Friday, June 6, 2008

Why Make New Gardens?


Another new garden. Like I really need more gardens. NOT! I find gardens around hardscaping and plants make maintenance easier. A rounded edge works a whole lot better than trying to mow right up to the house for instance. So why not?

This garden is close to where our patio will one day be located. It is in a prominent position and needed to be special since it is so close to our future patio. Laying out an old hose helped me to find the right shape, I flipped all of the sod (the lazy gardener method), placed the edging rocks (ones I got from Kentucky), mulched with newspapers and brown shredded mulch, planted and wah lah! New garden. Less mowing and edging. I planted a 'Little Princess' dogwood, Rhus aromatica 'Lo-Gro Sumac', variegated hostas (divided and moved from another garden), and 'Stella de Oro' daylillies (divided and moved from another garden).


I tend to make new gardens to reduce maintenance by encircling things like trees or hardscaping. The gardens are not only beautiful to look at, but functional in that they reduce maintenance (truly!) and tie the landscape together. Why do you make new gardens?

in the garden....

15 comments:

  1. I just knew when I saw that spa in your yard that you would have something planted by it in no time at all.... LOL...

    My new gardens start out by me noticing a bare spot that needs some color... Several started out with me getting some free bricks! Some start by knocking down a tree, then a bare spot...

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  2. I like this little garden but I have a question.....logrow sumac? What does it look like? Sort of a palm with the steeple flower on the end? I found that in full bloom at the passalong place, awful pretty but wanted to know what it was before transplanting it, closes I came to was smooth sumac. Same thing? BTW, found the day glow yellowed flower id while looking, seems to be mountian alyssum+basket of gold.

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  3. Is it me? I had no post till afternood but it says you posted at 5:00am. I been cleaning and cooking all day but kept checking in every now and then. Gotta run now....got 7 friends coming for supper and will be here any mintue.....

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  4. I wish I had time to work with a garden. The veggie gardens are at my moms house. I have to go up there and help with them.

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  5. Mom, something is going on with the times. I thought it was because mine was on Pacific time, but changing it this am did not help, still had to back time the stamp, think Tinas went the extra hour.

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  6. The new garden looks great. It does take time to get one going. I would put another garden in so as to get color at a certain place. Also to cut down on mowing. How does "the lazy mans way" of gardening work? I have found that the "lasagna method" does not work too well if you have any kind of roots around. The ground just winds up being a mass of roots. It does make for a rich dirt area.

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  7. Forgot to ask Tina. Have you ever seen the rock that has something in it that shines like diamonds? There is a lot of it down here. Some in fields. We got some to build the fireplace with but decided not to as we would have to have spot light on it at all times to see it. Did put some in steps. I think it's in the lime rock category. Will try to find out. Think I just found out. I think it's called Quartz rock.

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  8. Hey all! I would say good morning but since it is almost 7:30 at night, doesn't seem appropriate. I have been out of the net and suffering withdrawal. But it is ok.

    Glad to hear all make gardens for basically the same reasons, fill a bare spot, and cut down on mowing. The best reason-besides the plants.

    Skeeter, I was chomping at the bit to get the garden in. You are so right. Next time you come the spa should be up and running-bring your swimsuit.

    Dawn, What you have is not Lo-Gro sumac. This is a great shrub and I will post on it soon but I am sure it is not the same. Not sure what you have. Take a pic and send it maybe I can help.

    Mom, You will be busy.

    Sarah, Maybe plant a few veggies at your place in a container, but you are so close with your mom going to visit is probably not a problem.

    Lola, The lasagna method I have never tried. But this was the lazy gardeners method on this garden. Wish me luck! I love quartz and if you have a bunch of it close by how lucky are you? Gather it up for the garden so the sun can shine wonderfully.

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  9. Lola, A quartz garden!

    Been running all over town looking for new blinds for the new windows. Blind stores are pricey while Lowes and Home Depot have people that dont know how to operate the computers! Argggg, we stood behind them and told them what to punch on the keyboard! I guess it would cost them too much money to train someone! Duh... We are looking for the new type that are Cordless and can be pulled from top to bottom and also from bottom to top! Really neat and will work great with our windows that both panels go up and down. Until then, we will continue to be on display with naked windows! Thank goodness we have front woods between us and the street....

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  10. Tina,
    More plants, new plants, different plants...it's the plants! I've a one track mind. I love them!

    Skeeter...Love the bottom up/top down blinds.

    Gail

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  11. Home depot.....commonly called home dumbo.

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  12. Hi everyone --Tina you have such a variety of gardens --lucky you --won't have to mow as much. Had a snake in the shed last night as I pulled red beauty in --had to rev the engine so I could get back out past him:( This one was not looking too friendly --pretty sure it was a poisonous one --looked like a copperhead. I've been studying Sidekicks snake guide book :0) We were down Nashville most of today --hubby was off so we HAD to get to Bass Pro Shops. Tomorrow is a fishing tournament for the kiddos. Still didn't weed the yard but I did munch on a piece of dill in my yard --we planted a few seeds and they grew up quickly. Such a yummy taste:) Skeeter those blinds sound pretty cool - I love the window treatments downstairs --they have a pull cord but they dust really easy since they are solid wood and larger slats. But, the no cord would be great with the kiddos. Hi Jean, Lola, Dawn, Nina --your pink cleomes (hope I got the name right, lol)(sp) are really growing like crazy in my yard --some look ready to get flowerbuds:) They are very tall:) Tina when is the big day again? Give me a call if you need any help --like last minute stuff --I can zip over and put some big boys to work too:) Nighty night --

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  13. What you have so far looks nice. More gardens is always necessary. It gives you exercise, vitamin k from the sun! So why not? :-D

    I think that garden is going to look extra nice once the plants fill out. What is the yellow flower in the corner?

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  14. hi there, I enjoy creating new flower beds because they landscape my garden. Just having a lawn with some shrubs is not a garden to me. It is ok when you kids are little and you have to worry about them destroying the plants. We did a lot of enlarging the flowerbeds and putting new plants in. They are developing quite nicely now. We will continue with some changes in the fall. Stay tuned. Andrea

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  15. I must've been sleeping on all these. Sorry guys!

    Gail, More plants=more gardens for sure!

    Dawn, Home Depot does need some help. Did you know I used to work there? Stocking plants of all things.

    Anonymous, Those snakes must be coming from the woods and that field-so many! Be careful. June 21st is the tour. I'll be glad when it is done. Got some tips from another blog so it makes me relax a bit. Glad to know others go thru it too.

    DP, The yellow is Stella de oro. It was so ready to bud and now it is blooming nicely. Shade or not.

    Andrea, Your garden is so beautiful I can't imagine what changes you might make. Brings me back to Germany. That is the point huh?;) Nice to view it.

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