Dreaming of a garden...

I love this garden and can't take my eyes off of it.  It isn't my garden, but one I found years ago and kept a photo for research  ( apologies to the owner of this garden)

inspirational  - from Missouri Gardens

Guesses?
Front  
Purple phlox and 
maiden grass 
or lily in the front

spires to the left are purple Salvia or  Purple Sage, or Veronica
low yellowgreen plant?  
lambs ear  
coreopsis
yellow sun- coreposis? 
feathery leaves


around the first curve, 
catmint or lavendar?  --------yellow low color? sun- coreposis? feathery leaves
low lambsear
dianthis
something feathery and bluegreen- 
I have this but the name excapes me...
second layer is
bigger droopy leaves, middle row - a peony
red behind - barberry
maybe catmint?
yellow gold feathery med height
orange lily
larger mass of feathery yellow greens
blackeyed susan
feathery type grass?
russian sage behind
behind is some yarrow (yellows)
not sure what is next hidden?
tall something (butterfly bush next to fountain grass)
something blooming med in front
something low and green in front
five things not sure of?


silver blue 2 to 3 feet tall plant not sure of?


rudbekia (husband is very allergic- but I love)
blue green feathery not sure of med height
Annebelle hydrangia
iris in front of




lambs ear
salvia
Mums
grass
diantis or
butterfly bush
butterfly weed

Physostegia virginiana 'Pink Manners' 

white yarrow
veronica
cosmos

juniper
dusty miller
Coreopsis Sienna Sunset
maiden grass

Lady's Mantle  Cranesbill

Campanula persicifolia Grandiflora Alba

Coreopsis Sienna Sunset

When to Prune

Knockout Rose - prune in early spring, thin out branches, feed

Forsythia- prune right after blooming, trim way back

Spirea-  prune after blooming, trim and shape

Hydrangia- depends upon type - some bloom on old wood, some on new wood

Russian sage -  classified as a woody sub-shrub. Many people prune them annually to keep short, like perennial flowers.  Some people trim in early spring to keep winter interest

Monkey Grass- ok to trim in fall or spring

Hosta- divide and separate in spring or fall

Boxwood- anytime- likes fertilizer in the spring - also mulch

Rhododendron and Azalea - prune after bloom,  feed in spring

Spreading Yew (Taxus repandens) is low growing with attractive arching branches, and won't grow out of bounds like other yews.   selective pruning 

http://www.thegardencontinuum.com/blog/bid/38277/Landscape-Field-Videos-How-to-Prune-a-Yew

Selective pruning- yes

Sheared- no

 get rid of Virginia Creeper

http://landscaping.about.com/od/vineplants1/p/virginiacreeper.htm

cut the vine's trunk (near ground level), then apply the strongest concentrate of glyphosate (Roundup) you can buy to the fresh wound. An organic method of killing Virginia creeper is to dig it out, but this is easier said than done, as the plant spreads via rhizomes.

Lambs ear, cat mint- silvery prune all the time

Peony-  After first frost, cut stems back to two inches above soil line. The first winter, apply a 4- to 6-inch layer of  mulch, prevent roots from being heaved out of the ground by alternate freezing and thawing. Once your peonies are established, annual winter mulching is not necessary. Remove protective mulch in the spring.

Maiden grass- ornamental grasses with narrow, graceful leaves that move gently in breezes in the garden. It is a warm-season, clump-forming grass Maiden grass has narrow leaves about 1/4 inch wide with an arching clump 48 to 60 inches tall.  Prefers a full-sun exposure in a moist, fertile garden loam. It needs to be divided every third/ fourth year to keep the center of the clump from dying.

 

Lavenders are usually planted in large clumps of one variety, where their soft shade and cool, subtle foliage provide quiet dignity through the summer. In one of our trials, we discovered that a perfectly delightful effect can be had by combining several varieties whose disparate heights, colors, and forms flow together to produce a garden that is interesting and informal, but very definitely Lavender. Of course, there is no 'right' way to combine them. Two plants each of 3 hardy varieties: Lavandula angustifolia, L. x intermedia 'Grosso', and L. x i. 'Provence'. Six plants total. They will cover about 20 sq. ft. Pot-grown. Exclusive.

http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/83282-product.html

Height: 2-3'

Fragrance: Yes

Deer Resistant: Yes

Exposure: Full Sun

Blooms In: June-July

Spacing: 18-24"             prune after blooming . do not prune woody stems.

do not prune in winter . mistake to separate older lavenders.

Notes to Self - 3

Last year was a challenging year.

Tasha Tudor inspiration-
Love this idea!
Tasha Tudor plants three of the same plant in three different spots, then she moves the ones that are not flourishing to the area where the one plant is thriving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the back patio- I hate the color of my walls
puzzle- how to draw eye away from nasty color?

****Not my photos****  small pieces of online photos

Watched  Garden Smart this AM on Public Television-
some notes from the show
layers
full sun  (size and light) balance
tall junipers  (spiral)  to anchor and add height-
boxwood- dark greens- winter gem
spirea  - double play  - bright chartruse

barberis (bright aurea golden barberry)

weigelia- wine and roses- nice plant with lots of blooms

red barberry (I don't like the reds?what to substitute here? - but it helps make the yellows pop)

add in annuals for color in the front  -
wave petunia - purples and reds
bright reds

Make sure the soil is good
buy 8 to 10 annuals to add bright color each year

till clay to loosen add organnic choice top
till into clay add mulch
drip irrigation system
time release fertilizer 4- 12 months release
water and temperature

Add finishing touches like a fountain.
to the entryway
adds a nice sound.

container gardens to fit space add colors to go with house
how to hide an ugly wall?  Houzz
I LOVE this idea

http://www.houzz.com/vertical-plant-wall

Notes to Self- Garden .2

Last year was a challenging year.

Tasha Tudor inspiration-  I
 love this idea!
Tasha Tudor plants three of the same plant in three different spots, then she moves the ones that are not flourishing to the area where the one plant is thriving.

Recipe for A Disastrous Garden

1) Drought,  lost so many plants-
plus a broken sprinkler system, add in travel, and over commitment
and a ridiculously incompetent sprinkler company
(left us with more broken sprinklers than we started, and a 1000.00 bill)
2) Rabbits
3) Family of ground hogs
4) Deer, about 5 to 7 - Buck, and several Fawn and Does
5) Fox, opossum, raccoons 
6) The usual bevy of squirrels, chipmunks, mice, beautiful birds and owls
7) various plant eating insects
8) Dead trees from drought

add to the mix

1) me... one that doesn't want to hurt anything
2) will not use chemicals
3) a dog - thinks it is beneath it to chase furry animals.
4) Not sure what to do after hiring expensive incompetent sprinkler man and spending thousands of dollars



All this equals a challenging garden

1) Hubby somewhat fixed water by himself
2) Bought Coyote urine- placed near groundhog's den, didn't help, but noted I didn't use it as directed
3) human hair placed near groundhog  (didn't work)
4) removed dead trees and limbs 
5) transplanted some of the fast growing plants that were too big, may have lost them?  not sure
6) bought shell stuff on Amazon to deter insect population (snails, slugs and rolley polley bugs)
helped!
7) bought ladybugs on amazon - helped with aphids, japanese beetles. 
8) Learned to enjoy wildlife rather than be annoyed-  helped greatly
9) Learned to enjoy planning a garden. I'm redoing it so often


------
This is a puzzle 

Fillers Thrillers and Spillers

Fillers Thrillers and Spillers

- my mother's day gift

My Sweet Fairy Garden

My Sweet Fairy Garden is gone!

The deer nibbled on my hostas and my hosta are no more

Look closer...

...and you will see why I am so upset.

it's a shame...it was such a nice reading nook

                                                              (...at least the deer are happy)

SPRING!

Ahhhh....Spring

this is not my own garden, but from Pinterest
(my newest favorite obsession)
DH gave me three huge pots for mother's day and now I need to figure out how to fill them.
They are HUGE!
I love the greens and bright colors...it is the most fun to dream, I think