A Simple Question
Moderator: Chris_W
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kHT
- Posts: 10379
- Joined: Oct 31, 2001 8:00 pm
- USDA Zone: 7-8 Z-nial
- Location: PNW, some where over the rainbow?
A Simple Question
How did your garden design take shape? Do you have area strickly for each species of plant or do you Willy Nilly place plants together for that surpise as you want them to grow together? I know that sun verses shade factor but some time those taller things can give enough shade. Give me your input.
karma 'Happy Toes' (kHT)
The Goddess is Alive and Magic is Afoot!!!!
I'm just a simple housewife.
The Goddess is Alive and Magic is Afoot!!!!
I'm just a simple housewife.
I'm guessing that you mean how your overall garden[s]/yard design came about. 
Mine has been evolving over several decades.
It just seems longer. 
Some gardens have been planned somewhat. Most have changed from one thing into another over time. BHE [Before the Hosta Era] to HE [Hosta Era]. Most of the new beds/gardens that have been added since the dawn of the Hosta Era, have been added to accomodate hostas. Others have been adapted for hostas.
Long ago I liked Cottage Gardens - I still do in books & magazines, but in my hands they just started looking like a big mess after a while. Same way with Herbs - I was into them at the same time or before Cottage Gardens. Over time my opinion of Herbs as wonderful things changed to my current belief that they are glorified weeds. Not that I don't like them. I just can't seem to make them look neat & orderly and keep them under control...
And since I seem to like a certain semblance of order in my gardens. It's actually easier for me to accomplish what I want with hostas using different color combinations, sizes, leaf shapes, & textures. And I mix in some heucheras, astilbe, and a few other things for some contrast.
But I still have the one large sunny perennial garden that in some places looks good & in others it looks like total chaos - wrong heights in places. WAAAAAAY TOO much self-seeding. It's due for a major over haul & massive dead-heading before the worst offenders go to seed this year. Hopefully at least the 2nd part will happen.
Mine has been evolving over several decades.
It just seems longer. Some gardens have been planned somewhat. Most have changed from one thing into another over time. BHE [Before the Hosta Era] to HE [Hosta Era]. Most of the new beds/gardens that have been added since the dawn of the Hosta Era, have been added to accomodate hostas. Others have been adapted for hostas.Long ago I liked Cottage Gardens - I still do in books & magazines, but in my hands they just started looking like a big mess after a while. Same way with Herbs - I was into them at the same time or before Cottage Gardens. Over time my opinion of Herbs as wonderful things changed to my current belief that they are glorified weeds. Not that I don't like them. I just can't seem to make them look neat & orderly and keep them under control...
And since I seem to like a certain semblance of order in my gardens. It's actually easier for me to accomplish what I want with hostas using different color combinations, sizes, leaf shapes, & textures. And I mix in some heucheras, astilbe, and a few other things for some contrast.
But I still have the one large sunny perennial garden that in some places looks good & in others it looks like total chaos - wrong heights in places. WAAAAAAY TOO much self-seeding. It's due for a major over haul & massive dead-heading before the worst offenders go to seed this year. Hopefully at least the 2nd part will happen.
Karma, Well, of COURSE the plants talk to you! I had a basic concept in mind (create shade for hosta, sunny spaces for all the other stuff). I love lilies, daylilies, coneflowers, asters, etc.
I started with an idea to make borders, shield the house from the increasingly busy gravel road I live on, and then just found spots for any plant that spoke to me as I walked up and down the rows at the nurseries. Most of my plants were 'auditioned' before being planted. I haul them around here and there, trying to find a good spot. However, many of my favorite areas are the result of cramming a bunch of things in the ground at the end of the year (nursery down the road has great fall sales!) and then never relocating them. As the years have gone on, I've done quite bit of editing. Some plants just go away, others grow too well.
Linda P
I started with an idea to make borders, shield the house from the increasingly busy gravel road I live on, and then just found spots for any plant that spoke to me as I walked up and down the rows at the nurseries. Most of my plants were 'auditioned' before being planted. I haul them around here and there, trying to find a good spot. However, many of my favorite areas are the result of cramming a bunch of things in the ground at the end of the year (nursery down the road has great fall sales!) and then never relocating them. As the years have gone on, I've done quite bit of editing. Some plants just go away, others grow too well.
Linda P
And time remembered is grief forgotten,
And frosts are slain and flowers begotten.....
Algernon Charles Swinburne
Latitude: 41° 51' 12.1572"
My Hosta List
And frosts are slain and flowers begotten.....
Algernon Charles Swinburne
Latitude: 41° 51' 12.1572"
My Hosta List
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nanny_56
- Posts: 3202
- Joined: Jul 01, 2006 5:07 pm
- USDA Zone: 5b
- Location: Putnam County, Indiana Lat. 39* 45' 54.2892" Long. -86* 41' 55.9284''
I also had a basic concept for my borders here. I knew in the sunny boder it would be echinaceas, daylilies, lilies the featured plants. Salvias, nepetas and sedums thrown here and there. I even made up boards with photos of the plants glued on to show how I wanted to group them!!
I did change a few minor things and there will be some tweaking in the fall. Since all the dayliles are new I have them all together right now untill after I see bloom colors and times and decide what would look best where.
I am not usually that organized, but I wanted to avoid the planting & replanting that I did at the other house. That seemed to cause the demise of more than a few plants!
The hosta area will be work in progress since this will be my first year with them. I'm sure as I expand some things will be moved. But knew I would include heucheras and some ferns in to the plan.
I have learned to stick with plants I like and don't try to get to complicated or I will mess it up!!
I like a cottage garden feel to my garden areas. Very casual and simple.
Claudia
I did change a few minor things and there will be some tweaking in the fall. Since all the dayliles are new I have them all together right now untill after I see bloom colors and times and decide what would look best where.
I am not usually that organized, but I wanted to avoid the planting & replanting that I did at the other house. That seemed to cause the demise of more than a few plants!
The hosta area will be work in progress since this will be my first year with them. I'm sure as I expand some things will be moved. But knew I would include heucheras and some ferns in to the plan.
I have learned to stick with plants I like and don't try to get to complicated or I will mess it up!!
I like a cottage garden feel to my garden areas. Very casual and simple.Claudia
Claudia
"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest" - John Muir
"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest" - John Muir
Karma - it depends on who is asking that question. If it was a gardener who would get it like Linda, then you're fine to answer honestly. Otherwise some self-editing would be in order. LOL Most people - even some gardeners - wouldn't get it at all. 
Actually over the year's here I started out small - borders around the house with mostly annuals & what was already here. Then I discovered perennials & cottage gardens & more/larger gardens started to appear. And when I moved here the west side of the yard was a major pain to mow because previous occupants had planted peonies there in no discernible arrangement - just dug a hole & put it in the ground.
Those eventually ended up in 3 long rows [11 plants per row] west of the house. After a while I didn't like that so I moved them over to the west side again, but in an organized bed. Last year I gave quite a few away & moved the rest into another perennial bed. That's just one example of changes here.
Over time it's evolved to the concept that the entire yard is one large garden separated by grassy areas & grassy pathways. From the street where the sunny perennial garden is, it looks like one large garden in the summer.
If it was a gardener who would get it like Linda, then you're fine to answer honestly. Otherwise some self-editing would be in order. LOL Most people - even some gardeners - wouldn't get it at all. Actually over the year's here I started out small - borders around the house with mostly annuals & what was already here. Then I discovered perennials & cottage gardens & more/larger gardens started to appear. And when I moved here the west side of the yard was a major pain to mow because previous occupants had planted peonies there in no discernible arrangement - just dug a hole & put it in the ground.
Those eventually ended up in 3 long rows [11 plants per row] west of the house. After a while I didn't like that so I moved them over to the west side again, but in an organized bed. Last year I gave quite a few away & moved the rest into another perennial bed. That's just one example of changes here. Over time it's evolved to the concept that the entire yard is one large garden separated by grassy areas & grassy pathways. From the street where the sunny perennial garden is, it looks like one large garden in the summer.
I have an idea of how I want things to look then reality hits.
Example: Stephanie finds clearance sale...cannot pass beautiful plants up that I've been wanting...they are priced right.
Stephie this morning rushing around trying to get gardening chores done before the kids wake. A friend had given me a couple of starts...no pot just bare root. Talking to myself.....of course, "Got to get these planted..they can only sit here so long." Plants and shovel in hand..searching garden. "Yes...here is a spot...it's tight...I'll have to move it in a fews....it will work for now." Plant the little buggers and off I go....got find a spot for the clearance plants next. THey got the spot that was reserved for something entirely different. See I had a plan but it quickly was changed...lol!!!
All the while cursing my little brother...he was bringing me garden soil (to replace all the money he owes me) in April...still haven't see it!
Ya know come to think about it I think I planted full the spot I was going to put my fountain...my folks bought me a beautiful fountain for Christmas....hmmmm....back to the drawing board.
Example: Stephanie finds clearance sale...cannot pass beautiful plants up that I've been wanting...they are priced right.
Stephie this morning rushing around trying to get gardening chores done before the kids wake. A friend had given me a couple of starts...no pot just bare root. Talking to myself.....of course, "Got to get these planted..they can only sit here so long." Plants and shovel in hand..searching garden. "Yes...here is a spot...it's tight...I'll have to move it in a fews....it will work for now." Plant the little buggers and off I go....got find a spot for the clearance plants next. THey got the spot that was reserved for something entirely different. See I had a plan but it quickly was changed...lol!!!
All the while cursing my little brother...he was bringing me garden soil (to replace all the money he owes me) in April...still haven't see it!
Ya know come to think about it I think I planted full the spot I was going to put my fountain...my folks bought me a beautiful fountain for Christmas....hmmmm....back to the drawing board.