After last Saturday’s garden tour, I find myself in a reflective mood. You had questions. I’ve got answers. I couldn’t get to all of you on tour day so I’ll address some things here. I also heard some people didn’t get to visit. It was a great tour. I’m sorry you missed it. This post is for you too.
However, a quick aside. I’m listening to Jewel’s new cd, Picking Up The Pieces
The song, My Father’s Daughter, brings Jewel’s relationship with her father full circle. It’s about forgiveness and gratitude to our family members who came before us, warts and all. I know my parents did the best they could with the tools they were given. I think mercy, compassion and forgiveness are essential to living your best life.
Jewel often writes of escaping into nature. I so get that. My love of nature led me to write this blog, and October is my blogaversary. In eight years, we’ve come a long way baby, and it’s been an interesting ride for a blog I thought only my mom would read. Thank you from the bottom of my red dirt heart.
One question I’m asked is if my blog makes money. Not much, but enough to pay for hosting. I still write because I can’t help myself. The blog gave me lots of exposure, and I am grateful people mostly like what I write.
Enough of the heavy stuff–this post is for all of you who weren’t able to come to the tour last weekend, and everyone who didn’t get their questions answered. Over 500 people came. There were cars all the way up and down the street. My daughter, Claire, took this picture, above, when she ran back to the store for more water and iced tea. I heard it was the same for all of the gardens on tour. Thanks again to everyone who bought a ticket to help college students get their horticulture degrees. We were so fortunate to get great press for the tour. Special thanks to Lin Sanchez who worked hard to get the word out.
First, the plants that won popularity awards. Click on the circles to see larger photos. Our first fan favorite was Alternanthera dentata ‘Purple Knight.’ People are first attracted to color. ‘Purple Knight’ looked especially fab with the red coleus behind it. Yes, it’s a tropical. It is not perennial. It does not come back. You can take cuttings, but you need artificial light or a greenhouse to overwinter it. However, if it were perennial, it wouldn’t look that good after such a hot summer. Plus, the two plants–yes two–were about $3.95 each. It won’t break the bank, and no, I don’t own a nursery.
The celosia that wowed everyone because of its great height is the offspring of ‘Purple Flamingo’ or ‘Flamingo Purple,’ depending upon the seed source. I bought my seeds years ago from Chiltern’s. You can also get them from Harris Seeds. I get a few self-sown babies each year now, and I could also gather the seeds. Maybe I will this year. I like how they come up at the end of summer, unless you start them indoors, providing fresh color in the tiered borders. This tall drink of water is proof positive that not everyone wants plants that are compact and rounded. Every garden needs an exclamation point or five.
I heard someone say I limbed up my Japanese beautyberry, but that’s just the way it grows. I don’t know the species for sure. I think it’s Callicarpa japonica, but since I got it out of a woman’s garden in Raleigh, NC, I can’t be sure. It could be C. dichotoma or C. bodinieri, but she told me it was Japanese, not Chinese, when she handed the tiny stick to me. It’s been growing here for seven years. It never gets any bigger, and I just let it do its thing. I did tie it up to the crapemyrtle because it was shading ‘Will’s Wonderful’ mums below. I don’t know that tying it up did much good though.
I so wanted you to see my ‘Will’s Wonderful’ mums blooming, but that didn’t happen. They are very late this year. However the ‘Sheffield Pink’ mums showed off with their subtle, flat-faced apricot blooms.
Pink muhly grass and Mexican bush sage welcomed visitors in the front garden. You really can’t take a bad photo of Mexican bush sage, Salvia leucantha, and the bumbles love it.
If you saw the other two beautyberries in the new border, those are small C. Americana, which are our native beautyberries. Their berries and leaves are bigger. Both plants berry in the fall.
Ah, Cleome ‘Inncleosr,’ better known as Senorita Rosalita®, you were part of the hit parade too. I cut you in half over a month ago because you were covering up my Hydrangea paniculata ‘Jane’ Little Lime®. You still managed to grow just as tall and floriferous. Yes, pollinators like this cleome. It does not come from seed and doesn’t overwinter. You can find it at local nurseries and often at Home Depot. Go ahead and pay for it. It’s worth the money.
About the garden art, the red and green blown glass came from Seattle. I travel to Seattle nearly every year in February to speak at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. If I’ve had a good writing year, I celebrate with some beautiful blown glass. People laughed when I said I thought I bought the large pieces from Bob’s Glass, but I went and looked up my old emails, and I did buy it from Bob Rice Glass. He ships all over the U.S. Barbara at Glass Gardens NW is another artist who ships, and I love her work.
The glass plates came from various places, but the latest one on the left side was made by Adele at A Delicate Touch on Etsy. She does beautiful compositions. When the first flower broke in the shipment, she sent an emergency replacement in time for the tour. I appreciate her kindness. I love the vintage Spode and ruby glass in this piece.
The small lilies in various shades of blue came from Blue Sage Studios at 12th and Western. I find their work at craft fairs, but they have a permanent home too. With these, I’m careful to bring them indoors in winter–unless I forget. They sometimes break, and I lost one. I only bring the large pieces from Seattle indoors if we’re having a hail storm.
What else? I was asked if I mulch. Oh yes, I do. This year was special so I mulched three times with three different mediums. The first layer was shredded oak leaves from our trees. We have a shredder, and I used most of my leaf piles this year. The second layer after this decomposed was Back to Nature, and the third layer was fine pine bark. All of these decompose rather quickly so I will probably be using shredded leaves again come fall.
Do I spray for insects? No, after all these years, the creatures in the garden eat each other, and things stay in pretty good balance. Visitors were surprised that I didn’t have many pollinators on tour day. It was a cool fall day in October so they were hiding until late afternoon.
How much time do I put into my garden? Most of my spare time. It is my comfort and solace in times of sadness. It is my muse when I can no longer write. It is my joy.
From philosophy, family warts that we all share (thanks for that) and beyond belief gorgeous plants in such a tough environment, I send you hugs and admiration. And thank you for a heads up on plants I’ve never known–will try. You are truly amazing.
Oh Linda, those words make me feel so humble. I think you’re amazing. Thank you.
I am glad your tour was so popular. I can’t imagine that many people in my garden. 20 was the most I have had, and that was a huge number given what little space I have to work with. I am also glad you “stepped out of the garden” in your comments about alcoholism, sensitivity, and parenting. Your insight and advice is good; you should step out more often.
Thanks Les. I’ll try. It’s hard to talk of one’s self. 😉
Thank you for the behind the scenes “tour”. I almost feel like I was there, and envy those who were. I’m so glad it went well.
Thank you Robin. I’m glad it felt that way. It was crazy good fun.
Dee, thank you for this whole entry.
Thank you very much for reading Becky.
Empathy, sensitivity, and understanding are the seeds of kindness; I’m a big Jewel fan, I am going to search out her book.
Charlie, I think you’ll like it. It’s hard going in places, but I think she has so much wisdom.
I’m glad the tour went so well, Dee. Your words at the beginning of this post are full of wisdom. I agree–the world needs more sensitive, empathetic people. Our culture interprets these traits as weaknesses, but I see them as strengths. Happy blogoversary! Mine is today. 🙂 Here’s to many more for both of us!
Thank you Beth and congratulations! A lot of us starting blogging a few years ago. I’m so glad you’ve stuck with it too. Without empathetic people, our society would crumble.
Oh Michelle, I only hint at it at times. Most often, I think I just stick to flowers and less about life. 🙂 I do think our writing of our places in the world makes the world a better place. At least I hope so.
Great follow up to the tour Dee. I know everyone enjoyed it. I enjoy it from afar. One of these days I will be there with you strolling through… I get it about Jewel. I liked her first book of poetry. I forget the name of it. I haven’t read any of her autobiography. You made me curious. She seems like an old soul in a youthful body.
Lisa, I think she’s lived a lot of lives. That makes her a very old soul. Thank you for your kind words. Please come visit. I would love to see you.~~Dee
A lucky group to visit your special garden Dee…and thanks for posting about it so those of us far away could see it too!
Thank you so much Donna. It was quite the experience.
Wow, 500 visitors, that’s some garden party. Well done and how beautiful your garden looks to me who was too far away to come. What you’ve said here has a deep resonance. We have similar tales to tell, but I’m not brave enough to speak out about mine yet. Let’s just say that much of my blogging is because I have to write, it’s a sanctuary to prove that things can be right in the world. Hugs xxx
Thank you for the tour for those who are just too far away to come. Distance is the only thing that kept me away! Great job, Dee. Praying RRD stays far, far, far, away!
I sure hope so Teresa although it grows right to next to one that was very sick last year. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Enjoyed this post Dee. Warts and all.
Thank you Greg. 🙂
What a great time for all. Thank you for showing those of us who couldn’t be there what a success it was.
As to Purple Knight Alternanthera, if it flowers in the greenhouse and a few seeds fall to the floor, you’ll have a greenhouse full. I break back great armloads and pull up little plants to move to the garden in spring. There are two mugs full of cuttings of smaller Chartreuse and the variegated red Alternanthera newly brought to the greenhouse to winter over. This family of plants is underused; such beautiful uses for such common, easy plants.
Nell Jean, that makes sense because ‘Purple Knight’ is one easily grown from seed. I grew it one year. I love alternantheras. So glad you like them too. Maybe we can convince people to grow them? I hope so. That’s the chartreuse behind ‘Purple Knight’ in one of the photos. I sprinkled it all over the garden this year. Fun. Fun.
Pam, your last sentence says it all! I can relate…
So true Ginny.
Exquisite garden, altogether lovely!. What a wonderful turnout you had, congratulations on your success. Enjoy tranquility in your beautiful space now.
Thank you Janice. Thank you so much. I am enjoying it very much. Such beautiful weather.
I know your garden tour visitors were as wowed by your beautiful garden as I was! I look forward to a return visit to see the changes you’ve made since my visit.
Come on up Cindy!
I’m so glad and not a bit surprised to hear your tour was such a success. It’s interesting to learn what other people find most interesting about one’s garden, isn’t it? And of course that’s usually just a snapshot, since gardens are changing month to month, even week to week.
Hi Pam, I thought the same thing. My garden looked happier two weeks earlier. Still, it was a glorious day. I know people love whatever is showing off at the moment. I love that. Glad your tour went so well too.
Thank you for the tour. I was one of the people who couldn’t make it. I hope you don’t lose that rose.
I hope I don’t either Kathy, but she is planted right next to another rose that caught RRD. I figure it’s just a matter of time.