Pianolady's Gardens

Photo of the Day

2009-09-25T00:50:00.002-05:00

Bareroot Impatiens

2009-07-18T11:12:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite tricks is to purchase impatiens, remove all the dirt from the roots with a garden spray hose, then place them here and there so their roots are directly in the water. This can be done with a waterfall also. Just use rocks to hold them in place.

Photo of the Day - Hummingbird

2009-07-16T13:34:00.004-05:00

Photo of the Day

2009-07-20T21:47:00.004-05:00

Running Behind

2009-09-21T14:33:00.002-05:00

After a month hiatus from Pianolady's Gardens, it's time to get busy again! Here's a photo to get things going.

Photo of the Day - Yard Art Angel

2009-07-19T20:36:00.001-05:00

I haven't purchased any garden decor in a very long time, but I just couldn't pass her up (at 66% off).

Green Ice

2009-07-10T20:52:00.004-05:00

Green Ice Miniature Rose

'Green Ice' is quite resistant to black spot, mildew, and rust. Although often listed as hardy to zone 6, I've never had a problem overwintering it in zone 4b. 'Green Ice' blooms in late spring, and is a repeat bloomer until frost.

Purple Passion

2009-07-05T20:54:00.006-05:00

Purple Coneflowers, background 'Kermesina' Clematis

Yarrow

Red, White and Blue

2009-07-02T20:21:00.004-05:00

Scentimental

Mr. Lincoln

Sweet Autumn (from last fall)

Salvia

Radiant Reds

2009-07-01T23:44:00.003-05:00

Dwarf Cherry Tree

Poppies

Cardinal & Trumpet Vine

Lilies

Hot in Pink

2009-07-01T14:49:00.002-05:00

Lilies

Hollyhocks

Monarda (Bee Balm)

My Deepest Blue, I Mean Purple...

2009-06-27T18:05:00.003-05:00

These blue tinged delphiniums are my favorite. I don't recall the variety, but they are definitely the deepest blue flower I have in my gardens. From a distance they actually look blue, you don't see the purple until you get up close.

Rudbeckia

2009-06-26T22:50:00.006-05:00

Rudbeckia has always been one of my favorites for the wildflower areas of my gardens, due to it's drought tolerance, the variety of patterns created in it's petals, and it's ability to reseed. One of the easiest plants to grow.

Finding Gardening Videos Online

2009-06-27T01:04:00.012-05:00

This week I enjoyed watching how one homeowner (committee57) shared her experiences in planning and updating her backyard garden.

YouTube isn't the only place to find gardening video inspiration online:

You can find Gardening by the Yard and Curb Appeal clips and full episodes at hgtv.com.

Yard Crashers, and Desperate Landscapes can be found at diynetwork.com.

This Old House has some how-to videos about building fences, stone walls, and gardening.

Fine Gardening also has how-to videos online.

Peonies

2009-06-16T06:44:00.004-05:00

Peony season is coming to a close, but it was an enjoyable year. I don't even remember planting the one above, and do not recall what type it is. Bowl of Beauty is shown below.

Those Rascally Critters

2009-06-14T13:47:00.002-05:00

It just goes to prove there are no full-proof deterrents for the seed hogging critters (squirrels and grackles) that our dog loves to chase off the deck. You can slow them down, but you can't stop them.

Missouri Botanical Garden

2009-06-12T16:27:00.003-05:00

The Missouri Botanical Garden is celebrating their 150th year (1859-2009). If you live near, or will be passing through St. Louis, Missouri, on Monday, June 15th, admission is only $1.50 on Monday! Unfortunately, I live far away, but thoroughly enjoyed visiting in 2003.

The Big Picture Part II

2009-06-10T11:27:00.007-05:00

We needed a fenced area for our dog, which made it a challenge due to our water well being in the area that was to be fenced. We needed something that looked nicer than a chain link fence, and yet accessible in case we needed to access the well. The solution was to use fence panels that could be removed easily. Sure enough, our well pump soon went out, and we had to access the well, so it was a good decision to have a semi-permanent installation. Of course, the addition of a new fence required the addition of a new garden!
Here's a "before" photo from the 1990's.

The Big Picture Part III

2009-06-10T22:53:00.006-05:00

The third installment is the mostly full-sun garden at the back of the property along the drainage ditch. A walnut tree sits on the right edge of the garden, which limits what can be planted to some degree. Two river birch, two althea, ornamental grasses, a pussy willow tree, and the wisteria arbor give us some privacy from the street. There are two "windows" built in that allow passers-by to sneak a peek. Most of all, it hides the drainage ditch from my view sitting on the deck.

Here's the same area 8 years ago that was flooded by the ditch overflow on a regular basis. The water would back up half way to the house at times.

The county finally installed larger culverts along the ditch, and expanded the ditch, which alleviated the flooding, and allowed us to successfully plant the area.

And here's the view from street-side (2008)....

The Big Picture Part I

2009-06-09T22:06:00.005-05:00

It's always a lot of fun to take close-up and macro shots, but sometimes I like to see the "big picture" of how a garden grows. Here's Part I of the big picture of my gardens. These are the shadiest areas, much gets no more than dappled sun throughout the day. I've managed to get peonies to bloom at the outer edges of the garden, where there is enough sun. Other plants that are successful are hostas, shasta daisies, roses at the sunnier edges, penstemon, grasses, iris, daylilies, clematis, trillium, mock orange, ferns, astilbe, bellflower, ajuga, and my favorite groundcover--sweet woodruff.

Now That's The Way to Dream Big!

2009-06-08T20:43:00.004-05:00

I used to think I was ambitious, until I watched the YouTube video below. This video features a jaw-dropping water feature on a grand scale. Kudos to the ambition and creativity of the Bennetts featured in this episode of Central Texas Gardener.

In contrast, my own water features are much smaller in nature due to property constraints such as a large septic system. But even on a small scale, the sights and sounds of a pond or water feature are well worth the time and effort--big or small.

Swallowtail Dual Monitor Wallpaper

2009-06-06T20:23:00.005-05:00

Feel free to use any wallpaper I post on my blog. Click here to download the full-size image.

The Making of a YouTube Video

2009-06-05T12:25:00.006-05:00

Since I watch so many videos of others' gardens, I just had to give it a try myself. Windows Movie Maker makes it easy, just make sure to save it to your computer when you are done so it's a .wmv file compatible with YouTube. The music is part of a Haydn sonata, played by me of course! Be sure to click on HQ after pressing play to view in high quality.

Hummingbirds are Back!

2009-06-04T20:20:00.004-05:00

I look forward to the return of these curious creatures each year, and this week marked the return of the hummingbirds. Unfortunately my honeysuckles aren't located in good light or location to catch the little guys well on camera, but the trumpet vines are...and they should be in bloom before too long.

In the meantime, here's a photo from last year.

Garden Expansions

2009-06-03T13:03:00.004-05:00

When we purchased our current home about 10 years ago, I had a blank slate to work with. Being 10 years younger, I also had the ambition to dig up a lot of sod, and plant a lot of flower gardens. One garden has been removed and returned to lawn, as it was a rose garden on a slope (a "what was I thinking?" garden). It is possible to have too much of a good thing, especially when trying to mow around too many obstacles.

Believe it or not, I've downsized to 5 garden areas, and will readily admit there is no such thing as a no-maintenance garden, but what would the fun be in that?

Front yard (fenced in area)
Side Yard (blackberry patch/wildflowers)
Boardwalk Area
Shade Garden (under large maples & walnut tree)
Back Garden (along property line/street)

Today's Garden is the Boardwalk Area. We installed this boardwalk (see directions) so my piano students could get to the studio entrance without having to tramp through the mud in wet conditions. It was an inexpensive option to laying concrete, with more character too. It has held up well for many years, with only an occasional board needing replacement.