Listen to the many bird songs in the background. The yard and surrounding area is extremely busy with birds, butterflies, bees, and many other critters.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/15582147@N04/3593140886/
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hendi_alex
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 3604
- Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
that's so cool! I didn't know you could do that on Flickr. I'm going to check and see if Photobucket has something simiar.
Your plants are beautiful and it's evident you spend a lot of time working in your gardens.
It would be great to see others' gardens, too!
ps--You sound just like I thought you would!
Your plants are beautiful and it's evident you spend a lot of time working in your gardens.
It would be great to see others' gardens, too!
ps--You sound just like I thought you would!
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hendi_alex
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 3604
- Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
"How much time per week do you spend working on it?"
Almost none. During my daily walks, I'll snatch up a few of the largest and most difficult weeds, but most weeds are just allowed to grow as undergrowth. For me that is no problem since the flowering plants stand a good bit above the weeds, shade them, and repress their growth. The perennial part of the bed needs very little care during the growing season as the plants grow so close together weeds are not much of a problem. In terms of weeding and watering, I probably average about thirty minutes to an hour per week on this mixed flower garden that averages about 25 feet wide by 125 feet long. If I were bothered by the presence of weeds/native plants, the spot would only be perhaps ten feet by 25 feet.
There is a good bit of work associated with the garden during early spring and during late fall. Late fall we clean the spot, removing spent large plants. Early spring the annuals portion gets fertilized, plowed, and seeded. Also gets watered most every day until the seeds germinate. Also early spring some older perennials get lifted and new ones get planted. If we are going to mulch some area with newspaper and pinstraw, that is when we do that chore. I just run the tiller around the perimeter once of twice during the summer and that keeps the grass from encroaching too much. At some point may put weed guard down around the perimeter and cover that with pine straw.
A relatively small perennial garden can be quite impressive. My first one was about twelve by 25 feet in an irregular shape. Thickly planted areas will take care of themselves, thinner spaces will be less work with some weed barrier covered with mulch. We generally use several lavers of newspaper covered by pine straw. IMO some annuals really need to be planted in some open spaces among the perennials. That way you get lots more boom over a much longer season.
Almost none. During my daily walks, I'll snatch up a few of the largest and most difficult weeds, but most weeds are just allowed to grow as undergrowth. For me that is no problem since the flowering plants stand a good bit above the weeds, shade them, and repress their growth. The perennial part of the bed needs very little care during the growing season as the plants grow so close together weeds are not much of a problem. In terms of weeding and watering, I probably average about thirty minutes to an hour per week on this mixed flower garden that averages about 25 feet wide by 125 feet long. If I were bothered by the presence of weeds/native plants, the spot would only be perhaps ten feet by 25 feet.
There is a good bit of work associated with the garden during early spring and during late fall. Late fall we clean the spot, removing spent large plants. Early spring the annuals portion gets fertilized, plowed, and seeded. Also gets watered most every day until the seeds germinate. Also early spring some older perennials get lifted and new ones get planted. If we are going to mulch some area with newspaper and pinstraw, that is when we do that chore. I just run the tiller around the perimeter once of twice during the summer and that keeps the grass from encroaching too much. At some point may put weed guard down around the perimeter and cover that with pine straw.
A relatively small perennial garden can be quite impressive. My first one was about twelve by 25 feet in an irregular shape. Thickly planted areas will take care of themselves, thinner spaces will be less work with some weed barrier covered with mulch. We generally use several lavers of newspaper covered by pine straw. IMO some annuals really need to be planted in some open spaces among the perennials. That way you get lots more boom over a much longer season.
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mercy1grace2@gmail.com
- Full Member
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 10:33 pm
- Location: Alabama
Orchid9,
That was the most relaxed I've been all day--THANK YOU for sharing a piece of beauty!
Are you for hire?!
Seriously, though, I am fairly new to gardening--still planting things in the wrong places and having to dig them up and move them... But I have a woodland area in my back yard that I'd like to turn into a garden of some sort--maybe a private garden with a swing or bench and a birdbath. But it is so overwhelming looking at all those plans different sites post, and all the different flower and plant options.
Any advice for how to get started? It is shaped like a small football field. Right now it has two full grown pines (I love the pine straw for beds), a couple of azaleas, a couple of hostas, and a Christmas tree looking tree. The rest is pine straw, weeds, some kind of monkey grass and an invasive plant/bush I am fighting with the advice of our extension center.
Thanks!
Flowerblast
That was the most relaxed I've been all day--THANK YOU for sharing a piece of beauty!
Are you for hire?!
Seriously, though, I am fairly new to gardening--still planting things in the wrong places and having to dig them up and move them... But I have a woodland area in my back yard that I'd like to turn into a garden of some sort--maybe a private garden with a swing or bench and a birdbath. But it is so overwhelming looking at all those plans different sites post, and all the different flower and plant options. Any advice for how to get started? It is shaped like a small football field. Right now it has two full grown pines (I love the pine straw for beds), a couple of azaleas, a couple of hostas, and a Christmas tree looking tree. The rest is pine straw, weeds, some kind of monkey grass and an invasive plant/bush I am fighting with the advice of our extension center.
Thanks!
Flowerblast