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mulchy_gw

Does anyone do theme gardens??

mulchy
15 years ago

I haven't posted in ages, but I lurked here all winter. I have been thinking about what I am going to do in my gardens this year. I really don't need to buy alot of new plants, unless I find some I can't live without!!! I can't make any new ones because I have enough to take care of..

I was thinking maybe it would be fun to make acouple of theme gardens. I thought it would be neat to have a bird garden. I am a wanna be painter and have been painting birds, thinking I could put them in one of my gardens. Do any of you folks have "theme gardens"?

Comments (30)

  • PRO
    Nell Jean
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Anytime I plant, I think, "What would the Butterflies like?" so that's a recurring theme everywhere here.
    {{gwi:640215}}

    There's a little area devoted to fairies just for fun and opposite it, the Aquarium Garden that has plants with oceanic names, like Shrimp Plant and Shell ginger and Minnow daffodils.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Fairy Garden

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    I've never planned a theme garden but I may have a bird garden now because we feed them year round and there are always lots here. I let many flowers go to seed for the birds but not sure if they eat anything except the sunflower seeds in the feeder. Have lots of shastas which the butterflies like.

    One of the ideas I've had for my new garden is to do color themes in various "rooms" or areas. Not necessarily only one color for each but using a different predominant color in each and a few supporting colors. I can see the colors kind of flowing around the garden with a supporting color becoming the predominant color in the next bed, etc. Would require a lot of planning and I'm not sure if I'm disciplined enough to stay with it. Too often when I have an extra plant I just wander around to find any space in which to plunk it. Kinda negates most plans!

    One thing I will be doing is to have several wildflower beds simply because I have so much space to fill. They will likely evolve into something else eventually.

    I'm definitely going to do a fairy garden in an old washtub and the Grands will love it.

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    • Posted by: memo NE-Zone 4B (My Page) on Fri, Feb 20, 09 at 2:30

    Honestly, Mulchy, when I gardened, I had my plate full enough trying to keep the soil rich, getting the right plants for the right places (soil and sun). Choosing colors, heights, textures and foliage to compliment each other. Watering, mulching, pulling weeds, building new beds and edging them. Cutting down trees to make my own mulch! How in the world could I possibly find time to think about a theme? LOL!!

    Although, I did once entertain the thought of doing a bed of true blues and chartreuse plants only (Gottagarden's beautiful beds inspire us all). I even posted a lengthy list here on the forum of the plants I found that would work. And then I laughed at the thought of it all. ;)

    MeMo

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    • Posted by: ajpa z6 se PA (My Page) on Fri, Feb 20, 09 at 11:13

    This year I am making an effort to put in a lot of purple, ble, & red colors since they are the kids favorites.
    Then of course my older daughter says "and yellow for contrast!". (rolling my eyes)

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    In my browsings around the forum in recent years, I have heard people doing such things as:
    monochoromatic gardens- black & white, all blues, all pinks, etc
    Adams Family Garden/Gothic- various plants with a 'dead' theme throughout, or bats, black plants, etc
    Family gardens- Daylilies all with names of family members, or other plants each with the name of a family member (Phlox "Sandra" or "Jim's Song" daylily)
    Memory Gardens- for a loved one...things & plants that they loved all in one bed
    Tropical
    Asian
    Desert/Xeriscapes
    Birds & Butterflies

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    I think a cottage garden is a theme garden unto itself.

    Libby

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    The only "theme" I'm working on this year is a white garden. Mostly fragrant plants.

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    I do color themes, but you know that already.

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    I have a fragrance garden, butterfly garden, waterfall garden, cottage garden, rain garden and outer front garden. These are more "labels" than themes so that I can somewhat describe my gardens on forums and in my blog.

    Cameron

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    Even some botanical gardens have 'Shakespeare' gardens, utilizing all the plants mentioned in Shakespeare's plays. Naming the plants are almost a thread unto themselves, beginning with pansees and rose, some of the herbs and many more.

    Nell

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    I attempt a very small English Garden, a cottage and a wild flower and weed garden. But I guess I do tend to do color themes as well.

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    My main theme is the polinator strip along our driveway. It's tall plants that I grow near my veggies to get the pollinators over there. I am working on the "Garden of Good and Evil" theme - tall, scrubby plants with thickets and or thorns that will make a good barrier but also provide food. I would like to prevent people from entering my yard over my fence (we are limited to a 4' fence here in the front).

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    I'm working on a new "Heritage Garden" that I just started last year. With plants that have something to do with my family heritage of Irish, Scottish, Welsh, English, like Bells of Ireland, Welsh Poppies, English Daisies, Scottish Bluebells. I also am planning some flowers that are named after ancestors - like Tradescantia "Sweet Kate" for my grandmother and the orchid Iris "George" which is a common family name. And I have roses named "Irish Hope," "Celtic Pride," "English Miss." Plus some fun things with names that include Leprechaun, Rainbow, etc.

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    We have a white garden and an orange garden.

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    • Posted by: cziga Zone 5: (Toronto) (My Page) on Mon, Feb 23, 09 at 11:36

    I have several theme gardens - it helps me organize them in my head :) Aside from colour themes, I have one of "fall" colours and fall-blooming plants mainly. I have one "dark", almost gothic themed garden that is still in progress. I have one (new last year) that I call the "food" garden, where each plant name is related to food (Cranberry Ice Dianthus, Caramel Heuchera, Coreopsis Creme Brulee, etc.).

    I am also trying to put together a Camelot Garden (Rose Guinevere, The camelot series of foxglove and delphiniums, Malva Mystic Merlin, etc). I really like this idea, but the selection of plants is harder to find.

    Also new this summer, I'd like to start a Tropical garden - some tropical leaves, pinks and yellows . . . as an island bed around a wooden bench in my yard. I'm looking forward to it!

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens???

    • Posted by: cziga Zone 5: (Toronto) (My Page) on Mon, Feb 23, 09 at 11:38

    Oh I forgot, I also am starting an "art" garden. My mother is an artist and I was going to put together an Art garden - Echinacea Art's Pride, Rose Emily Carr, Lillies Renoir, etc. All plants with names of artists, or relating to art in some way. This one is also still a work in progress, although there are loads of great flowers, plants and roses with Art themed names.

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    My themes are really color-based but all strive for the cottage look as an underlying theme/style (full, colorful, lush, intermixing). I have a "hot color" garden as the front entrance bed to the house. I would say that is a bit more "modern cottage" since the colors are so loud. Across from it is an island bed in progress, which has some mature shrubs and trees, but no perennials yet. I think I may try a cutting garden in the empty spaces this year, as I love zinnias and having lots of flowers for bouquets in the house and for my desk at work. My largest bed in the back yard is a predominantly pastel/jewel tone cottage garden comprised of a few shrubs, trees and lots of perennials. I also have 3 small shade/partial shade gardens, and my hosta colelction shines there. I need to work on adding season long color in those, and I usually fall back on annuals like fancy caladium, coleus, impatiens and begonias. I enjoy container gardening too, and will generally go over-the-top with those, and place some of the larger containers among the existing beds to add a punch of height/color as an accent, and smaller containers are scattered arounfd the deck and patio.

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    I have a butterfly garden, a xeriscape garden and a Secret Garden. The last is probably the biggest in the theme dept. I designed it for my granddaughter and took inspiration from the book The Secret Garden. It's hidden behind a blue spruce hedge.

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    • Posted by: eduarda Z10 - Portugal (My Page) on Wed, Feb 25, 09 at 6:44

    Michelle, I would love to see pictures of your secret garden. I loved the book and always thought how lovely it would be to recreate the garden (no room for me, though). Do you also have the door hidden in the middle of the ivy? And the little robin that showed the way? :-)

    My garden is too small to have several themes, but the front garden is planted mostly for Winter interest, so I think about it as the Winter garden. It features a Christmas tree, a red berried firethorn hedge, dwarf conifers, red twig doogwoods, hollies, nandinas, laurustinus and cotoneaster. For Spring and Summer interest I have added two roses (Mutabilis and Jude, The Obscure) and daylillies. Fall is taken care of with mums and the sweet gum tree that is there as well. All in all, a very carefree zone in the garden and one that gives me a lot of pleasure.

    Eduarda

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    Hope it's ok for me to chime in about the Secret Garden ...
    My kids made their own secret garden which was nothing more than spring blooming bulbs in a "secret" place in the woods. I bought big old timey looking keys at Hobby Lobby for them and they gave a key to special people in their lives and made them "secret garden sisters". That was several years ago - they still keep up with their keys. When the crocus start poking thru the dirt and the daffodils begin to bloom, you know spring is not far behind.

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    I built a Peter Rabbit Garden in 2001 for my Granddaughter & me. We even had the scarecrow and little blue slippers with the Tamashanter hat.
    We grew:

    Marvel Peas
    French Breakfast Radishes
    French Beans
    Bib Lettuces
    Italian Flat Parsley
    Carrots
    Cabbages
    Some Sweet 100s tomatoes
    Blackberries (served with cream & scones for supper)
    Chamomile (for tea)
    Munstead Lavender (rabbit tobacco)
    Strawberries
    Muskmelons (Hale's Best) grown upon the back fence...
    and a Cucumber frame (grown on a wire arch at the back)

    With fern-like Dill and Calendula flowers planted round about.

    I set a 1/2 whiskey barrel in the center for our Mr. McGregor's pond with hardy water lilies and some goldfish. :)
    I used rocks for bed borders and twigs for wattle edging.
    It was very quaint and tasty!

    For Inspiration to create your very own Peter Rabbit Garden (er...Mr.. McGregor's Garden), see the Link below.

    We even had a picnic one afternoon with cucumber sandwiches and Earl Grey tea (my favorite tea).

    What fun. She loved it!
    ~Annie

    Here is a link that might be useful: Beatrix Potter's Garden - Sawrey, Cumbria, England

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    Oh Annie, that is so sweet. How special! I will always remember gardening with my grandmother and I'm sure she will too.

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    I love the idea of a Peter Rabbit garden. There are already some Beatrix Potter figures in my fairy garden (instead of fairies; well, there is one ceramic fairy that was a gift).

    There was a display at some Garden Show one year that was built to resemble a 'picnic in the woods' that was interrupted and the picnickers left their basket. A very novel idea.

    Nell

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    Annie, that must have been wonderful.

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    I don't have any pics of the Peter Rabbit garden, but here is a picture of one of our picnics:

    {{gwi:640216}} Me and The Nat - a February Picnic

    LINK below:
    Just type in "guest2" to view

    Here is a link that might be useful: Family album

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    I love this thread and have saved every idea! Because I've been thinking about using colors as themes after reading about eduarda's Winter theme I thot it might be fun to do a Christmas garden using only red and white flowers and some small evergreen trees. Maybe a Christmas Santa elf if I can find one or a Baby in the manger statue if available. I think my Grands would really like it. I've avoided most red flowers as didn't think they "went" with my version of a cottage garden but I'm happy to rethink that as I do like them.

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    Thanks everyone for the replys!!! I have really enjoyed reading them all.... Ginger

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    I really toyed with the idea of a Peter Rabbit garden. In fact I do have a large rabbit that looks like Peter. Annie I would have loved to see yours and you had such a neat list of plants. The link to Beatrix Potter's garden was very cool. I love all the little grandchildren pictures. The little fairy granddaughter is so fun. I just had to post this thumbnail picture of Peter Rabbits garden at the Greenbay WI Botanical Gardens. It's a size that nearly anyone could accomplish with a small bit of land.

    {{gwi:640217}}

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    Michelle,

    I can't access the Link to a bigger picture of the Greenbay Botanical Garden pic, but I found their website. Thanks! How cute! I sure like that little shed. The soft yellow fence is very nice.
    My grandchildren pics are just of my two girls. Maya has just turned one and Natalie will soon turn eleven. Time sure flies! I miss my girls! :(
    I don't have the boys posted on there...yet.

    ~Annie

    RE: Does anyone do theme gardens??

    My gardens are mostly named by location - woodland, pond, island, perennial border, ect. I do have a dedicated 'herb' garden, a scree garden (succulents and sedums) and a fenced in 'cottage garden' but there is an underlying theme to all my gardens - bird, butterfly, dragonfly and hummingbird friendly. Most of my plant selection is done to attract a wide variety of them and supply their food, shelter and nesting habits. While I love the fragrance of herbs and do cook with some of them I plant most of them for butterfly larva. I love the beauty of all the flowers but our real joy is seeing the wildlife enjoy them also. We tend to leave seed heads on flowers for food for birds that others would deadhead - bottom line - my garden is for the birds .....

    Lynne

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  • luckygal
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've never planned a theme garden but I may have a bird garden now because we feed them year round and there are always lots here. I let many flowers go to seed for the birds but not sure if they eat anything except the sunflower seeds in the feeder. Have lots of shastas which the butterflies like.

    One of the ideas I've had for my new garden is to do color themes in various "rooms" or areas. Not necessarily only one color for each but using a different predominant color in each and a few supporting colors. I can see the colors kind of flowing around the garden with a supporting color becoming the predominant color in the next bed, etc. Would require a lot of planning and I'm not sure if I'm disciplined enough to stay with it. Too often when I have an extra plant I just wander around to find any space in which to plunk it. Kinda negates most plans!

    One thing I will be doing is to have several wildflower beds simply because I have so much space to fill. They will likely evolve into something else eventually.

    I'm definitely going to do a fairy garden in an old washtub and the Grands will love it.

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  • memo3
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Honestly, Mulchy, when I gardened, I had my plate full enough trying to keep the soil rich, getting the right plants for the right places (soil and sun). Choosing colors, heights, textures and foliage to compliment each other. Watering, mulching, pulling weeds, building new beds and edging them. Cutting down trees to make my own mulch! How in the world could I possibly find time to think about a theme? LOL!!

    Although, I did once entertain the thought of doing a bed of true blues and chartreuse plants only (Gottagarden's beautiful beds inspire us all). I even posted a lengthy list here on the forum of the plants I found that would work. And then I laughed at the thought of it all. ;)

    MeMo

  • ajpa
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This year I am making an effort to put in a lot of purple, ble, & red colors since they are the kids favorites.
    Then of course my older daughter says "and yellow for contrast!". (rolling my eyes)

  • mmqchdygg
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    In my browsings around the forum in recent years, I have heard people doing such things as:
    monochoromatic gardens- black & white, all blues, all pinks, etc
    Adams Family Garden/Gothic- various plants with a 'dead' theme throughout, or bats, black plants, etc
    Family gardens- Daylilies all with names of family members, or other plants each with the name of a family member (Phlox "Sandra" or "Jim's Song" daylily)
    Memory Gardens- for a loved one...things & plants that they loved all in one bed
    Tropical
    Asian
    Desert/Xeriscapes
    Birds & Butterflies

  • libbyshome
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think a cottage garden is a theme garden unto itself.

    Libby

  • token28001
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The only "theme" I'm working on this year is a white garden. Mostly fragrant plants.

  • gottagarden
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I do color themes, but you know that already.

  • DYH
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have a fragrance garden, butterfly garden, waterfall garden, cottage garden, rain garden and outer front garden. These are more "labels" than themes so that I can somewhat describe my gardens on forums and in my blog.

    Cameron

  • PRO
    Nell Jean
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Even some botanical gardens have 'Shakespeare' gardens, utilizing all the plants mentioned in Shakespeare's plays. Naming the plants are almost a thread unto themselves, beginning with pansees and rose, some of the herbs and many more.

    Nell

  • schoolhouse_gw
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I attempt a very small English Garden, a cottage and a wild flower and weed garden. But I guess I do tend to do color themes as well.

  • girlgroupgirl
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My main theme is the polinator strip along our driveway. It's tall plants that I grow near my veggies to get the pollinators over there. I am working on the "Garden of Good and Evil" theme - tall, scrubby plants with thickets and or thorns that will make a good barrier but also provide food. I would like to prevent people from entering my yard over my fence (we are limited to a 4' fence here in the front).

  • suecirish
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm working on a new "Heritage Garden" that I just started last year. With plants that have something to do with my family heritage of Irish, Scottish, Welsh, English, like Bells of Ireland, Welsh Poppies, English Daisies, Scottish Bluebells. I also am planning some flowers that are named after ancestors - like Tradescantia "Sweet Kate" for my grandmother and the orchid Iris "George" which is a common family name. And I have roses named "Irish Hope," "Celtic Pride," "English Miss." Plus some fun things with names that include Leprechaun, Rainbow, etc.

  • happyintexas
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We have a white garden and an orange garden.

  • cziga
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have several theme gardens - it helps me organize them in my head :) Aside from colour themes, I have one of "fall" colours and fall-blooming plants mainly. I have one "dark", almost gothic themed garden that is still in progress. I have one (new last year) that I call the "food" garden, where each plant name is related to food (Cranberry Ice Dianthus, Caramel Heuchera, Coreopsis Creme Brulee, etc.).

    I am also trying to put together a Camelot Garden (Rose Guinevere, The camelot series of foxglove and delphiniums, Malva Mystic Merlin, etc). I really like this idea, but the selection of plants is harder to find.

    Also new this summer, I'd like to start a Tropical garden - some tropical leaves, pinks and yellows . . . as an island bed around a wooden bench in my yard. I'm looking forward to it!

  • cziga
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh I forgot, I also am starting an "art" garden. My mother is an artist and I was going to put together an Art garden - Echinacea Art's Pride, Rose Emily Carr, Lillies Renoir, etc. All plants with names of artists, or relating to art in some way. This one is also still a work in progress, although there are loads of great flowers, plants and roses with Art themed names.

  • threedogsmom
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My themes are really color-based but all strive for the cottage look as an underlying theme/style (full, colorful, lush, intermixing). I have a "hot color" garden as the front entrance bed to the house. I would say that is a bit more "modern cottage" since the colors are so loud. Across from it is an island bed in progress, which has some mature shrubs and trees, but no perennials yet. I think I may try a cutting garden in the empty spaces this year, as I love zinnias and having lots of flowers for bouquets in the house and for my desk at work. My largest bed in the back yard is a predominantly pastel/jewel tone cottage garden comprised of a few shrubs, trees and lots of perennials. I also have 3 small shade/partial shade gardens, and my hosta colelction shines there. I need to work on adding season long color in those, and I usually fall back on annuals like fancy caladium, coleus, impatiens and begonias. I enjoy container gardening too, and will generally go over-the-top with those, and place some of the larger containers among the existing beds to add a punch of height/color as an accent, and smaller containers are scattered arounfd the deck and patio.

  • michelle_zone4
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have a butterfly garden, a xeriscape garden and a Secret Garden. The last is probably the biggest in the theme dept. I designed it for my granddaughter and took inspiration from the book The Secret Garden. It's hidden behind a blue spruce hedge.

  • Eduarda
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Michelle, I would love to see pictures of your secret garden. I loved the book and always thought how lovely it would be to recreate the garden (no room for me, though). Do you also have the door hidden in the middle of the ivy? And the little robin that showed the way? :-)

    My garden is too small to have several themes, but the front garden is planted mostly for Winter interest, so I think about it as the Winter garden. It features a Christmas tree, a red berried firethorn hedge, dwarf conifers, red twig doogwoods, hollies, nandinas, laurustinus and cotoneaster. For Spring and Summer interest I have added two roses (Mutabilis and Jude, The Obscure) and daylillies. Fall is taken care of with mums and the sweet gum tree that is there as well. All in all, a very carefree zone in the garden and one that gives me a lot of pleasure.

    Eduarda

  • blueberryhills
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hope it's ok for me to chime in about the Secret Garden ...
    My kids made their own secret garden which was nothing more than spring blooming bulbs in a "secret" place in the woods. I bought big old timey looking keys at Hobby Lobby for them and they gave a key to special people in their lives and made them "secret garden sisters". That was several years ago - they still keep up with their keys. When the crocus start poking thru the dirt and the daffodils begin to bloom, you know spring is not far behind.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Beatrix Potter's Garden - Sawrey, Cumbria, England

  • Annie
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I built a Peter Rabbit Garden in 2001 for my Granddaughter & me. We even had the scarecrow and little blue slippers with the Tamashanter hat.
    We grew:

    Marvel Peas
    French Breakfast Radishes
    French Beans
    Bib Lettuces
    Italian Flat Parsley
    Carrots
    Cabbages
    Some Sweet 100s tomatoes
    Blackberries (served with cream & scones for supper)
    Chamomile (for tea)
    Munstead Lavender (rabbit tobacco)
    Strawberries
    Muskmelons (Hale's Best) grown upon the back fence...
    and a Cucumber frame (grown on a wire arch at the back)

    With fern-like Dill and Calendula flowers planted round about.

    I set a 1/2 whiskey barrel in the center for our Mr. McGregor's pond with hardy water lilies and some goldfish. :)
    I used rocks for bed borders and twigs for wattle edging.
    It was very quaint and tasty!

    For Inspiration to create your very own Peter Rabbit Garden (er...Mr.. McGregor's Garden), see the Link below.

    We even had a picnic one afternoon with cucumber sandwiches and Earl Grey tea (my favorite tea).

    What fun. She loved it!
    ~Annie

  • nikkineel
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh Annie, that is so sweet. How special! I will always remember gardening with my grandmother and I'm sure she will too.

  • PRO
    Nell Jean
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love the idea of a Peter Rabbit garden. There are already some Beatrix Potter figures in my fairy garden (instead of fairies; well, there is one ceramic fairy that was a gift).

    There was a display at some Garden Show one year that was built to resemble a 'picnic in the woods' that was interrupted and the picnickers left their basket. A very novel idea.

    Nell

  • schoolhouse_gw
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Annie, that must have been wonderful.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Family album

  • Annie
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I don't have any pics of the Peter Rabbit garden, but here is a picture of one of our picnics:

    {{gwi:640216}} Me and The Nat - a February Picnic

    LINK below:
    Just type in "guest2" to view

  • luckygal
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love this thread and have saved every idea! Because I've been thinking about using colors as themes after reading about eduarda's Winter theme I thot it might be fun to do a Christmas garden using only red and white flowers and some small evergreen trees. Maybe a Christmas Santa elf if I can find one or a Baby in the manger statue if available. I think my Grands would really like it. I've avoided most red flowers as didn't think they "went" with my version of a cottage garden but I'm happy to rethink that as I do like them.

  • mulchy
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks everyone for the replys!!! I have really enjoyed reading them all.... Ginger

  • michelle_zone4
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I really toyed with the idea of a Peter Rabbit garden. In fact I do have a large rabbit that looks like Peter. Annie I would have loved to see yours and you had such a neat list of plants. The link to Beatrix Potter's garden was very cool. I love all the little grandchildren pictures. The little fairy granddaughter is so fun. I just had to post this thumbnail picture of Peter Rabbits garden at the Greenbay WI Botanical Gardens. It's a size that nearly anyone could accomplish with a small bit of land.

    {{gwi:640217}}

  • Annie
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Michelle,

    I can't access the Link to a bigger picture of the Greenbay Botanical Garden pic, but I found their website. Thanks! How cute! I sure like that little shed. The soft yellow fence is very nice.
    My grandchildren pics are just of my two girls. Maya has just turned one and Natalie will soon turn eleven. Time sure flies! I miss my girls! :(
    I don't have the boys posted on there...yet.

    ~Annie

  • lynnencfan
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My gardens are mostly named by location - woodland, pond, island, perennial border, ect. I do have a dedicated 'herb' garden, a scree garden (succulents and sedums) and a fenced in 'cottage garden' but there is an underlying theme to all my gardens - bird, butterfly, dragonfly and hummingbird friendly. Most of my plant selection is done to attract a wide variety of them and supply their food, shelter and nesting habits. While I love the fragrance of herbs and do cook with some of them I plant most of them for butterfly larva. I love the beauty of all the flowers but our real joy is seeing the wildlife enjoy them also. We tend to leave seed heads on flowers for food for birds that others would deadhead - bottom line - my garden is for the birds .....

    Lynne

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