Partarre Additions for this Winter

This detail shows parterre additions planned for this winter. The dashed lines to the right of the oval path is the new kitchen garden design for vegetables and herbs. The dashed lines inside the oval path is the flower garden.

Gulf Fritillary

We still have Gulf Fritillary butterflies even though the temperature is dipping to the high 30's at night. I fear I may have shortened the life of a few of them when I pulled up the passion vines last week. In the future, wait for frost to do this.

False Solomon's Seal

Fall color.

Helebores

The helebores put on a lot of new green growth right now.

Toad Lilly

The toad lillies have done well in several deep shade locations and make a very intricate pruple spotted flower about 1" across. Bloom in mid October to mid November.

Petanque court

Mexican Tarragon

The mexican tarragon makes a rich golden bloom in the late fall.

Violas

Shelagh added these purple and pale yellow violas to the rock garden.

Lavender Lantanna and Peruvian Petunia

This Lavender Lantanna is a good color combination with the Peruvian Petunia. And the Petunia has spread here so it's a good choice for this area.

Violas under Aucuba

Orange Violas under Aucuba.

Allysum

White allysum is persistent in several areas in the garden. It's difficult to determine what the winning factor is.

Babtisia

Babtisia from front corner was moved here. Tap root was damaged, prospects are hopefull. The red stump was a Cherry Laurel.

Garden pest

Bulbs, pansies, boxes

Shelagh planed all the bulbs and pansies in November. Boxes were pruned as well in november.

Pruned shrubs in October

The akebia and spirea shrubs were pruned in the vase shape in October and the ground mulched with paper and pine straw.

White Iris experiment

The over crowded white iris from the front lawn were planted here in the verge. This area is deeply mulched from the stump grinder activity after the huge oak was removed. I've been watering it steadily and adding fertilizer, but the heavy mulch may be too well drained or too nitrogen deficient to sustain the iris. I'll add more fertilizer today before the rains come tomorrow.

White Mums

These white mums are very striking here. They have to get pruned in summer to keep them compact and increase flowering, and shrubs are pruned back to provide more light, in order for the mums to bloom well.

North bed, front lawn

Yellow and orange violas replaced the over crowded white iris. Dusty miller on the right may be too shaded here.

Shamrock in their prime again

I'm dividing even more shamrock. It's best in fall and spring, easy to plant pea sized tubers go dormant in summer.

Corner bed gets redone

The plan includes a Black Knight buddelia in the center, purple mums, lavender lantana, flowering kale, lavender snapdragon...

Weather

Veggies and Herbs in the Parterre

Shelagh has approved plans to redesign the veggie garden. This may happen this winter and will include a new sprinkler valve specifically for the veggies, Steel edging, gravel paths, and moving the herbs to the center circle.

Clematis and Lycoris

The Lycoris has bloomed fairly well this year, but still only about half. They don't all bloom at the same time which I must attribute to conditoins. It's very hard to make water and light conditions exactly the same even in beds just 10 feet apart.

The Clematis has made just one more bloom for the year and is a very nice color combination with the Lycoris.

Weather

Yellow, purple, and light blue Violas were a great choice in Shelagh's knot garden. Dwarf yellow Daffodils can just be seen coming up in the middle bed and go particularly well with the Dark Purple Violas (with the yellow eye).


The purple Pansies and orange Violas in the Venus head bed didn't do so well this year. Either there were not enough to start with or the Pansies just didn't thrive. Usually the Violas are more robust here, but the orange ones just didn't show. I suggest all Viola's next year.

http://www.floralimages.co.uk/pviolalutea.htm
A pale yellow variety from Scotland.

The Brick Project

The best aspect of all is that the garden is visible from under the kitchen now that the doors are removed.


And we have access to the kitchen through these doors which were retrofitted from previous location above.

Winter 2007

We even had about 2 hours of snow this year in January.


Palmetto Palm is very hardy in zone 8.