Gardening by Cathy

…so today is a special post – from the heart.

Today has been a hot day and I finally planted my snapdragons and Red Accent Impatiens in a rectangle box planter in the front of our yard. Yes, I know…it is a bit late. However, I had to be able to video it in case there is someone out there that needs to know how to plant a tall box planter! LOL

The reason why this is a special post is that I have finally figured out what type of gardener I am. I am a “relationship” gardener. I have always been that and probably will always be. Some of my gardens can look fabulous, while others not so much. Why? I do not prescribe to the theory that only Great Plants are allowed in my garden. To me each plant is special and each type of plant has it’s own personality. That said I cater to my plants. Right place, right plant. For the most part, shade plants go in the shade and sun plants in the sun.

I do have a small yard and so sometimes I have to tuck shrubs in areas where I otherwise would not put them. At least for now, that is. Also, if the plants do better in morning sun, by george they will get the morning sun -tomato plants come to mind here. However, since the neighborhood woodchuck is still a resident, I have barricaded my 4 tomato plants with buckets additional tomato cages and bits of fencing, so the plants are protected, but the landscaping surely looks wild.

That leads me to my last point that I am a member of Prairie Enthusiasts. So prairie plants, which are native “weeds” to some people, have a place in my yard as well. Did you know that Nettle is a useful herb? Hence, I have some nettle patches soon to be harvested.
I do have Japanese beetles, but I prefer to keep them quarantined. Quarantined? At the back end of my property I have a nice patch of wild grape vines as well as in back of my tomato plants I have a few tall yellow flowered prairie plants that look like mullein but do not have the hairy leaves. The Japanese beetles love both of these plants, so why should they go anywhere else! If so, they get some baking soda on them so they get the general idea.
To sum up, I love plants: individuals, small groups, and even landscaped plantings. So you will find some gorgeous plantings here… sometimes. Just don’t look for them. You will find all kinds of individual plants, and the critters that walk by them or try to bother them. Can’t leave the critters out…they can be beautiful too, in their own way.

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