HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

[Prissy]

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

This is a thread for you to post pictures of your beautiful gardens and yards.  Some have posted some lovely pictures in the OCD, and I thought it would be fun to have  garden pictures all in one place.

Please share your gardens with us.  

Prissy

PS:  I knew the title for this thread was part of a poem.  It's actually from Mother Goose:

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
Silver bells and cockle-shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.

[Prissy]

I will go ahead and start with a few pictures of parts of my yard.  The  photo quality is not great, but I hope to add some better pictures later.  

This is my Knock Out Rose Bush  that blooms for a long time, spring through fall:



This is the gazebo from  different views.  We have planted hydrangeas around it but you can't see them from this view.  I will  add those pictures, too, at some point.  At that end of the pool is a Cherry Laurel tree and a Bradford Pear tree.   They add shade for sitting.







At the diving  end of the pool in the pots are Fan Palms with Begonias.  In the bed behind the diving board are Crepe Myrtles and Rose of Sharon (Althea).  I will post  pictures when they are blooming.



We Texans have a thing about stuff shaped like Texas, so here is one of three Texas stepping stones that are in one of the beds.  (This is the bed that the dogs are in a lot.  They have actually just about dug a hole under a couple of the stepping stones!)



I hope  others will post and identify some of the plants that they use.  I am excited about seeing the beautiful yards  and gardens many of you have.  I don't have a very green thumb  so I plant very hardy  plants that  are almost impossible to kill!

Prissy

PS:  We have several big planter pots and two outdoor trash receptacles that are  made of that pebble aggregate material.  A McDonald's restaurant near us was remodeling and we asked if they wanted all their big planters and trash recepticals and they said we could have them for a  really low price.  Skip rented a truck with a dolly and rounded up unsuspecting neighbors to help lift and brought home 7 planters and the two trash receptacles.  We felt like we got a really good buy and they look great in the yard.

[ydebi]

Prissy...what a beautiful yard...I think this is a wonderful Idea.....Idon;t really take pictures of my yard but ilove to take pictures of my flowers...so Im gonna share a few of them ......

[Clays_Buddy]

Prissy, you have a gorgeous backyard.  I would love to sit in your gazebo and have a nice chat.  I'll have to add some cactus pics when they are in bloom.

Debi, your flowers are beautiful.  

[claydevotee]

Prissy, I absolutely love the concept of this thread!  Thanks for thinking of it.  All of these pictures reflect the talent and love of beauty of our fellow Claymaniacs.  

Here is a photo of our Clematis in full bloom last month.  I planted them 3 years ago, and this is the first year they have been so beautiful.

[ILClaymate]

These are pictures of Pepe's beautiful house/yard/garden!  Beautiful job Pepe!!

Click to make big!

[Prissy]

Debi,
I love the close-up pictures of the flowers.  They are gorgeous!

Liz,
I look forward to your cactus pictures.  I know they will be lovely.

Thea,
Your Clematis in full bloom are  beautiful.  I wonder if Clematis would grow in Texas!  I will have to look them up.

Pepe,
Your beautiful yard and garden are one of the reasons I started this thread.  Clandy, thanks for posting these pictures of Pepe's lovely place.

I hope more will share their plants, gardens, and yards with us.  If you can, let us know the name of your plants.

Hugs,
Prissy

[Claymaniac113078]

OK...all you gardeners....I need some serious help!!

The name of my plant is pachysandra.  I have over 1,000 square feet of it and I want to GET RID of it!!!!

I spent several hours this past weekend tearing up roots until I started bleeding underneath my skin (and I WAS wearing gloves) and I only got a small patch of it out.  This stuff has the most amazing root system I have EVER seen.  My rock walls were collapsing the roots were so strong.  

Does ANYONE know how the heck to kill this stuff any other way than I am doing it???  

ANY help would be VERY much appreciated!!!!

Desperately (LOL)
Cindy

[Pepe]

CINDY, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KILL IT I WOULD JUST SPRAY IT HEAVY WITH A VEGETATION KILLER OR WEED KILLER.  THAT SHOULD KILL THE  ROOTS WHICH YOU HAVE TO DO OR IT WILL JUST GROW BACK.

  PEPE

[Prissy]

Cindy,

I think Pepe has the right idea.  Spray with a strong weed killer, then wait a couple of weeks and, if possible, till it up.

I'm wondering if covering it with a weed suppressing  cloth would help kill it, too.

We love Asian  Jasmine as a ground cover, but it can be invasive, too.
It has covered a baker's rack in my back yard and now is "after"  one of my trash cans.  This is a ground cover that can really climb if you don't control it.  (We've thought of putting two big paper plate "eyes" on the Asian Jasmine baker's rack since it looks like a big monster  standing by the house!!  Actually, we plan to "rescue" the  rack fairly soon!)

Here is the Baker's Rack covered in Asian Jasmine and  see how it's "hugging" the trash can!!



Prissy

[Pepe]

DEBI, YOUR FLOWERS ARE BEAUTIFUL.  IS THE FIRST PICTURE A COLUMBINE FLOWER?

THEA, YOUR CLEMENTIS ARE MUCH THICKER THAN MINE.  MY FLOWERS ARE SCATTERED ON THE VINE AND NOT IN PRETTY CLUSTERS LIKE YOURS.  THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL.

HUGS, PEPE

[ydebi]

DEBI, YOUR FLOWERS ARE BEAUTIFUL.  IS THE FIRST PICTURE A COLUMBINE FLOWER

HUGS, PEPE

Pepe...yes it is a columbine flower.....oh and I love your yard and the view around it.....just beautifull...

claydevotee.....I love your clematis plants...they are just beutiful!!

Llz....I want to see the cactus!!!!!!

Lets keep the pictures coming as different things bloom!!!!!

[Pepe]

Debi, Tammy and Dudley are supposed to be bringing their pictures of their yards over to the thread.  I know every week or so the yards look different as more things are blooming.

  Pepe

[LadyC]

Great thread, Prissy!

You are so creative!  And you know how much I love your gazebo.  LOL

All of you - your yards are absolutely lovely!  Beautiful.  Thank you for sharing your pics with us.

As I just moved into this house, I haven't done anything with my yard except clean up doggie droppings.  LOL  So I have no pics of my own gardening to share.

But this is Pineview Reservior, about a 15 minute drive from my house through a gorgeous canyon.  This is where I go to be alone, to think, to read, to cry, whatever my mood is.  I didn't grow it, but I spend enough time there that I may as well have.  LOL  It's hard to see in the photo, but that meadow that leads to the beach is full of wild flowers.

And bees.  LOL   :bee

[Pepe]

LadyC, I can see the beautiful wildflowers.  What a beautiful place it is.  How lucky you are that you can drive in 15 minutes to this beautiful place.  Can you drive right down to the lake?  Or do you sit up high and look down at it.  I love water, I don't like to go in it but I love to smell it and look at it from shore, it is ever changing.  \

I think this garden thread is about flowers where ever they are and we would love to see all pictures.

Hugs, Pepe

[Prissy]

LadyC,

I love that picture.  So beautiful and serene.
 Let's not limit the garden thread.
 Any beautiful garden  or lovely space  has a place here.

I have a new digital camera and Skip and I have been trying it out.
Here are more pictures from our yard.

Here are two Althea (Rose of Sharon) "trees" that are beside our driveway.
 They are 18 feet tall and were here when we moved in 15 years ago:



One has white blooms, the other orchid, but over the years they have blended together.
 Here is a closer view of the one on the right:



These are closeups of the Althea blossoms:[/size]

[Prissy]

I posted a picture of the knockout rose bush in an earlier post.
 Here are closeups of the blossoms.







I have periwinkle in pots on a plant stand outside my backdoor on the patio.
 It makes it easier to water them, and when family or friends come over,
I move them to the gazebo and tables near the pool:[/size]

[Pepe]

PRISSY, I NEVER KNEW ROSE OF SHARON GOT THAT BIG.  I THOUGHT THEY WERE MORE OF A BUSH I AM CERTAINLY  SURPRISED TO SEE THEY ARE A TREE.  THEY ARE GORGEOUS.  THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR PICTURES.  I LOVE THIS THREAD AND WISH OTHERS WOULD JOIN IN.

HUGS, PEPE

[LadyC]

LadyC, I can see the beautiful wildflowers.  What a beautiful place it is.  How lucky you are that you can drive in 15 minutes to this beautiful place.  Can you drive right down to the lake?  Or do you sit up high and look down at it.  I love water, I don't like to go in it but I love to smell it and look at it from shore, it is ever changing.  \

I think this garden thread is about flowers where ever they are and we would love to see all pictures.

Hugs, Pepe

Thanks, Pepe.  I must admit that I am indeed very lucky.  I live in a very scenic and beautiful place.  Northern Utah gets all four seasons, and I live in an area that is less than 30 minutes from mountain hiking and camping, and less than 30 minutes in the other direction is a large city with all the perks big cities offer.  (Planitariums, aquariums, malls, concert halls, etc.)

I live, quite literally at the base of the mountain.  I open my back door and the Utah mountains are right there, beautiful and green this time of year.

And yes, there are areas where you can park right at the beach and stretch out on the sand.  There are marinas and boat docks, too.  (Utah is almost as big on water skiing as snow skiing.)

Salt Lake City during the 2002 Olympics.



The mountains outside my back door.



Prissy - Your roses are lovely!  My mother tore hers out this past spring and it broke my heart.  I managed to rescue the bleeding heart bushes before she tossed them in the trash, but the rose bushes are gone.  Yours are so vibrant!  I just love your yard.  (I'm still hoping you'll adopt me.  LOL)

[houstonclayfan]

Lady C, those mountains are beautiful!  I am jealous. Living in southern Texas, I had forgotten what mountains look like.  Gorgeous,

Y'all have such beautiful gardens!  My husband loves to do yard work so I should post some of my yard as well.