Share your blooms - what’s ‘growing on’ in your landscape?

[Daisys and Diamonds]

my garden has been a wreck but because of this thread i got motivated to do a bit of putting up today of a few native shrubs and a lemon-aid treethat have been waiting way too long
next i must get out with the weedkiller
need to time it right around the cats' timetable but also once the dew has dried
im eliminating some lawn that's full of cooch grass between the garage and the path
im going to divid up the violets that are making them selves at home in half that area anyway and let them run riot under the lilly pilly tree
then ill weed the little garden than runs along the garage and do something with the Agapanthas that i adore but the other half hates
edit
if i write it down then i have to do it

 

[monarch64]

@Daisys and Diamonds some great natural weedkillers are vinegar and plain old boiling water. You may already know that, but whenever someone says WEEDKILLER, I like to make sure people know there are alternatives to the chemical options.

 

[madelise]

My new Arlie Wright

 

[madelise]

My resurrected Paul Bunyan after it almost completely died in January after we had pretty cold weather. I’m looking into succulent “blankets” for next winter.

 

[madelise]

My new baby Iopantha, with hand on the floor for size comparison. I like to always have my hand or feet in the pics so I can compare them in a few weeks for size growth observations.

 

[whitewave]

@Daisys and Diamonds some great natural weedkillers are vinegar and plain old boiling water. You may already know that, but whenever someone says WEEDKILLER, I like to make sure people know there are alternatives to the chemical options.

I did not know this, thanks.

 

[Queenie60]

My new baby Iopantha, with hand on the floor for size comparison. I like to always have my hand or feet in the pics so I can compare them in a few weeks for size growth observations.

Cool plants @madelise

 

[mrs-b]

This isn't my yard, granted, but abut an hour ago there were *in* my yard! Every house we've ever owned, I always plant roses. This photo is misleading - in that it's a big vase, and this arrangement is at least 18" across - probably more.

 

[mrs-b]

Here are a bunch more from my garden.











Two from the back yard - firstly, my towering pines:



New garden bed:



And just a few things, cut and brought inside:



And one last one. This was our house when we bought it. We had zero salvageable garden, so we've done the whole thing from scratch over the last 4 years. It's been a lot of work - but worth it.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Great pics folks!
@mrs-b I always grew roses in my gardens, too. Love them--they make your garden and your day! My Mom and I had a convo about them last night! In my climate zone, They are worth the effort.

cheers--Sharon

 

[Bonfire]

Ahh...summer

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

@Daisys and Diamonds some great natural weedkillers are vinegar and plain old boiling water. You may already know that, but whenever someone says WEEDKILLER, I like to make sure people know there are alternatives to the chemical options.

oh dear you may not like me now sad
i worked for a rural supply company for many years and in garden centres selling pesticides
i am Ms Weedkiller
how ever these days i am very careful and don't go overboard.
ive moved on from the era of scorched earth ! and i hand weed where i can.but my lawn needs a helping hand before i turn it into a camomile lawn which of course i can't use weedkillers on
we used to sell alot of agricultural salt granuals for weedkilling but im not convinced
incidently im trying to eliminate lawn moving to help the enviroment but most people dont get it
my neighbour mows his lawn more than twice a week
im weedkilling out all the talk rye grass and the horrible 'rysoomy' stuff so i can resow finner dwarf alternatives
my lawn stayed green last summer when everyone else's died off because we stopped moving it
im going to sow alot of clover - like they did in the 50s - but for the bees
i only got stung once last year !

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

My new Arlie Wright

wow love that !

 

[prs]

Our bougainvilleas are doing quite well this year. This red is called Barbara Karst:




This purple Elizabeth Angus is starting to feel our Central Valley summer heat!

 

[mrs-b]

Ahh...summer

<GASP!>

@Bonfire - I have to ask - where do you live?? This is STUNNING!!

 

[D&T]

I love my Rose of Sharon Trees, I call them the "popcorn" or "lollipop" trees and keep them pretty rounded:

I forgot to take some pictures of my beautiful black/red asiatic lillies before they died and these below bloomed.

 

[D&T]

and some planter boxes sweet potato vines

 

[Roi]

Love all the plants and flowers
My favorites are lilac, peonies, Hortensia, roses, etc

 

[Bonfire]

<GASP!>

@Bonfire - I have to ask - where do you live?? This is STUNNING!!

Chicago burbs

 

[Bonfire]

Love all the plants and flowers
My favorites are lilac, peonies, Hortensia, roses, etc

Just stunning! I share your love of Peonies! Yours are gorgeous

 

[mrs-b]

Chicago burbs

Well, you sure are making the Chicago burbs look good!!

 

[prs]

We moved from Atlanta to California's Central Valley, and were astounded by the difference in gardening strategy required in a hot dry climate vs Atlanta's hot, humid climate. Here the main issue is finding plants that will even survive endless days of 90-110° F without a cloud in the sky. The challenge is compounded by the fact we can get winter frosts, so many of the blooming shrubs that do well in Phoenix or Palm Springs don't survive our winters! So here after four years learning curve, a small fortune spent at the local nurseries, and another small fortune spent on sprinklers, are the plants, in addition to the bougainvilleas, that are currently in bloom.

Stella D'Oro Day Lily

Dynamite Crepe Myrtle


Bird of Paradise

 

[prs]

Coral Fountain aka Firecracker

Gold Star Esperanza

Various Lantanas

and last but not least, the bullet proof Society Garlic

 

[D&T]

We moved from Atlanta to California's Central Valley, and were astounded by the difference in gardening strategy required in a hot dry climate vs Atlanta's hot, humid climate. Here the main issue is finding plants that will even survive endless days of 90-110° F without a cloud in the sky. The challenge is compounded by the fact we can get winter frosts, so many of the blooming shrubs that do well in Phoenix or Palm Springs don't survive our winters! So here after four years learning curve, a small fortune spent at the local nurseries, and another small fortune spent on sprinklers, are the plants, in addition to the bougainvilleas, that are currently in bloom.

Stella D'Oro Day Lily

Dynamite Crepe Myrtle


Bird of Paradise

Day Lillies Definitely do well with frost and hot dry... I have a few variations and it does well in UT.
While living in AZ, Bougainvilleas were easy to grow low maintenance effortless plants loved them!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

We moved from Atlanta to California's Central Valley, and were astounded by the difference in gardening strategy required in a hot dry climate vs Atlanta's hot, humid climate. Here the main issue is finding plants that will even survive endless days of 90-110° F without a cloud in the sky. The challenge is compounded by the fact we can get winter frosts, so many of the blooming shrubs that do well in Phoenix or Palm Springs don't survive our winters! So here after four years learning curve, a small fortune spent at the local nurseries, and another small fortune spent on sprinklers, are the plants, in addition to the bougainvilleas, that are currently in bloom.

Stella D'Oro Day Lily

Dynamite Crepe Myrtle


Bird of Paradise

oh i miss my bird of paradise so much
it was the middle of a hot dry summer when we moved and Wellington is just rock and clay and we tried but it was too hard and hot the last day to dig any up

 

[monarch64]

oh dear you may not like me now sad
i worked for a rural supply company for many years and in garden centres selling pesticides
i am Ms Weedkiller
how ever these days i am very careful and don't go overboard.
ive moved on from the era of scorched earth ! and i hand weed where i can.but my lawn needs a helping hand before i turn it into a camomile lawn which of course i can't use weedkillers on
we used to sell alot of agricultural salt granuals for weedkilling but im not convinced
incidently im trying to eliminate lawn moving to help the enviroment but most people dont get it
my neighbour mows his lawn more than twice a week
im weedkilling out all the talk rye grass and the horrible 'rysoomy' stuff so i can resow finner dwarf alternatives
my lawn stayed green last summer when everyone else's died off because we stopped moving it
im going to sow alot of clover - like they did in the 50s - but for the bees
i only got stung once last year !

No, no, no! That isn't the case at all. I don't judge people for doing things differently than me. I simply wanted to offer an alternative, and even if you already know this, someone else may not (@whitewave, for example!) It's really great that you've cut down on mowing grass and are transitioning to clover and chamomile. Thyme (the herb) is another thing to try as it makes a lovely and fragrant groundcover, especially between paving stones or bricks. At least that's here in the U.S.--I think you're in NZ?

 

[whitewave]

No, no, no! That isn't the case at all. I don't judge people for doing things differently than me. I simply wanted to offer an alternative, and even if you already know this, someone else may not (@whitewave, for example!) It's really great that you've cut down on mowing grass and are transitioning to clover and chamomile. Thyme (the herb) is another thing to try as it makes a lovely and fragrant groundcover, especially between paving stones or bricks. At least that's here in the U.S.--I think you're in NZ?

Well, you inspired me to gimp outside and take a good look at what’s going on and it’s really bad. You know how when things happen a little at a time, you don’t really notice?

Weeds weeds weeds and the blackberry brambles are back again, trying to reestablish themselves, so I did do a quick light dusting of roundup. I’ll do vinegar tomorrow and then I’ll get one of the kids to use the garden claw to loosen root systems.

I definitely need a truck bed of soil before I can do anything. Everything is gone, the garden trench, the mulch, the topsoil.

It’s a giant project.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

No, no, no! That isn't the case at all. I don't judge people for doing things differently than me. I simply wanted to offer an alternative, and even if you already know this, someone else may not (@whitewave, for example!) It's really great that you've cut down on mowing grass and are transitioning to clover and chamomile. Thyme (the herb) is another thing to try as it makes a lovely and fragrant groundcover, especially between paving stones or bricks. At least that's here in the U.S.--I think you're in NZ?

phew
thank you @monarch64
(yes NZ) and here we murder lawns and mow them much too low and too often to be healthy
actually i do have some creeping tyme also
and i have some containers of seed of what we call 'Mercury bay weed' that they use on lawn bowling greens here
im.afraid ive got a bit over ambitious
i have forget me not seed too
i have this vague plan im planting zones
i also want to run gazanas down the moving strip in the drive but i had trouble germinating the seed last year so im waiting till the ground temp heats up in the spring
no body really understands me but the other half hates mowing the lawn so he's ok with it
however i think i really mucked up with the crocus as i should have really mowed that little triangle of lawn before the daffs came up as that grass is too long sad
im also a worrier sad
when i planted 100s of daffs i marked my spade at 100mm (4") but im scared i had settlement and they arnt deep enough. i rejoyce at the 2 early daff flowers ive had so far as this is the 2nd year
the garden behind the daffs i planted in blue bells and they do look robust this year

i watched this program on the garden at Highgrove and although im not turning organic i hope im still trying my best
our back lawn is an old fashoned 1950s sized NZ back lawn

 

[prs]

Day Lillies Definitely do well with frost and hot dry... I have a few variations and it does well in UT.
While living in AZ, Bougainvilleas were easy to grow low maintenance effortless plants loved them!

We inherited a bunch of different varieties of Day Lily at a house we bought in Atlanta. All kinds of beautiful colors but they only bloomed for about a month in the Spring. Then we discovered Stella D'Oro, they bloom continuously from Spring thru Summer in a gorgeous pure yellow!

We were advised not to plant Bougainvillea here because of the frost. I did some research and found Barbara Karst is the most cold resistant variety. We started with one planted on a South facing wall and it did fine. Best to plant in early spring so the root system has the longest time to get established before Winter frosts. Thanks to climate change our frosts haven't been too bad the last few years, so even when they do die back after a mild frost, they grow back in the Spring. Not that I'm advising you to try this in UT, I know you have real Winters there!!

 

[prs]

oh i miss my bird of paradise so much
it was the middle of a hot dry summer when we moved and Wellington is just rock and clay and we tried but it was too hard and hot the last day to dig any up

We got our Birds at a local nursery. I know what you mean by rock and clay, that exactly describes the soil in Atlanta. My most used garden tool was a pickaxe!!!