The Montgomery County Master Gardener PLANT SALE

See you there....


in the garden....

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

Green Spiders

By SKEETER
Blogging never ceases to amaze me! I was at Randy and Megs Blog, (Click HERE to view) on Tuesday. Randy posted about a Green spider. I made mention in the comments how I have never seen a Green Spider in person. Well, today I spotted one in my Georgia Gardens! Thanks to Randy, I know this is a GREEN LYNX SPIDER, In the Garden...
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Sedum! Sedum! Sedum!

The quintessential plant for the fall season has to be sedum. This is one hardy, tough, drought tolerant plant that looks great all year. I love love love it in my garden-in any garden really!

I grow many cultivars including the common 'Autumn Joy', 'Brilliant', 'Blue Spruce' sedum, 'Acre', 'Matrona', the new cultivar 'Autumn Flame', and probably about half a dozen more; names unknown to me. This post happens to highlight only 'Autumn Joy' but believe me when I tell you that you can't go wrong with any sedum as long as you site it properly. 


I have had problems with some sedums flopping. I don't like that trait at all but I've found the problem is usually with the site I have chosen for the sedums. Sedums seem to prefer a lean soil in full sun. The rich organic soil I strive for here in Tiger Gardens is not what sedums desire. The soil plus the fact my gardens are sun challenged does not help the situation at all. If you wish to grow sedums well place them in full sun in average well drained soil.

Here we have a view of my Rear Center Garden. This time last year this garden was bare due to the extended drought and extreme heat we experienced last year. After that experience I decided to fix the situation by placing all drought tolerant perennials in this bed. These perennials include: alliums, bulbs, catmint, sedums, daylilies, gray headed coneflowers, ornamental grasses, smoke trees, thermopsis, irises, and asters. There are also a few peonies in this bed. I simply can't garden without peonies in all my beds. Unfortunately peonies don't look all that great by the the time the fall rolls around. Nonetheless they are fillers in this bed and will shine again come spring. The pink aster you see blooming midway in this bed is 'HoneySong'. There are two blue ones on the other side of 'HoneySong'. Asters are as drought tolerant as sedums and are also my go to fall plant of choice. They make a great companion for the sedums in this bed.

Sedums are one of those perennials that can grow really big depending on the cultivar. The sheer size of large well grown sedums allow them to be used as specimen plants but personally I think sedums should be massed in groups of five or more. Good companion plants for sedums are any of the straight bladed plants like irises or daylilies, red hot pokers, or ornamental grasses. The aforementioned asters are also a nice contrast for sedums.

This last picture was not taken in my garden but at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens. (My friend Phil took it and I am just borrowing it as I did not get a good picture of the sedums in the gardens). I sure wish I had the space to have a large swath of sedums backed by ornamental grasses as is pictured in this photo. 

Mr. Fix-it, Jimmy and myself recently journeyed to Tuscumbia Alabama to visit the Birthplace of Helen Keller and to visit the Huntsville Botanical Gardens (in Huntsville which is about one hour east of Tuscumbia). We traveled with a familiar group of folks-the Montgomery County Tennessee Master Gardeners. More on that trip in a later post. For now I just wanted to share the sedums....sedums....and more SEDUMS....


in the garden....



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

Busy week ahead

By SKEETER
Lucky me to be able to find "back-up" evergreens for the two that may not make it here in my Georgia Gardens. The harsh summer has taken its toll on the June planted beauties but they are still hanging on for me. Not only did I pick up two replacements (if need be) but also a nice 15 gallon Holley filled with berry's. McCorkles Nursery "Sale to the Public" had these on special for $15.00 each, again! Wow, I love a bargain...
I came home with this Chamaecyparis Sungold (False Cypress). I had recently seen these in the Garden Centers at prices of $25.00 or more. This one cost me less then half that price!
I love butterfly bushes and this Pink one makes 5 different colors to my collection. I am still looking for that Orange colored one.
Anthony Waterer Spirea's blooms caught my eye and I could not resist.
One thing I was on the look out for was Mexican Petunia and I found it! Daisy, Ajuga, Sage, Bee Balm, Sedum, Hollyhock and Silver Grass will now call my gardens home as well.
Hosta, Asiatic Jasmine and Schizophragma will be added too. Schizo vine was so healthy and I could not resist the name.
I have been eyeing Black and Blue Sage in the garden centers but would not let go of the money they wanted for them. Here I found them for bargains of $1.99. I hope they are happy in my gardens as I so enjoy their colors.

I do not know much about some of these plants and normally I just read the tag and stick the newbie into the ground and let it be. This go round, I have been doing some research on the Internet. I find it funny how the tags and professionals say one thing while people on blogs or forums tell a different story. I find the tags and info on the Internet only a guideline but fun to read about them just the same... Now, I need a bit of help with this one. Somehow, I could not find the tag on this plant. That is my only complaint about this Sale. Some pots are not marked with tags or prices. The prices can be found by going by a price guide of pot sizes unless a special plant, like variegated. But without tags, one is left to a mystery at times.
Here is my mystery filled with beautiful dainty white sweet scented blooms. They smell as sweet as Jasmine!
The foliage is dark green.
Can anyone give me help on this beauty's identification? I cannot believe I picked up a plant without a tag. Well, yes I can. This is not the first time. Duh....

Our ground has had 4 inches of rain in the past week so I am sure the ground is soft enough for me to now dig. I will have a BUSY WEEK AHEAD, In the Garden...

Note: The next Public sale of McCorkles Nursery will be June 14-16, 2012.
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Green Giants, whats going on?

By SKEETERI have not really talked much about the new additions to my Georgia Gardens. I did show you the new arrivals from the McCorkles Nursery sale back in June. The steamy days of summer were in place by June when the sale occurred. Above picture was taken a month later in steamy, hot, humid and dry drought conditions. Those were all Dirty Words this year as it was brutal on a gardener. This new area holds 3 Evergreen trees. They are located to the back of this new garden area. I shall talk about the other additions at a later date. As you can see, I had to resort to setting up a Sprinkler to keep the trees moist. They were holding their own, until we jump forward to September.
Two of the three are not looking so well now.
This Arborvitae Green Giant started out as a 15 gallon pot of beauty at the bargain price of $15.00. It is now turning brown as if on fire and dying on me! I have brushed out the dead and am left with a sparse tree. Sigh...
This one is smaller because it is not a Green Giant but rather a Leeland Cypress. It was a 10 gallon potted tree at the cost of $10.00. The poor thing looks so puny now. Sigh...
The third in this group is another 15 gallon Green Giant and it is happy as can be! This grouping of 3 Green Giants that are located nearby, received more direct sun and were watered the same amount as the others. Thus far, all three of them look fine. This past weekend, I added fresh compost and a layer of pine straw mulch to all the trees. I am hoping that with cooler temps in the air, that maybe the two will bounce back. But just in case they do not, I am planning on picking up 2 replacements at this weekends Big Sale. That is, if they happen to have any available. Poor GREEN GIANTS, whats going on? In the Garden...

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

GIGANTIC Crinum Bulbs and A Surprise Visitor

Crinum bulbs are a wonderful pest proof rewarding bulb I grow in my garden. Earlier this year I found that I had done a poor job of planting these wonderful bulbs because they were just too spread out amongst my gardens. I decided then and there to consolidate and put all the crinums where I could enjoy them up close. 

This particular bulb had been in its spot about four years and was doing well. Nonetheless I decided I had to move it. Trying to dig it out of its spot was a difficult job due to its size and the fact it had settled in for the long haul. Crinum bulbs resent being disturbed but it just had to be moved. When I finally got this bulb out of its spot I could not believe its size. The ruler does not do it justice so I'll explain how big it is by saying this. Put both of your fists together facing each other in front of you and then you can see the size of this bulb.

This is a white crinum that blooms in the June/July time frame for me. I have found crinums to be very reliable and very easy to grow. When I first began growing crinums it was upon a whim. While visiting the Nashville Lawn and Garden show there was a vendor selling these giant bulbs that are related to amaryllis. I thought the idea of growing such huge bulbs was challenging so I bought one. I knew nothing of the growth requirements of crinums but did try to plant the bulbs (in March) in sunny areas. Some of these areas are not well drained and some are well drained. I've found the bulbs don't care either way but they do need room to spread. The area I consolidated the crinums is in the Sunny Perennial Border at the front of the border. I can hardly wait to see them all in bloom next summer. 


Many people are afraid to buy and plant these bulbs in my experience. They can hardly believe an amaryllis would grow and flourish in our Zone 6B area. Not to mention the fact that the size of the bulb scares them away. They sometimes think the larger the bulb the larger the snack for chipmunks and other burrowing critters Not so with these bulbs.  Pests tend to leave them alone. I have no issues with losing these bulbs in my garden and they are reliable bloomers.

When you order crinums online they can be quite pricey ranging from $10-$20 per bulb. That is much too much for me to spend. At the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show the vendor sells them for about $3-$5 per bulb and I will personally vouch for the quality of these bulbs. I am not sure of the vendor's name but I will say that every year I've been going to the show the vendor has been there as well. So, if you are local and want a good buy give the huge crinum a try in your garden.

I had to share my little frog with you all. Since I've been busy in the garden moving and dividing and digging plants I've gotten quite a bit accomplished. One such thing was to dig several beauty berries for the Montgomery County Master Gardener sale scheduled for October 8th. This particular beauty berry found a home early when I took it to a fellow master gardener. Just as I was about to put it in my car I happened to find this little frog. Do you recognize it? It is not the pickerel frog I posted about two years ago though it looks similar. I believe this is a leopard frog (Rana pipiens). We have two that frequent the bathtub pond. The other one is a seasonal resident of the pond and is quite a large frog. It peacefully lives with my one and only goldfish in the pond. One day I came out by the pond and found this little cutie resting on the spout. It was so funny it really looked like it wanted a spa day. By the time I got my camera it had disappeared only to reappear in this plant pot. I had to shoo it out prior to loading the beauty berry plant. Leopard frogs are the frogs usually used in dissection and their population is on the decline in the United States, though that is controversial. Here in my garden they are doing well....


in the garden....

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

McCorkle's Nursery 2011 Fall SALE...

By SKEETER
I shared a great discovery with you all back in June. The McCorkles (Open to the public) Nursery Sale! Click HERE and also HERE to see the 2 part Post on the great bargain's I and our neighbor brought back to our Georgia Gardens.

Above, you see the Black Elephant Ear thriving in the spot I chose for its new home. Next to the Air Conditioner Unit for free watering during the hot, drought summer we had...Other happy plants from this awesome sale were the fringe plant's and,
The 3 Rose of Sharon's just to name a few. I shall show you more in time.
This Red Rooster Crepe Myrtle is healthy but not so large right now.
Branches and Blooms keep falling off the Myrtle. What is causing this you ask?
Well, this little toot of course! Grrrrrrrrrr...
Due to the extreme heat, drought condition and hard ground, I have yet to plant 6 Monkey Grasses, a Rose Bush, a Canna and...
This flat of Ivy. They will find their homes in my garden once we have rain and the ground softens up a bit. Thank goodness the extreme heat is gone.

Anyway, even though I have yet to get these items into the ground, I am headed to MCCORKLES NURSERY FALL SALE, In the Garden...

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NOTE: For anyone in the Georgia area looking for super bargains, get to the Nursery this weekend!

McCorkles Nursery Fall Sale 2011

Friday Sept.23 from 8:00-5:00

Saturday Sept. 24 from 8:00-3:00.

Bring a wagon to assist your haul to your truck!

McCorkles Nursery Info Click HERE.

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

A Couple of Oranges from the Vegetable Garden & a Guessing Game

While it is not nearly time for Halloween I feel like Halloween is already here with all these oranges in my vegetable garden. The first orange we shall start with is this great squash. Anyone recognize it? It is a very expensive squash to buy fresh and might be difficult to find in stores. Guess in a comment and I'll let you know what it is at a later date. Isn't it cute? 





I keep going back to the Pumpkins on a Stick because they are just so cool. The vivid oranges really show nicely.



'Tangerine Beauty' is a wonderful vine that keeps reblooming after its initial big flush of blooms in the spring.

Cosmos are the real Enegerizer bunnies of the vegetable garden. They keep going and going and going. I suspect I'll have tons of seedlings next year.

Finally, my mystery bed with cantaloupes, the unknown squash pictured above, and another seed that I planted has made me most happy. I had no idea all of the seeds I tried out would take and bear fruit. My only hope was to have a good cantaloupe crop (that we did) but I got a bonus. Do you recognize the above blossom?

I am pretty sure it is a pumpkin blossom and here is a pumpkin! A delightful surprise. Normally I plant pumpkins much too early. They ripen in August and then by the time Halloween rolls around they are not good anymore. Not so this year. I believe this one will turn orange just in time for Halloween. It is the only one too so it's a good thing. 


Another notable accomplishment from the vegetable garden (it's not orange) is that I still have zucchini plants growing and bearing. This is the FIRST year I have not had an issue with squash vine borers and I am amazed. I do not regularly use pesticides as you can tell by the Pumpkin on a Stick's leaves. They are eaten up by flea beetles. So I am not sure why no squash vine borers this year. I think it may be that I interplant so many things that the insect population is fairly diverse and took care of the issue? Or maybe the borers just couldn't find the zucchini plants this year? Whatever it was I like it. I also still have the original cucumbers bearing fruit. In my garden cucumbers are usually finished by late July to early August. I can't believe it has been such a good year for vegetables and oranges....


in the garden....

Go ahead and give it a try on guessing the above squash. Whoever gets it right may get a surprise. I have collected several seeds and I think I may be able to get around to mailing them to you-United States only due to agriculture issues. (I've been busy lately)  Seeds such as Love in a Mist (need to sow now) or nicotiana or even the cosmos pictured here. So go ahead, be brave....

in the garden.... 

I will moderate the comments so no one will have an unfair advantage on the guessing game.  

Okay guys, I'm going to give you all a hint on the squash name. I think it will make it too easy but here goes. The name of the squash starts with a K. 

Here is hint number two. The name of this squash rhymes with an Indian spice.  


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

Another New Caterpillar-The Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar

 I keep checking my tropical milkweed (my favorite) for monarch caterpillars but so far this summer has been a bust for butterfly larva. I am having great luck with moth larva though. The above caterpillar on the tropical milkweed happens to be caterpillar of the Milkweed Tussock Moth. This is one caterpillar I've never seen before.


The milkweed tussock moth caterpillar looks like a scary caterpillar but I could not find where it may be poisonous to humans-nonetheless I did not touch it. It is poisonous to predators and according the above source obtains the toxins from the milkweed. It's bright colors warn off predators. Go ahead and check this site because there is a nice picture of the moth. The moth has a black and orange striped body. The same colors as the caterpillar and the same colors as a monarch butterfly. Coincidence here? I don't think so. Insects that depend on milkweed as their host plants are very specialized insects and ones that can handle the toxins in the milkweed.


I have seen many monarchs flying around but no caterpillars yet. At least I now know why all of my tropical milkweed has been eaten to stubs....


in the garden....
 

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

The Million Cicada March

They come digging and clawing slowly as they make their way to the surface of the earth. They leave behind a dark and dreary hole in the ground that has been their home for a few months up to many years.

They climb up the cedar tree reaching for a branch where they can leave behind their useless shell and crawl out to become a flying machine in the southern summer sky.

The cedar tree provides a good footing for their prickly insect feet. It is a perfect foil under which many cicada eggs of all types were laid.



Some are able to crawl out of their shells by splitting the back and forcing the shell apart. Some tire before the task is done. All that is left behind are the shells of what used to be and holes in the ground; evidence of the deed....


in the garden....


This Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) was literally covered with cicada shells. The ground underneath was crunchy with all of the shells. Skeeter had it right when she said there were lots of cicadas this year. I have never seen so many in one spot in my garden. It really makes me wonder what goes on under the soil and makes me appreciate the cedar trees even more for the wildlife benefit they provide to the garden.

For an EXCELLENT series of photos showing a cicada emerging from its shell please see this link.  It is a perfect series of photos showing the whole process.

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

My Garden School

No! I don't own a garden school but do know of one and actually attended a course this summer-online. This post is about that garden design school because anyone who knows me or who reads this blog knows there are two very important things to me-gardening and education. I like to think I do both when I blog and it is the blog that indirectly led me to My Garden School.


Back in June the Managing Director (Elspeth Brisco) of My Garden School sent me an email with an interesting proposition. Would I be interested in reviewing a gardening course and in return I could take any course of my choosing for free (an approximately $200 value at today's current rates). Normally I just go ahead and refuse these propositions because I don't like the obligation to post on a certain subject. But then again I thought-gardening and education together? Hmmmm, sure why not. 


Since I was due to go on vacation in late June (which was when the next round of courses was due to begin)  I had to wait until the start of the following round of classes in order to register and begin my class. The wait was not long however and my class began on August 4th. It seems the classes start every six weeks or so. 


I am not new to online courses but I have never done a garden course online. I did not sign up for just any garden course though, I signed up for Garden and Landscape Design with John Brookes. I must admit that I had never heard of John Brookes before and simply chose the class for its subject matter. I later found out John Brookes is quite a famous garden/landscape designer across the big pond. This surely made sense since My Garden School is based in the United Kingdom. 


My class began right on time and upon going through the registration process I found the instructions very simple to understand and follow. The classes go something like this: each Saturday a video and lesson notes will be posted for the students. The students are to watch the video and read the notes (or vice versa) and then complete any homework that was assigned. With online classes you will always have work to do outside of class or you are not getting your money's worth. Each assignment was to be uploaded before the next Saturday; which of course was when the next lesson would be posted. I assume if you don't upload your assignment you will fail the course. I did not have this issue as I was able to complete all assignments in a timely manner. I did have an issue though. The United Kingdom is seven hours ahead of my time zone and I wondered what if any difference that would make. I don't think it mattered because there were a few times I uploaded my assignment Friday evening and I know it was already Saturday by the time I uploaded the assignment. As it was I might be overly worried about these small things but I think the time the assignments is due should be clarified. When I took typical online courses or when I taught courses I would always say the assignment is due by midnight. It should be midnight in the time zone the student is in or it should be laid out very carefully for all students to understand. We had students in this class that crosses all boundaries (one was in the western United States, one in Europe, one in Russia, and even one in Australia).


All lesson notes and videos were of excellent quality. I think Mr. Brookes took his time and carefully coordinated the video and the lesson notes. I did make a mistake the first week in that I read the lesson notes first then looked at the video. Let me just say this, reading English that an English person writes is not quite the same as reading something an American would write. The English language is very varied with words being spelled differently across the pond and even some grammar and mannerisms are different. I had issues with getting it all when I read the lesson notes first but it all became clear when I watched the video. There were no issues understanding English there. Each week thereafter I made a point to watch the video first then read the notes. 


Each video is about twenty minutes long and the lesson notes will take five to 10 minutes to read. The assignment is explained in both formats and the expectation was clear; however the interpretation of how to do it was not as clear. I think this may have been on purpose but I'm not sure. Oftentimes students try to figure out right away what exactly a professor desires in an assignment so they can give him or her that exacting assignment. When this happens it defeats the purpose of learning. The goal of learning is not to read the professor and then do as you think he would want. No, the goal of learning is to think within the parameters given to you by the professor. You must allow your own abilities to take over and do the work. Online classes do not allow you to figure out the instructor so you are pretty much on your own. Some of my classmates did ask for clarification but I did not find it necessary as the instructions were clear and the designs-well-they were up to us. Mr. Brookes did not say if they were right or wrong but he gave me (and I assume the other students) good feedback on the designs and work I did do and submit. 


Assignments ranged from site evaluation to using a grid system to design a cohesive design to finally designing a garden. I enjoyed all assignments and found they were not overly tough. Anyone could do them but because not everyone has the same experience there would be a wide range of end results Mr. Brookes would have to look at. This was not a problem with him at all and I felt like my designs were evaluated properly. 


Interaction among students was not very good. Some of the students took the time to update their profile and some did not. Some of the students talked to others and some didn't or only talked to Mr. Brookes. Usually with online classes you would see the other students' names and that was the case with this online school as well. I could see everyone else who was enrolled in the class as they could see me I am sure. They could not see if I uploaded my assignment or not and I could not see their work. I think if there was an area where all assignments could be posted it might have made for better learning about the different styles and learning. This might not be logical though because in my experience most folks don't want to share their work. 


I feel like the class was very worthwhile to me and I learned a few new tricks on designing. The length of the courses was perfect, the assignments applicable, and the course materials perfect. Interaction might need to be stepped up. Also perhaps a grading matrix to let students know exactly how they are doing. Sometimes online classes will have a matrix that allows everyone to see their progress with both grades and percentages of the work completed. This would be in addition to the personal feedback from the professor. Also, a certificate of completion would be a vital part of any course. I don't think the Garden School offers one for students who complete the course. I'm not sure but know I didn't receive one. 


There was one technical glitch with the website. The website was attractive and easy to follow and navigate, as was the course portion of the website but when I logged in each time there was a notice that said  'A PHP ERROR HAS BEEN ENCOUNTERED'. It did not affect the course or anything I used on the website so I did not worry about it.


The course I took was well worth taking to be able to have access to a world renown expert in their field. Mr. Brookes is a world renown landscape designer and the fact I did not know who he was is more a reflection on me than on him. There are many other people in the industry who are a part of the school and I think it most cool to be able to have access to them through the courses. Not to mention how good it would look for the person who completes the courses and is able to say on their professional resume "I was trained by Mr. John Brookes or XXXX." Yes, I can be a bit star struck at times but believe me when I tell you that when you are looking for a job every little bit helps-even star power!


Since I rarely post without photos I have included a few in this post about my designs. I've said many times I am more of a plant collector than a designer but I like to think that as time goes on I have refined my garden enough that it may SOMEDAY look like a designed garden. Well here are two pictures of design-one a lucky accident and the other by planned design. I won't ask you to guess which is which!

The opening picture is of serenia angelonia (Great plant Skeeter!) and a coreopsis. Both of these wonderful plants grow in large plant pots out front. They look great together because of a few design principles. One is that the flower forms are different and two is that the two colors being purple and yellow-are opposite on the color wheel. These colors are complementary colors in that they bring out the best of each other. 


This last photo is a sad photo indeed. We here in Tennessee are very low on rain and all of the plants are showing signs of stress. I monitor my water and promised myself last year I would not water. I have not kept that promise but I've done quite well at keeping the water bill down simply by monitoring my usage. A couple of plants that never need water are sedums and ornamental grasses. These two plants are coincidentally fall bloomers and shine in the garden when the rest of the garden is droopy, saggy, wilty, and generally sad looking. My borders are all mixed borders so I can at least have something looking good all seasons of the year. This time of the year it is the sedums and ornamental grasses. See how they show up so well and kind of dull everything else? You hardly notice the ratty irises to the left of the sedum or the dull Joe Pye Weed behind the ornamental grass do you? Mixing up borders is a trademark of my design and I can't think of any picture that shows it better than this one with the beautiful ornamental grass.



If interested take a look at one of John Brookes designs on this YouTube video. It is quite an amazing project.





in the garden....

Not sure why the last picture looks so washed out. It didn't when I uploaded it. Sigh. 
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

The Montgomery County Water Garden Society 2011 Pond Tour Part II

The other five gardens we toured were as equally fun as was the first one. This was the second garden on the tour and I really liked the way this pond was laid out. You could sit around the pond and just relax-as though you were at a lake.

The coolest thing by far was this pig laying nearby the above pond. He was HUGE! And just napping away while people came and toured his home. The owner said he roams freely and is a pet for them. He picked a nice shady spot to sleep too.

This same garden had a small pond inside of their screened in patio area. I've seen this many times in the Tennessee area and think it is a neat idea.

This water garden was not really a pond perse but more of a mountain stream with pools. The property naturally sloped down to the woods so the stream fit right in. The sound of the running water was incredible.

I've never seen such a natural looking stream in a backyard that was built by man. The builder did a great job here. All the natural rocks of varying sizes really helped the stream fit in with the area.

The way the water fell off of this rock was ingenious. The sound from the falling water and the beautiful cascading water was art.

This pond was quite different from some of the others we saw. The homeowners placed pea gravel on the bottom. The gravel was a really nice effect that I wouldn't mind copying if I ever get a pond like this.

The fish in the pond were also unique. They had sunfish, blue gill, goldfish, and even a catfish! Mr. Fix-it would surely love to fish here.

The last garden we toured was a very rural large property with a couple of ponds. Unfortunately the pond pump went out a few days before the tour. The homeowner went out and bought a new pump and quickly installed it but the pond suffered a bit. Nonetheless I was, as usual, most interested in the gardens. The bricks on this patio leading to the pond were all salvaged brick from the property. The homeowner installed the patio herself and she did a wonderful job. I liked how this weeping tree (probably a weeping cherry) was showcased on the patio. 


Hope you enjoyed the tour of water gardens. Remember almost all water garden owners love to garden so when you go on a pond tour you get a garden tour too....


in the garden....

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