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Post by bjd on Oct 24, 2021 15:37:37 GMT
I just spent three hours out in the sunshine digging out some weeds but mostly moving irises. I know it's not the right time of year but they just didn't have enough sun where I had put them because of the tree nearby. And I finally looked at some information about irises and discovered that they like heavier soil. I hadn't thought about it before because some other irises I have were blooming nicely.
Anyway, I used the kitty litter I bought to add to the soil around the rose bushes and peonies and added it to the soil, then moved the rhizomes to a place with more sun. I had originally worried about planting anything there because the exhaust from the heat pump blows there, but since other stuff nearby did fine, I guess that won't pose a problem, especially since the heating is already off by the time the irises bloom.
I also pulled out a few more gauras to take to the dump, leaving only a few.
I noticed too that my flowering cherry tree has some flowers on it. It did the same thing last year but still bloomed again in spring.
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Post by casimira on Oct 24, 2021 15:59:09 GMT
Anyway, I used the kitty litter I bought to add to the soil around the rose bushes and peonies and added it to the soil
I never heard of using kitty litter added to the soil. Wouldn't it make the soil clay when it gets wet?
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Post by bjd on Oct 24, 2021 16:56:14 GMT
Yes, that's what I want. A local professional gardener told me to do so because the soil here is very light, sometimes sandy. He suggested I do that for roses and peonies. I realize you have to work with the soil you have, but there are a few plants I'd like to grow anyway. I do have roses but they will be even nicer with better soil.
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Post by mich64 on Oct 24, 2021 18:59:21 GMT
Mr. M. has been cutting back some of the plants in the gardens preparing them for winter like he does every year but he noticed today a few of them have fresh sprouts coming up! The weather has really confused many of our plants and trees, leaves coming off the branches early and garden perrenials thinking it is spring!
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Post by bjd on Oct 29, 2021 6:44:08 GMT
It's one of those times of year when I move things around in the garden. As I think I mentioned recently, I moved a bunch of irises to a sunnier spot. I also removed a bunch of cranesbill -- gave some to a neighbour and threw out the rest because I have run out of places to put them. I bought a white lagerstromia to put at the front of the garden -- that way I can see it well from the house, which is set towards the back of the yard. It won't be a tree, just a big bush -- at least according to the label. Lagerstromias are very common here and grow well, but most are pink or purply. White are more unusual.
And yesterday I went to a different nursery and found a red rosebush. It's a bit lighter than I wanted but still nice.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 29, 2021 16:11:09 GMT
Busy Bjd!
I have a sentimental attachment to the watermelon-colored crape myrtles, but the white ones are quite lovely.
As far as the color of the rosebush -- quite often I've had the blooms of various plants vary from how they were blooming at the nursery or as shown on a plant tag. It's good you like what you got, but it could turn out to be the exact shade you were looking for.
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Post by bjd on Oct 31, 2021 15:54:41 GMT
You are right, Bixa, that plant tags or internet pictures are not always reliable but in the case of my rosebush, there were actually two flowers on it. One stem broke as I carried it home (the stem was thin) so I put it in a glass of water and in fact the colour seems to darken over time. The rose still looks nice even after several days.
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Post by mickthecactus on Nov 28, 2021 10:13:46 GMT
I've just come across a great BBC mini series called The Wild Gardener where a guy is transforming his childhood garden in Ireland into a wild life garden. Apart from the fact that he is a good presenter, the subject matter is interesting, but the camera work is outstanding. Highly recommended.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 28, 2021 15:47:11 GMT
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Post by casimira on Nov 28, 2021 16:46:08 GMT
I am looking forward to viewing that Mick. (Thank you Bixa for the link)
It also serves as a reminder for me to order a replacement of a book that a local wildlife garden enthusiast and expert on the topic published many years ago now (1995).
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Post by bjd on Dec 11, 2021 14:53:18 GMT
As I sit at my computer, this is my front garden at this time of year. I find it looks rather empty and have been looking at books and websites to get ideas. But there seems to be a common idea everywhere now -- put in hardscaping, gravel, winding paths, etc. This is the front of the house (the back garden is much smaller) so I don't spend much time there other than for gardening. It is not where we eat outside. The plantations along the wooden fence will grow over the years -- I put in some new things this year, as well as at the front end against the hedge. The two options I have come up with a) widen the border more -- already did so this spring or b) plant some stuff around the small tree halfway down the garden -- either a low bush or two, some perennials -- digging up a roundish or oval shape, to break up the space. The length from the door to the end is about 25 metres. It is looking north but there is a lot of sun till mid-afternoon in summer all along the blue fence, and more towards the carport. Keeping in mind that I am not getting any younger and the more I put in, the more I will have to take care of. But I really find it dull at the moment. I do look at gardens when I go for walks, but admit I am not impressed with most of what I see. Any ideas?
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Post by kerouac2 on Dec 11, 2021 16:36:45 GMT
The first thing that comes to my mind is a circular flower bed but away from too much shade of the tree. I would try some of those packages of mixed wildflowers because those are the easiest to pull up and throw away if they look awful. You can tell what an optimist I am, and also lazy.
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Post by mickthecactus on Dec 11, 2021 19:46:06 GMT
Get a garden designer in. It will be well worth it in the end.
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Post by breeze on Dec 11, 2021 19:48:19 GMT
bjd, I can't resist suggesting some things, but don't run out and buy anything on my say-so till we have heard from other anyport gardeners. Your idea of widening the borders sounds good to me. I'd stick in some tall evergreens toward the back and hellebores toward the front (though hellebore prices in France shock me). Both of these will give you interest at dull times of the year. I don't much like needled evergreens; I'm thinking of rhododendrons and azaleas if they would grow where you live. I have to admit I haven't seen them in France. Maybe boxwood toward the back, if you can find a variety which doesn't go bronze in the winter but retains its green color. It might need to be trimmed only once a year, and it wouldn't need to be trimmed by you necessarily. Once we got an electric-powered hedge trimmer the job was taken off my hands. Heh heh. I'm going to link to the instagram account of my favorite private garden in France. I love this garden and have hundreds of photos from spring and fall visits. In case Lio's instagram photos are not enough for you, I can supplement. www.instagram.com/liohelix/Because I fantasize about living and gardening in France (and I'd have lots of garden staff in this fantasy), I've found several nurseries where I would buy plants. At the moment I can only remember this one. www.lepage-vivaces.com/index.phpI'm looking forward to seeing other gardeners' responses. This time of year (in the northern hemisphere) the garden is a blank slate and it's the perfect time to dream.
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Post by kerouac2 on Dec 11, 2021 19:48:21 GMT
I think mick is available.
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Post by mickthecactus on Dec 11, 2021 19:52:04 GMT
I can grow but I can’t design.
Let me clarify that. I can design a bed pretty well but not a whole garden.
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Post by kerouac2 on Dec 11, 2021 20:53:38 GMT
Oh, but I don't think that bjd's expectations are high.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 12, 2021 0:24:26 GMT
The two options I have come up with a) widen the border more -- already did so this spring or b) plant some stuff around the small tree halfway down the garden -- either a low bush or two, some perennials -- digging up a roundish or oval shape, to break up the space. The length from the door to the end is about 25 metres. It is looking north but there is a lot of sun till mid-afternoon in summer all along the blue fence, and more towards the carport. Keeping in mind that I am not getting any younger and the more I put in, the more I will have to take care of. I'm thinking of rhododendrons and azaleas if they would grow where you live. You are lucky to have all that space, Bjd, but I can see why you want to make it more interesting. It's nice to see how the wooden fence looks now. That was a wonderful idea you had to paint it that color & it's held up well. Breeze, you really know your stuff and definitely know more than I about how plants perform through the seasons. I also thought of azaleas -- don't know enough about rhododendrons to be able to suggest them. Bjd, I think your ideas of widening the border & planting around the little tree are excellent. My suggestion would be to widen the border in a non-repetitive undulating way, with one big swoop coming all out to surround the big tree. In order to have all that border without having too much maintenance, I'd look at ground covers of different heights. The tall ones could weave in and out of whatever larger shrubs & other perennials you have in your border and perhaps a few could be incorporated into the part surrounding the big tree. Medium height groundcovers could be the delineating line of the undulating border and again, intrude into the area around the big tree. Low-growing groundcovers would fill in all the rest of the space around the big tree. Groundcovers could be called into play again around the little tree in order to have some texture there all year round. Irises, daffodils, any of the asphodel family, or whatever small shrubs you choose should co-exist nicely within the groundcover. Here are some groundcovers, if you like the idea of using them: www.thespruce.com/flowering-ground-covers-4069720 -and- gardenerspath.com/how-to/lawns-and-grass/flowering-ground-covers/
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Post by bjd on Dec 12, 2021 6:24:41 GMT
Thank you for your input.
A few comments. I have azaleas and rhododendrons (same family) in the back yard and some on the side. There is too much sun in this front yard for them. There used to be a big camellia bus just beside the carport but we removed it -- it had too much sun and was not happy there.
I cannot plant anything under the big tree. It is a Chinese mulberry with huge leaves and is very fast growing, so has to be severely pruned every year. I had originally wanted to get rid of it because I don't like them, but it is the only real tree in the yard and provides some shade to the front of the house in summer. But its shade is really thick from June till now -- as you can see, we are in mid-December and it still has some leaves despite the wind and rain.
The little tree is a chitalpa tashkentii which I planted a couple of years ago. It grows slowly and has small leaves so can be underplanted. For some reason it doesn't seem to have a main trunk but has several small ones.
When I widened the borders this spring, I tried to make them undulating rather than straight, but now that my husband mows the lawn, he found that it was less comfortable to cut. I will in fact extend some outwards but, as mentioned, if it's too wide, I end up with so many weeds which seem to grow better than anything else. Or else grass grows there. I'll have a look at the groundcover in your links, Bixa.
I have been planting bushes against the fence, but they take time to grow. And, in my defence, the bottom (front) of the garden, does have a lot of things: roses, agapanthus, irises, a new lagerstromia, cranesbill, but nothing is visible right now unless I am right in front. That's why I planted a white lagerstromia -- so I could see it from the house. Its really at this time of year that it looks empty and boring and why I thought it needs something in the middle to break it up.
I will take some pictures from close-up later on.
Of course, the other aspect of all this is that it's not just my garden. We have small granchildren who need to be able to run around, my husband also wants to feel it's his (he put in 3 grapevines in front ot the car port). Plus, I have to be able to take care of it myself and enjoy doing it -- not as a chore.
As for garden designers -- I don't think there are many around here -- the French tend to invest in their houses and leave nothing for the gardens. I am never especially impressed when I walk around. And, as I said, when I look on the internet (Houzz, etc), there is this tendency to do the same thing everywhere: "rooms" in the garden, hardscaping, firepits and outdoor kitchens (!) in every North American yard I see in pictures.
I'll keep you posted.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 12, 2021 6:58:56 GMT
the other aspect of all this is that it's not just my garden. That is a huge consideration! Bjd, you say "in my defense" and go on to list some of the really wonderful things you've planted. I can't see any reason for you to defend yourself as you should be immensely proud of how much work and thought you've already put into your outdoor spaces. I know what you mean about those perfect and perfectly impractical gardenscapes on the internet. I look at them and see a dull, possibly rusted barbecue all covered with leaves, even though the photo shows a sleek shiny thing that probably costs more than the stove in the house. Ditto the beautifully upholstered yard furniture, which presumably has a miraculous ability not to get wet. And of course there is the question of how many people really want to go perch out in front of the house to grill meat and drink cocktails. That said, I'm thinking a simple tree bench around the problematic mulberry might be a nice addition. It would add another shape -- a shape you could mirror in the planting around the small tree -- and would probably be something the grandchildren would like to climb and sit on. It could have a skirt of mulch around and underneath it to make it easier for your husband to mow around. pictures
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Post by bjd on Dec 12, 2021 7:39:29 GMT
Thanks, Bixa. You make me feel better. About a bench around the mulberry -- it's too close to the flowerbed beside it to leave any space to go by. The mulberry tree is the right distance from the house to hang a hammock between it an a post beside the front door though.
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Post by mickthecactus on Dec 30, 2021 17:57:15 GMT
I’ve been doing 3 gardening jobs for elderly and disabled since I retired over 3 years ago. The biggest garden I keep tidy but it really needs a makeover. The front garden is nicely laid out and has 5 small beds at the side of the front path each planted with a rose. The roses are frankly knackered and I suggested taking them all out, refreshing the soil and replacing with matching border Dahlias all the way up. Pleased to say the owner thought it a good idea so I will clear them out over winter.
There are also 2 other beds in the back that need reinventing.
Personally I am not a rose fan anyway.
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Post by bjd on Dec 30, 2021 18:52:19 GMT
I dug up my new flower bed in the front garden, but of course, this is not the right time to plant much. I moved a couple of lavender bushes that were buried under another bush but they looked so stringy and leggy that I cut them back. Maybe I'll replace them with a different kind of lavender. But I am waiting for dahlias to be available to plant there.
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Post by mickthecactus on Dec 30, 2021 22:16:49 GMT
The local GC was selling off tulip bulbs half price so bought 5 packs of 10. Not too late to plant them.
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Post by mich64 on Dec 31, 2021 4:13:46 GMT
I bought my parents a gift card from their favourite garden centre as one of their Christmas gifts. They were thrilled.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 31, 2021 5:31:53 GMT
Gosh ~ super thoughtful gift!
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Post by mickthecactus on Dec 31, 2021 13:17:46 GMT
All the tulips planted up this morning.
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Post by bjd on Dec 31, 2021 15:50:15 GMT
My narcissi and hyacinths are already coming up! I did see bags of tulip bulbs at the nursery yesterday but thought it was too late. Anyway, I think I have bulbs I don't remember in various places around the garden.
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Post by mickthecactus on Dec 31, 2021 17:10:39 GMT
Mine are in pots.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 31, 2021 18:59:16 GMT
My bulbous report is that calla lilies and ginger have been repotted for the year ahead.
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