Monday, January 9, 2012

Them Bones, Them Bones, Them Winter Bones

Toni at Signature Gardens did a post yesterday that made me jump up and grab my camera!  She had posted about her garden's bones - you know, the part of the garden that's showing in winter, after the pretty fluff and cover of blooms have disappeared.  And I was curious to see what my garden looked like without its covering of color and blooms.

My garden is not as neat as hers.  I don't cut back anything until spring.  Not because it's the thing to do, but just because I'm lazy!  Yeah, you heard it here first.  Anyway, I love going around in the spring straightening things up, and figure why do it in the fall too?  Seems like extra work to me!  Well, enough of my laziness confessions.  This post is about the bones of my garden.  Ready for a tour?




The front is full of evergreens, so lots of structure here.  Although the roses add a lot more color when they're in bloom.




The side has more roses (of course!), some boxwood, and gray colored dianthus 'Firewitch', which I love.  The poor standard rose is an embarrassment, but hey - it was on sale.




Around this way is the catenary bed.  As you can see, there is a LOT more work left to do here.  It's almost overwhelming to me.  See the raised beds?  They hold roses and are my solution for how to landscape around septic tank covers.  See the blue and black covers?  I hope that eventually the plants will grow large enough so you can't see them.  In addition to a little camouflage, it still needed to provide access for maintenance.  This does both.  I've never shown this view before, and now you know why!




The main rose bed looks like a rose bed - bare in winter.  Behind the fence I have plants that will eventually grow to be an evergreen hedge.  That will give it the winter bones it needs.




Right now, though, thank goodness for irises, lavender, and dianthus!




The walking garden doesn't look too bad, as I have a lot of evergreens mixed in here.  Of course, this year's temperatures have been very mild and a lot more plants are holding their leaves than they normally would in a colder year.  The very bright green in the walkway is winter weeds!  Isn't it sad that the prettiest green of all are weeds!!!??




Another area I rarely take pictures of is here beside the crape myrtle.  It's bare, and even the holly hedge behind the hydrangeas doesn't help it much.  In the summer, this area is full of hostas.




The boxwood beds in the newly named winter garden look a bit incomplete, but I promise there's plantings inside the boxes - the plants are so small, you just can't see them yet!  A few more years will help.

Well, those are my garden's bones.  Want to show me yours?

40 comments:

  1. I love your bones. Since we have no snow and we normally do at this time of year I was thinking I should do a walk around my place just this morning and photograph the "bones" so I can plot and plan better. It seems that thru a camera lens I can get a better idea of what needs doing. I also love Firewitch, I have one lone clump at the first step of my sidewalk and I definitely need more!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Those bones are looking good :-) I look out the window and it just looks too darn cold to go out and take pictures of my bones. The front yard has enough evergreens and rocks to keep structure during the winter, but my backyard isn't even close. It's still very much a work in progress, though. Sorry for the work you'll have to do pulling those lovely green winter weeds. At least you can procrastinate it for a while!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your garden's bones look good. There's alot of interest there. I always enjoy Spring and seeing all the new growth in the garden but all the seasons are great!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm not sure my bones are ready for public display :) Yours look good, despite your caveats. You mention the mild winter - I did a post on that and am inviting comment on what you're noticing in your garden.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Funny, I think of this time of year as skeletons out there. Like you I don't do much trim back until spring. I figure the birds need it for cover. So when I look out the windows at the garden I feel like I'm looking at the plants' skeletons. No plans to take photos. Too depressing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Glad I'm not the only one who waits until spring to tidy up! Your garden actually looks quite tidy and it seems like there's a good foundation for the plant that will get bigger in a few years. :) My garden's bones are basically just an empty deck right now, but I do need to cut back some ivy from near the pond.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Plenty of winter interest there Holley! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dear Holley, I think I've commented to you before that your garden has so much more winter interest than mine. I don't want you to see my bones. P. x

    ReplyDelete
  9. Most excellent bones! You are neither squid nor duck billed platypus!!! I think your garden is beautiful and interesting, even in the winter. :o) LOVE the big metal gazebo-y thing by the septic tank covers.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dear Holley, this is a great post on garden bones! Your photos proof that you did a very good job in your garden in terms of this topic. Besides the evergreens, what stands out to me is the lovely dianthus and irises that you have planted. Unfortunately irises are not doing well in my soil, but dianthus do and seeing your pictures I might just get them again this year. After reading your post I feel inspired to have a closer look at the bones of my garden and analyze if there is anything that can be improved. I am already sure that I will find something ;-)!
    Christina

    ReplyDelete
  11. Winter garden 'bones' is not a concept I am familiar with. Here of course our gardens don't retire for the winter. I can't therefore speak with much authority, but it seems to me your 'bones' are looking pretty darned good!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Holley, you're so prolific I don't know how you do it! Can't wait to see how your winter garden bed develops. Your garden look peaceful even in winter's dormancy.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Pam - I'd love to see your bones! :) And I think taking pictures is a wonderful way to "see" the garden - sometimes things stand out in a photo that we don't see because we're so used to it.

    VW - I usually think it's too cold to go out, too, but it was quite warm that day. Those weeds are already starting to flower - I didn't quite expect them to be doing that so early!

    Kelli - I'm anxious for spring, too. I'm seeing little things starting to peek through!

    Sheila - I bet you have a lot of commenters, too! The weather has been odd all over, I think. But, I suppose weather is never "just right"!

    Marcia - My roses are the most "skeletal" of all my plants. They really are just skeletons without their leaves. I don't go down to the main rose garden much in winter, but it's been warm enough that I've started working down there.

    Bumble Lush - I can't wait for those boxwood boxes to fill up! You'd be surprised if I told you how many years I've been working on that one area! And ivy - yes, I have some of that, too, and it seems to always need cutting!

    Mark and Gaz - At least in the areas I can see from the house windows! The areas with the least amount of interest are farther from the house.

    nhgarden - Thanks!

    Pam - Does your garden have osteoporosis? ;)

    Casa Mariposa - I think I was a St. Bernard in your quiz! :) That big metal thing-y is one giant project! I'm worried it's going to take me several years to finish it!

    Christina - I do love dianthus. They are sweet, but unassuming. I have them in several areas of my garden. I especially like Firewitch because of the gray foliage. I think it just adds one more layer of interest.

    Bernie - How nice not to ever see your bare bones!

    GirlSprout - I hadn't thought about it looking peaceful, but I guess parts of it have a soothing feel. Thanks for pointing that out to me.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Holley, them bones look wonderful. (Now I'm going to have that song in my head all night!) I did too much new planting in the fall for things to look good but hope that next year I'll have some nice texture to enjoy. My new strategy for the plants that die back is to underplant them with grape hyacinths or ipheion. The bulbs put out leaves in fall and then the perennials cover up the fading leaves in spring. That's the plan anyway...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ah Holley, it might be winter and you might think its bare but there is a ton of beauty in your garden - the walking garden, I like the winter bed (the boxes are looking good!), the front and side gardens ... lovely Holley, just lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love seeing the bareness of gardens...you still have a lot of stuff going on in this mild winter...

    ReplyDelete
  17. Looks good. I consider bones the shrub stems showing through also. May not have leaves but there is something there during the winter.
    Cher

    ReplyDelete
  18. Stacy - I like your plan. It sounds like a good one. I hope your new re-do turns out just the way you envision it!

    Gardening Blog - It's not so bare as much as just without color. A few camellias, but other than that winter is a green and brown time in the garden.

    hundredsofideas - It will be interesting to see the difference in a harsh winter. There are a lot of leaves that would be gone if our winter was not so mild.

    Cher - Oh, yes - I do love stems, but they would show up so much better if we ever got snow!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Your bones are looking fine! Your solution for the septic field works great. It won't take anytime at all for those plants to fill in. I'm glad you showed it. It's helpful to see how people have come up with clever ways to disguise a problem area.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Lots of great bones in your winter garden. Even without the plants I think the fences and beautiful gazebo really add a lot of structure. What is a catenary bed??? I had to Google it to find out the definition. I'm curious as to how you've used it in the garden.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Our entire yard in winter is full of BONES.... ha ha ... We do have some Pansies --but that is the only blooming thing in our yard.

    We aren't having much winter here yet this year ---so the Roses which are cute back and supposed to be dormant in the winter are trying to GROW... Don't think we have had such a mild winter since moving here in 2002...

    Hugs,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  22. Cat - I had planned on doing a post about how I disguised the septic system when I finally got this area looking good! I think that's going to take a few years, though!

    tina - My post about it is here:

    http://dreamingofroses.blogspot.com/2011/10/evolution-from-dream-to-reality.html

    It explains all about catenaries, and how I hope mine will look in the future. Happy reading!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Betsy - My roses are putting out new growth, too! I'm hoping we just won't have a winter this year. Of course, we've done that before, and the bugs were unbearable!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I love your bones. First mine would have a canvas of white and then most that can be seen would be a drab brown. Not very exciting.

    ReplyDelete
  25. not much to see because I need to work on them bones...you have some mighty nice bones in your garden Holley

    ReplyDelete
  26. Your garden would be a delight to stroll in even in winter! I love the bare trunks on the Crape Myrtles, I think they are so pretty in winter.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Even in winter your garden looks marvelous!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Holley, I appreciate getting some long views of your garden. Your winter bones are quite lovely! There is enough structure and color to stimulate real interest and a desire to see it all in bloom!

    ReplyDelete
  29. You have a wide garden, lots of space to put all your wishes. Even the bones are lovely, depending on the purpose. Of course, beauty is always in the eye of....! Besides, i think this is the season for your mind to rest, as it is so heavy laden with plenty of colors and emotions in other times.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hey Holley -- thanks so much for the shout out! Glad you were inspired to show your bones :-) I am amazed at the amount of land you have! The wide open vistas would be "bones" enough for me :-) How nice not to see neighbors right next door! Sometimes I do more clean-up in the spring, sometimes in the fall. I am usually so busy in the spring with jobs for clients that I take advantage of the down time in winter to get a jump on a few things. There are some things that must wait till February to prune, like the roses and grasses and shrubs, but since I had a little extra time this winter, I cut some of the perennials back. Last year with my injured arm, I had to leave it all, and it just looked like a wild brown mess all winter and was depressing, so I was glad to be able to tidy things up a bit this year :-)

    ReplyDelete
  31. your garden bones look amazingly nice. Honestly. So, I am too embarrassed to show mine. Well, this is our new house and I am new to gardening - okay that's my excuse for a bad-bone-garden right now :-). The brick structures also adding nice touch and color and making things look more nicer.

    ReplyDelete
  32. You are right, it is a great time of year to look at the bones of your garden. I must confess that I haven't walked around the garden in a couple of weeks. Maybe its time to take a hard look at my garden's bare structures and layout!

    ReplyDelete
  33. wilderness - That canvas of white is the most beautiful of all winter scenes! We don't usually get that.

    Donna - I bet you've got more bones than you think!

    Leslie - Oh, I agree. I love the way the bark peels off the white crape myrtles, leaving the cinnamon color underneath.

    Dewi - Thank you.

    debsgarden - I don't usually take long pictures, because there's usually a hose or a dog or a cat or something 'undesirable' in it!

    Andrea - I love the way you think, that this is the time for the mind to rest. Well put.

    Toni - Mine IS a wild mess! But, it makes spring clean up even more satisfying. An injured arm is not a good thing for a gardener to have! This year will seem like a breeze with two good arms! :)

    KL - Oh, I remember the days of having nothing, absolutely nothing around the house. Right now is good time to plan for those winter bones.

    Jennifer - I probably wouldn't have gone out, either, but it was a nice warm day. I had no excuses!

    ReplyDelete
  34. the bones post is brilliant Holley - listening to you thinking aloud and seeing the skeleton of your plans for now and the future. Looks like a lot of land to cover and that takes time and planning. Nice names for your garden aspects too and then its roses, roses all the way

    ReplyDelete
  35. Laura - Yes, a large majority of my plans are for the future - whenever I can muster the energy to do all the work! :) I had to name the garden beds - it keeps things straight in my mind!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Your garden bones is really interesting! Just a big land with full of roses! wow!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. haha - You're right! Just a lot of land with roses! :)

      Delete
  37. I forgot to comment on this topic, one of my favorites. Roses, or anything with seasonal interest and disinterest, all needs bones...hardscape and/or tight plants. Will be grt watching it all pull together, as your bones mature! (as another said, that is some land...my neighborhood would fit into one of your views.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I love seeing my garden mature, too. It's so much fun to 'paint' with plants, because the landscape is ever-changing. I never get bored with it!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...