The Garden Center Association Open Garden Tour of my garden was a success considering the temperature was 90+. I had a great time. What gardener doesn’t love showing off her/his personal plot. We had twice as many visitors than the GCA usually has for these events. I’ll have another post about that. But, for now, I want to show some photos of the garden and some things that people found most interesting.
People loved the bike wheel fence and the bicycle gate (not shown). This photo includes from bottom left Kaleidoscope lemon coleus, purple basil and a meyer improved lemon tree with green lemons. To the right of the fence is parsley, chives, pepper and oregano.
I love growing plants up a tuteur. Barely visible this one is covered with pole beans and burgundy sunflowers inside. Surrounding it are broccoli, peppers and eggplants. Behind is a montmorency cherry tree.
Doesn’t every dog need a patio for sunning themselves? Actually this area has become a slope so the mulch would never stay put. I dug it out a bit and put the limestone, filling the cracks with mexican black rocks. The irregular edge makes a nice transition from the concrete to the free shapes of the garden.
Speaking of mulch, people really enjoyed the ingredients of wine corks, peach pits and wooden nickels. Who would have thought it so fascinating?
Nothing edible here but soul-satisfying none the less. From the back, Nikko blue hydrangea, hardy geranium, amaryllis and sedum mixed with hens and chicks.
This dramatic plant is lemongrass, the same plant used in southeast asian cooking. I think you could make some fabulous faux lemonade with it but have yet to try. Anyone have a recipe? Right a miniature rose, front China doll polyanthus rose and more sedum.
Here’s the “garden magazine” shot. I just can’t resist mixing purple plants with green. Lime green really makes a striking accent to the garden. Purple opal basil with Kaleidoscope lemon coleus share a pot with New Zealand phormium.
An eggplant still attached to the mother plant. Leaves always get chewed by flea beetles. French tarragon peeks out from behind the eggplant.
Squash blossom with visitors. A bee does its job pollinating the lower flower. These are winter squash. Cross your fingers to see if they live because I’ve had to do stem surgery to remove vine borers and then there are always the evil squash bugs that many time frustrate efforts to grow yummy fruits. But, we can enjoy the flowers. Aren’t they wonderful?
The tomatoes are in! These luscious beauties are Country Taste, a hybrid that is supposed to have the old-timey taste of heirloom tomatoes with disease resistance. Looks like a little of ever-present leaf blight got them too.
And last but not least, many people were intrigued by this plant. Do you know what it is? Let me know your answer and if you guess correctly you can be a winner of a raspberry pixie daylily as a prize. Here’s my favorite site for looking up plants: The Missouri Botanical Garden. Sorry, only local delivery.
Tags: artist, Chipman Design, consulting, creative, edible landscape, garden, graphic design, Green living, illustration, landscape, urban garden
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Nice combinations, Laurie. I enjoyed this virtual garden tour since I couldn’t be there for the real thing. You seem to have a lot of sun for an old, urban neighborhood! What is the sheet metal box for?
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The metal box is a dog house. Someone makes them for Dressler’s dog supply.
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WOW! You are a gardener supreme. So many beautiful, healthy plants. Love the coleus (I have two varieties) and the purple basil. I don’t know what the mystery plant is, but it looks like the stems hold bunches of tomatoes sized for a doll house.
Thanks for the pics!
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Hi Liz, if they are tomatoes, they are doll sized. I really am into coleus and those other plants like hostas and heuchera that have so many colorful leaves. Iris pallida is a winner too. One of my favorite coleus is Sedona but I have only been able to find it one year. Playing around with purples, limes, greens and blue greens is great fun. I think I’ve gotten past flowers and am now working on foliage color, textures and of course, food.
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Hi Laurie, It looks like a lily I saw growing in Canada last year or a calla lily from WA. Dayna
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Hi Dayna, you may have seen it growing in Canada. I can’t say for sure. It’s not a calla lily and it’s not a native plant. I will reveal a clue soon if no one gets it right.
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Arum italicum.
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I can’t hold it in any longer. Chuck is correct but he’s not the first to answer correctly. Some people remembered what I told them Saturday and were quicker on the e-mail. Thanks everyone for your interest. I’ll show some more photos of it on another post.
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Gorgeous color combinations of foliage, Laurie! I was tied up the day of your tour and am sorry I missed it. You have designed abeautiful yard; I still love the bike wheel fence!
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