My Little Toad

Here is my resident toad. Isn't he cute? I think he has a big girlfriend living in the hostas. I saw her the other night doing some push ups.

Perennials for a spring bloom in your garden

Here are few awesome spring blooming perennials for a Michigan garden. Guaranteed to make the neighbors jealous!

Planning Around Deer

Well, I am working on a fine cottage style garden right now. Apparently this couple got a less than perfect landscape job last year. Not only did the guy come in the spring to discuss their "flower garden" and then not show up until fall to install it...he installed only shrubs...nice. The up side of this is that I get to put in the flowers...yeay! The down side is I know for a fact that their neighborhood is infested with a massive deer heard! Not so good news.

So I am asking everyone what to do. So far I have heard all kinds of interesting information.

I have been told to install hard flat surfaces, like slate...that deer don't like to slip and fall and that slate makes them nervous. Hmmmm....

I have heard that using Malorganite (Human Waste-hurray!) keeps them away. Hmmmm....not so sure about that one either.....

I have heard that they don't like to be enclosed...in tight spaces...o.k.....

I KNOW that daffodils are not on their eat list. And here are a few more items that are resistant to deer but nothing is a total guarantee.

Hyssop
Butterfly bush
Lavender
Spurge
Siberian iris
Thyme
Hyssop
Butterfly bush
Lavender
Catmint
Meadow sage
Mounding Grass, such as Karl Foerster
Ferns (regardless of species)
Spotted dead nettle-Great in dry shade
Monkshood
Russian sage
Mounding Grass, such as Karl Foerster, Blue Fescue
Ferns (regardless of species)
Spotted dead nettle-Great in dry shade
Boxwood
Hydrangeas
Forsythia
Coneaster
Spirea
Daisies
Daylillies
Poppies
Black eyed Susans(although they do sample these)
Bradford Pear?
Joe Pye weed
Common Foxglove
Carnation, Pinks
Christmas Fern
Crown Imperial, Fritilia
Fennel and Dill
False Indigo
Jack in the pulpit
Ladys' Mantle
LANTANA
Common Yarrow
O.K. Well that is enough to keep you busy for a while. And just in case this isn't enough info go to the source: http://njaes.rutgers.edu/deerresistance/

--GartenGrl

Northern Brown Snake

I saw this little guy today while I was cutting down a bunch of grasses. You can see him at this link:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3136/2631802751_01cbb88937_o.jpg I see them every year at this one location. It is a lovely garden with tall grasses and lots of roses and a big frog pond. I must say though that the mosquitos are out of control in the summer. Oh well, I am making spagetti now and gotta run.
--GartenGrl

Malva moschata

I guess I have kind of focused on annuals the last few weeks and I would like to give some attention to perrenials-as I can finally see them a bit as I clean out the flower beds from last year. I really like the plant Malva moschata as it is a prolific self seeder(some may call this weedy) but you can always weed out the ones you don't want. It has a nice tall airy feel to it and it provides tons and tons of cheerfull pink blooms from the beginning of summer till the end of summer. I think it looks lovely when planted with russian sage, and some bee balm, some stone crop sedum and maybe some balloon flower. This plant is like a space filler when you are on a budget...but it can go a bit nuts...so you do need to weed it out just a bit...the word monoculture does come to mind...

Potatoe Vine

Alright, I will continue with some annuals that I think are valuable in your garden. I am a big fan of Potatoe Vine...ipomea vine...what have you. This annual decorative vine grows and spreads quite rapidly in your flower bed or containers. It comes in a variety of attractive colors that enhance the "canvas" of your garden if you will: purple, lime green/maroon, and lime green. I like to combine this vine with Lantana or marigolds for a nice variety of orange, red, yellow, and purple. I can't tell you how attractive this arrangement is. It is also a big hummingbird favorite. Add a little purple fountain grass and you are on your way.

Sadogardenist

I get so excited to get to work in peoples garden in the spring.

I am like a mad woman running around raking leaves and twigs, cleaning up all the edges, scraping mulch out of the grass, thatching the grass, bundling wood, cleaning out stinky ponds. It can be embarrassing if one of my clients tries to talk to me…I'll be shouting in excitement!

I think to myself about all the different kinds of amendments I need to put down on this or that. What needs pruning, what must wait, why did something turn brown, what did I plant here last year. What did I move and can’t wait for people to notice and get excited about…
Dragging piles of debris to compost piles or bagging and hauling…Seeing all the other service people out and about…saying hello!

And then the next day I am in such excruciating pain.My boyfriend is in lawn care and we are always sharing pain management tips. Like should you Ben Gay before or after dinner, which stretch is best for that niggling pain behind your shoulder blade...etc. etc. Pain is a big part of gardening as I am getting older. But it is absolutely worth it!
Check out my other blog at Cool Garden Things Blog