Mumsy's Romantic Garden Advice

[lalaland]

mumsy, I am so excited you started this thread! have always enjoyed the pics of your wonderland.

I have valerian planted outside my bedroom window for the scent - and roses galore also for the scent (have to be careful because so many perfectly gorgeous roses have no real scent). And when I moved in here 5 or 6 years ago, I got the best housewarming gift ever - garbage bags of peonies from someone who was building an addition to the old farmstead where they were planted. Even though it was november, and there had been plenty of frosts here, I got them in the ground which was mostly frozen. I didn't think they would make it, but they did. Lots of very old varieties.

Envy you your foxglove!

 

[aoxa]

Wild gardens are amazing! And they are the most difficult to 'create' to look as if they happened on their own. One of my favorite challenges.

Post a picture. If I grew it, I will know it. If I don't know it, my personal library of horticulture books could help identify it.

Here it is. Whatever it is, it grows fast and is very tall.

Don't really care if it is a weed. It's definitely going to flower.




And some more of our low maintenance gardens.. (nice name for wild )





I think this is a sunflower.. Who knows. You can see where the goats have been browsing. :|


I love that bird bath. Susan found it on big garbage day! We spray painted it and it is really nice. Same with the wicker seat in the first picture.

 

[lalaland]

Justine, I am still in love with the steps in your garden! and looks like sunflower to me too.

 

[aoxa]

Justine, I am still in love with the steps in your garden! and looks like sunflower to me too.

I love them as well. Susan's parents lived in this house before we did (we are actually going to own it starting September 1st), and we have pictures of her mother building it 20 years ago.

Those are the steps I use to get to the barn every day - and I love them!

 

[MumsyII]

Here it is. Whatever it is, it grows fast and is very tall.

Don't really care if it is a weed. It's definitely going to flower.
Yep. Sunflowers. Looks to be sprouted from bird seed. I call them volunteers. Here is my feelings about what people call weeds.

All plants no matter what they are, can be considered a weed if it is growing in the WRONG place. These look like they were meant to be here naturally. When they bloom, it will be lovely.



And some more of our low maintenance gardens.. (nice name for wild )

I think naturally growing plants is a better name than 'low maintenance'. You know what I think of when I hear the term 'low maintenance'? I think of plantings around banks and parking lots. When plants grow easily together and get by with little attention, I call them perfect! Hah!


The steps are wonderful. Good bones you've got there.

I think this is a sunflower.. Who knows. You can see where the goats have been browsing. :|


I love that bird bath. Susan found it on big garbage day! We spray painted it and it is really nice. Same with the wicker seat in the first picture.

Love love love hosta. Very charming. I feel cooler just looking at this picture.

 

[aoxa]

Love love love hosta. Very charming. I feel cooler just looking at this picture.

I actually split the hosta from my father's plants I have also split peonies. Peonies have to be one of my all time favourites. I wish they bloomed longer!

Thank you for your input! I did throw BOSS in the soil before we used it to get the chickens to turn it around and poop in it. LOL Maybe that's what happened They would be sorry to hear they missed so much! But I am looking forward to letting them dry out and giving them my home grown sunflowers.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Wow. Just caught up. Breathtaking photos. Envy.

And inspiration

 

[MumsyII]

mumsy, I am so excited you started this thread! have always enjoyed the pics of your wonderland.

I have valerian planted outside my bedroom window for the scent - and roses galore also for the scent (have to be careful because so many perfectly gorgeous roses have no real scent). And when I moved in here 5 or 6 years ago, I got the best housewarming gift ever - garbage bags of peonies from someone who was building an addition to the old farmstead where they were planted. Even though it was november, and there had been plenty of frosts here, I got them in the ground which was mostly frozen. I didn't think they would make it, but they did. Lots of very old varieties.

Envy you your foxglove!

Thank you. If it wasn't for the urging of all you on the other thread to share, it never would have occurred to me to start this thread. I hope it doesn't turn into me just rambling on forever like a boring blog. It really and truly is my wish to share knowledge and offer help where I can. Letting the world see my garden is kind of unnerving. My neighbors have not been inside my garden gates in over twenty years.
Roses are a passion of mine. There were over two hundred varieties growing here at one time. Nothing lives forever and many sadly are lost. I specialized in the old European and Asian varieties. Some still growing here are so rare, they are not offered for sale any where. I have a couple I grew from seed. A friend named them Miss Jane's.
Peonies and roses are a fantastic combination with fox glove. They bloom at the same time, are in the same family of colors, and compliment one another. Valerian is a tough one that comes back year after year and grows in shady dry places. Also the plant that valium comes from. Don't make tea from that one. You could fall asleep and never wake up.

 

[aoxa]

Also, your description on low maintenance sounds way better!

 

[Leahs Mom]

How late is "too late" in the season to get started? I'd love to get a fence area started this year.

I really want to do is something pretty and functional for the "bones" of a 6 foot tall fence that runs the length of about 160 ft. across the front of part of the property I'm at. This is totally open and they put a new sidewalk on this side of the road... It used to be a country setting, small state highway but now has a lot of traffic due to the "town" moving out here. Used to be all farm and a 60 or so acre field across the street which is now subdivision.

I'd like PRIVACY for summer and winter so I need to get creative with that and hopefully not use spruces and the like.

The fence is a nice, black chain link which I really like very well up there. Just no privacy.

Suggestions? (Should I take a photo?)