Never Say Never!

Can you remember when you first started gardening?  When you didn't know anything about gardening?  Some people start gardening as children and learn things so early on, they may not remember.  But I started gardening late, so everything was a learning experience!  In fact, when I first started gardening, I didn't know the difference between an annual and a perennial.  But I wasn't too proud to ask!

The simple explanation I got was that annuals are plants that bloom for one year.  Perennials are plants that may die down in the winter, but they spring back to life, supposedly perennially.

Easy enough explanation.  So, I made my first gardening rule: never plant annuals.

Why go to all that work and have to do it all over again the next year?  And, generally I still try to follow that rule.  (Have I told you yet that I'm a lazy gardener?)

But there's always an exception to every rule, isn't there?

The exception in my garden is the pansy (viola x wittrockiana).  Although technically a perennial in some southern climates, they are generally used as a winter annual in the south, dug up and replaced when the weather turns warm.  They are hardy to 0 degrees F, and seem to perk up even more as the temperature dips down to freezing.  Which always amazes me.  Of course, they are used differently in northern gardens.

Pansies are technically a member of the Viola genus, which is very diverse.   But I like to think of pansies as the big brother of Johnny Jump Ups (viola tricolor), because so many have a 'face' like Johnny's.

Seriously, who could resist a face like that?

My Favorite 12

I walked around my garden, and pondered this question: which plants would I choose if I were to start from scratch and plan a new garden?  I truly believe that you can create a beautiful garden with only a few plants that do very well in your planting zone and area.

Sometimes we want something unusual in our gardens, but for someone planting a new garden, I would choose some trees, some evergreens, some deciduous shrubs, and some groundcovers, and repeat them throughout the garden.   These are my favorite 12:

Winchester Cathedral rose

Roses

You knew that one, didn't you? :)  Of course roses!  There are so many different types of roses, there is sure to be one that fits your garden.

Boxwood

It goes so well with so many other plants, or it can be a feature all on its own.  It can be left to grow naturally, trimmed, or shaped into a topiary.  It's versatile and evergreen.  I can't imagine my garden without it.

Hollies

I have to admit I just like the name ;), but I also love the holly berries that come in winter.  It makes a great tall hedge, and its sharp leaves are a good deterrent to trespassers, if that is a concern.

Pavonia

Pavonia

This shrub was picked up by me on a whim, but I've grown to love it.  Pavonia is such a reliable plant, blooming throughout our hot summers.  And that's not an easy thing to do!

Camellia 

Who doesn't love a plant that flowers in winter?

Iris

Many gardeners have an iris obsession, and I am beginning to understand it.  The more irises I have in my garden, the more I want!

Other bulbs (lilies, crocus, etc.)

Bulbs are another reliable addition to the garden.  I think they're like sprinkles on cupcakes - they add a little fun, excitement, and color.

Crab apple

Some don't like these trees, and I understand their faults, but when they bloom in spring, all is forgiven.  I can't imagine not seeing those beautiful spring blooms.

Crape Myrtle blooms

Crape Myrtle 

Most trees bloom in spring, but crape myrtles bloom in summer.  How nice to have another tree blooming just when you think the show's over.  Different types, different colors, different heights - there is a crape myrtle for every Southern garden.

Lambs ear

I've always loved this plant in the garden.  I love its smell, I love its looks, I love its soft, fuzzy leaves.  Supposedly lambs ear is a good plant for a children's garden, but I think it's just a good plant, period.

Catmint

What a gorgeous combination planting this makes with all different types of plants, but especially roses.  I fell in love with the combination of catmint and roses and had to buy more last year.  I will probably end up purchasing even more this year!

Even dried, the hydrangea is a sentimental favorite

Hydrangea

A sentimental favorite, I can not imagine planting a new garden and leaving these beauties out of it.

~~~~~~

But we all know that our favorite plants are not the same thing as our favorite flowers!  Of course, some are.  Just in case you were wondering, here are my 12 favorite flowers:

Cinco de Mayo rose

Roses - listed above

Camellias - listed above

Hydrangea - listed above

Bulbs were listed above, but I would specifically name as favorites the Crocus and the Lily.

Scabiosa

Scabiosa 

My scabiosa is still blooming!  It bloomed through most of January last year, too.  It attracts bees, plus it's a pretty purple that makes a beautiful companion plant to almost anything in the garden.

Blanketflower

The bees love, love, love these flowers!  They fight over the blooms.  These, too, are still blooming in my garden!

Gardenia

This plant attracts people.  I once was walking across the parking lot of a garden center and could smell a sweet, soft, lovely fragrance from across the lot.  I ran over to the plants, wanting to know which plant's fragrance was wafting through the air.  It was the gardenia.  Even perfumes try to copy its fragrance.

Asters

Asters

Just when the summer garden is dying down, asters spring up.  What a lovely way to end summer's glory.

Echinacea

A wonderful plant to attract butterflies!  I could not take a picture of my white 'Fragrant Angel' echinaceas without a butterfly in the picture, too.

Salvia

Spikes of purple make a great companion planting to just about any plant in the garden.

Water Lily

Water Lily

The most perfect plant in form has to be the water lily.  It could be described as seductive.  The moment I saw it, I was seduced by its beauty, and am thrilled each time it sends up one of its flawless blooms.

Diana of Elephant's Eye challenged us to name our 12 favorite plants.  She intended for us to name one each month, but my coffee was very strong this morning, so I decided to name my 12 all at once!

Party! Party!

To my blog buddies:

There have been so many new blog link parties (a meme in blog speak), that I decided to try to gather them all together in one list.  They are featured on my blog under a new Page.

Please check them out, and if you know of any to add, or any to delete, please let me know.  I'll try to keep this list updated, but will need your help!

I've categorized them by the month, the week, seasonal, and even non-gardening (but a lot of gardeners participate).  Instructions for any new bloggers is included.  As always, I am open to suggestions.

Party on!

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?

I Blame it on Blogging

I would have never noticed before.  Before I started blogging, I stayed inside in winter.  A short walk around the garden just to check on things, then a run back into the house to read a gardening book.  But now I take my camera!  And look what I found!

A Red Admiral butterfly.  Poor little thing, it's wings are tattered and torn.  It's amazing to me how butterflies can fly in the first place, but to see them fly with wings in such bad shape is intriguing.  I wouldn't want to fly in a plane that had tattered wings!

I've read that Red Admiral butterflies may stay year round in mild climates, even in northern climates if the winter is mild.  I wonder if it's been here its entire life, or if it immigrated from the north, or if it's even coming up from the south!  I guess I will never know where this little one has been before now.

Even without answers, I loved seeing this little guy (or gal).  And even though the pictures aren't great, it was a fun experience.  One I wouldn't have noticed before I started blogging!

A Big Announcement

Years ago, a boss of mine would end our employee meetings by asking if there were any announcements.  Most of us were young females, so occasionally there would be an announcement of an impending marriage or of a pregnancy.  Well, today I'm announcing both!

Just a minute - let me revive my husband!

Ok, now -

First, the marriage (well, anniversary, really):

Today is the my blog's very first blogaversary.  I had thought about writing a blog for some time, and wanted to share my garden as well as find other gardens, and gardeners that were sharing their passion.  Sherry, Masha, and Christine all announced that they were going to start their blogs, and so I jumped in - timidly.  I made no announcement, I just started blogging.  I want to thank them for giving me the courage to stretch my boundaries and give blogging a try.  I've loved it!

Secondly, the baby (well, figuratively speaking):

I've seen Donna, Carolyn, Christine & Barbie, and Donna & Beth, all announce that they have recently or will be soon starting a meme.  And I've been thinking of doing this for some time, too.  So, today, I'm going to stretch my boundaries a bit more and go for it!

Like most gardeners, I love to read about gardening.  I have quite the collection of garden books, and I realize that most others gardeners do, too.  

So, I am going to start a Garden Book Review meme to be on the 20th of each month.  I'm doing this because I'm constantly buying garden books, and I want to know from you which books you like, and which to avoid!  

So, whether it's vegetable gardening, flower gardening, specialized gardening, design, hardscape, or even fiction (that includes a garden, such as 'The Secret Garden'), I would love to hear your take on the garden books you have read.  Each of our gardens are different, and each of our tastes in garden books will probably be different.  But I think if we tell what we like (or not) about each book, we can get a good sense of the books we might want to add to our collection.  

I have read that some gardeners do reviews on books they've received from the publisher.  But I'd rather read a review from a gardener that has no prejudice, wouldn't you?  I want to know the books you hate as much as the ones you love.  

Please join me on the 20th of each month and let me know which gardening books you are happy to have spent your money on, and which ones you wish you hadn't!

Right now, I have 109 garden books in my collection.  How about you?  Do you collect garden books, too?

Kanjiro

Cherry pink.  Just that short description makes me want it!  And the fact that it's blooming right now makes me glad I have it!  What is it?

'Kanjiro' camellia.  Beautiful green, glossy leaves.  A bright pink bloom.  Yellow stamens that the bees find irresistible.

Kanjiro grows in zones 7 through 10, to around 10 ft. tall.  Mine was planted two years ago, and is over 4 ft. tall, placed in a spot I can see from my kitchen window.  It's not going into my winter garden area, because I love being able to see its pretty blooms while I cook and clean (plus, I'm scared to transplant it).

The middle of the petals are a little lighter in color.  Do you see it?

This bush is covered with blooms.  It also has lots of buds left to open.  I am surprised it has so many with the drought we had last year.  I've read that Kanjiro is fairly tolerant of different moisture levels.  Thank goodness!

I have several things blooming in the garden right now, but Kanjiro is the prettiest!