It might not be a villa on the French Riviera, but by golly, this villa has a sea surrounding it. A sea of green touch me nots.
Set against a backdrop of more green.
It is a haven for birds of all types. Once the touch me nots begin blooming, the hummingbirds will be so thick you cannot imagine the sight.The touch me nots create a micro-climate where no weed dare tread. It is cool and moist and cozy in this thicket, yet no burrs, no ticks, and no pesky weeds. A gardener's haven for sure.
The Rose of Sharons will begin blooming about the same time as the touch me nots. There are also crepe myrtles mixed in the bunch, all backed by a hedge of 8 feet tall arborvitae. On the other side of arborvitae are red barberries and the chain link fence. This garden is my 'Picket Garden' and one of my most unique. I've never seen another garden with touch me nots and I am not sure why. Even though they are prolific seeders, they are easy to pull-but why would you? Plant them in a boggy area or rain garden and they will filter all run off while providing an excellent bird habitat and will also keep the weeds down.
in the garden....a sea of green touch me nots.
Good Morning Tina and everyone. Wow, some storm we had here in GA last night or should I say this morning at 1:30am... I think the same one went through TN as well. Hope all faired well...
ReplyDeleteI am looking at the picture trying to figure out why I would not have these and I am thinking, they may be a great habitat for a snake so I dont believe we will add any to our yard. lol...
I am sure we have lots of limbs down in the yard so a big day for me today!
I love it Tina...a fun, clever post and a beautiful habitat! Skeeter, We had some of that weather, too! What a racket! gail
ReplyDeleteI'm kinda surprised your rose of Sharons aren't blooming yet... (I figure everything is head down there!). I love mine; so easy to care for (or not care for) and I love the blooms!
ReplyDeleteI like those large areas encompassed by the same plants. It adds some dramatic flair. Neat little Villa!
ReplyDeleteI LOVES these! We have them on slopes and yes, they survive by the run off. I would love to have a bunch of them, so pretty grouped so close together. And these are the plant that beats poision ivy?
ReplyDeleteI had some a few years ago but our 3-year drought whiped them out. I should start another little patch.
ReplyDeleteMarnie
Morning Tina, you would have to have a fantastic post today with a great link that I've been reading for the last half hour when I'm already 2 days behind! I wanted to read your last 2 posts and haven't got to them yet. I'm having a hard time with my system again now that I have flowers to do, a post to write (when I do it) and reading others posts which I hate to miss out on! LOL
ReplyDeleteAnyway this sounds like a great little plant - we have a weed that explodes when ya go to pull it up but it's not what you have. It's leggy and ugly but they pop and fly as ya pull.
I guess my fun plant would be my bloomin' stairs and they aren't fun - just different. I say fun because my grandson was laying on the grass with his face rubbing the Wooley Thyme in the stairs and said "Grandma this feels good."
You must post photos when it blooms!! It's going to be even prettier than it is now!!
ReplyDeleteSkeeter, You may be right! Never thought of that but since I don't go in there, it's okay. I haven't seen a snake so far this year anywhere in my yard and am really thinking of heading to Anonymous's house to get some of hers. I was picking up limbs too. Whew! The storms. Another one last night.
ReplyDeleteGail, Thanks! Wait until the pods start popping-too much fun. The kids love it.
Monica, They just opened yesterday but I took the photo last week. I should've retaken it since some of these shrubs are white. They glow above the touch me nots.
Dave, Sure makes it simpler to garden here too. No weeds I tell you. I love it.
Dawn, Yes! They surely grow in Maine and I'm sure in your woods. Yes they are an antidote to poison ivy. And I tell you I always need it this year as I am innudated with poison ivy in every single garden this year. It is really bad.
Marnie, I almost lost mine in 2007 with the freeze and drought. I'm so happy they've come back. They will be easy to get started again.
Linda, Too Sweet! Woolly yarrow sounds so cool for your grandson to play in. Glad you like the posts. I bet touch me nots grow all over in the NW too. He'd love them too for sure.
Darla, Thanks! I just love these plants.
Linda, Forgot to say-don't even bother catching up. It is too much with blogs. Just read today's if you like. It is fine and what I do when I fall behind. Okay?
ReplyDeleteTina, I don't think I've ever seen this area before on one of your posts--what a great place! And did I just read it helps with poison ivy? If so, I need to plant some immediately! I seem to keep running into poison ivy every time I work out in the "back forty"--you should see my arm:)
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of a touch me not. I must look these up! I have violets that spread all over my yard and fill in every available space to keep out the weeds. I love them and they are probably considered an invasive weed to some people(-: Your touch me nots look pretty and green and lush(-:
ReplyDeleteganz herzliche Grüße von kathrin
ReplyDeleteYour yard is looking so lush and green.It really is amazing how much the rain has treated your garden!
ReplyDeleteI love your living fence! You could almost take away the chain link.
ReplyDelete: )
Rose, I posted about this little garden WAY back when. It has morphed into different things over the year. This area borders the fence and was designed for privacy for my husband's gargage. It is a lovely area. I have quite a few areas I'll probably never get around to posting about. There are only so many days in the year:) Glad you like it. This area was designed as a rain garden to control runoff. It work really well. Now if everyone around me can get on board we'll slow down run off and erosion. The touch me nots (aka jewelweed) grow in the same spots at poison ivy and if you break the stem and put the liquid on the exposed sites, it is helpful in preventing and cooling a rash. I know what you mean with the rashes. I have it all over me as this year has been a banner year for poison ivy. That rain sure helped it. That and the ants. My issue is I pull it barehanded (kind of okay when it is small), then touch another area of my body that is more sensitive. Here comes the rash. Urgh! Tecnu soap and cream also helps out. You can get this at Wal-Mart. I learned of it on blogs. A big big help.
ReplyDeleteCindee,These are very fun plants. They like moist woodland areas. You can buy them commercially, or if you have some land, move some in the fall so the seeds will take in the spring. I posted the seedlings and more info on them too. Botanically they are impatiens capensis.
Kathrin, Hello from USA!
Heather, The rain has been splendid. We received another 1/2 inch last night. Woohoo!! Rain is June is like Christmas three times over. Now if we get it in July and August, ah, heaven.
Starlene, You are so right on the living fence! I really like the term. It was my intent to add privacy and provide a boundary with fences and plants. I have hard fences all around but I can't even see them since I've planted so many good things. I'd love to take the fences down (metaphorically) but I feel so much more secure with them all in place. Plus they help to contain the menagerie of dogs we have here. Thanks for dropping by and please do have a great day.
ReplyDeleteAaah! How awesome it'd be with the touch-me-nots blooming profusely! And Humming birds teeming the villa! That's a real treat. I'll be waiting for those shots of hummingbirds hovering around your villa.
ReplyDeleteI remember you posting about touch me nots before so of course I had to go look them up. It looks so pretty in there. I hope you'll show how they look in bloom with all of the hummingbirds.
ReplyDeleteTina,
ReplyDeleteI'm sure this garden is delightful in bloom!
I should plant some in the path in our woods so that the deer will have plenty of jewelweed to eat. They do love it and that's why it is so difficult to find in the wild these days.
Cameron
It sure does look like a good weed blocker and I remember you telling us of the exploding pods all we need now is to see the flowers with the hummers but I guess a few have already told you this.
ReplyDeleteWow! I can't wait to see a pic of your touch me nots in full bloom.
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll post pics of the hummingbirds too.
Happy day~
I don't know what a touch-me-not is but I want them if it draws in the hummingbirds like you say! Very nice Tina. I'm off to check them out.
ReplyDeleteChandramouli, I'll do my best to get some great shots of the hummers. I can think of worse things to do than sit around and film hummers on a hot August day. Should be fun!
ReplyDeleteCatherine, Ditto on my comment to Chandramouli. Touch me nots are fun. You all should have them in the NW??
Cameron, Good for the deer! If I were a deer I'd enjoy them too-very much. They are so succulent and soft and nice. Maybe they'll stay out of your garden if they have some to nibble upon in the woods?? We can hope.
Mom, Yes, I'll do my best to get a film of them. They love this area so much. I need to stop feeding them in the feeders since there are SO many ants. What a pain this year. You have these in your woods down by the pond. I've seen them many times.
Karrita, I'll do my best to post pics. they are sure lovely.
Kathleen, You simply must see them all in person. This bed will be grown to about 4-5 feet. A spectacular sight and so fun. First frost it all disappears. The spent plants fade away quickly as they are mostly water. Hummers do indeed love them.
I like how the little birdhouse provides a bit of the Southwest in your garden in the South. Your birds live in style...
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see all of this in bloom! It's going to be beautiful! -Jackie
ReplyDeleteOh, I'd love to see what this corner looks like in full bloom - you will show us won't you? I hope they don't get too tall and cover up the house.
ReplyDeleteSomeday when I get around to making a woodland shade garden I'll be spending a lot of time here looking up your old posts, I'm sure. So many great tips.
Oh and you asked what a tchotcke is - a yiddish word, I think. It means small ornamental thingy. Something that is just there to charm you but has no other purpose! We bend the rules a little with the definition.
Your place is so lush! Mine is heat distraught!
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Very nice post Tina. I love the picket bed. I don't have touch-me-nots in the garden but they do grow on our farm, orange-flowered ones.
ReplyDeleteI love anything that brings in the hummers.
ReplyDeleteDonna
Tina, you've STUMPED me! I don't know what Touch-me-Nots are! Do they go by any other name? Can't wait to see the blooms, maybe I'll recognize it then...
ReplyDeleteLynn
I decided to surprise my dad and come home for Fathers Day! So I am in TN and walking up to check on the butterfly bush i planted for him last year and a car stops and out comes a cute Girl Model and Sidekick to see Skeeter! They were driving by on the way home to jump into a cool pool after a day of running track in this nasty heat! They saw me and had to stop to say hey! I got to hold Little Bundle and see Boy 1 & 2 also! Whew, it only took a few second for me to start melting. To the shower i went. I need to stop eating onion and garlic! lol....
ReplyDeleteHi Tina -what a super surprise for Sidekick and Girl Model when they saw Skeeter at her parents:) We were driving home from track practice and they are shouting --we see Skeeter, we see Skeeter -can we stop and see her?? I had to turn around and go back --she is the ultimate hero with all her "cool" garden critter pictures:) You know the snakes, lizards, birds, frogs, rabbits --hmmmm and many other creatures:) Hubby picked his first bell pepper today --we will cook it tomorrow and his first cucumber -he took that to work to eat:) Hi everyone --stay cool -it was a HOT one here today. Ciao!
ReplyDeleteHi Tina. Great post. I don't have Touch-me-Nots but I have seen them & they are pretty. I like to watch them pop. Maybe I can try some here in my garden next yr.
ReplyDeleteHi Skeeter, glad you are home for a spell. Do enjoy your visit.
Hi Anonymous, I know the bundle is "growing like a weed" as we say. Glad you all are enjoying the time together.
Hi Jean, Dawn & Nina.
Have a great night all.
James, The birds sure do love it here. I do have a bit of the SW-cactus count too?:)
ReplyDeleteJackie, it is something especially when the seeds start popping!
Jen, Thanks! Now I know as all this time I had been wondering what the heck tchotcke was. I have lots of it here i think. Neat!
Brenda, The rain has sure helped. Love your deck!
Sweet Bay, Oh yes, they grow wild everywhere. I've always loved them and am so happy to have them here in my gardens.
Donna, The hummers adore them. It is fun watching the hijinks for sure.
Lynn, Check them out. They for sure grow in NJ-in the woods. They are all along the east coast. You won't find them in a store. Impatiens capsensis they are. A fun fun plant!
Skeeter, Welcome to Tennessee! We'll have to all hook up at a good time. I bet your parents were most surprised!
Anonymous, Boy those kids have their eyes peeled for her don't they? Too funny. Glad you got to say hi. I bet the bundle has changed bunches!
Hey Lola, You are on late tonight. Do try to take it easy and stay cool down there.
Everyone have a great night!
Wow.. I really love all your post concerning gardening and detailed wildlife. Certainly this one is going to be a great hit, especially if you get to capture all the full blooms and the birds.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward for more of your garden write ups.
I love that sea of 'Touch me nots'. I've grown those in the past, fun plant. :)
ReplyDelete