Plan for color all summer!
So many gardeners fall in love with Rhodies and Azaleas. They ARE beautiful, but remember they only bloom for a short time, and then they are green for the rest of the year. Green can be boring in a garden, unless you REALLY work at it! Not only that, these shrubs can become huge, taking up an inordinate amount of space. So, use a few, but don't get carried away. If you really want shrubs, look for ones that bloom at different times. Try Mountain Laurels, Viburnums, Potentillas and Hydrangeas to add to the mix. There are so many beautiful blooming shrubs, if your space is large enough. Then in beds between them use perennials.
Check out catalogs that tell you WHEN the perennials bloom and what COLOR they are. As one set of blooms fade, another takes over. THAT's what makes your garden a joy, to say nothing about INTERESTING! Also, be sure to add some annuals. They retain that color for the entire summer and once planted are pretty carefree, except for dead-heading (removing dead blooms).
Be sure those colors that are planted close together compliment each other. Orange and red are sure interesting, but planted together, they can give you a color headache!
I'm off on a short vacation so I won't be posting for the better part of a week. Don't overdo out there...it's HOT!
Any questions for me?
posted by North Country Maturing Gardener @ 6/13/2005
5 comments
5 Comments:
You're right about the azaleas. I have a thirty year old one that came with the house. It's planted too close and has cracked the driveway and front walk. I've done my best to kill it but the beast won't die, and it's impossible to underplant due to a thick webbing of roots. Bleah! A deadheading nightmare, for a measly two weeks of mediocre pale pink bloom.
Sounds like a huge problem! Even if you cut it down and (treat) it with an systemic herbicide, it’ll take forever to die back enough to be able to plant there. YIKES!
Good luck!
Yum! Love my hydrangeas. I have Nikko Blue. I love that they are just as attractive when the blooms dry on the bush in the fall.
Sorry, I forgot to thank you for your wonderful answer to my iris question. I really love your blog. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of writing a mini-review and linking you on my blog.
What's your URL "Old Roses"? I'll come visit!
I agree with "scbnymph" about sometimes HAVING to resort to a "round-up" type of product. In fact, I really did recommend that with the systemic herbicide. AND the systemic stuff ONLY attacks that particular plant.
I am normally all organic all the time EXCEPT for poison ivy. I am deathly allergic to it so I don't hesitate to use herbicides on it.
My URL is http://agardeningyear.blogspot.com. I'd love it if you visited!
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