This area was a flower garden some years ago. With all the things going on at the time I could no longer maintain it. The grass grew and it just became part of the lawn.
But now with more time I began to play with the idea of making it a garden again.
So slowly I began to make that happen. I transplanted a flowering almond from another area. I planted a canna on each side of the flowering almond. If you look very closely you can see them.
I found a red crepe myrtle for pennies at the local big box store. That is it in the edging circle. I wanted this garden to be larger so I placed the newspaper down and spread the leaves that I had raked up from the trimming of the azaleas on top of the paper. This is helping to enrich the soil as well as marking the garden area.
Notice my other version of the tipsy pots. I used colored pots. They seem to hold moisture better than the original terra cotta pots. I used complimenting flowers in each pot. This is what I mentioned Skeeter.
While working on this garden to help it look more like a garden I have placed pots of flowers around. Notice the gourds growing up the fence under the window box.
This is something new that I'm trying this year. It's a potato bag. You put soil in the bag then plant your potatoes. As the potatoes grow you add more soil until the plants are done. We'll see how well it works.
This is one of the cannas that was planted beside the flowering almond. I believe it's" Bengal Tiger". If someone knows for sure I would appreciate the information.
It will take some time for this garden to be complete {update later} but in the meantime it will be a garden in progress-------In the Garden.
Wonderful job on the new garden Lola. I bet that soil is still great from when it used to be a garden too. Love those tipsy pots!! They make such a great impact in your garden.
ReplyDeleteEveryone have a great day!
Aren't all gardens a garden in progress? I know mine sure are. It's looking good.....love the colorful tipsy planter.
ReplyDeleteYou are doing a great job Lola! And I agree with Darla--gardens are always a work in progress. I love the potato bag! And the bloom on the canna is gorgeous!! Can't wait to hear updates on your space!
ReplyDeleteFlowering almonds are one of my favorites! Your potatoes look great and I love those colorful stacked pots.
ReplyDeleteGardens in progress is what we all have and they are especially fun in the very beginning....all that digging and planting! Finding a crape myrtle for pennies is wonderful. It is looking good in the new garden and I love the colorful stacked pots! gail
ReplyDeleteGood Morning All.
ReplyDeleteThank you Tina for the lovely comments. Yes, it is still very good soil even tho some residue of a pine tree exists. Things don't grow very good under pine trees.
We did need some color.
Hi Darla, Thank you & I agree that gardens are always a project in progress. I like the color that the pots give especially since there isn't any for now.
ReplyDeleteMeadowview Thymes, This is the first yr. I'm trying the bag. Will see if it works. I did get it out very late. Usually potatoes are planted in Feb. around here.
ReplyDeleteThat Cana bloom did turn out pretty, didn't it?
Lzyjo, Hi.
ReplyDeleteI think the Flowering Almond is one of the prettiest flowers in the early Spring. I brought this one back from Tn. I do need to check those potatoes & those pots do add some color to the area.
Hi Gail, yes, any garden is always a work in progress. Love that digging & planting. So therapeutic for me.
ReplyDeleteThe myrtle is very small yet but it will grow fast. It's supposed to be a red one. We'll see.
I had thought about adding another colored pot, maybe 2. Of course they would be a repeat of some that is already there.
Lola,
ReplyDeleteI will be interested to see how that 'potato bag' does. I love seeing your garden progress.
Looking good!
Rosey
Hi Lola, You have done a great job in creating a flowering spot amongst the grassy area. It will grow and proper with your loving care.
ReplyDeleteFrances
Hi Lola, I really like the idea of making those Tipsy Pots in bright colors. They really stand out and are fun. Looks like your garden is well underway.
ReplyDeleteLola,
ReplyDeleteIsn't it going to be fun reclaiming that old space? I think you canna is 'Tropicana' rather than 'Bengal Tiger.' Have a great week!--Randy
Very pretty area. I love the idea of planting potatos in a bag!
ReplyDeleteTina, I had to chuckle when I read your first few sentences. We never get enough do we. About 300 square feet of my grass gave up it's life to a new perennial garden this year;) There are always just a few more plants we need to try.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing all my gardens using the lasagna method anymore. So easy and the soil is so much improved. Interesting thing I found, potatoes will grow in almost total shade. Found some large ones in my compost pile that grew in dense shade. I wouldn't have guessed that. Probably because of all the rain.
Marnie
What a beautiful canna! Lola, you have inspired me. I keep looking at an area I want to make into a new flowerbed and thinking, it's too big, how will I ever get it all dug up and ready for planting? I realize now that if I just dig in and do a little bit at a time, eventually it will become the garden I want. Yours is taking shape beautifully.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone has said, beautiful canna! The garden looks like it's coming along nicely. Love the colors of the tipsy pots, I must remember that.
ReplyDeleteIt looks great for just starting out Lola and along with everyone, I love the color the tipsy pots add. Great job.
ReplyDeleteLOL, aren't all gardens always in progress? ;-) Love the orange canna color and that wonderful foliage. Ooh!
ReplyDeleteIt's great turning the grass into an area for plants. I love flowering almonds.
ReplyDeleteHi Rosey, Thanks, I will let you know how it works for me this yr. Like I said earlier I did plant very late for here.
ReplyDeleteHi Frances, Thanks, I do think it will bring some interest to that part of the yard. I like to sit in that area in the mornings as it's shady & I can see the whole back yard.
ReplyDeleteHi Janet, Yes they do make for color in that area. If you noticed the place beyond my fence is not so pretty. Mainly a brush mess. I'm hoping that this garden will hide some of the mess.
ReplyDeleteHi Randy, Thanks for the info. I will need to make a new marker for her. I will have fun reclaiming this garden. Easy digging as the soil is still kinda soft.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot JGH. I'm anxious to see how the taters do also. First yr. to try this. At least I don't have to worry about worms getting into them.
ReplyDeleteHi Marnie, Lola here. It's nice to cut down on some of the mowing. Just trying in a small way to help Mother Nature. Less mowing, less exhausts from mower.
ReplyDeleteThat lasagna method sure is easier on the old back & it helps to nurture the soil.
Hi Rose,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for the nice comment. That is what I have to do is take a little at a time. I can't hold out to do a lot at once. Due to health reasons it takes me longer to do. I'm hoping to get this one finished by late Spring next yr.
Just jump in there & do a little at a time.
Thanks so much Dawn. That is a pretty Canna. Did you notice how one of the petals folds back over the bloom. I think that is unusual but so pretty.
ReplyDeleteThe colored pots bring color to that dark corner. You can get them at Wally World. There are different sizes.
Hi Jean, I'm trying to get some color there. I'm trying to hide some of the mess from the neighbors back corner. No one lives there now.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could put a privacy fence there. That area doesn't get any morning sun due to neighbors trees. Pine at that.
Monica the Garden Faerie I had that canna in a big pot for 2 yrs & it never bloomed. I planted it there this Spring & it bloomed. The other one did too but sadly I didn't get a picture of it. It was yellow. I'm thinking about putting some more in that garden. We'll see.
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine. I use to see this plant in Tn when I was little & always admired it. Those little blooms look just like tiny roses.
ReplyDeleteI love making new or reclaimed gardens. It's so rewarding. Crazy me, I love getting dirty as I'm creating something that not only I enjoy but others as well. I'm anxious to see the end product. I may even surprise myself. lol
Hi Lola, it's always wonderful to see how a garden grows. Yours is coming up well. I love the tipsy pots and the canna is definitely eye-catching. The flowering trees will look great once they start to bloom!
ReplyDeleteGreat looking spot your are transforming there Lola! I do like the tipsy pots but they do not hold the water. Even drought tolerant petunias did not work well so now I am trying Periwinkle as it really can take dry soil. The plants in the pots just dry out so quickly dont they plus mine are in the full sun. I love where I have mine but may have to move it due to, too much sun and heat. Shade may be better for it. The colored ones may be an idea since you say they hold the water better. Plus they are pretty even if not much flowering from plants! Hum, something to think about. I also think I may start saving the newspapers to put under the pine straw next year. Then less weeds to deal with! Your potato looks great and cant wait to see how the taters look when you harvest! When will you know they are ready to pick? I assume the bag had directions and told how many days for harvesting?
ReplyDeleteThe revamped bed is coming along nicely Lola. I'm curious to see how well your potatoes in the canvas bag do. That sounds like a good idea. :)
ReplyDeleteKanak Hagjer, Thank you so much for your comment. I too like to watch the progress of a garden whether it's a new one or an old one.
ReplyDeleteThat bloom is eye catching. When I planted it I really didn't know what color it was. Just one more color in that garden. It does almost match one of the pots.
Hi Skeeter, Thanks so much for your nice comments. I too like the terra cotta pots that I used first but like you say the plants dry out too quickly. Pots are too porous. I had thought about sealing them on the outside. Mine is in afternoon sun--too hot. I too like where mine is but may have to move it to a shadier place. I've found that the coloring on the others do help hold water better. The only problem with the colored ones is they don't come in the sizes that the regular ones do They also get late afternoon sun.
ReplyDeleteAllysum didn't even work in the original ones.
Do start to save your paper as it does help a lot. Using it under your straw will help a lot to keep weeds at bay. Good luck.
Are those real bunny on the second photo?
ReplyDeletePerennialgardener, I too am anxious about how the taters did. I really don't look for them to do much as like I said earlier I planted them way too late. Next Spring I will get them out when taters are planted here in Feb. I wait till the tops fall over & turn brown.
ReplyDeleteI do like to revamp an old bed. I would have this one further along but eye surgery has put a halt to that & looks like another 6 weeks or so will be shot to. I do have some of the plants sitting in pots that I will put in there. Trying to get an idea of how they will look. I'm trying to imagine how my little myrtle will look when she get grown.
vuejardin, lol, they do look real but they are some kind of resin. I thought they were cute & real looking. I hoped they may keep some critters out. The slithery kind even tho the slithery ones sometimes eat the little bunnies. I'd rather have the bunnies any day.
ReplyDeleteExcellent job of reclaiming some space back from the sprawling lawn. The colored tipsy pots look like a lot of fun, and the glazed versions really do make a lot of sense for something you don't want to keep watering all the time.
ReplyDeleteHi Lola -love how you are building a nice garden. You are doing an amazing job considering your super wild weather this year. The tipsy pots are too cute!
ReplyDeleteHave a great night everyone --baby is asleep in my arm --must get him to his cradle -ciao!
My garden is in progress too...just like yours, Lola. thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great project Lola. I think it already looks a million times better. It's good to have something to work on too, isn't it? You'll make it better and better every year. Your canna looks a lot like the 'tropicanna' one I have in my garden. I wouldn't say for sure it is tho because there are so many varieties. Whatever it is, it's a beauty.
ReplyDeleteHi James, Thanks so much. I did want so for this corner to have some color in it. The glazing does help with the water situation.
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous, Thank you so much. It is & will be a slow process but I don't mind as it will give me time to decide what plants I want there. I first thought a blue & orange/yellow garden would be nice & colorful. We'll see what evolves.
ReplyDeleteI bet that little one is growing fast. They sure are precious. Hugs to all the kiddos.
Front Yard Landscape, Love to share. I'm glad you are having fun too.
ReplyDeleteKathleen, Thanks very much for your nice words. I do like to have something to do as it gives me purpose.
ReplyDeleteI had bought 2 variegated cannas & put them in pots. Dummy me, I forgot to put name tags to each, now I can't remember which is which as this is the first to bloom. Now I'm thinking the other one must be the Bengal Tiger. It's still in the pot & hasn't bloomed yet. Maybe when I get it in the ground it will show itself.