Does Your Garden Need A Makeover? ~ Quiz ~

[Snowwark]

Come on, give it a try!

Does Your Garden Need A Makeover?

For Me;

Passionflower

It's no secret that you like to live on the edge - and it shows in your garden. You tend to be impulsive and love to try anything unique and exciting.

As a gardener, your asset is your ability to experiment and move in new directions. Though your garden has probably never been in a rut, you may lack staying power when it comes to specific garden themes. While it's important to take risks and make changes in your garden, remember this: In order for gardens to become settled and to develop a character of their own, a gardener needs patience and restraint.

Though you might feel tempted to constantly change things, try not to tamper with the bones of your garden once they have been set. Stalwarts such as yew bushes, smoke bushes, graceful and airy grasses (Miscanthus, Molinia, Panicum) and perennials (Russian sage, Perovskia, catminit, Nepeta or geraniums) used in large quantities will give your garden the foundation it so desperately needs. This doesn't mean you can't still experiment with new and exotic specimens, but if you suddenly get the urge to incorporate new plants into the garden - try planting in a container instead.


Hmmm.......2 years and the Bee Balm is history. A certain lack of restraint and patience on my part?

 

[gina2000]

Let's just leave it at.......

MY GARDEN NEEDS A MAKEOVER!!!!!

 

[amid chaos]

It says I need to take risks. But Kim, it also mentions BEE BALM!

Pot of Impatiens
You love the classics, and you probably plant standbys year after year -- favorites such as petunias, marigolds and impatiens. Though there is something to be said for keeping it simple, you might consider taking a few risks or finding the time to make your garden more exciting and to discover the joys of gambling on a new plant.

Start by visiting a nursery in your neighborhood. Bring paper and pencil with you. Browse around and write down the names of five specimens you are attracted to but not familiar with. Some good starter perennials that are hardy and can thrive in a variety of environments are coral bells (Heucheras), catmint (Nepeta), bellflowers (Campanula), echinacea and bee balm (Monarda). Go home and think about how you could use them in your garden. Within a week, buy at least three of the five plants that you picked out, buying in quantities of no less than five per specimen so you can really see what effect they have. You'll be shocked at how beautiful a garden area can look with just a little bit of change.

Another way to make a small change in your garden would be to plant a pretty little area around your mailbox (you could even do it with a small grouping of containers). For a sunny area, choose a selection of coleus combined with red or blue salvias and some lady's mantle (Alchemilla mollis). If it's a shaded area, go with the shadow-loving Geranium phaeum, the pink-tinted masterwort (Astrantia major) and coral bells ('Palace Purple'). All of these shade specimens have maroon flowers or leaves and will look absolutely elegant in your garden.

 

[Mamu]

Passionflower here too!

Yes I still get excited about every bud, every flower and everything that visits the garden.

 

[DixieDreamer]

Wow... I am a passionflower too! I thought I was more patient than that.

 

[Tulirose]

Another Impatien pot person here!