Name: JoanneM
Location: Murrysville, Pennsylvania
Type of space: Suburban Garden
Tell us about your outdoor project and how you enjoy it: My house was built in 1964 by a retired couple who were avid gardeners, but house and garden had been neglected for many years. The later owner had burned trash, and when the burn barrel was full, had tipped it over to roll down the slope to settle in a mess of multiflora roses, wild black raspberries, and other weeds. My project and my enjoyment have been in reclaiming the old garden. There were some wonderful things to start me out. My first spring I discovered a patch of 25 highbush blueberries, among other pleasant surprises...
How did you create it? The property is nearly an acre, about half of it left to wilderness. Shady and much frequented by deer. I've learned a lot about what deer do and don't like to eat. I grow a lot of boxwood, foxgloves, astilbes, lamb's ear because they don't like it, but I also must have hostas and daylilies, so I spray (or try to remember to spray). I am especially inspired by the shade garden at the Cornell Plantation in Ithaca, where hostas and bears' breeches are magnificently massed. My hostas are multiplying like a house afire, and the bears' breeches are coming along.
Recommended store, site, product or resource? Nature and the garden books by Henry Mitchell.
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Hostas are the best! Easy to grow, there's a surprising variety of color, and they're foolproof to divide after a few years into even more plants -- what could be cheaper than free?
view jkopftwins's profile
This is heavenly! I can imagine sitting in your garden, reading away a summer afternoon. Thanks for the info about Cornell Plantation. I have a very shady backyard and would love to get it this full.
view morina's profile
On a hot day, your garden will be a cool and shady retreat. Just looking at all the greens and textures automatically feels like a few degrees have dropped. A quick story about Hostas...I had them in my small front garden a few years ago. They got so big, that I ruthlessly dug them out and threw them in the back woods in the fall. They sat there all winter (cold and snowy one) exposed, and in the spring those suckers started to show new growth. I decided to plant two of them in containers and gave my neighbor the rest. They all are still thriving and look beautiful even after the total disregard I had for them. They are truly foolprool and anyone with a brown thumb will have no problem. The only thing is that deer like them, so I moved the containers closer to the house..so far so good.
view junklover's profile
This is wonderful!
I love using Hostas as kind of an anchor plant. They're so hardy and super easy to split so you can give them away or extend your garden.
You would be surprised at the effect that can be achieved by using just foliage-based plants vs. flowering plants. I think the various textures, shades of green and shapes of leaves can make for a really beautiful garden space.
view fairydogmother's profile
I used to live in a house that had a sweet backyard. Nothing like beauty WITH privacy! I bet you'll enjoy the whole summer.
view baileyb's profile