Very nice!!

Karen

Always a pleasure to see photos of your gardens, Carrie, and a real joy when it is still so bare in my gardens. I was just outside and saw a few tulips & daffodils up as well as a bit of green on some perennials that weren't mulched. I completely cover most perennials with shredded leaves for the winter and will be removing the mulch later this week when it warms into the 50s.

I am looking forward to seeing bloom on my second year Basket of Gold alyssum.

Do you replant CA poppies each year? What is the purple trailing plant in with the potted zinnias? Is that perilla behind it?

Remember, these pictures are not this year... but I do have lots of blooms since it is April in NC - just haven't taken the pictures yet...

Yes, it's perilla on the ground behind the planter (which was a huge mistake because of course they got too tall) and scaveola (store bought) in the planter. We removed the planters this year on the deck and bought nicer patio furniture, so not sure what I will do with the planters this year. It was fun planting profusions in the planter and just letting them go crazy. They really get big!

The poppies in the first picture were actually mostly reseeds and some transplanted ws poppies, but this year I direct sowed my poppies (I put plastic containers over the seeds on the ground - sort of a reverse ws)... They germinated great and will be blooming soon.

Carrie

I'm so jealous with your plants! It is stunning! Hopefully, I'll achieve that kind of look as well.

I've been adding beds all over my property. LOL. My wife is complaining now. Hahaha. I widened the existing bed in front near the porch. This beds extends to the south side upto back of the house.

I added about 100 sqft of bed in front right corner border. I will add another 70-80 sqft of bed in front left corner border. I will continue widening the backyard beds. I think I have 200 sqft left to dig for the backyard.

Going back to your pictures, IT IS GORGEOUS!!!!! :D

I've got sprouts of amaranthus right now. Second time that container has sprouted. The first ones died a horrible death. I didn't realize it was a tender annual back in January.

So how do you plan your beds? Do you lay everything out in your head, or just do it as you go?

Lovely lovely gardens!!

plan beds?? I never planned beds my first year. Actually, every year my beds are completely different.

This year I am trying to have some sort of plan - mainly because I have a tendency to overdo the gardens and then I can't get into the deepest ones to deadhead and last year I saw a snake - which made me even more afraid to walk through the "jungle"...

It's hard to plan a garden if it's your first year wintersowing because you don't really know what size the plants will be, etc.

Here is a picture of one of my borders my very first wintersowing spring - It's such a mish mosh of whatever - that I didn't really enjoy it. I got a little better with every year (although I've only been doing this for four)....

This garden is opposite my huge border with the arbor - but it's the best picture to show that I just filled an empty space with "whatevers" - but at least it was colorful, if not a bit "confusing.." (Better than dirt which was there before)...

Carrie
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I'm guessing that will be my method too. I'm planting things now based more on color and combinations I've seen that I like. I may have to move things in the fall. I might even need to move the entire perennial bed thanks to the ()#&*$)(*& acorns.

I've learned that every spring and fall I am ALWAYS moving stuff around. My garden borders are always changing.

Last year, the poppies were pretty but they got sloppy towards the end. I didn't even wait to harvest them - poppies are cheap in Walmart - so I pulled them and threw them away. They were so tall that they were overpowering the shastas, BEsusans, Stokes Asters, Phlox etc.etc. that those perennials were not getting sun (PS Wintersowed all of the aforementioned perennials). I thought I would feel guilty not harvesting the seeds, but it they were done and looking terrible.

Sometimes, you just have to do what you have to do... :0)

Take lots of pictures, token - because next year your garden will look completely different and you can have that comparison.

Speaking of pictures, I need to take picture of 2009 spring gardens before it's summer!

carrie

"before it's summer" Ha, ha, we are still waiting for spring!

Please do take some spring photos so we can see how your garden is doing this year.

uh oh - now I am sounding like token... lol

I take pictures almost every day. I document every new bloom or every noticeable change I make to the garden. I bought an 8gb memory stick just for those pictures. I want to see what changes week to week. I started taking pictures of the perennial bed in December. Every week, I take a new picture from the same spot.

Sunday Ritual

Last year I failed to take many pictures. I wish I had more because there have been drastic changes already. My beds this year are finally getting planted. Last year it was just some haphazard planting and sowing. What came up and grew stayed, until the winter when I moved a lot of things.

Oh you little heifer!!!!! That first photo is to die for! I just love it! Can't remember seeing that photo in the past when you've posted. Stunning! Is that Barberry in the background? The contrast is BEEAUTIFUL!

Those are Lorapetalums - they bloom gorgeous pink fringe flowers in the spring.

I am waiting for my poppies to bloom again this spring and they are planted again in front of those bushes but guess what? My husband trimmed them in the Fall!!! So, I won't have as many flowers blooming as last year.

(I don't think you can see the impact the pink flowers make in that picture...)

Thanks, tiff (I did post my poppies in that area Spring 2008 - you may have missed it..)

Carrie

Lorapetalum is only marginally hardy in zones 7a and above. I lost two this winter thanks to 8 degree nights. They were transplanted late and didn't have enough root mass to survive.

We've had pretty good luck with them - and they flower beautifully right about now (unless someone decides to trim them in the fall.... :0/ ). They may burn a bit when the winter is cold, but we've had good luck with them quickly recovering.

Carrie

Great pics Carrie.
Your gardens a wonderful.
All I can say is wow.
Now if mine will look half that nice someday I will be happy.
Bonnie

Carrie, I like seeing your fist year Garden. I hope mine comes out that good.

I always move stuff around. I have some daylilies that have moved a lot!

Karen

Carrie you such a inspiring yard...I just love all your photos.... Dreaming of a yard like yours someday..Come on sprouts Lol

Carrie, your gardens are just so beautiful. The Penstemon looks like it is in shade. Is that correct? I am growing the gulf coast penstemon and when it is ready I was going to plant in part shade, but if it can take shade, I'd rather plant it under the tree where I need plants.

Thanks, everyone - That last picture of the first time I ever wintersowed was exciting but confusing because i didn't label each clump (thinking I could remember what was what) and now I really know better and wintersowing has taught me (through experience) how to identify certain seedlings...

clarejoe - Morning sun/afternoon shade - but I think Penstemon really likes full sun, but had no choice that year.
Now mine are in complete full sun and this year I am waiting for Mystica to bloom for the first time.. Yay!

Carrie

I really enjoyed looking at your pictures. What beautiful gardens you have, your property is lovely. I love the way the back yard is surrounded by beautiful shrubs/trees.

Thanks, irish rose grower - $3.00 trees that grew to enormous heights in 7 years - plus some natural trees from the woods.

The fifth picture has a background of pines that are now gone! They looked like telephone poles and my husband and I just cut them down last Fall... Now I have more planting space... :0/

Carrie

Beautiful gardens Carrie. I love the 'wave' of poppies in the first shot. Don't you love amaranth and the gorgeous contrasting foliage?

carrie, what plant is on the third picture behind the planter? I think the color of the underside of the leaf is burgundy. It's beautiful!

Beautiful, Carrie, as always.

Karen

v1rtu0s1ty - LOL - That was actually a mistake! I dropped a bunch of perilla seeds - As you can see from the picture below, they were really pretty when they were "babies" but grew way too tall for the area - They eventually came down - unfortunately I never re-collected seeds...

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