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Penny Carnathan
Penny’s a Nurture And Hold (NAH): Nah, I won’t pull that out yet, it’s still got a green shoot. She likes dragonflies, lady bugs and new stuff only after weeding, pruning and fertilizing.
Kim Franke-Folstad
Kim’s a Want It Now (WIN): Everything pretty, everything now. She will resort to full-spectrum insecticides in desperate situations, and believes it’s her duty and right to buy new plants every weekend.
Both advocate Plant Choice (SOMEthing besides crotons. Please!), lots of color and low maintenance. We don’t agree on everything, but we’re smart enough to learn from each other - and from you.
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Mistakes, I’ve made a few, but not too few to mention
Posted Jul 22, 2010 by Loren Omoto
Updated Jul 22, 2010 at 10:58 PM
Faced with utter garden devastation last spring, I tried to be optimistic.
“Not a wasteland, an opportunity!” I told myself. “Not a catastrophe, a blank canvas!”
My garden had been filled with shrubs and perennials planted nine or 10 years ago. Different bits changed over the years, but I didn’t have the space to get too creative.
Now I had space and lots of it.
So this spring, I tried some new plants and new combos, a little test of all I’ve learned. Everything has grown up and filled out now, and I can look out at my experiments and say, “Oops.”
Actually, it’s a lot more fun looking at what I got wrong than what I got right. Here are a couple choice samples.
First up: I amended the heck out of a 3-by-3-foot patch of sand by the gate. I tilled in lots and lots of peat and compost. Then I got a beautiful little rambling antique Parade rose at GreenFest and planted it in the spot.
When a couple datura volunteers popped up in front of the rose, I let them grow. The datura I had there last year never got more than 3 feet tall, so I knew Parade would have no problem quickly overtaking the datura and assuming rock star status.
Wrong. Here’s what peat and compost will do for datura.
If you look closely at that photo, you can see little Parade trying to peep out. Can’t spot him? Just a sec … ah, there he is!
I also planted lots of orange cosmos, which Janna and I saw at garden writer Monica Brandies’ open house last fall. They’re the best of the cosmos, we were told, very hardy and self-seeding.
I started some indoors while it was still cold and transplanted them outside in a border position. They looked great, and soon I was planting some more, direct-sowing this time.
The ones I planted in the ground, well, they grew differently. Check ‘em out. The blooming cosmos are the ones I started inside. The bloomless, um, trees were planted outside.
I have, in the past, nurtured weeds thinking they were flowers. And my garden neighbors across the street are sure the cosmos trees are just more of “Penny’s flower weeds.” But the leaves look just like those on the smaller cosmos! I’m baffled, but I’m going to be patient.
Behind the cosmos I planted some gorgeous new yellow datura from seeds FOD Pumpkin gave me. I figured they’d grow taller than the cosmos (right?) and I’d have tiers of orange and yellow.
Apparently, I wasn’t quite as industrious amending this area as I was the patch by the gate. If you want to see my unusual yellow datura, you have to break out the machete and hack a path through the cosmos jungle. Hold on, I’ll do the hard work. This could be dangerous.
Ah! Here it is.
The little surprises actually are kind of fun, right? I think instead of calling them “mistakes,” I’ll refer to them as my “secret garden nooks.” You never know, it could be all the rage one day.
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Reader Comments
Posted by (shirlgirl) on July 22, 2010
That is really funny stuff. As funny as it is, it really makes the point to me just how big a difference it makes to ammend that soil. It makes me want to go out tomorrow and add to all my plants and see them get gigantic. Thanks for the inspiration, and I hope that big cosmos has big blooms one day for you.
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on July 22, 2010
Penny’s flower weeds—-that’s funny. Made me laugh out loud. I guess because we all have a few of those. I nurtured one of those orange cosmos I got from you at a cutting exchange. In fact I just moved it from a spot that got too shady for some more sun and the heat got it, I’m afraid. I was looking forward to that reseeding thing to have a wave of cosmos one day. I should have put it in a pot so I could establish it before I set it out in this heat. Duh!
I didn’t bother with datura this year but shirlgirl is right, amending the soil can make a huge difference. Yours looks great. I may give it a shot next spring.
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on July 23, 2010
Cosmos are a great plant to start from. Years ago
the Martha Stewart seed line had a seed tapes and all you had to do was lay them down and cover lightly with seed soil. The blooms were white and about 4” across. They were sold in K mart
Penny your looks great. Can we ahave a Dirt garden tour!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
The last stop needs to at Chips, so we can stuff ourselves.
It could be a progressive garden tour.
Posted by (kgardens) on July 23, 2010
Love your secret gardens. I had the same thing with a rose hidden behind giant zinnias this year. I think that yellow datura bloom is worth hacking through the cosmos to see. It is beautiful.
A progressive garden tour would be fun Pumpkin. Maybe when it cools down a bit??? Kay
Posted by (Chip) on July 23, 2010
It is nice to see some one besides myself has made a few garden blunders. But then how else do you learn? I just file that under “don’t do that again!” and that list just keeps getting longer.
...“Chip”
Posted by (Janna) on July 23, 2010
I recently got a live, up-close look at Penny’s garden and let me tell you, it is beautiful. My jaw dropped when she told me that giant thing was cosmos. What? No way! I HAD to compare the leaves, too. Yup, they look just the same as the smaller plant with orange blooms. Those cosmos are so bright and hardy - looks like Penny has Susan covered on seeds, but if anyone else wants any, I also have plenty to share!
That yellow datura is gorgeous!!
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on July 23, 2010
Thanks for the offer, Janna. It’s nice to have you all there, seed ready. We will all be looking forward to what kind of flower will pop out of Penny’s giant cosmos. I know I’m curious.
Janna is right. That yellow datura is pretty special looking.
Posted by (Janna) on July 23, 2010
Kgardens, don’t you love those giant zinnias? I planted some last year and this year, they popped up everywhere! As did purple datura, lady’s slipper salvia, vincas, sunflowers and cuban buttercup. For my garden, this has been the year of TOTAL random. (It is quite obvious that there was no plannig involved in my current jungle.)I recently found a few “covered-up” plants that I didn’t even know I had.
A progressive garden tour is a great idea, Pumpkin.
Posted by (Chip) on July 23, 2010
Talk about mistakes! I put a cantaloupe that pickle worm had got in a zip lock bag at first to throw away then I changed my mind thinking I may want the seeds. I seen it swelling up but left it alone, I was weeding then POW! I thought it was a gun shot! Its a good thing I was already on the ground and just how bullet proof can a tomato plant be any way?...“Chip”
Posted by (Chip) on July 23, 2010
It was the zip lock bag that blew up! Rotting cantaloupe in sealed bag in the hot sun = POW! It was loud and took me by surprise…“Chip”
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on July 23, 2010
I am glad the title of this blog was mistakes. When I woke up this morning and saw I had blogged half asleep, I was scared to read what I had written. What I wanted to say was I now have a double white datura and will save the seed pods to share at the next seed exchange.
Penny, I am planting by beds fuller than ever, read somewhere it keeps the weeds down. When someone sees my garden for the first time I worry they will think it a big mess. Too many plants not organized, so I always say its a cottage Garden. That means I like your garden a lot because it is full of lots of different plants.
Kay, I do agree to wait until it gets cooler for a progressive garden tour.
Chip, I still want to make your garden the last stop and eat. Pumpkin
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on July 23, 2010
LOL—-those pickle worms can be lethal. What a funny story, Chip.
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on July 23, 2010
About 5 years ago I wanted a Moon garden, white scented plants that open in the evening. So I went to catalogs to look for seeds and plants, below are some of the sites I used. http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/plant_display.asp?prodid=314&account=none, This one is of on my most favorite plants, Belle Blanche.It is a tall ground cover very fragrant at night.
http://www.logees.com/prodinfo.asp?number=R1021-2. This is another company I have ordered from they call this Moonflower Horn of PLenty.
This is a Florida catalog that has very cool stuff. They have Double yellow and Double White Datura.http://toptropicals.com/cgi-bin/garden_catalog/cat.cgi?uid=datura_metel.Have fun looking. Pumpkin
Posted by (Chip) on July 24, 2010
I am doing a few projects over at my daughters house. She really wants a veggie garden for herself I convinced her to wait until this fall and put a few things I had extra of to keep the kid happy. One was sugar baby water melon! And they took off and did really well. I checked them last night they all had a three inch hole in them and nothing on the inside the only thing left was the green outside even the rind was gone. So I checked the eggplant gone! So I am thinking if I get a garden started for her I will be feeding the wild life but I don’t like disappointing her just not sure what to do they live on the edge of a wetland so there is a lot critters….“Chip”
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on July 24, 2010
Chip, That is heartbreaking. We all think that can only happen to us not you and Diane.How are your pumpkins doing? Pumpkin
Posted by (Chip) on July 24, 2010
The pumpkins did just fine pumpkin! I have harvested them already and saved seeds so can replant at the “proper time” since they volunteered and I didn’t plant them at all. The water melon was that got ate was at my daughters house. I don’t mind feed a few wild critters but there is a 30 acre wetland area behind her house I seen a group of raccoon back there [I had to go look]. So I am going to do something, If I don’t I will just be feeding the wildlife. And My Daughter wants a veggie garden of her very own so short of hiring a sniper to guard it I am open to suggestions!
.....“Chip”
Posted by (Chip) on July 25, 2010
I haven’t had the chance to use burlap yet, I have tried panty hose all that did was slow them down a bit. I lost one cantaloupe to pickle worm not bad! but I hosed them with soap a lot. I am not sure what defines a “Yankee” since I have never been in a northern garden. the closest I have been is Savanna Ga. and they have some Gardens! So I am very interested! can’t wait to see…“Chip”
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on July 25, 2010
Penny, I enjoyed The Tampa Tribune gardening articles so much today, getting rid of grass and using Florida Friendly plants is my Cup of Tea. Pumpkin
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on July 25, 2010
Me too, Pumpkin. If I had someone who would dig it all up for me I’d do it tomorrow.
Posted by (Chip) on July 25, 2010
Raccoons ate the water melons! a neighbor saw it, I found that out today. I kind of thought so, they didn’t waste a thing! the only thing left was the green on the out side!! I had fun reading the paper myself. A bit later than norm. I poured a concrete slab for a garden shed at my daughters house today. It turned out nice! I have the lumber waiting but I want to give it a few days to set good. I guess armed guards will hired to keep the raccoons away! oh well not really sure what to do about them..“Chip”
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on July 25, 2010
OMG Chip. I have been lusting for a garden shed. Your daughter is one lucky girl. When I win the lottery that is one of the things at the top of my wish list. We must see pictures.
Would raccoons eat through those burlap condoms? So sorry you lost your watermelons. I bet home grown watermelons are as sweet as sugar.
I have the same front yard, Penny. Bahia grass and weeds. When it rains the grass comes up and hides the weeds in between. But the weeds are starting to win. Some day I’ll get around to the front. No curb appeal here.
Posted by (Chip) on July 25, 2010
I was so proud of Diane Becky and Dan [Becky’s boyfriend] they all stepped up and helped me with concrete! I have been doing concrete since I was 16 but this is not something you do by yourself [not anymore anyway] I will take photo’s. And the kid will have the garden shed and garden she has always wanted They have a 30 year old yesterday, today and tomorrow over there and it is a monster to show just how big it is I will prop up a 16 foot board in the photo, I have never seen one any bigger than 4-5 foot. ...“Chip”
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on July 25, 2010
Have you seen the cool sheds that are out there with windows and workbench’s inside? I have a wheelbarrow that sits out because we’ve run out of room in the garage. We actually keep the cars in there. I could store some of my mosaic stuff too. Our poor lanai table is all a mess because I pot stuff up there when I could do it in the shed or at least have a potting bench (another dream) on the outside. Besides, my blue sky vine needs something to crawl all over.
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on July 25, 2010
Well, I just had to look at The Tribune’s garden section one more time today. I just love the quote from Lorraine’s Mother : Mother always said, “When you plant something, plant it in the name of the father, the son and the holy ghost.” Good night. Pumpkin
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on July 26, 2010
Oh yeah, electricity for air, lights and running water too. A house behind a house really. A storage, workroom, potting shed kind of building. But that’s the deluxe version. And a dream. I’ll take the shed with a skylight and windows for the extra storage for now. But that’s a dream too. I may end up with some Rubbermaid thing that will fly away with one of our storms. Ha!