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Posted: Jul/20/2009 1:53 PM PST
I feel overwhelmed/stressed and I just want to get this over with. I have a bare/ugly corner in full sun ,zone 6 (ohio). I am a beginner gardener and want something that looks nice (perennials), looks good most of the year, and is low maintenance. Here are my options: A. Do nothing until next year in spring and it will just look unkempt/ugly until then. We get snow in November. B. Use either of these plan: http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plans/easy/beginner-g arden-for-full-sun/ OR http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plans/easy/corner-gar den-plan-of-perennials/ Anything I can't find in the plan, either replace with something else or wait til next year to get whats missing. C. Pick and choose plants I like (full sun, zone 6) and hope it will look good together. (My only concern with this is that I'll end up picking out things that aren't low maintenance or don't go together well.) I can try to look things up as I go but no guarantees I know enough info to keep me out of trouble!) Being that is July (can still plant perennials right?) and selections might be limited, which option seems better? I desire low maintenance and I don't want to have to redo my corner for a long time. Thanks for your help. |
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Posted: Jul/27/2009 10:30 AM PST
Okay, I almost answered days ago, but stopped as I thought someone else might have a better answer than mine. But here goes. The pre planned gardens are nice, but remember, you are getting tiny plants (3 inch pots) and bulbs, rhizoms and tubers, not full grown plants. This will take time to establish. so you are going to be looking at an "ugly" corner until spring. You can go to the garden center, but I would look through garden magazines either in print or on line. This will give you an idea of mixing and matching. The plants at the garden center are going to be whats left as most people are finished planting for the year. Hope this made some sense.. Sass |
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Posted: Jul/28/2009 1:28 PM PST
Thanks for responding. I decided to wait on planting alot until spring and got some summer/fall flowers for now. Hopefully I picked right. I will have to check out some ideas as you suggested and take my time. |
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Posted: Aug/09/2009 10:10 AM PST
You could plant some daylillies in there-they probably won't bloom, but it will be something, they'll survive the winter and they transplant easily. |
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Posted: Aug/24/2009 5:40 AM PST
When I started my first perennial garden I mixed perennials with annuals. As the earlier writer said, perennials take time to mature and fill in space. I filled in that space with annuals until the perennials got so large there was no more room. Now I have to hang baskets on shepards hooks over the garden just to have room for annuals in the yard. Also, interests change. For years I wanted to be able to have a vase of cut flowers on the table all season. Now, when someone sends me flowers I take them to my office to keep them away from my cats. I confess, my cats are not the best behaved. They run my house. Bottom line, keep in mind a garden is a living thing. Since it is, it is always changing. Having a plan is a starting point. But it's not like a painting. It's not going to stay that way. Some plants will grow larger than others, faster. If you are looking for more permanance maybe you just want to throw in some shrubs. Then you can just feed and prune. But when you get started you may find you enjoy making changes. Plan your budget for a good layer of mulch. It always makes any planting look more polished. Most of all, enjoy. Gemma 
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Posted: Aug/24/2009 8:41 PM PST
I'm going to expand on this some more then. Always try to leaves room for annuals. I walk through the gardens every spring with a bag mixed with marigold, zinnia, snapdragon, allysum and mum seeds (ok mums being perennial). Some I drop along the borders, some I strew across and through. What ever pops up is always a suprise and welcome it can also be good for the in-between periods, when some flowers are fading and others are not quite ready to open. JMOO Sass |
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