my 'new' cottage garden (img hvy)

14 years ago

I'm reposting this over here thanks to Renee! Hope that's ok!

I live in Southern California near the Antelope Valley. (SouthWest zone 18, zone 9-10) We started with a dirt lot and had some landscapers help us put this garden in at the end of December based on some sketches I did. I wanted to go with a cottage style,... but to try to -mostly- use plants that were friendly with our area and didn't use a ton of water. There were a few plants I was stubborn on (like the sakura and roses).

I'm sticking mainly with light colors... like light pinks, pale yellow, white (roses, daisies, etc.). With accents of dark wine (a few dark roses that aren't blooming yet) and lavender/blue (lavender, wisteria, delphinium)

The roses are mostly David Austin or antique roses, though I do have one Hybrid Tea (Tiffany). The patio is set broken concrete with whooly thyme growing in the cracks.

My husband mowing the lawn in his suit. haha. {{gwi:57687}}

This is what my backyard looks like right now! (In case you're curious this is what the yard looked like in January)

RIGHT SIDE:

Weeping sakura in front, sakura in the back... morea, delphinium, foxglove, wistera, cosmos and penstemon.

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MIDDLE

Mostly roses, lavendar (french and spanish) and prostrate camellia. There's some santa barbara daisy and penstemon, too.

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LEFT SIDE

more roses, crepe myrtle, irises, etc...! (You can see this is the back left corner of the yard... at the end of the stepping stones, I'm going to put an arbor of some type...)

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LEFT-LEFT SIDE

rosemary, morea, irises, etc..

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This is the back left corner... I put in a couple clematis near the climbing roses. The idea is to add some kind of arbor inbetween them so that the purple clematis and the pale roses can climb over it. I still haven't decided on an arbor yet. (AGH)

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Whooly thyme in the concrete cracks:

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The back sakura when blooming:

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the weeping sakura

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my mom bought me a few of these little toadstools for my herb pots. They're made by a local socal artisan. They're so cute! My mom really loves stuff like this. The herbs are mint, italian basil, chives, sage, lemon thyme and probably something else I'm forgetting.

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These are treasure boxes! I've always loved them. They're so weird and pretty.

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One of the clematis I put in this past weekend! This is Silver Moon.

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the position it's in on the sideyard (the plants are centered on the house windows in the kitchen and dining room) It's with Star Jasmine.

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some kind of daisy I got this weekend. I can't remember the name. but I really really love this little daisy.

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My mom brought me irises from her garden (and her mother's garden) over Christmas break.

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Here's one of the blooming ones!

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Here's a few of my baby roses:

Great Maiden's Blush Alba

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Belle Story:

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Raubritter

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Madame Alfred Carriere

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Lady Banks

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Comments (13)

lavender_lass
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Aimeekitty- Your garden is beautiful! I love the plants you've chosen and the design. Wonderful roses, and the clematis, iris, star jasmine (wish I could grow that here year round) and that daisy is so cute. All the herbs and other plants...and the stepping stones...very nicely done :)
0
tammyinwv
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Absolutely beautiful. Cant wait to see everything mature and in bloom.
Tammy
0
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Hi Daphnelady, I think you have chosen a good variety of plants and love the idea of mixing flowers,veggies and herbs in the same area...a true cottage garden! The only advise I would say would be to try to make sure that you aren't hiding shorter plants behind taller one such as the hollyhocks. Tall, med, short/border plants..also if you can repeat a color or flower here and there as you go down the the border, by repeating a few of the colors it will help guide your eye down the border and bring unity to the bed especially such a long bed. Another tip that can be a little tricky is to arrange your plants so that you have something continualy blooming along the border so you don't end up with gaps. Look out for the lemon balm! Here where I live it really can take over...it is in the mint family I believe. I tried killing mine that I had in a large pot, the thing wouldn't die, had to pull it out and throw it away to finally rid myself of it. Yes, do take before and after pics...I wish I took more myself. Then you can post them here for all to see and be inspired! Good luck! ~Meghan Here is a link that might be useful: hennypennyrosecottage.blogspot.com
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hosenemesis
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Nice rose choices. Nice husband choice, too.
0
organic_kitten
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Very pretty. You've chosen some of my favorite plants.. I can't wait to see it mature.
kay
0
Cher
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I'm glad you posted here since I rarely look in the other areas. You really put together a lovely area.
Cher
0
natal
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I can't believe he didn't even take off his tie! ;)

Keep the pics coming as things mature.
0
aimeekitty
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Aw, thanks so much you guys! I'm so glad you like it! I'm hoping as it matures that it turns into big mounds of flowers.

DS: You guys are funny. The other roses I have are:
Sombrielle
William Shakespeare 2000
Jude the Obscure
Mortimer Sackler
cl. Eden
Compte de Chambord
Reine des Violettes
Sydonie
Gloire de Dijon

Most of them are just babies, though! But the Lady Banks and Belle Storey are a little bigger (1-5gal)

Aimee
0
lgslgs
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Your cute little daisy looks like it's a feverfew. Very pretty plant. :)

Lynda
0
Thyme2dig NH Zone 5
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
WOW! Beautiful garden and what an amazing backdrop you have. You have the perfect amounts of lawn, patio and garden. Very nice!
0
holleygarden Zone 8, East Texas
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Very nice design, and I can imagine how beautiful it will be in a couple of years when your roses have matured. Glad you posted. Keep us updated. :)
0
memo3
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Very pretty garden! It will look amazing when the roses fill in and bloom well. Do you have any plans for future additions to the garden?

MeMo
0
aimeekitty
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thank, Lynda! :D Maybe it is!

Thanks you guys!
I like the hill behind our house. It gives us a little more privacy and the HOA planted some nice drought tolerant plants back there. Some bloom a little, too, which is nice.

I'm not really sure what to do next, because it's all so new to me! So I guess I'm kind of waiting to see how things fill in and how I feel about it.

I'm welcome to suggestions if you guys have any.

The only main plan is to add in an arbor.... which I'm still debating about that. I wanted a white one with a curved top and a bench. I was looking at the ones at Sam's... (vinyl Vienna Arbor) but dont' know if it warrants a membership just to buy an arbor. :)

Though I thought it might be nice to add in some annuals to get a little more color this year while other things are growing in?

My mom is sending me some more irises (purple ones). On that left-left side area... and maybe on the extreme right, I'd love to have some more significant patches of irises. I know they'll multiply after a while, but I'd love to have some more of them now (and I can always give some away to friends later when they multiply). :)

I'd also like to put in some more catmint, salvia and daisies... and I want to get some wild violets from my friend's yard. We have some hummingbirds around here, so that's why I'd love to get some more salvia, even if they aren't my favorite color (I don't really want too much hotpink or bright red, but I'll sacrifice for them. I was considering adding some more morea... but now I was thinking spuria iris instead (Renee suggested them). I read up a little bit about them online and it looks like they might do well in our area. We have really hot dry summers and I have clay, alkaline soil. I think the high spikey shape is pretty on the sides and backs to contrast with the roses and other things.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sam's Vienna Arbor
0
organic_kitten
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I love pretty arbors, and that one qualifies. They add so much to a garden.
0

my 'new' cottage garden (img hvy)

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my 'new' cottage garden (img hvy)

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