptiness feeling.....I need SOME breathing room. NEGATIVE space is just as important as what is THERE. Like furniture standing away from the wall, not pushed back to rim the room. Breathing room. Hosta need breathing space too. Otherwise, they get a blight. They don't grow naturally.

I've only seen these "condo" birdhouses in northeastern Iowa, but it looks like you might be handy enough to build your own. Sorry - the only picture I can find of mine is covered in snow. The little lean-tos at the sides have holes, too. They're just covered.

You can make any size and shape; I've seen ones that are very wide and tall thin ones.

A tiny little porcelain dog statue ... and a 15-foot tall fireplug

Envy of the entire neighborhood dog pack ...

ÃÂ.ÃÂ --~

dave

A pagoda maybe-

...and, Madplanter, Northeastern Iowa doesn't have a monopoly on 'condo' birdhouses. I built the tower and bought the birdhouses as they ony cost about $5 each.

Jon

Jon, that's really cool. An avian multiplex!

Don B.

Don,

Birds even nest in them. I have to be careful checking the nests, when they have babies. They will stay quiet in the house until you get right up close and then fly out right in your face. If they show up after you get near the nest they sit on a branch nearby screeching to draw you away from the nest.
Jon

VP,

What type of wood is that? It looks like cedar, if so that is a pricey setup???

Jon

Its just treated lumber from Menards. Husband says that it is average price. There is wood more expensive than what he used. He has been cranking out raised bed gardens all summer long, trying to keep ahead of me with my hosta collecting. We are also trying to shore up the deck with landscaping blocks while creating new gardening spots for hostas.

I have had garden ponds and water features, but now I have to think low maintenance. I would use a tall statue. Ken's link is great but I don't like the little 'perv' peeking up the Roman's skirt. (just funning of course)

I am for good reason partial to an angel statue surrounded by hostas of the 'Angel' group because that is similar to what I have. But I think if you like water, I have seen statues of either a Roman or Greek woman carelessly carrying a water urn which forms a fountain-head. The water spilling out of the urn pours into a collector base which has a pump to return it to the urn. Very pretty, I have seen them. Perhaps your garden center may have one in their garden suppliers catalogs.

Theresa Ann

Nice birdhouse tree, Jon. And yours actually gets birds.

The ones I saw in Iowa are more a garden art thing. They usually look like an "X" when viewed from above with a two to four story birdhouse on each side, or one tall side and two short ones, or a row of various sizes, all mounted on a platform. The "houses" are just one big box with multiple holes, secondary roofs indicated by a couple of 1x1 strips of wood, and rarely used by birds. I was home this weekend and thought I'd get some pictures, but only found one or two. They used to be in almost everyone's front yard, but the fad must have died. I still love mine, and it does make a nice focal point..