Garden Bust by Dara Mina Ceramics with plant in head behind and primroses that are in seed in front.
I try to have flowers blooming as long during the year as flowers will bloom. That means that only when there is snow on the ground is my outdoor garden without flowers. Most of my flowers are in the sunny part of my property-in the front. The photos you see of my grounds are mostly taken on the sides to show how wooded and shady the property is.
People passing TheGardenLady’s yard have asked how many different flowers I have planted in my garden. I have never kept track. But since so many people have asked, I forced myself to sit down to make a list of plants on my property this year. I mostly have perennials growing.
Each year I plant some new perennials and some favorite annuals. I may plant new plants because some of the perennials plants do not return. For example, I have planted numerous heuchera but they didn’t seem to like where I put them and have never returned the following year. I love Spigella marylandica and have tried planting it twice but it never came back. One nurseryman told me it is a tricky plant in my area. The first year I planted the Trillium grandiflorum, it came back for a few years. Beginners luck. Since it disappeared, I have tried to replant it a few times but have not had success. But I don’t give up easily and will replant all these plants with the hopes that they will one day be happy in my garden. I replant those plants I love, but lost. I like to get new plants that I have never had or are new to the market. And I like to add annuals to the mix to be sure that I have flowers all summer long. Some of my favorite annuals are the common ones like marigolds and zinnias.
As I age, I want big flowers that will be show-offs in my garden. As much as I like the small gems of flowers that surprise when they are discovered, I want flowers that explode like fireworks. I enjoy it when walkers or drivers tell me they must go past my yard every day just to see what is in bloom. I am flattered beyond belief when I get compliments; like when my sweet French neighbor called my garden the Giverny of my town. But I also love it when birds-and hummingbirds- as well as butterflies and bees love what I plant. I love to watch the bees sucking furiously on the lavender, oregano, bee balm and other nectar plants.
My property is basically a woodland property. There are lots of trees and wild shrubs. And a stream bisects the property. So how do I get flowers if I have woods? Some plants tolerate some shade. I do get partial sun, about 5 hours, along the front of my property. Then I learned that my town allows planting between the sidewalk and the curb. Since this is where the sun shines on my property all day, this is where I plant most of my flowering plants. Since my property is a right triangle with the longest side along the street, I have a long strip to plant. The only problem is dragging hoses to water the plants at the bottom of the strip.
Right now the ‘ fireworks’ in my garden are the lilies, like the Asiatic lilies and the Hemerocallis or day lilies. Besides the lilies the most showy flowers are the hydrangeas, both blue and white. And though these beautiful blooms are the most striking, other flowers are in bloom like zinnias,marigolds,verbena, Albizia julibrissin- Mimosa tree, Echinacea, etc., etc., etc.
None of this would be possible without the products in the market that keep the deer away. I use lots of Liquid Fence. So far the stinky stuff has prevented the deer and rabbits from sampling my plants.
An incomplete list
Aconitum  Monkshood
Agastache  Giant hyssop
Albizia julibrissin Mimosa tree
Allium  Ornamental Onion and garlic
Angelica atropurpurea  Archangel
Arisaema triphyllum   Jack-in-the-Pulpit and costatum
Aruncus diocus  goatsbeard
Asarum canadense  wild ginger
Aster novi-belgii
Astillbe x arendsii   False Goat’s Beard
Athyrium nipponicum  Japanese Painted fern
Baptisia False   Indigo
Buddleia Butterfly bush ‘Pink Delight’ ‘Charming’ among others
Camellia
Canna Canna Lily
Caryopteris  Blue Mist Spirea
Ceanothus  California lilac
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides  trailing Leadwort
Chrysanthemum
Clematis x jackmanii
Coreopsis
Corydalis
Rudbeckia -Gloriosa Daisy ‘Tiger Eye Gold’ in sculptural basket with Hemerocallis fulva- the common orange daylily in the back
Crocosmia  crocosmiiflora
Crocus
Cyclamen  Dahlia
Delospermum  Iceplant
Deutzia
Dianthus  pinks
Echinacea  Coneflower
Epimedium Barrenwort
Eremurus  Foxtail Lily
Forsythia
Lonicera sempervirens-Honeysuckle vine ‘Blanche Sandman’ climbing up an old ladder.
Gaillardia x grandiflora  Blanketflower
Galium  Sweet woodruff
Helenium  Sneezeweed (in front of house zinnzaeflora and autumnale near cannas)
Heliopsis helianthoides  Sunflower heliopsis
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Nikko Blue’ on the side of my property in front of Rose of Sharon bushes, next to a Hosta plant.
dill
garlic
mint
oregano
perilla
spearmint
thyme
Hyacinths
Ipheion uniflorum  Spring starflower
Lagerostroemia Crepe Myrtle
Lychnis  Campion
Lilium asiatic -Asiatic Lily growing in front of my property with Chrysanthemum maximum -Shasta daisies behind them
Mertensia  Bluebell
Musa basjoo Japanese banana
Myosotis   Forget-me-not
Narcissus Daffodil
Opuntia
Paeonia Peony both herbaceous and tree peon
Papaver somniferum  poppy
Petasites
Phlox paniculata and subulata
Potentilla  Scarlet starlet
Primula  Primrose
Privat
Rhododendron
Rose of Sharon
Rudbeckia  Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan
Scabiosa Scabious    pincushion flower
Scilla hyachinthinoides
Sedum ‘Autumn joy’
Spirea
Tulips
Trollius
Viburnum carlesii  Korean Spice Bush, V. plicatum ‘popcorn’ and others
Papaver orientale Oriental Poppy Flower
Vitex  Texas Lilac http://www.plantanswers.com/vitex.htm
tomatoes
Crab Apple
Catalpa
Cedar trees
Oak tree
Tulip Poplar
Sorrel Tree
sycamore trees
Sweet gum
Black Walnut
Weeping Willow
Hanging baskets with Impatiens walleriana double and single hanging on the side deck overlooking the wooded back yard. Also, sitting on the steps is another Rudbeckia’ Tiger Eye Gold” and a primrose, Primula Salvana, sits in a container.