Garden is getting cottage-ier and cottage-ier

16 years ago

Maybe it's not a real word, but it should be.

It started 12 or so years ago when we bought the house. The front garden was a mass of weeds, overgrown perennials, a dying tree, and a rusty rose. I spent a couple of years digging and weeding and planting. An order to Bluestone and an order to Heirloom Roses and I thought I was set. Not so. I kept adding and subtracting as my tastes evolved and my knowledge grew. I have only a few of my first paSS plants still with me, and even fewer of the ones I found when I moved in. The roses peaked at 135, but are now down to about 100. While they are still my favorites, they may slip down to about 90 as I weed out a few more that are not thriving and replace them with non-rose plants. I'm now planting fruit and nut trees, vegetables, grapes, and more and more herbs. After all, isn't a true cottage garden a blend of ornamental and useful plants? Anyway, that's my story these days.

Rosefolly

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Comments (7)

cooperbailey
16 years ago
I would love love to see pics!! It sounds so lovely. and I do believe that cottage-ier is a word. Sue
lynnencfan
16 years ago
It is an ever evolving process isn't it. I don't think ANYONE who cottage gardens can ever sit and say "it is done" - we are forever tweaking, moving, adding, subtracting, ect

I agree with cooperbailey - we need to see PICTURES :):)....

Lynne
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Before I joined my garden club ordered bulbs in bulk for sharing. I hope we can do it again and also share seeds. We visit local ecological vegetable farms, public gardens and parks with special features, our own gardens and local private gardens of some fame. We organize a country walk in spring to a beauty spot where one of us has made a fire for a barbecue in advance. Last year we had a talk by a remarkable woman farmer who grows several old varieties of grains like spelt and visited her farm in summer to buy flour and taste and buy her bread. We arrange plant fairs on a small scale twice a year and sell our surplus plants and produce. This fall we will have a pelargonium competition. Each contestant starts with a cutting of the same size and the same variety (Wilhelm Langguth) supplied by a member who is a collector. Next week we will visit a local nursery after hours where we get reduced prices when we come as group. The owner gives a short talk about novelties and any plants of distinction. This post was edited by mariannese on Fri, May 16, 14 at 6:09
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Thanks to everyone for all the replies! Eduarda: I'll just wear my Barbour coat (gotten from an English tea shop for my rose gardening- same kind the Queen wears), some sensible shoes, and a head scarf, when I walk our Corgi! I'll do the royal wave at people, HA! Thanks for the link about the Queen and her corgis. Pattioh: I'm sure having a dog tagging alongside me while gardening shall be a most interesting experience. If you get a shelter dog at some point please post a picture of it in your gardens. I'd love to see it! Jennypat: sounds like you have quite a place-- our kids would love it!! Do post a pic of your new to you yellow lab in that whisky barrel sometime! Eileen grow: Yup, that's what I've been doing researching and seeing this breed. I had quite a long phone call with the local corgi rescue lady out here. Have talked with two corgi breeders and many corgi owners. Definitely worth doing our homework before ours joins the family. Thanks for the post. Frogviewcottage: GREAT to hear that I got ya to post about a favorite subject of yours! Three wow... are they red/white, tris, what... Hey, got pics? You can even send me an email off list if you want with picture attachments. We're really looking forward to having a Corgi become part of our lives! Pfmastin: Would love after the children are a few years older to even get maybe a redheaded tri puppy as a second corgi. We'll see! My hands will indeed be very full with just this first one. A number for people do have more than just one it seems. That's what I've heard said about them, too-- Girlgroupgirl: Thanks for the vote! We have an outdoor cat that we hardly ever see, expect in the morning to get fed. I think it lives more at the neighbor's house these days. We used to get about neighborhood five cats that would traipse (sp?) through our yard on a regular basis, in part to use the pea gravel area before we got the slate put in for the patio done as a big litter box- yuck. We've been told that once those cats find out there is a dog in the yard, they won't be back... Klimkim: one couple I met at the local show that have had a number of corgis over the years said these dogs shed 24/7. At least I know that upfront! careytearose
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Since I am the city clerk he has been going around telling every one I am doing things all wrong and illegal yada yada yada. This is a tiny town and there are many that will listen to him as I am not a favorite around town after stopping a good old boy ring of old town rulers that were dipping from the city coffers. This is pretty much a bass ackwards kind of tiny town.Gives real meaning to red neck. The stress he has been causing me is of constantly having to prove what he is saying about me is not true.Frustration because I should not be having to deal with this crap. I work so hard for this little city. With my careful watch I brought this town in 15K under budget this year in the general fund. Considering the budget was ruffly 59K I did very well handling the tax payers dollars!!! Not me actually I do not run the city. BUT I kept the council appraised on where they stood at every decision financially. Before me they were running amuck. I could go on for hours on the waste before I came on scene. Needless to say bad boys are not happy I have lightened their and their relatives personal pockets. Any way all of this started another psoriasis flair up for me. I have not brought it under control yet. It is very painful with hands and feet splitting and bleeding at the drop of a hat. Sunday my hands were clear of splits. Yesterday I had 16 new bloody splits on fingers and palms. And I did not do this with my mosaics on the hoosier Sunday.See gadget thread on the other side here. Hoping now the election is over and bad boy lost and the rest of my council but one are great the next couple of years will mellow out. Sorry for the rant. I am still pretty wound up.
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irene_dsc
16 years ago
I find this especially amusing as dh and I have been discussing different places to put various fruits in the garden. He even read one of my library garden books on growing berries & grapes! So, after reading it, he says - hmm, how much space do we need for grapes? How about growing some along the back fence line? And I reply - But, that's where I had planned shrubs and roses!!!

This, of course, after I had already started considering using the fenceline by the veggies (originally slated for hollyhocks) for a row of raspberry bushes...anyone ever grow raspberries in front of hollyhocks??

Not sure how this one is going to fall out yet...
rosefolly
Original Author
16 years ago
Pictures may come in time. I just got a new camera (old one died after only a couple of years) and haven't set anything up yet for posting pictures. I'm too busy gardening to sit down and fuss with it. I'm not sure the garden looks all that radically different from pictures I posted last year. Or you can look at the Hobbit Garden thread for a view of a bed of edible and ornamental plants mixed with cheery abandon. It's evolution, not revolution, but evolution that goes on and on. I find myself popping over to the Fruit and Orchard forum and the Vegetable forum as well as this one and the Antique Rose forum. So much knowledge and so much support is to be had here on Gardenweb. I've been using the forums for 12 or more years and I'm still learning all the time.

R
lavendrfem
16 years ago
I agree - I don't think that cottage style gardening is ever really done. That's the beauty of it for me. It's always changing as I'm moving plants and learning more. So I get to experience that bliss every year. :)
primgal36
16 years ago
I am in total agreement with you all. Cottage gardening is constant evolvement. I'm in my third year,and I havent even put a dent in what I want to accomplish, but I sure love every minute of it!!!
I think it's a lifestyle, or a semblance of a simpler way of life. People long for an escape from the pressures we face each day, and this is definately mine.
gnabonnand
16 years ago
Your garden sounds great, Rosefolly. I hope you try out that new camera soon!

Randy

Garden is getting cottage-ier and cottage-ier

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Garden is getting cottage-ier and cottage-ier

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