Monday, April 21, 2014

NO GARDEN SHOULD EVER STAY THE SAME

Sometimes it is necessary to make changes to the garden. Maybe you don't like a particular planting or a tree grows too big or maybe it is simply a measure to reduce the amount of work you have to do.


The main planting in this bed: spineless prickly pear and pink knockout roses had become a free for all of larkspur, cone flowers, poppies, love-in-a-mist and other annuals. I'll call them my weeds. So I redid the sprinkler system putting a circle of drips around the roses. Then I shovel full of rabbit poo and a covering of hardwood mulch. I couldn't quite bring myself to pull out the germander, ice plant and the rose campion but maybe later in the year I will.


  I think the rose campion, Lychnis coronaria, and spineless prickly pear cactus make a happy combination and the rose campion will only be there for a short time longer.
I like the tidy look and there are plenty of places in the garden where it is a free-for-all. Maybe just a little ice plant to soften the edges of the stone but that is all.
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9 comments:

  1. Kris PetersonApril 21, 2014 at 8:33 PM

    It's beautiful! Does your local nursery actually sell rabbit poo as fertilizer?

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  2. SueApril 21, 2014 at 10:18 PM

    I think it's always tough to pull out plants, but afterwards it usually ends up being a wise decision.
    That is indeed a great combo!

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  3. --Ana--April 22, 2014 at 9:57 AM

    It looks amazing. Rabbit poo is doing it's job. :) I never pull out my plants. I love cottage garden design so I'm always trying to make my garden as wild looking as it can be.

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  4. Linda/patchworkApril 22, 2014 at 11:08 AM

    Looks great.
    I keep thinking clean-up shouldn't take WEEKS. I don't have as much growing here, so I can't imagine how much work you have.

    Some day, I hope you do a post about your irrigation system. Would like some inspiration for what to do. I know you use drip systems...but, would love to see how you do it.

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  5. LauraApril 22, 2014 at 11:44 AM

    Looks great. Love the pink!

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  6. NellApril 23, 2014 at 5:09 AM

    What a beautiful pink...are they hard to grow?
    Enjoy your blog.

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  7. TexasDebApril 23, 2014 at 5:18 AM

    I agree that rose campion is a great companion to the prickly pear. The bed looks more restful with a little less going on - the color palette is more restricted - some would say more refined. I think editing (in the form of taking things out) is always a tricky job to justify but the negative spaces often do a lot to emphasize the beauty of what remains. Well played!

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  8. TinaApril 23, 2014 at 6:23 AM

    You're right and there are always changes in the garden. I once believed (foolishly) that once I had my garden "as I wanted it" that there wouldn't be any more to do. I'm so glad that I was wrong! That rose campion--so beautiful.

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  9. Candice Suter.....SweetstuffApril 24, 2014 at 7:22 PM

    It looks fabulous and you are so right. A garden is an ever changing thing!

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