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Friday, June 3, 2011

Garden This Morning: 06/03/11

Twenty years ago when I first started building this garden I pretended it was a sunny and I planted old-fashioned roses. The trees continued to grow and eventually reality set in. It became almost strictly a shade garden. I found that the climbing roses fared okay, and daylilies, the tree peonies and some of the older varieties of irises. Last year the neighbor to the south had to take out a huge oak and later a storm came through and took out all of the big trees to the west. Now we're back to a lot more sun, which opens up some planting opportunities. I am resisting ripping things out again and starting over. We'll see how things fare. The older I get the more I appreciate foliage. Not every plant has to have showy flowers, but I try to get the most bang for my buck when I do plant a flowing plant.

The hosta steps. Slowly, but surely becoming a theoretical entrance to the garden.
The white iris is from Maude's garden. The apricots are modern hybrids.
Tami Staker's irises. (Or Peg Warren's irises, depending on how long you've been in Oakwood)
More irises from along Maude's picket fence.

12 comments:

tamistaker said...

Sweet ... The irises are doing well at your home too! We lost a large branch off the tree in the backyard where they reside here. With the add'l sunshine, they're blooming like crazy this year. I like that.

Rat Trap Press said...

Nice garden. It looks like a great place to kick back and relax.

Gunnar Berg said...

Relax for a while. Then I see a weed. See something that needs transplanting. Something that needs pruning. It's never ending.

Anonymous said...

It's gorgeous! I LOVE gardens like that...wish I had a "green thumb" but I don't so will visit vicariously!
My folks knew Maude...not sure if it would have been from living in Oakwood or not as that would have been the mid-30's to the early 40's. I had always wished they could have stayed there!
L.N.

Gunnar Berg said...

Maude live in Oakwood for 68 years. As she moved into her 80s she would often say that she hoped heaven was as lovely as Oakwood. She was a bit of a heathen. If there is a heaven I hope she made the cut.

Gunnar Berg said...

Liz,
It's been my observation that a green thumb isn't something mystical. It is simple observation and continual work.

Anonymous said...

My mother had a green thumb...but she also was a bit of a Martha Stewart as well. I think you either have it or you don't. If you have it, you can't understand why others don't as it comes so easy for you. I think it may have jumped a generation and landed on our daughter though.
L.N.

Gunnar Berg said...

@ L.N.,
More important, how are you feeling now?

George A said...

I'm all for plants that look after themselves and come back every year without much in put from moi. The only thing in a garden better than irises and day lillies is rhubarb! Show me your pie plant!

Gunnar Berg said...

That would be a vegetable (or fruit?). Noooo vegetables!
We have some herbs and this year I broke down for three tomatoes for Lorna.

For plants "that look after themselves" it seems like I spend time looking after them almost every day of the growing season. I'd sure hate to have high maintenance plants. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Gunnar....like I'm glad that it's a week later!!! It's been quite the ordeal and I'll be quite happy to be strong again and back to "LIFE". The BIG hope is that we'll get the "all clear" from the doctor on the 16th so we can travel North as was the plan.
Brings to mind...that best laid plans sometimes get detoured, delayed or cancelled. Hopefully none of these!!!
L.N.

Anonymous said...

Oh....and thank you for asking!!!