snollygaster

Gorgeous! I love the brunnera flanked on either side by the purple heuchera. Definitely going to use that one. Thanks for sharing!

Very inspring combos, Cherry. Thanks for sharing. I live across the pond in Victoria, BC and have had no trouble overwintering the plants in the oval container outside. I just bring them in if it looks to be a frosty night and place them on my entry porch.

You have really achieved a sense of place, of mystery and of character. To me that is a garden. Congrats!

I agree, Michelle, a perfect way to start the week. Beautiful!

Our front garden is 50% lawn and we're planning on getting rid of it as soon as we have the back landscaping done. This books sounds like a good planning tool. I would love to win it!

I agree with tractor1 regarding the water feature. Such a treat to see one that credibly fits in with the landscape. Well done, Bonnie!

Yes,I want to dive right in! I agree with meander1, the bold moves have really paid off. I was trying to imagine the impact without the statue - pretty and well thought out but no 'wow' factor. I have been reluctant to add toys to my garden but after seeing this.....

Yes, Tim, your heucheras are the best. Please ID the one with what appears to be large pink flowers. If mistaken on the flowers, I'd like to echo the desire to hear more on how to best cultivate for that rich foliage.

Happy Birthday, Michelle. It's also my brother's birthday today and he's got a big one, too. I bet it's bigger than yours so hope you both celebrate in style another day and another glorious year on this (still) gorgeous planet!

Ditto!

Happy New Year everyone! This year I hope focus on the vertical aspect of our own garden, adding vines, climbing perennials and other vertical accents wherever I can fit them it.

Stunning, Marilyn! I love the way the yellow daisies of the cultivated garden soften and blurr the boundary to the wild garden. What are those daisies, by the way? Although the photo is really good, it's a bit hard to tell on the 'puter.

Very interesting account of the garden's creation and good pix to accompany the text. It looks absolutely lovely, such a pleasing rythm of heights, textures and colour. Thanks for sharing.

Really charming. I like the curving stone path around the cottage, emphasizing the soft-lined coziness of the cottage. Very heart warming on this frosty morning! Thanks.

Absolutely delightful. Not a big fan of sculpture in the garden but that tickled my fancy. Thanks for the smile.

Nice shot and lovely, naturalistic planting. Good use of diagonals in both cases. As a garden designer here in Victoria, BC (Canada`s so-called City of Gardens) I see a lot of both amateur and professionally designed gardens. My days are spent analyzing and enjoying gardens en plein air, digitally or in print. I have to admit it`s the amateurs who often come through with the most emotion provoking gardens. Looking forward to seeing more of these. Thanks!

Go, Phoenix, go!

Thanks for the info packed article, Paul. We planted our first rose-up-a-tree this spring with Mmm. Alfred Carriere. So far it looks like we blundered our way into doing most of the right things. Her host, however, is a Prunus cerasifima 'Thundercloud' with a very full canopy. Mme. is now about 6 feet tall and about to be coaxed into the tree. Hoping she will find her way out to the south east side and cascade down.

A great question and interesting answers. I would probably add some dwarf lilacs, May tulips and allium shubertii to fill the gap. The foliage of the tulips would be coverd quickly by the summer planting. The alliums have interest from spring to summer and into the fall. The dwarf lilacs would coordiate well with tulips in the white to bluish pinks and reds and purple blacks, not to mention the viridis mixtures. The height of the lilacs would also help to connect the bed to the neighbouring landscape.

It still looks very unnatural to me esp. as compared to a swimming pond.

Yes, nice view, not sure about the pot or the watermelon.

Paul, Barbara from Victoria here. Thanks for the heads-up regarding fall care for our roses. We seem to be having a problem though with our newly planted roses, including the Mary Rose. Strong new canes seem to be snapping off at the base of the plant. We've had 3 months of drought followed by about 60mm. of rain in the last 3 weeks. Any advice? Thanks and best wishes for a lovely autumn of enjoying your peak rose season.

Satori in Victoria! Enlightenment, flooded with sudden knowledge. Duh, I get it - Roses Are Plants, Too!!!! Sheesh, took me long enough to get the point but I've finally got it. Thanks, Paul, that's about the best advice I've ever received regarding roses and believe it or not I've read volumes on the subject. I began the new pruning strategy yesterday but only in my back garden for fear of provoking the F.C. Stepford Wife with secateurs. If all remains quiet I'll sneak out front early one morning and start on the front garden roses. Wow, what a cognition blaster!

On a similar subject, this summer I planted several Sunsprite roses and must say have been delighted with their colour, charm and fragrance until recently, that is. A couple of weeks ago one shot up a tall spar with a cluster of small terminal buds. The thing looks odd. Do you have any idea of what's happening here? Previously, everything seemed to be going fine and the bushes were growing in a shapely habit. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Paul, thanks for the intro to Select Roses. Their being on the mainland and out in the country, I hadn't heard of them before. However, I checked out the web-site and let's just say I can't wait for spring! They are closed for the season but that's fine as I had a phenomenal amount of growth on the roses I planted as late as June.

Paul, interesting info regarding Darlow. Sounds lovely but a little too large for me. Also, seems to be unavailable here in Victoria, BC. There seems to be a proliferation of landscape or 'easy care' roses on the market right now and they also seem to have more and more attributes to recommmend themselves. However, I'm a little hesitant to just plunge in and start buying. Something smaller than Darlow but just as decorative, scented, everblooming with excellent disease resistance is what I'm looking for. Colour could be any bluish shade of pink through to mauve. Thanks for the blog on Darlow and hoping perhaps you have some suggestions for me.

Paul, thanks so very much for your advice regarding the Mary Rose. Her bloom and foliage really are lovely so we do want to keep her but only if we can contain her size to 4' or so. We are a zone 8a-b here in Victoria and, yes you are right, the DA roses grow to be huge. Anyhow, I'm just delighted to receive such informed and personalized advice. All the best to you and thanks again for your generosity.

Thanks very much for your video on transplanting roses. Excellent production and first class info. It was also timely as we planted a Mary Rose next to a path this spring. It was described as being 'bushy and nicely rounded'. Well, it does have lovely foliage but has grown lots of very long, soft and floppy canes with few roses and all of them terminally
placed. A recent wind seemed to separate the rose in two and is now sprawling all over the path. I had read that this rose was the most popular rose in the UK and am wondering what I've done wrong. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Can't get enough info regarding grasses and this book appears to be a treasure trove of information. I like the environmentally responsible attitude as well. Many authors only pay lip service but John seems to be the real deal. Also, nice review, Billy!

Thanks for the fine book review and the opportunity to win the book. I get my inspiration for plant groupings from observation as well as books and mags (yes, Fine Gardening!). I find the most difficult part sticking to a given theme eg, say I have chosen a particular garden room to have a mediterranean theme or whatever and sticking to it.