Backyard garden remodel dilemma - roses or veggies in the potager?
Cori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Good morning rose specialists! We are toward the end of a massive backyard remodel. I designed it personally and included LOTS of hardscape raised beds, planning ahead to make gardening easier as I age since we don't ever plan on moving. I have a potager garden as the focal point of the yard. There's pics of the progress attached. There will be a tiered fountain right in the middle. I was planning on doing vegetables in this area, but now I'm loving it so much I might just want to do roses there instead and do veggies in the other longer raised beds more towards the house. You can also see those (partially) in the attached photo.
The thing is the raised beds in the potager garden are about 3-4 feet because of the slope of the yard. The raised beds towards the house are 18 inches, on the side towards the house.
4 foot raised beds is better for veggies, probably not so good for roses.
So someone on here talk me out of putting roses in my potager garden. Or tell me it's a great idea and that I should go for it! :)
Enable me or reign me in. :)
I'm so excited!!!! This backyard was a delapidated mess with a 60 year old cracked pool, horrible old cement and completely overgrown with weeds and unmaintained juniper bushes just a few weeks ago!
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smithdale1z8pnw
7 years ago
Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Silly Advice Needed About My Backyard
Comments (64)Ok, neighbor (I live down by LAX), I'll throw in a couple more cents. First of all, no, you're not silly, you just shocked the heck out of us is all...I think it was the evening view toward the house that did it!!! Secondly, don't give up your questions because you do want to make *some* changes otherwise you wouldn't have asked. It sounds like the 'sterile' observation hit a chord, so work with that. I can't tell from just the two pics, but is this a fairly new property, because the landscaping seems small, either young or groomed that way. As someone with a passion for gardening and I would think the feeling you have being in the garden may be add odds with the straight, although beautiful, lines of the columns and house since you had the idea for the English garden. Sooo, take a deep breath, with any house, let alone a large one, it's a marathon, not a race, and there's always things that need changing. So, since you asked, here's some thoughts that come to my mind, in no order.... -For sure keep the view from the house to the ocean open, it looks nearly like an infinity pool, is stunning, and I would think very relaxing and good for the spirit. As mentioned, taking out the pool entirely is probably not the best thing if you move, and if you're not old enough for a jacuzzi yet but you will be eventually so that's a must keeper if they are the pools on the sides! ;-) Or, for that matter, if you re-arrange the pool a bit later, I'd keep the 'therapy' water in the design. Folks may not swim, but most everyone has a bad back, etc. and what better than enjoy the therapy looking out over the ocean??? -Is that a balcony in the middle of the house? What about some _modest_ sized, so as not to eliminate the lines of the house trailing plants or even roses? Bouganville would be monsters unless you could find a small variety, but would be drought tolerant and match the style of the house. -Urns would match the decor, but not soften the appearance if that's where you're going. Also, don't forget, unless you specifically drain water away from pots, they'll stain the concrete around the pool and it will look ghastly. -I have to agree about finding a professional for more guidance in the pool area. There must be a ton that work up there. There are so many landscape designs up there drive around at least for ideas, and if you're really brave, knock on the door on a weekend to see if they'll share. If nothing else, they should take the question as a compliment. -Knowing not what I know not, I wonder if there are pool people that could change the style of the pool to (it sounds like?) something elegant but more garden appropriate, more pond-like as mentioned above, ie, darker bottom, garden waterfall into it, etc. If it's chlorine you can have a gizmo put in that somehow makes chlorine for you, eliminating some of the maintanance, or go for salt water, some people like it, I don't know the pros and cons. -Weather. It gets chilly up there in the afternoon, let alone other than the summer season. And foggy. If you do make changes, do keep in mind some protected space if you don't have it elsewhere, if you want to sit outdoors and enjoy the view of your new garden design and the ocean. Ok, gotta get back to work, but do take to heart that although I'm sure you love your new house and the view is amazing, you wouldn't have posted if you were 'comfortable' in the pool area. Follow your instincts and see where you go. It's your space, keep asking questions until you're happy with it. Best wishes!...See MorePotager may end up being rose garden :)
Comments (18)Okay, as I sit here today, going through rose books, I've decided...my "potager" is going to be a garden for roses, herbs and some annual flowers like sweet peas and morning glory. I really want a "girly" garden and I think this will be it. I should call it my "big girl" garden since I also am designing a "fairy garden" for my nieces :) With all the mud out here and snow, for most of the year, I've decided to move the vegetables to another location and concentrate on pretty and fragrant flowers. However, I am practical enough to make sure they help the bumblebees and butterflies. The birds have all kinds of plants in the pasture and I don't want them too close to the barn kitties. Any more suggestions for roses? Loved ebb tide and will include it in the garden. This area will have to be mainly for smaller roses, about three to four feet wide, although height is not really an issue. I hope to put the larger damasks and albas in front of the lilac hedge and surround them with deer-resistant perennials and lavender. Vegetables are great, but with my short growing season, I have about three and a half months without frost. This means everything has to be planted almost on top of each other, so I think a bigger area would be a better idea. This way I can have a working garden and a pretty area to sit and have tea :) The fairy garden is really a pastel butterfly garden with lots of little surprises for the girls. I have gallica roses that change color from pink to fuscia to lavender to purple and little bridges that the "wee folk" might use. They love Tinkerbelle and I think this will spark their creativity and give them a garden they will enjoy. Also will have small apple trees, three foot high and smaller blueberry bushes and alpine strawberries in this area, behind the flowers. This is all non-toxic, so no lily of the valley, but violets and pansies are okay...you probably get the idea :) Any ideas on this garden are great too!...See MoreRules for backyard usage? (long....)
Comments (52)Man o man! What an assortment of responses! Thanks to all of you who have responded (even the sarcastic ones). I have to admit it was a lot easier to read the sympathetic responses than the sarcastic ones, but I did ask for it, remember, so I feel I should "take it". In the middle of it all, I really enjoyed reading about how folks grew up in neighborhoods, where kids ran around all day long. I was one of those too. Winning a 6-hour hula hoop contest (because that was how long the playground stayed open!!!) I was much skinnier then! Snow Cones and making pot holders and other stuff you tried to sell door to door. You could sell it too! Everyone knew who you were and would give you 50 cents or something for your "work". Roller skating down the middle of the street with skates that clung tightly to your shoes -- you used a skate key that hung around your neck on a string to tighten and release. So, your stories brought me to some really nice remembrances of my own. Thanks so much for that! Amazing how much you can enjoy memories once roused. That buried stuffed chicken tickled me to no end! Bad Dog! As to my problem with the neighbors. It hasn't gone away and in fact, is a little worse now because they've decided to stop mowing the lawn in front of their house closest to our property -- you would need to scythe it now it's so tall. However, maybe all of your stories and your support and your sarcasm, yes that too, has helped to make a decision. I've decided that you just can't have it all. I'm going to bite the bullet. I've had a long time of quiet and this is the new period of noise. At least in the winter, the windows are closed! It wouldn't kill me to try to be friendly and think of how nice it is that our neighborhood is diverse instead of how untidy the back yard is. (Although I cannot understand why they don't at least put their lawn mower away.) I guess I'm talking about a grin and bear it attitude. At least I'm not afraid of them..... (yet!) I felt so sorry for seeyouatmidnight when she relayed her tough situation. But she displayed a very good attitude, and she is positive. If she can have one, I can do it too. Everytime it gets noisy over there, I should go for a long walk. I could stand to lose a little weight!!!!! I think the idea of sharing my tomatoes is a good one. If you don't like home grown tomatoes you're simply not human. That might go a long way towards softening my heart towards my neighbors..... You gotta like who you give your precious tomatoes to! This web site is a truly amazing place. I feel like I can just about say anything here (within reason) and get some serious comments. The people who took the time to respond are all wonderful. Sheez, aren't we lucky to have this resource! It's funny but I think just airing this problem of mine and hearing all the possible solutions helped! It helped to hear that just about everyone has some sort of problem with their neighbor, or their's neighbor's dog, yadda yadda. I guess I don't feel as sorry for myself anymore. Thanks so much for pointing this out to me. I recognized lots of monikers of the responders and appreciate the sound wisdom that I got to experience. This does kinda feel like my home and you guys are all my neighbors. This is where I come to get my attitude adjusted. Kinda like happy hour without the two-for-one beverage specials. Thanks so much for writing and for trying to understand! Debra...See MorePotager/Kitchen garden article
Comments (58)What a strange thread. I thought about not posting at all, and I agree with one poster who said folks need to get outside for some dirt and fresh air. Where I come from in Hawaii, land has always been worth its weight in diamonds. No one can afford to grow in rows; consequently, people there take advantage of every nook and cranny they can find. They've gardened that way for generations. In any garden bed you will find mustard or pak choi cabbage growing alongside Thai basil growing alongside daikon radish growing alongside Manoa lettuce, hot chili peppers, and often, a big pot of Portuguese parsley. Bamboo tepees support string beans and yard long beans. Green onions are tucked everywhere because they are used daily! Hanging above it all in typical wood slat pots you will find one or more of the thousands of orchid varieties, some blooming on fragrant long stalks that perfume the entire neighborhood. My father grew vanilla orchids on an old rotten tree stump, the tallest thing in the garden. He'd use a ladder to get up there to hand pollinate the blooms. Not four feet away were a couple of papaya plants laden with fruit. Way in the background was banana and a small avocado tree on its way to becoming a giant. My mother used to always have a pineapple or two growing because she said the sharp, sword-like leaves chased away bad spirits. We shrugged our shoulders at that, but the pineapple was always sweeter than what was found in the stores. All of this was growing in a postage stamp of a back yard which still had to have room for a clothes line. I live in Kansas now, where it is quite easy to grow in rows, but my garden is no different from my mother's, always has been, just no pineapple or papaya alas. I guess the term "potager" must be like a buzz word for some and that makes it more special. Who knows. I just garden the way my parents did because it is practical....See Moresmithdale1z8pnw
7 years ago
HalloBlondie-zone5a
7 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
rosecanadian
7 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
7 years agorosecanadian
7 years ago
Jasminerose, California, USDA 9b/Sunset 18
7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
Lisa Adams
7 years agoCurdle 10a (Australia)
7 years agoUser
7 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
7 years ago
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Jasminerose, California, USDA 9b/Sunset 18