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Ever just run out of ideas?

11 years ago

I have a spot in front of a large window that needs filling and no matter what I've put there in the past I'm not happy with it for whatever reason. I give up. I'm out of ideas. Don't have another one in me. I'm heading out to the nursery to get some annuals to fill in, at least I'll have some color there.

:o/

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Comments (10)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
you crack me up..

no ideas.. but that isnt going to stop you from shopping.. lol ..

i suppose if you wanted a real answer.. you would post a pic for ideas ...

what ever happened to the JMaple out front???

ken
eclecticcottage
11 years ago
Out of ideas? No. Out of plant funds? Yes...

I have too many ideas and not enough space or money, lol.

I do have one bed that needs attention, but I'm trying to ignore it because I don't want to drop a few hundred dollars at a nursery, lol. I wish more people were selling their splits around here, cheap. I picked up some coneflower, sedum, sea holly, perennial geranium and wild clematis not far from me, 8 for $5. Now that's my kind of plant sale.

I do tend to move things around when I decide I like something better in a spot though.
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Hi all, Thank you for your input. First of all to clarify, I did re-pot this tree last summer (August) after a few months of decline. I transplanted into "basically a 511" mix, which means that I didn't screen the bark and added more of a locally produced potting soil which is supposedly formulated for Seattle weather. I didn't wash the old mix off the roots. When the tree kept declining I really regretted the mix I'd put it in (too dense/wet, I thought) and so re-potted this spring carefully screening all the components of the 511. I also washed the roots and discovered that the center of the root ball was hardened silty-like soil that was basically like cement, but I managed to dissolve and chip away at it without damaging the roots. I thought this was probably the old-old mix that it had been in too long. I was so worried about hurting it when I re-potted last summer that I didn't attempt to wash the old soil off the root. So when I discovered the petrified soil I though that maybe it was the source of the problems? Also, I thought I'd read that trimming the roots lightly actually stimulated growth, but one would need to do the same with the foliage to balance things out. Did I completely misunderstand this? If so, I feel terrible!! The tree is outside in my greenhouse and has lived outside it's entire life. It's really chilly, windy, and rainy here, so I want to keep it in the greenhouse until our weather calms down and warms up a bit. We did have a week of nice weather and the greenhouse got hot, which is when I moved all my trees out, and then when it got cold and windy I stuck this guy back in. The ironic thing to me is that this was my first citrus tree, purchased from a Home Depot-like store. It had been living in regular potting soil and doing great when I lived in Oakland. When I moved to Seattle years ago, I re-potted it in Gardener & Bloome Acid Planting Mix, and it loved that and thrived. Last time I needed to re-pot, I couldn't find that mix and used just the local supposedly-good-draining mix (which I've since realized hasn't been good for any of my other container plants, so I've completely stopped using it) The tree was stellar, until I tried do become educated!! (although my other citrus seem to have benefitted). Two other things I wanted to mention. It has tiny holes in the bark and also some lesions. They aren't new at all, and there doesn't seem to be any borer or insect activity, plus, the branches are still green, but still I wonder? Could it be something systemic? Also, since last year, the leaves have kept getting smaller. They are much smaller than my other Meyer leaves. Is this some kind of deficiency, or just the fact that it's somehow not getting the nutrients it needs? I gave it two separate foliar fert applications about a week apart after I re-potted this March, and it seemed like the leaves got yellower! The last time I tried using the wooden dowel method to water it, the skewer was damp, but the leaves looked like the were wilting. I watered (with FP) and it perked right up. Maybe I haven't been getting it evenly watered? I feel like I'm starting to just become crazy about it, and maybe I need to just chill out and leave the poor thing alone, but if it dies becomes of something I didn't do for it, I would just be too sad. Sorry for the long post, but I'm super upset about this and trying to paint the picture so as to give you pros the info you need to diagnose. If there was a citrus ER, I would take it there right now. Thanks everyone, I really appreciate your input.
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ditas
11 years ago
Out of *real estate*!!! Ideas abound!!!
aachenelf z5 Mpls
11 years ago
Sometimes when you just can't figure it out, you're thinking too hard. Plop in the annuals and forget about it. Eventually it will hit you. I had a bed like that. I was unhappy with it for years and finally it came to me, but it took years.

Part of my problem was I assumed I had to plant certain things there - certain heights - certain colors - certain bloom times. I was completely off base, but it took years for me to realize it.

Kevin
jodikay
11 years ago
Too funny! Thats where I am right now, which is why I have been posting all over GW. Does this look good? Can I move this? My husband even asked me if a $100 would help to fill in the spots cuz seriously, the front garden went to heck after such a beautiful last couple of years. I told him I appreciated the offer but it really needs a major overhaul. My non gardener doesn't get it but he sure means well - lol!

Jodi
maozamom NE Ohio
11 years ago
I'll never run out of idea. I just wish more of them were good.

mao
buyorsell888
11 years ago
That is what the internet is for! :)
prairie_love
11 years ago
I don't run out of ideas ... or maybe I do. I typically come to a point of indecision regarding a particular bed, with no idea how to change/improve/beautify/enliven it. The last several weeks has been that way for my front beds. I am not happy with them, have some ideas how to improve, but not a "plan". Finally I just started. I knew I needed to trim the spirea and remove the bleeding hearts so I did that. Suddenly there was a lot more room and the ideas starting popping up. What if I put a geranium there? And maybe a lily would work here. And I should move that brunnera to there and open up space for that astilbe.

In other words, my fix for lack of ideas is to just start. Identify one thing that is bothering you and fix that. It will likely lead to the next step and then the next and soon you will be full of new ideas.
nutmeg4061
11 years ago
buyorsell is right!
I browse plant catalogs online, or just Google random gardening/plant terms, then browse the photos.
"hosta fence"..."miscanthus window"..."bay window perennials"...and on. The amount of inspiration I see gets my creativity going again.
Michelle
prairiemoon2 z6b MA
11 years ago
I can identify with what everyone has said so far. I often rely on the practicalities of a design question to point me in the right direction. How does this area need to function? Which plants would like these conditions, sun/shade, wet/dry, low growing/tall? Then often it is a case of a certain plant that I am in love with and finding the best place to put it. And in the end, even after thinking it through well, and giving attention to care, the end result doesn't please you. Then you try again and see where it is not working and move things around or bring home another great plant to try. I've done that lots of times and have done a lot of moving. Eventually, I have finally succeeded in a pleasing result in some areas, but others I'm still working on.

This year, I am finally seeing some maturity with some of our shrubs and perennials and I have thought what a difference that makes. So patience pays off more than I realized. But, when you plant with eventual size in mind, the spaces are very unappealing. So I've planted between and now, for instance, I am going to have to move daffodils out from under shrubs.

I like the idea of planting annuals for a season until you find inspiration. I love an annual garden. You may find it works so well, you will keep doing it every year. I keep one bed in full sun that has a mix of perennials and annuals, but it started out with just annuals and that was fun.

A garden is so personal. It is a process of learning about yourself as a gardener and your property. The trick I think, is to accept both as they are and with patience just enjoy the process. There isn't a season that I don't find something to really be happy about, but never a season that I'm happy about everything. But if I were, then what would I have to look forward to changing next year? :-)

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