A Fairy Tale Garden

When I was young, I never believed in fairy tales.  But now I do!  Take Sleeping Beauty, for instance.  You know the story.  She went to sleep, and as she slept, the castle was covered in roses so thorny no one could get through for 100 years.

Sounds plausible to me.

Many years ago, I planted a Climbing Peace rose close to my front door.  It was beautiful, but way too vigorous for next to my front door!  Unfortunately, it had to go.  So, an inexperienced gardener, or a gardener with low foresight, may have been hired by Sleeping Beauty's parents, since I'm certain they didn't do manual labor.  And he probably planted a thorny rose too close to their front door.  Makes sense.

But what about the 100 years?

Again, that's easy to explain.  There is an area in my garden that has flower carpet roses planted in it.  And, somehow, briars have sprung up in between the roses.  I have tried to pull out these briars diligently for a number of years.  But there are not any fewer briars this year than when I first started.  And as I was pulling briars from that same patch of flower carpet roses just this week, I realized it would probably take me 100 years to win the battle.  100 years.  And if it takes 100 years, I won't be the one pulling out the last briar.

This makes perfect sense in our fairy tale.  Prince Charming wasn't the first to try to get past those thorny briars and roses.  He was just the lucky one that came along at the right time after everyone had been pulling briars for 100 years.

Sleeping Beauty.  Fairy tales.  What does this have to do with my garden?  A lot, actually.

You see, I have recently been reading a book on housekeeping by Martha Stewart.  Don't see the connection with fairy tales?  Be patient.

As I read this book, my New Year's Resolution crystalized in my mind.  Yes, I have already said this year was going to be the Year of Maintenance.  Maintenance.  Work.  Getting things done.  Sounds good, right?

Not to me.

I wanted something more - positive.  Maintenance and work sound like - well, work!  But as I was reading my Martha Stewart book, I began to imagine how I would clean my home if it were Martha's home and I was just the hired help.  With her exacting standards, I would have to do a better job, or I would be fired!

Then it dawned on me just what I needed in my garden.  And in my home.  And in my appearance.  And, just about everything else in my life.

It's pride.

Now, pride is something I've always been taught one really shouldn't have.  When I hear people talking about pride, it's always in a negative connotation.  But I've now got a new perspective.  Maybe it's not good to have too much of it, but having a bit of pride can be quite useful.  This year, I want to feel proud when I show off my garden.  I don't want to keep mumbling excuses to my visitors.   So, my new New Year's Resolution is to do whatever it takes to have pride in my garden, my home, my appearance, and really, all the areas of my life.

Pride.  As Martha would say, "It's a good thing."

So, what does this have to do with Sleeping Beauty? Well, if they had had pride in their castle, and had hired people with Martha's standards, the spindle would never have been left forgotten in some unused room.  No, that room would have been dusted, moped, spick-and-span, and that spindle reported and removed tout de suite!  And as for the gardens, I bet that gardener wouldn't have gotten away with planting large climbing roses too close to the entrance.

And he would have been told to get rid of the briars.  (Although, if he actually accomplished this in under 100 years, I want to know his secret!)

I think Sleeping Beauty's parents were already (metaphorically) asleep before Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on that spindle.  I don't think they took pride in their castle.  At least, they never looked around in all the rooms to make sure they were clean, and I bet they mumbled excuses when visitors walked around their garden.

I've been asleep, too.  But this year I'm waking up.  I'm seeing my garden through fresh eyes.  I want to be proud of my garden.

I certainly don't want my garden turning into a fairy tale garden!

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In other news, today marks this blog's 3rd blogaversary!  

In other, other news, all photos were taken before this morning's low of 15 degrees, which is quite warm compared to what others are experiencing right now.  Supposedly, it will not get above freezing today, but it's forecasted to be in the 60's on Thursday!

Garden Book Reviews

If there were such a thing as a Rose Bible, I think I know which book it would be, at least for me.  I just wish I would have found this book sooner!

I love all different kinds of roses.  But if they can't take my garden/soil/climate/conditions, and being grown organically, out they go!  Fortunately, I've found that roses are tough workhorses.  Sure, there are some that are wimps, but there are many that are as tough as nails.

Still, even I have the occasional problem with my roses.  But since I am adverse to spraying chemicals in my garden, when I have problems, I look at the solutions presented in

The Organic Rose Garden

by Liz Druitt

Not only are there solutions in this book, but it is full of great information for anyone wanting to grow roses organically.

What I love most about this book is the way Liz Druitt writes.  She writes as if she were talking to another gardener.  Of course, there's lots to love about this book.  She starts at the beginning:  soil basics, and design thoughts.  Then she goes on to the acquiring and planting of roses, maintenance of the garden beds, and problems you may encounter.

That is enough for one book, but she doesn't stop there!  She lists all the different rose classes, has a quick reference chart by size, color, and class, and almost half the book is a list of roses that thrive in organic gardens (like Red Cascade, pictured above, which is still blooming in my garden!).  I was actually surprised to find how many roses she recommends that I have growing in my own garden.  And now I have a great reference when I want to add more roses to my garden!  What I especially liked is this list covers all classes of roses.

She finishes the book with a discussion of roses as food, and I am dying to try her Rose Petal Pound Cake!  It would be luscious with her Rose Petal Jam!

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Now it's your turn!  This will be the final Garden Book Review meme I will host, and my last post for the year.  So, I want to wish everyone a very, very Merry Christmas and a rosy New Year!

Blooms from Indoors

We went on vacation.   A long vacation.  Well, a long vacation for us at least - a week!  And it was wonderful.  Well, it was wonderful until we caught the flu on the last few days of our vacation.

We returned home coughing and sneezing and feverish.  It is cold outside (for Texas) and feels especially chilly to feverish skin.  And so, I have not ventured outside.  Usually I would make the rounds in my garden, noting the changes, and celebrating the blooms.  Instead, I crawled into bed to hibernate and recuperate.  I think this is the longest I've ever been away from my garden.

Right before I crawled into bed, however, I glanced out the kitchen window.  "Oh, my camellia is blooming!"

The house/pet sitter replied, "Yes, it's so pretty!  It's been full of blooms all week!"  If I hadn't been sick, I would have hugged her.

Then I realized that there was a lot of beauty I could enjoy from indoors.  The pear tree is glorious.

There are roses blooming outside still.

And inside, my Christmas cactus is posed to bloom for Christmas!

(all photos were taken from inside the house)

I've written before about views out my windows.  But I didn't realize just how important those glimpses of the garden truly are.  For a gardener that can't go outside, being able to enjoy blooms and beauty from inside the house is both a Celebration - and a Lesson.

I'm joining Donna at Gardens Eye View for Seasonal Celebrations and Beth at Plant Postings for Garden Lessons Learned.

Reviews and News

Dreaming.  I never get tired of it.

But I have a battle going on with what I want my garden to look like and the work involved in getting it to look that way.  For years now, I have been adding on.  And adding on.  And adding a little more.  And in my dreams, I still have areas that I want to add.

Take, for instance, a meadow.

Don't you think that my garden needs a meadow?  I do.

And I especially do after reading

The American Meadow Garden:

Creating a Natural Alternative to the Traditional Lawn

by John Greenlee

Need a book on grasses?  Thinking of putting in ornamental grasses instead of a lawn?  Do you want a meadow?  I heartily recommend this book, especially if you live in the United States.  (If you outside the United States, you may find this book useful, but it is specifically geared toward those of us living in the U.S.)

I have a couple of books on grasses, but in my opinion, this one is the absolute best.  He breaks down everything you might need to know in order to plant grasses.  No matter if you have a large area or a small one, there is information and inspiration to be found.

In this book, he has thought of everything.  Location.  Soil.  Temperatures.  (Those apply to the U.S.)  But he also talks about themed meadows.  Pathways.  Hillsides.  And how to make it look like a meadow, not a yard that needs mowing.

He covers putting in a meadow, maintenance, weed control, purchasing plants, timing, and even a formula for making your meadow look natural.

There are fun lists that pop up in each chapter.  Lists such as "Grasses with Good Flowerheads", "Best Daisies for Meadows", "Best Fragrant Grasses", and "Irises and Cousins for Meadows", to name just a few.  These lists made my imagination go wild!

In addition, he has a list of more than 50 grasses for groundcovers, fillers, backgrounds, accents, and natural lawns.  He tells not only the zones and plant size, but he gives a detailed description of each, with additional information from experience.

This book answered all the questions I have had on grasses, and I had a lot!  But what I loved most of all was the love of grasses that was imparted through the words of each page.  The author's passion comes through clearly in this book, and I found that his love of meadows was quite infectious.

Oh, yes, I definitely want a meadow!

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Unfortunately, my meadow dream will have to be put on hold.  I've decided this next year will be the Year of Maintenance.  I finally agree with my husband that I need to maintain what I have before I add on even more.  I'll continue to dream, and one day I'll have that meadow.  Just not this year.

So, what's my news?  Well, I'm going to be putting this blog on maintenance, too.  I will have one more Garden Book Review meme on December 20th (and I hope you join me), then I will no longer host the meme.  I will post when I have the time, which may be quite irregular.  I don't want to quit blogging entirely - I get much too much from it by being able to look back at my records from year to year through it.  But, I won't be consistent.  And for my blogging friends: I will continue to read your blogs - I've learned so much and love hearing about each of you - but I won't be commenting much.

This year will be The Year of Maintenance  or  The Year of Catching Up  or  The Year of Doing What Needs To Be Done.  It all means the same.  Less talking, less writing, and more getting out there and doing!  My dreams of a meadow may have to be postponed for a year or so.  But my garden will be a much better one for it.  I can live with that.

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Now it's your turn!  I hope you will join in this month, and for the last Garden Book Review meme on December 20th.

I also want to express my appreciation to each and every participant, and to the readers, of the Garden Book Review meme over the past couple of years.  The books you have recommended are a very valuable resource for me.  Thank you. 

After the Freeze

We've had a hard freeze for the last couple of nights.  There go the cannas!  And the crinum lilies.  And the bush lantanas.  :(

The roses are a mixed bunch.  Some are dropping their leaves, going into dormancy.  Others didn't seem to be affected by the cold (yet).  But I know their blooming days are numbered for this year.

It's interesting to see what's still in bloom even after a freeze.  These blooms made it through this time, but they won't be here for much longer:

clematis

James Galway

Julia Child
everyone remarks on her fabulous fragrance!

Madame Berkeley

Oakleaf hydrangea
Just as beautiful as any bloom

But there are other blooms that are just now arriving:

Possumhaw holly is spreading cheer with its bright winter berries.

Possumhaw Holly

And I'm always anxious to see the blooms of the camellias.

Camellia 'Hana Jiman'

Camellia 'Cleopatra'

Winter is slowly arriving.  But that's o.k.  There's still beauty to be found in the garden.

I'm joining May Dreams Gardens for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

How Do You Feel?

Do you feel this way about your garden sometimes?  Sometimes when I go visit another garden, one that looks beautiful, and designed so differently from my own, I come home and see all the negative parts of my garden:

• Weeds.  To numerous to name!    
• Imperfect design.  
• Damage by deer and storms. 

In addition, I have had numerous obligations that have called me away from my garden, and rainy days that only increased my feelings of despair.  (Not complaining about the rain, though!)  But suddenly, I felt like I've spent way too much time (and money) on something that isn't as pretty as I had hoped.

That is, until yesterday.

new flowerbed

Yesterday I spent the entire day gardening.  Planting bulbs, pulling weeds, and preparing a new flowerbed.  It always helps my mental attitude to get outside and work.

But it was the view that I saw as I was working on the new flowerbed that made my heart sing.  New Dawn blooming on the arbor, with pink Flower Carpet roses, red salvia, pink La Marne, and white Madame Joseph Shwartz in bloom behind it.  The arbor is at the top of the flowerbed, so I saw this view all day.

Looking the other way, I could see New Dawn in front of some Knock Out roses, and that thrilled my heart, too.

As I worked, my heart gladdened.  And I saw the beauty in my garden.  It may not be the most beautiful garden in the world, but it makes me happy.  Very happy.

Suddenly, I was

• Satisfied.  

• Joyful.  

• Content.  

To me, there were at least parts of my garden that was just as beautiful as any garden could be.

Do you feel this way about your garden sometimes?  I hope so.

New Dawn

New Dawn is a climbing rose, known for its delicate coloring and vicious thorns.

New Dawn

In my rose garden, I have a fairly new New Dawn rose that I hope to train up and over my arbor.

I am already smitten with her.   I am not looking forward to pruning her thorny canes, but I am very much looking forward to her covering my arbor with her beautiful blooms.

New Dawn is a vigorous rose, and I hope she helps hold up the arbor, instead of pulling it down!  She will grow to 10 ft wide, and 20 ft tall - at least.   I have swooned over photos of roses showing her arching canes loaded with pale pink blooms covering arbors, growing up trees, and covering sheds.  When I saw her from across a room (well, across the nursery), I feel in love at first sight.

I can already imagine her climbing up and over my own arbor, blooming abundantly, and filling the air with her delicate scent.  I can't wait for the day that I wake up to a New Dawn that resembles the one in my dreams.

New Dawn is disease resistant, fragrant, and is designated as an Earth-Kind rose.  She will grow in zones 5 (possibly 4) through 9.  She has the honor of being the very first rose to be patented (the patent has since expired).

New Dawn is the look-alike sport of Dr. Van Fleet.  Dr. Van Fleet only blooms once, while New Dawn is a repeat bloomer.  If you have a New Dawn that doesn't repeat, you may have Dr. Van Fleet instead, or you may be pruning her too hard, as she blooms on old wood.

As for the vicious thorns - I heard a great tip the other day.  If you have a few rose canes that are constantly scratching you, cut the thorns off of the cane.  It should be worth the effort, since thorns don't grow back!