I Have Become Obsessed With A Small Patch of Garden

[Lauri D]

(one in my front yard and one in my back yard).

They redid the wood paneling in front of the big front window and in order to do so had to rip out all of the (admittedly ugly) shrubs. And so I was left with a big patch-o-nothin', and plenty of time to obsess over turning it into something.

I went to the nearest good garden center, luckily close, and rapidly became best friends with the master-gardener-guy who seems to work there 24/7. I bought three gorgeous cobalt blue pots in varying sizes, picked out the plants (night blooming jasmine with some kinda purple flower border in one, impatients in the second, and gold-and-orange marigolds in the third). In between I sowed wildflowers, allysum and a thinking frog chotchka surrounded by some decorative white rock. Oh and a couple of glass flowers (sounds cheesy but they are actually quite pretty, people keep thinking they are real) and one of those disappearing-swirly-wind things hanging overhead, also in cobalt blue.

In back, I planted a bunch of groundcover that I can't remember the name of but the little flowers look like rasperries, wild sage, and a few potted daisy-type things (gerbersomething?) in vivid orange and burgundy. To the left, where the soil is rockier, has become a cactus garden. The peach tree is coming along nicely due to deep watering and the fruit should be ripe in about six more weeks. Lots of wind chimes.

Anyway, I am super excited because this is the first morning in the past four or five days that we haven't had the "June Gloom" morning coastal fog, so the front-patch plants are getting their full dose of sun and are going to go nuts thriving, I just know it! The wildflowers are already sprouting. I have been up early every morning obsessively misting and spraying and feeding all of these plants, trimming the small grass patch in back by hand because there's no way to get a lawnmower back there, and tracking the movements of the snails.

I dabbed a little Tahiti Pink nail polish on one of the snails so I could see him better, which he did not seem to mind.

Oh and I got a rockin' bougainvilla for the other side of the front, which they were going to GRAVEL IN

Share your current gardening activities as you see fit.

[godfry n. glad]

Welcome to Gardener's Anonymous.

My name is godfry, and I have a 4700 square foot inner city lot and a honkin' iris habit.

[Lauri D]

Originally Posted by godfry n. glad

Welcome to Gardener's Anonymous.

My name is godfry, and I have a 4700 square foot inner city lot and a honkin' iris habit.

Do I have to claim a higher power or something?

And please introduce me to this thing you call "iris".

[wildernesse]

I have a little garden that I have "stolen" from the other side of the duplex. Our old neighbors created this little raised bed (all the other dirt in the yard is red clay, so this actually grows stuff!), and then when they moved, I took over. It's more in our backyard than not, and we have had several spells of no neighbors so it's not a big deal.

The old neighbors planted four rose bushes in the raised beds, none of which do well or were/are kept up. I ripped up the two in the front, since they were pretty much dead. I used to plant annuals every year--pansies in the fall and summer annuals--but then law school happened to me. Luckily, in the years past, I planted daffodils, tulips, and irises one fall and had planted zinnias and cosmos the summer before. So, I really don't have to do anything any more to have flowers in that bed--which is nice, since I don't have extra time or money. Now, all I have to do is walk out there and look!

[godfry n. glad]

Originally Posted by Lauri D

Do I have to claim a higher power or something?

You must acknowledge that there is weather you cannot control.

And please introduce me to this thing you call "iris".

Oh, most certainly...

http://www.oregonlive.com/sites/gard...s/cooleys.html

http://www.schreinersgardens.com/

I happen to live an hour's drive from both of these. Last weekend, my gf and I went and toured both sites, where they have public displays of stands of each iris they sell. Since most everything, including the oriental poppies and magnificent dephinium, were in full bloom... well, take a look.

[wildernesse]

OOOOOOOhhhhh! An iris catalog! I so wish that I had a real yard, so that I could invest in beautiful plants.

[LadyShea]

All I can do now is plan, as I won't have a garden until September. I am enjoying reading all these ideas though, they will go into a notebook

[livius drusus]

Originally Posted by godfry n. glad

http://www.schreinersgardens.com/

I love all the bicolor ones. They're just riotously beautiful.


Schreiner's Gardens Celebration Song irises

[LadyShea]

Oh are those gorgeous! If I am not careful, my yard will end up garish because I love so many types of flowers.

[Lauri D]

Dear lord. My small patch is now CERTAIN to become garish... thanks, godfry!

[natasha]

Originally Posted by Lauri D

(one in my front yard and one in my back yard).


Share your current gardening activities as you see fit.

Your gardens sound lovely!

Our front yard is horribly overgrown. No lawn, we took that out years ago. One one side is ivy and vinica (spelling?) and rose bushes, which are being suffocated by the ivy, der. I've been cutting it back and it looks better but still a way to go. Other side has St. John's Wort, a stubborn blackberry, all kinds of plants. Privet hedge, or trees, growing past the roof line.

One of those arbor archway things at the front of the path, with clematis growing all around. And a string of bright round ball lights: very Tiki Lounge.

Neat in a wild "we're artists don't bug us man" kind of way, lol.

The back has all these little sections I've arranged. We have a small pond insert propped up on bricks. Piled soil all around it and planted things; mainly succulents, and it's pretty and doing well. Another secetion up against the bedroom side of the house with a circle of huge pots with roses and jasmine and all kinds of things.

And frogs too And those dollar store metal wire things with glass stones -- but looks good, not cheesy. Least I think so.

Spent a lot of time yesterday clearing out blackberry vines in the back; back to it today. should be doing that now instead of this!

[godfry n. glad]

Originally Posted by LadyShea

Oh are those gorgeous! If I am not careful, my yard will end up garish because I love so many types of flowers.

For me: Too late.

Although, what I've been stretching for is sub-area color themes and continuous bloom. I'm trying to teach myself how to interplant perennials. I'm not particularly lucky with cast seed annual stuff - the slugs tend to get the good stuff. And Lauri, if you take a liking to iris, or dephinium, you will become an enemy of the little snail. (Delphinium is slug/snail candy, iris merely meat and potatoes.)

One nice thing about iris is that they are pretty drought tolerant. They can receive minimal watering during the dry season and still perform well. They also do better in poor soils than a lot of other perennials, but they'll bloom better in rich loose soil. Full sun is a must (I'm cutting down a small tree on my little lot to accomodate more iris.)

[godfry n. glad]

Oh...

A note:

I see I didn't link you to an online catalog for Cooley's. I couldn't get a link that worked. If you can find it, their prices tend to be lower for many of the same varieties.

Also, if you find a color or combo you like, but it's listed at $35 to $50 per rhizome...look for other similar blooms. There are many that are close, but only $7.50 a rhizome. (A planted rhizome should bring you a stem of blooms next spring...if you order, you'll get them late July through August.)

Also, if you have the room and like several different varieties, then pay attention to the ordering "specials". Both companies have deals where if you buy so many $$$ worth, the price drops by half. Cooley's is $80, which was easy for me, because I tend to by three rhizomes of each variety I order.

I buy three of each because I like to see at least a small stand of each color. My current list is waaaay too long, but I'll have to cull it. I'm hoping to add a couple of bicolor iris. The one which currently fascinates me, though, is "Batik".

[godfry n. glad]

The holiday weekend has come and gone and the iris have begun to noticeably dwindle in number. My last stem bloomed on Friday, a pink self that sits back in a place that gets sun late.

However, the roses have come on gangbusters. While on Friday, I had a few blossoms here and there, this morning I have bouquets on bushes.

My first coreopsis bloomed last night! Screaming yellow!

And, it's prognosticated to be a perfect gardener's workday; cool and dry until late afternoon/early evening, when the rains begin. I'll have to run to the nursery to obtain some more coreopsis, echinacea and rudbeckia. But first, I've got to finish plugging in the last of the johnny-jump-ups (I'll get more only if they have the bright yellow variety). It's great transplanting weather, too.

Just to note, I've got some pix of last year's iris in my personal gallery. I hope to have more soon, as I should have an newly processed cd of pix this afternoon.

[Lauri D]

Just wanted to say thanks for all the info and tidbits, godfry!

It's been good gardening weather here so far today too. I spent about an hour picking boysenberries and have since been tending to the garden(s) for the last hour or so. I'm pretty sure it's good excercise, too, since my legs are sore from all the bending and squatting and stretching!

[godfry n. glad]

Bleeah...

The weather wu-wu folks botched it again. It started raining at noon, just after I got back from the nursery with a whole new tray of plants to put in.

I just got basics> coreposis (bright yellow tickseed) & rudbeckia (black-eyed susans), echinacea (purple cone flowers). The front hillside is divided by the front steps up to the landing (which is the front yard garden, such as it is). One side is done in yellows and oranges, with blues for contrast. The other has the Red Ballerina rose, so it has reds, pinks and whites, with purples for the contrast.

Ah,well, it's errands and housework.

I got the pix, but I tried attaching and they're too big. Either I got a figure out a fix I can do at home, or it's wait 'til next week when I'm back at work.

[Sweetie]

My first Iris is blooming!

It's violet and white.

[godfry n. glad]

It's June.

I took the Quebequois flag down this past week. I fly it starting at the beginning of iris season, and take it down when iris season is over. (It's a blue standard quartered by a white Cross of St. George, with each quadrant having a white fleur-de-lis [iris].) My last iris was blown last week.


godfry

I'm mid-way through my first bloom on the roses and the star jasmine is in full bloom.

Ssmmmmmmm....ahhhhhhhh.

I've decided I'm going to move my prolifically blooming 'Iceberg' white floribunda rose to the front, where I'll put it where the redtwig dogwood now blots out the sun. Yeah! Whoop-ti-doo...a summer project, dogwood extraction. (More iris space!)

The war on grass continues.

In other news, I've got an infestation of invasive ranunculus (stinkin' buttercups!) in what limited grassy area I want as turf (basically as a tent-pitching site). I may have to go toxic for this.

Pathways need exhumation. The patio needs minor excavation and cosmetic touchup. The rudbeckia are coming on strong; I'm hoping for a really good show. Powerwashing is due and gutter-cleaning is overdue.

My potted fleurs are doing reasonably well. I was disappointed to have a white delphinium appear where I thought I'd put a dark purple one. I was attempting to have a striking contrast to the screaming yellow coreopsis and rudbeckia. White and yellow? feh....

It's time to deadhead the Canterbury bells before they reseed too damned much. It looks like I've got some movin' to do, too. And to get them outta the way of the 'maters, which are coming on gangbusters. I've got a handful of blossoms on the 'maters and a couple of proto-fruit nodules on my potted lemon cuke.

Soon I shall trim the iris leaves and move any of those I wish to locales other than their present ones.

So, what's goin' on with everybody else?

[godfry n. glad]

Well, 'round these parts, the height of summer is nearly gone. Darkness intrudes earlier and earlier in the evenings.

My rudbeckia is glorious! I've got most of one hillside in full bloom (self: must take pix!) of glorious safety yellow black-eyed susans. I am pleased. I'm noting spots of where to interplant more, come next spring. My rosa rugosa, that stands at the brow of that hillside, is maturing nicely, with several new stem starts. It should be a much more impressive show next year. I've still got grass (and a frickin' woodbine nightshade!) that needs to be extricated and disposed.

Of course, I just finished planting my newly arrived box of 29 new iris rhizomes (11 separate varieties). Fun! Especially next May.

I've started cleaning out in the back, by the bunny hutch, where the rose of sharon volunteers have attempted a takeover. I've beaten them back and planted new iris nearby, so I'll be checking more often and catch them sooner next time.

Spread plenty of slugbait today, too. I found a fair selection of healthy specimens while degrassing (in preparation for the new iris, y'know).

I'm still planning on taking out a Stewartia and a redtwig dogwood, both in the front northwest quadrant, because they cast too much shade - for guess what? - for iris. Plus, three trees in an area that used to be shaded by one spreading Japanese maple is too much. I've decided I like the Chinese dogwood (cornus kousa) which has gotten off to a decent start. Taking out two trees to make room for one and more iris is a no brainer for me.

My 'maters are in full production. I'm bringing in a colander full about every three days. And, no, liv, I've yet to get cheese....bad memory.

So... What's going on with all you other putterers?

[godfry n. glad]

Damn! Where are all the gardeners?

[JoeP]

I have garden aversion, but I've spent the past three weeks with keen allotment gardeners (and a visit to Kew Gardens - mmm). We missed the strawberries but have been eating blackberries raspberries tomatoes damsons runner beans french beans courgettes (zucchini to some) sweetcorn plums and other produce that doesn't immediately come to mind. The damson tree was groaning under the weight of dusky blue damsons (... and some dusky grey ones ... the problem with growing your own is that you get it all at once and you can't pick it before it goes mouldy).

[Lauri D]

Hey godfry

My small patch of garden in California is developing nicely (I was there last week and had the opportunity to tend to it personally, as when I am out of town it is at the mercy of surrogate caretakers).

The wildflowers are in full bloom, the jasmine is climbing in just the way I wanted it to, and best of all, the bougainvilla is spreading far and wide.

Unfortunately, my peach tree didn't do well this year; I think that perhaps my absence, and lack of deep watering, contributed to its shitty bearing. The few peaches that I was able to pluck had a sandpapery quality *barf*

[godfry n. glad]

Allotment gardens?

I think I saw some when I stayed at a B&B in Edinburgh.

Is that urban gardeners who are alloted a small plot of land to garden? A community garden? I had a plot, with eleven other plotholders at a small inner city park space (I've since given it up, because I don't consider myself a dedicated enough vegetable gardener and I've enough space to take care of on my house lot.)

[JoeP]

Partly right, godfry. If you mean allotted in the sense of some government handout, that's not how it works, at least any more, but there are rules governing them that come from that kind of background. Allotment tenants have to pay a rent but are subject to some rules - no commercial use (not allowed to sell the vast crop of beans you can't possibly eat), and plots may be taken back and given to someone else if unused. I know this because my mother is on the committee for her allotments.

Allotments are usually out of sight, not public gardens. They're more a way of giving urban residents more food-growing space.

* JoeP thinks there must be wikipedia article
* JoeP is right:
Allotment (gardening) - and compare it to Community garden.

[godfry n. glad]

Thanks, Joe.

It sounds to me like what I call a community garden is the very same thing as allotments in the UK or Commonwealth nations.

Here, community gardens are usually land that is owned by the city (or county or state and then leased to the city at the nominal $1 US per year) and administered by the city parks department. They have a professional staffer who does most of the administration. They divide up an small area within an existing park into 25' x 25' plots that are leased to a gardener for a nominal fee each year. That fee covers administrative costs and water. All other costs are the individual plot leasors'. It's so popular that there are drawings each year for new or abandoned plots. There are minimal rules. Commercial growing is the biggest taboo; hypothetically, these are supposed to be for urban households to augment their fresh produce. Each garden selects their own garden manager from amongst the gardeners at the site.

The community garden in my neighborhood (an inner city, middle-class neighborhood of mostly foursquare or bungelow homes) was at one time owned by the state highway department, which tore down two houses in preparation to build a new six lane freeway. When the freeway was abandoned and the monies diverted to a light rail system, the state was left holding a sizeable number of homes (and empty lots where they'd preemptively razed the structures) along the route of the planned thoroughfare. My neighborhood, acknowledged by the city as being "park-deficient", pressured the city to acquire the empty plots of land from the state for use as a community garden (as some were already being leased from the state for that purpose). I personally was one of the leaders of the initiative and we managed to get not only the community garden (on what used to be two residential home lots, we created 12 plots and a communal raspberry stand, and we installed the water and a fence with volunteer labor and a grant), but an additional three lot space in another locale in the neighborhood. The latter has no community garden space, and we just planted ten new trees and installed two new stone benches.