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kpaquette_gw

Here's what's blooming this week...

kpaquette
13 years ago

Lots going on! Though I SWEAR I have more in my garden than purple lol...I think i'll have to do some editing (or additions) next year so I have more colors in the spring. Not pictured are Geranium St. Ola and spanish bluebells...camera died lol.

Alliums have gotten much bigger...though 2 of the 4 I planted are really stunted. They'll be better next year, right? Poppies near them are coming along...Baptisia in the background, calamintha nepetiodes (sp) in the front of the beds.

The baptisia:

view from garden entrance - topiaries from Haskell's

Azalea Klondike...

I've never grown azaleas. I love the color of these blooms but am wondering how long I can expect to wait for these to be more shrublike? right now they're sort of tall and skinny and only bloom at the top. Not crazy about them. But I do love the flowers and will be patient. ;-)

another type of allium, forget what kind, growing on either side of the arbor at the entrance to the garden. What is something small (there is limited space there) I can plant with it to help disguise the foliage?

That's it for now!

Comments (7)

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    13 years ago

    Nice garden! I really like the purple and orange and green combo. I think it's striking and that too many more colors would detract, but that's just my opinion.

    To hide the allium foliage, I'd consider moving them behind the shrub and perennials you already have. Just wait until the foliage dies for this year and then move. They are tall enough to not need to be front of the border plants.

    I'd give the azalea another year or two to get a bit bigger and then if you don't like the way it's developing, you can pinch back the tips immediately after blooming to make buds further down the stem develop so that it's bushier. Between the flower color and the foliage color, I think that one is a real stunner!

    Have you tried setting the topiaries (very nice!) on the walkway or at the edge of the beds at the base of the steps? To my eye (& my judgment may be totally off since I'm just looking at a photo) they look a bit cramped and might be more striking where they can be seen better. . . . just a thought.

  • kpaquette
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Hi Babs...I'll give the azaleas more time - they were just put in last year and have actually put on some good growth this year which is nice. I'll def. do the pinching in a couple of years if it looks like it needs it. Just wasn't sure how long to wait. :)

    It's hard to show in pics, but the alliums were sort of to go up the sides of the arbor (I'm new to this, don't know what i'm doing lol) - so it might be a miss...but to move them behind the boxwood would have them "floating" in the middle of the bed, not sure that would be good either. hmmm. here's a better shot:

    or this

    here's a better shot of the topiaries

    and if I move them..maybe I'm not used to it, but i'm not sure...now the door looks naked. LOL I could put some pots there? I dunno do you it's better? I certainly need help!

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    13 years ago

    Very very pretty! Lots to like about your garden, starting with that arbor and gate! Love the flagstone patio with the bright and cheerful red umbrella with the furniture. I think you are off to a great start. You may feel like you don't know what you are doing, but you have already figured out a lot. :-) I am a fan of topiaries and using those in such tight quarters by the door was a good idea. Thanks for sharing your photos!

  • claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
    13 years ago

    Your garden is coming along very nicely and it shows that you have put a lot of intelligent thought into the process.

    I have two very pragmatic comments about the topiaries (which look very good in that doorway).

    1. All you need is a delivery person carrying a big box to the door, or a rambunctious dog/kid to break off a topiary head. There isn't much room there for a misstep.

    2. The two topiaries are almost identical now and you're counting on the symmetry to continue. Unfortunately, two plants rarely grow the same way and look the same in a few years. If they stay by the door, which has all sorts of boxes and lines, I think it would be very obvious if the two no longer match. Maybe that wouldn't bother you, but you cared enough to put them in a formal setting so I suspect you would notice.

    I would move them so that they're not quite so close together and so that it wouldn't matter if they don't quite match.

    Claire

  • claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
    13 years ago

    Looking at the photo again, I suggest moving them into the garden beds, just on the other side of the stone edge, one on the left and one on the right. That way the topiary heads are silhouetted against the house siding and still accentuate the door. They just aren't forced into an exact symmetry.

    Claire

  • kpaquette
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thank you Prairiemoon! Claire, you're right, and I did think about that when I bought the topiaries. They will most definitely be moved around in the future, esp. if/when they are asymmetrical because yes, that would bother me too. As for kids, the ones that visit are old enough not to bother them and most deliveries come to the side door (since our "front" door is technically to the side LOL.) No big dogs. That doesn't mean that a drunk friend stumbling in to the bathroom after one of our happy hours on the patio won't take one out though hahaha. And this is only a worry during the spring-frost season, since they will have to come inside in the winter.

    I'll play around with different spots for them in the beds though to see what makes sense. If the time comes to move them away from the door, I might put them in two beds not even near each other. We'll see....

  • diggingthedirt
    13 years ago

    Really nice garden, kpaquette! Like others who've already posted, I like the color scheme a lot.