The Peony Bed

Welcome to Tiger Way Gardens! The peonies are one of the first things you'll see upon your drive to our home. When I come home I want to stop right here and just sit all day and look at these beauties.

Leaving you'll get a great view of the peonies as well.

These plants are so awesome and my apologies to my Facebook friends as I keep posting pictures of them. I guess I just did not realize how much I'd like this bed once it got going. The effect of massing peonies is quite the sight and I wished to share it immediately. It seemed as each hour passed the bed got prettier.

Moving most of peonies out here to the land in the Fall of 2013 I was in a predicament because I had to have a spot for them to go. The spot had to not be in the way of the house build, be permanent, and the conditions had to work for the peonies. As it was, this bed was a bit in the way of an electrical ditch but the backhoe operator did an awesome job of keeping damage to a minimum. 

There are five crepe myrtles in this bed. They are the main framework. I moved them here about two years ago. They have constantly been damaged by the winters but come summer when they bloom I really enjoy them so for now the crepe myrtles stay here. It was an easy decision to make a full bed and add the peonies as well. Between each crepe myrtle there are baptisias and daffodil bulbs. Eventually I'll have about a dozen or two of baptisias here but right now there are only about nine. To see them showcased check this post.

The bed is about sixty feet long. I was able to fit in about 40 something peony plants. I laid the plants out according to colors in a manner I thought I'd find pleasing. The color blocks really work well. I don't think I would've been as happy if I just randomly scattered the colors in this bed.

The yellow of the 'Carolina Moonlight' baptisias plays well off from the pinks, whites, reds, and maroons of the peonies. The bonus is the flower form of the baptisias is most complementary to the rounded and full bloom of the peonies. Those peonies look like cupcakes to me! That might be why I like them so much because I love cupcakes.

To show you where this bed started we go back to October 2013. I was surprised to learn I had actually turned over the soil in this bed. Despite this the weeds such as lespedeza have been an issue. Lespedeza had long roots that are wiry and difficult to pull and I would've thought turning the bed would solve that issue. Starting new gardens in a former field is really a big pain. All of the peonies are dejectedly hanging out waiting for planting. The best time to move peonies is in the fall. All but a few of the transplants survived. You must leave a couple of eyes for the plant to grow. On some of the divisions I barely had one eye but that's okay. Dividing plants is free and I have plenty so I have replaced the few that have died.

Here is another shot of the bed. It is so interesting to me to see how beds transform over the years. Fortunately for gardeners we have that kind of time and before you know it you have full mature gardens. This peony bed will continue to mature and get better as the years pass. One caveat, you might not wish to plant all of one kind of plant in a bed because if a disease or pest does strike it might take out the whole bed. That is an individual decision tho and as for me I chose to garden my way. The peonies have not been bothered by animals, they are in a prominent position and are doing well.....

in the garden....

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Baptisias!

I hope everyone is enjoying their spring as much as I have been. Each year I keep telling myself spring doesn't get any better-but it does! This spring has been the best. Peonies and baptisias make it so. Perhaps I should've titled this post 'Baptisias AND Peonies' but I'll save a peony for later. Today we focus on the splendid baptisias. As a side note from a landscape designer (me!), peonies and baptisas are a great pairing in the garden. My peonies are just beginning to open up and they are quite beautiful this year.

The real stars are the baptisias tho. This one is a while one growing in my little wildflower meadow. I have several baptisias planted 'in the wild' in a small grassy area on our property as well as several more in gardens and scattered around the property. Baptisias are tough, beautiful, easy care, and long lived perennials for all sorts of situations.

Here is the main grouping of baptisias. Wow! It is a sight to see. I guess I planted about six baptisias here. There are three or four 'Lemon Meringue' baptisias and were supposed to be three 'Dutch Chocolate' baptisias. I honestly don't know exactly how many of each are here because I haven't counted them but they sure do make an impact massed like this. When I purchased them from a nursery several years ago (on clearance), I think they were mislabeled or the labels somehow got mixed up. I moved all of these baptisias to the new garden in the fall of 2013. To see more about moving baptisias successfully (don't attempt to do it with plants older than three or four years old!) see this post from last spring. It will also show you just how much these baptisias have grown. You need to leave at least three or four feet between plants for their mature size. Don't skimp on this step!

They grow between a grouping of crepe myrtles and border the edge of the large peony garden. There are over 40 different types of peonies in this garden and I thought the baptisias would look great with the peonies so that is where I planted them. I just love it. Can you see the 'Dutch Chocolate' baptisias? They are more subtle than 'Lemon Meringue' but are an integral part of this grouping nonetheless. Both 'Lemon Meringue' and 'Dutch Chocolate' baptisias are a Proven Winners plant. They are definitely winners in my book.

Here is a better shot of the differences between 'Lemon Meringue' and 'Dutch Chocolate'. Don't you love their names?

I'll finish this post with a shot of the main focal point of my new vegetable garden. I built this tiered strawberry bed from materials from my old garden just this past fall. And we are picking strawberries already! The rest of the vegetable garden is coming along and is almost done too. Soon I'll show you all of it....

in the garden....

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

My Friend Angie's Garden

Garden tours are hot and heavy for me this time of the year and I love to share them with you all so here is one of my favorite gardener's garden--Angie. Many of you know Angie as she is a kind spirit with a gentle, loving, and giving heart and has an awesome Facebook page. She is a very special friend who cheers me when I am down and supports me no matter what. Her kindness during rough times for me will never be forgotten. I have many friends and I am very fortunate to have them as no matter how many beautiful flowers I have, none can really be personal and cheer me the way my friends can--so thank you to Angie and all my friends who choose to be kind and share a word of encouragement or two.

Angie is not, I repeat, not a plant collector. She is by far a designer with an eye toward beauty, practicality, endurance. She plants plants that do well and look good. Her garden always has something in bloom and when one perennial is done, there is another waiting in the wings to take its place. That being said it would appear that Angie is a plant collector because when she finds a plant she likes she has a lot of them. Irises are a favorite for Angie but simply because of their beauty, charm, and their ability to look good (with some maintenance) even when out of bloom.

This time of the year irises shine in Angie's garden.

Japanese peonies (single) are another favorite of Angie's. She likes them because they do not droop like the heavy double peonies favored by so many (including me). How smart is that? For sentimental reasons I will always gravitate to the double peonies but I do have a lot of these Japanese peonies and like them too. Check out how Angie has effectively used the hundreds she has in her garden. Massing is the name of the game in Angie's garden. You all do know to design a good garden you should mass the plants right? Onesies and twosies just don't work. Always try to plant in groups of three, fives, sevens, etc. Using one of something should be reserved for a specimen plant. These might include things like trees, shrubs, a prime perennial like baptisia, or even a peony--if there is a good structure of garden flowers around the specimen to highlight the oneness of it all.

Irises in Angie's garden are used to great advantage in their own bed. Irises need excellent drainage and need space. Planting irises in a bed all of their own makes sense and allows for ease of maintenance as all plants have the same requirements.

Here Angie under planted an evergreen spruce with her Japanese peonies.

The backyard of Angie's house is nearly all garden. She uses paths, art, and plants to great advantage to create beauty, functionality and seasonal delights.

Siberian irises are quite a focal point in Angie's garden.

A concrete path through the garden.

More peonies backed by bonsai evergreens. 

A true red peony--'Red Charm'. Love it!

Angie herself. The sweetest flower in her garden.

Views of the front perennial beds. How lucky are these neighbors to have such a good gardener next door to them?

Japanese peony.

Phlox, 'Rolly's Favorite' silene, and a path in the garden.


More phlox and Japanese peonies....

in Angie's Garden....

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Fall Arrives in Tiger Way Gardens

Wow, October already? Does anyone else feel the way I do that this year has passed all too quickly? I am sure it really hasn't but it just seems that way. Even in October in Tennessee we have busy gardens so today I thought I'd share a few pictures with you from the farm. Helianthus 'Maximilian' is a wonderful fall bloomer that the bees love.

Right next to the 'Maximilian' are Tatarian asters (Aster tataricus). I really like these asters. They grow in sun or shade and get quite tall. They hold their own when planted at the back of the border with other tall perennials like the 'Maximilian', and also some Joe Pye weed. The foliage of the tatarian aster is quite lovely too.

Speaking of bees this particular shrub is a bee magnet. It is 'Raspberry Profusion' Abelia hybrid. All abelias are low maintenance shrubs that have a very long bloom period. The flowers of this particular one are fragrant and long after the bloom is over the sepals remain on the plant to give the plant winter interest. The sepals are the pink colored petals that are below the actual flower. In this picture you can see the full flower and also just the sepals. Abelias grow in sun to part sun and are not picky about their soil. Bees and butterflies love abelias.

Also at the farm are some peonies. I have begun digging my many peonies from Tiger Gardens and have created a new peony/baptisia bed. There will be about 43 peonies in this bed in seven different colors. As I was digging my peonies it struck me just how massive the roots were on each clump. When I divided this one I thought I'd take a picture to show you the massive root system. The roots were fully six inches deep in large tubers. I split each of my peonies with a shovel and while that may seem extreme, as long as I have a couple of eyes on each division the peonies will regrow and bloom beautifully. This one will certainly bloom next spring due to its huge size.

Finally, another picture of the Tatarian asters. I adore these plants and fall in general....

in the garden....hoping your fall is delightful.

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Peony

BY SKEETER 

 In May, I spotted this beautiful Peony in Greenwood Cemetery while visiting my hometown in Tennessee.

 A beautiful peony that has been in this spot for many years.

Near by this beautiful Peony, one will also find the grave of Frank Sutton, AKA:  Gunnery Sergeant Carter of Gomer Pyle USMC. Both of these sightings bring back fond memories of my childhood. Sgt. Carter, Gomer Pyle and PEONY, In the Garden...

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

If I Grew Only ONE Rose It Would Be.....And Good Companion Plants for Roses

If I could grow only ONE rose (it's impossible I know!) it would have to be the climber called 'Zephirine Droughin' (ZD)!

I do not take lightly my choice and have given it a great deal of consideration. There is really no contest in my garden (I have several cultivars and varieties including the ever popular Knockout roses). Nope, hands down ZD beats them all.

ZD is a climber that will bloom sporadically all season long. It gives its main flush of blooms right about now. My ZD is two years old and receives no special care whatsoever. Gosh, I don't even fertilize it! I do have to train the canes. I decided last year once I saw how vigorous it was growing to train the canes to not only grow over my small arbor but to grow over the adjacent chainlink fence. That was a success as you can see! ZD is fairly thornless, has an old rose scent, does not get any defoliating leaf diseases, stays looking good well into the winter, and is an overall excellent rose. It would be my ONE and only if I could grow only one rose. Thank goodness that is not the case!

Blooming nearby are several other perennials. Anything that blooms at the same time and looks good with other plants can be good companions. I just happen to think that some of these perennials are good companions for roses. The first is iris.

Next up are baptisias. This one happens to be 'Carolina Moonlight'. It will be moving to a new home very soon on our land but for now it looks great in Tiger Gardens 1 near ZD.

Peonies. Peonies and roses and irises and baptisias alone can make an AWESOME spring garden. Throw in some salvia and wow!

More peonies in the garden. These bloom with catmint. Catmint is an excellent companion with all sorts of roses and perennials. As a bonus catmint is drought tolerant, looks good all season, repeat blooms, and makes a fantastic groundcover under roses.

Finally a long shot of some of the dozens of peonies in my garden. This is the rear center bed. Here you see some of that salvia ('May Night' shown here but there are many good types) I talked about, catmint, irises, and peonies. There are also roses nearby (directly across from this garden in the Sunny Perennial bed. All are super good bloomers....

in the garden....

What is your ONE and only rose?

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Bleach, Fountains, and Plants Do Not Mix Well

During the recent garden tour in Montgomery County I thought it would be nice to turn on my circulating fountain for ambiance in the garden as visitors strolled around. In preparation for circulating the water I added a bit of bleach to the water to clean it and clarify it a bit. The water circulated all day and splished and splashed like water fountains do and it was nice. It was nice until about one week later  when I noticed damage to the nearby plants.

It seems these peonies were very sensitive to the bleach in the water even though the bleach was very diluted. I had no idea this problem could happen but have learned a valuable lesson-no bleach in the fountain when splashing is possible (it's almost always possible with fountains).

Fortunately these peonies will survive and live to grow and bloom another year. For now I have left the situation alone other than to cut out dead parts of the plant....


in the garden.....

Similar experiences? 

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Peonies, Ponds, Pets, Petticoats, and a Festival

It's peony time in Tiger Gardens! My most favorite flower of all is the peony. The smell, the look, the touch, and the memories all make the peony a keeper. Doesn't the above peony remind you of a cupcake covered with frothy white frosting? It does me so that might be a part of my liking too!

Rhododendrons make good companions for peonies. This one is 'Nova Zembla' a very old variety. It is a red rhododendron and is not far from the pond in the dry shade of a Red Cedar and oaks.


The pond is crystal clear now and giving us a great deal of pleasure. I think the plants and the UV light made all the difference with the clarity of the water. I am rinsing the filters every other day or so but things have finally worked themselves out in the pond-after three months!


Has anyone seen the movie Gone with the Wind? Remember petticoats under the dresses? Without the petticoats the dresses just would not be the same. Those petticoats had lots and lots of layers to give them their fullness; which of course led to the uniqueness of those full flowing gowns worn in the 1800s. It is the same with gardens. Layering in a garden gives the garden not only its fullness but its character and uniqueness.

I use the above photograph to talk about layers in a garden. One thing my garden has is lots and lots of layers. The layers here actually start below ground with the bulbs and go to great heights with the climax species of oaks and hickories. In between these two layers you will find perennials, annuals, vines, shrubs, sub shrubs, small trees and all sorts of garden ornamentation. It is my firmest belief layers make a garden.  

 Layering in a garden can work not only in my natural styled border and island gardens but also in the minimalist modern garden to a parterre garden to a formally trained garden. The trick is to know what to put in each layer to obtain the effect. There is one caveat though as with anything. Gardens are not static and even with a good design gardens will change and layers may need to be adjusted. But it is not a difficult concept at all. 

Can you see the layers here in the above picture? The green grass with a border garden on the left, straight ahead is a Coral Bark Japanese maple underplanted with hostas, hydrangeas, and groundcovers such as brunnera and ginger. Through the gate there is another garden with a focal point of a crabapple underplanted with azaleas and perennials and a few shrubs such as the bright spireas you can see because the sun is hitting it. Looking further into the garden you may see the red foliage of more Japanese maples and shrubs and perennials. Layers make it happen in the garden. The garden style does not matter when layering.



A fellow pond enthusiast had to close her very large pond. The local pond society sent out a bulletin saying the woman had lots of koi for only $1 each. Since the pond had a leak and the pump was broken it was vital to get the koi out fairly quickly. Naomi and I went over and we each came home with three large koi a piece. I also bought some more rocks for the garden. The above poor picture shows two of the new koi with one of the baby koi under them. The baby koi are growing fast but have not changed colors. It's okay, they are fine just the way they are. The other large koi we got from the pond is a gray koi. The two orange ones are the leaders and are quite aggressive when it comes to eating and socializing with us. The water is really not dirty like it appears but the liner has a green film on it which gives the water a tinted appearance. Additionally it is hard to photograph things underwater!

Here is a picture of the whole pond showing how clear the water is. Even this pond has layers in it. The bottom of the pond gives the pond depth that you can see, the water reflects light and movement, the rocks provide a great border and the surrounding lawn and gardens add to the "I've been here forever look" that I seek in my gardens.

The pond is finally clear all the way to the bottom. We are enjoying our new koi so very much! They always want food which is nice for interactions. I shall prepare a post on the koi and pond soon but I have no idea when. Normally I prepare posts a long time in advance but lately I have not been doing this. I have been very busy with a lot going on and there just does not seem to be enough hours in the day for everything including blogging. My son is set to graduate soon, we have company coming, and I also have an out of town trip scheduled to meet with other garden bloggers in North Carolina this month. Wow! I honestly can't wait until May is over. 


Back to the garden and layers. Why am I talking about layers? Well this Saturday starting at 9:00 am I'll be downtown at the Green Thumb Festival giving a presentation on Layers in the Garden. It is a fun presentation I love doing and hope you all will join me! My presentation is scheduled for 9:00 am in the Education Tent located at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore on Madison Street in Clarksville but the festival actually starts at 8:00 am. In addition to presentations there will be booths set up where various vendors will be selling garden related wares, the Montgomery County Master Gardeners will be selling plants, there will be various give a ways, and tons of activities for children. This annual event that is now in its third year is a great time for all! See you there.

My cat is a sweet little thing in the garden. My morning routine is to walk the front gardens on my way to get my newspapers from the front lawn. Orkin kitty follows me along begging for attention. She is my resident pest control but the chipmunks here have gotten so out of control she cannot keep up. I have been trapping at a rate of one per day for the last week. As one is captured I can hear more squeaking in the background. They drive me nuts. The dogs are going berserk in the back yard chasing them down as well. I have one dog who is successful in catching and killing the rodents. The problem is all dogs go after them and the gardens are literally trampled beyond the point of recovery. I will have to work on that problem if I am to have any gardens left for the garden tour in June.



Here are more peonies for you though you may be getting tired of them by now. I pick a bunch each day or two for inside of the house. If you only pick a single flower for bouquets I think it should be a peony.


 And since we seem to have a lot of critters in this post I thought I'd share our baby bluebirds. They are very close to leaving the nest. I stay away from this birdhouse since I know the babies are so large. Mr. Fix-it was able to run some more of the underground wire around this rather large garden where these birds reside so the dogs also stay away from the babies. I am hoping all of the babies will make a successful transition. It does not always happen that they do but I will keep checking on them....

in the garden....

See you tomorrow at the Habitat ReStore and Green Thumb Festival. 




in the garden....

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden