Garden

[Lilysmom1]

@Nonametoday , thanks for the information on roses.  I will copy and keep.  

I am looking for thorny shrubs at lakeside as we have beavers who have taken to munching on shrubbery.  I just did a big Reno job lakeside to make it easer to give our 4 X 4 easier access.

I am hosting a garden tour this summer for our provincial group of garden clubs.  This is a tour that was rescheduled from 2019 when COVID hit.  The gardeners are a lively bunch so it is a pleasant day but involves a lot of work to get everything presentable at the same time on this almost two acre property.

I would love to see your gardens @Nonametoday .  They sound lovely.  LM

[Nonametoday]

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@Lilysmom1 wrote:

@Nonametoday , thanks for the information on roses.  I will copy and keep.  

I am looking for thorny shrubs at lakeside as we have beavers who have taken to munching on shrubbery.  I just did a big Reno job lakeside to make it easer to give our 4 X 4 easier access.

I am hosting a garden tour this summer for our provincial group of garden clubs.  This is a tour that was rescheduled from 2019 when COVID hit.  The gardeners are a lively bunch so it is a pleasant day but involves a lot of work to get everything presentable at the same time on this almost two acre property.

I would love to see your gardens @Nonametoday .  They sound lovely.  LM

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@Lilysmom1 

I had the pleasure of visiting many beautiful gardens and I even was able to see  Gray Gardens.  Ben Bradlee was a great host.  Sally had a she-shed ,beautiful.  Prettier than many homes. 

We had a small group of rosarians.  We saw Martha Stewart's garden. A rosarian friend in the theater business, NYC, knew both and was able to arrange the tours for us. 

I once had beautiful garden and hosted tours but no longer.  I keep it simple and presentable with adequate flowers, mostly shrubbery for seasonal interest, a nice water fountain and less, but still, some smaller statuary, a garden shed reminiscent of a guest cottage.  We are no longer able to handle the work required of a full-time lush, garden for tours, etc. 

American Pillar is a very thorny pillar rose, which will likely grow to shrub size in your area, which grows as a rambler in hotter cilmates.  Easy to grow. Will survive to zone 4-5.  By 3rd year, it will likely need cutting back as it is a a rambler in my area.  It only blooms once but the most beautiful trusses of pink flowers, worth the once-blooming but it is great for thorns year-round.  We had a problem with local teen boys (on our vacant lot).  We planted them, kept them off our land.  We still have them in that area.  Teen boys would smoke, drink beer, etc., after jumping the fence.  No longer their playground with the rose thorns. 

I am a life-time garden club member.  I am no longer active as I have a full-time job at home.  I was once active in garden club, master gardeners, American Rose Society, Heritage Rose Society, local social and civic clubs, but only involved peripherally in minimal activities. 

[Lilysmom1]

@Nonametoday  Very interesting.  I copied your post and will keep the notes as I visit nurseries.  Your gardens sound lovely.  Five years ago I started the shift to mainly shrubs.  I had a big planting in May from our Rhodo Society.  Some lovelies generally unavailable at nurseries.  I am hoping they winter well.  LM

[LuvSoCal]

@Lilysmom1 Thank you for taking the time to share such an informative post. I planted 3 small hydrangea bushes (big leaf pink) several months ago and haven't seen much growth. I will remember to fertilize next spring and maybe by then they will be looking better. I might not have planted them in the best place (north facing). The afternoon sun, though, is not that strong so maybe they have a chance.

[Lilysmom1]

@LuvSoCal , 🤞🤞🤞.  Good luck.  They are such beautiful shrubs, it is worth it to take a chance.  I was walking around the garden yesterday.  The Fall Color on the foliage is pretty nice on the hydrangeas.  Most of our leaves are gone now but some of the hydrangeas hang on to theirs for quite awhile.  The storm coming up the coast this weekend should help the trees shed their leaves.  LM