"We'll Leave The Light On..."
Part of the house-
It was getting toward sunset the other day when I left my computer to take a few photos.
This one shows my office already lit up for the evening, which is rare since I usually go offline when I begin dinner.
Mr. SB is silhouetted in the dining room, patiently waiting for me to return.
As you can see, I haven't done much in the way of planting off the deck. We have patches of iris, and I have a small experimental garden hidden behind and below the maple tree in the foreground.
There are two reasons this garden is experimental. I'm still working on finding truly deer resistant plants is the #1 excuse. The fact that the house needs sanding and painting is another reason not to expend too much time and money.
I've had homes painted in the past, and lost many plants in the process. The saddest loss was a large bouganvilla some painters tarped and bent away from a wall and trellis... snap!
When we finally get the painting done, I'd love to get a blogworld Dream Team to magically appear and help me make a design plan. I'd choose:
Greenie, Sylvana, and Susie for starts. I realize Susie doesn't talk much about gardening, but I've seen pictures of her yard!
In the meantime, I'll have to content myself with looking at their sites, reading landscape design books, and asking questions at the nursery.
Oh, and getting that painting done of course.
Any suggestions out there on great gardening and/or landscape design books? My 'bible' is the "Sunset New Western Garden Book."
posted by SierraBella at 12:10 PM
13 Comments:
Nope, can't help you there. When The Hubs and I were deciding on our landscaping we asked to borrow some of my Dad's books because well, we just did.
The man lent us books published circa 1982 (NO JOKE!). He actually thought that we'd be using landscaping that was "in style" back when those giant seas of white rocks were *all the rage* (don't get me wrong, I used to love digging through those rocks in the hopes of finding one that was like a piece of chalk, but come on now!)
If you DO find something deer proof, will you let me know? That's another thing my Dad bitches about every time I go by to visit. *grumble*grumble*grumble* Damn deer ate my flowers! Now Hugo is going to have to plant more!.
I can see how this inconveninces YOU Dad!
soozieq-
I thought that white quartz thing went out in the 60s! Do you even remember the combination bender board-quartz-lavarock geometric designs? And how us kids were always messing them up by kicking the rocks out of their designated areas?
The deer haven't touched our rosemary, oleander or iris.
Maybe you shouldn't tell your dad... Hugo needs some job security!
Um, yes...yes I do. The first house I lived in (was in Hayward) and it had those red rocks patterened with the white rocks in "funny" shapes (Oh sure, that looks like an ocean you freak!)
Then we moved to the house I "grew up in" and my Dad liked the rocks so much he put them in there too...IN THE 70's. He's a man who lives in the past, what can I say?!?
My Dad would actually almost become violent when kids would kick our rocks out. He'd get the broom out every night when he got home from work and sweep them back. Heaven help any kids he actually witnessed. It was so bad that we'd tell kids we didn't like to go mess up the rocks when we knew my Dad was in his home office looking out. Hell hath no fury like a Man with messed up rocks! Hee hee hee, I had to push my Devil horns down even back then!
OOH OOOH OOOH, I almost forgot to tell you...this was AFTER I was in college so we're talking 1989+...my Dad pulled out our lawn in the backyard and put in those white rocks, with little "streams" of gray rocks and a bridge, a pagoda, etc. Like it was some Quartz Japanese Garden.
How they sold that house, I'll *never* know!
soozieq-
We had a neighbor something like you're describing, named Manuel the terror of the neighborhood.
His rocks were hidden under juniper bushes... he finally had a chain-link fence installed!
If your ball landed in his yard, you'd better forget about it!
OMG, I can picture the "Japanese Quartz Garden!" Probably seen it in a neighbors yard back in the day.
Y'know what I can't stand now is a badly done dry creek bed!
I'm an experimental gardener. I see something I like, I put it out. If it grows yay! If it doesn't, oh well!
Have you tried marigolds? Supposedly if you put them with your other stuff it keeps deer and bunnies away.
mmm can't help you, either... my gardening has been a big experiment this year with some victories (geraniums, marigolds, heirloom tomatoes, jalapenis) and some crushing disasters (peppermint, pansies, cleosia). I think I planted too late... I'm going to check out that book!
I guess landscaping in CA is a lot different from TN. I've had good luck with hostas in the shade, but they might be going out of style now. I don't keep up much with what's 'in' or 'out' anymore. I just plant what I like, and like Kat said if it works, great, if it doesn't, lesson learned. We have deer around us, but they don't venture into the yard much to eat my flowers. I guess they have plenty of stuff in the woods. But they did raid a corn patch a few years ago when I tried to grow some. Walmart had these 'Bunny-B-Gone' plants this year. They kind of stink. I don't know if they would work on deer.
kat-
I do enjoy the experimental gardening, but now I'm looking for a more professional look; like masses of plantings, added walkways and the like.
Normally I prefer perennials, but I do love marigolds. Thanks for the tip, I don't remember hearing about marigolds being deer resistant!
cheesecakey-
Not bad considering you're in a new house!
One time I moved only a few miles away and found myself in a different microclimate.
This year was a bit different here in CA., with the late spring and hotter summer. I'll bet a lot of gardeners got some surprises!
rae ann-
I love hostas! I don't worry either about trendy plants.
A friend makes this smelly mixture she sprays, and it seems to work, but she has to spray a lot!
A lot of locals use deer fencing, but I don't like the look, and I do like the deer. Boy, I want everything, don't I?
I dunno - anything I might suggest you grow would likely get you in a lotta trouble.
Bucky, Bucky, Bucky!
The 'pot copter' goes right over our house daily, so no-can-do!
Darn... Imagine 5 acres for personal consumption!
5 acres for personal consumption. Then you'd never get any other landscaping done. But then again, would you care?
squirl-
So true!
And imagine all the new friends we'd get? Almost like when one has a swimming pool installed!
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