Garden description: Full of color throughout the seasons, even winter with February blooms of Arnold’s Promise and Lenten Roses. Spring and Summer I walk around the garden deadheading, clipping a chewed or yellow leaf or two and sometimes cutting back hard to get that second bloom. In the fall, the garden is decorated with pumpkins, mums and Autumn Joy, Rosy Glow and Blue Pearl sedums. It’s been a labor of love over the years. I started with almost a blank slate, a couple of Hosta’s and Daylilies, and a chain-link fence.
Who are the gardeners: Karen and John contribute to the garden in different ways. I design and plant. Everything I love gets planted in this garden. Sometimes it’s trial and error, but I don’t mind. It’s part of the gardening experience. I record in my journal how a plant adapts to certain conditions such as dry, likes wet feet, sun, shade, part shade. I already have a list of plants that need transplanting in the fall. If I had to pick a favorite plant, it would be the coneflower. This is the time of year that the finches perch on top of the cones and pick them clean of seeds. John takes delight in the beauty of the garden and compliments often about it. He waters the garden everyday and spruces up trees and bushes, moves mulch and dirt around…whatever I need. His favorite plant is Achillea Apricot Delight (Yarrow).
Why do you garden: I love the work and the feeling of accomplishment afterwards. I like watching plants come alive and the way they move in the breeze. I check on them everyday. I tour gardens, talk gardens, and I write about gardens in my journal. Gardening is my thing. I have many favorite quotes. Here’s one I like: “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow”. Audrey Hepburn
How has gardening impacted you during this time: Gardening has impacted me in a very positive way. You can get lost in the garden. It’s very freeing and allows total creativity. Being home more, gave me a calming diversion from work stress because my garden was just steps away. There’s definitely something very therapeutic about watching nature. This year, I happened to see a new bird species in the yard hogging the peanut butter suet, a Northern Flicker woodpecker. If I was at the office, I probably would have missed it. One other time, I saved a newborn bird that fell from the birdhouse above where I was digging. I gently picked it up and placed it back in the nest. It was accepted back into the family and survived. I felt really good about that.
What do you have in your garden? Herbs and flowers are planted in the garden. To name a few…Various Coneflowers, Yarrow, Black and Blue Salvia, Astilbe, Ferns, Hosta, Sunshine Superman (Coreopsis), Agastache for the hummingbirds, several varieties of Coral Bells, Sedums, Shasta Daisy, Evergreens, plenty of trees and shrubs that flower, St. Johns Wort, Geum (Fireball and Mrs. Bradshaw), Lavender, False Indigo, Butterfly Weed. Basil, lemon and chocolate mint, thyme, oregano, rosemary, chives are the herbs. Winners for pots this year are Purple Prince, Angelonia, Picasso in Purple Supertunia. These annuals are nice and hearty.
Do you have any problems with disease or pests? If so, how are you dealing with this problem? Occasional insect chews and powdery mildew on a crepe myrtle and winterberry. I just leave it alone. Plan on looking for a natural remedy and add the recipe to my garden journal. Limited rabbits eating flowers off plants thank goodness. Population explosion for squirrels that were destructive on the lawn. dug it up in spots. And how about those carpenter bees buzzing around our wood decks in the Spring. Thank goodness they found other wood to bore like a shovel handle one year. Haha Have seen a couple of lanternflies, which were promptly swatted..
