Kerole's Place

17 Nov '08 7:27 am

Well I though it was time to have my own thread rather than jumping in and hijacking everyones elses! This thread is dedicated to random gardening info and photos of the various gardens at my place.

Currently I have been admiring the Stables Garden. This is a wayward cottage garden with its own little patch of lawn. It is surrounded by horse paddocks so the plants here are frequently pruned by livestock. It has a vege patch, a hedge, a tiny woodland area, and two brutally dry areas. At one point it housed a ghastly assortment of 'unwanted' plants that I didn't know where else to put. The colours clashed violently and big plants had somehow managed to get in front of really little ones. It was a mess. Anyway I have gradually had a sort out and a rearrangement, and this spring/summer it is looking much better. I found all sorts of smothered and strangled treasures including three dear little pure white miniature roses that I don't ever remember seeing before! The Stables Garden still has a lovely unkempt disorderly cottagey-ness to it - there is still tons to do here but its a pleasing start!

17 Nov '08 8:03 am

I already enjoy the contrast between the color of the artechoke folliage and the hydrangea's unopened flowers which have a bit of a chartreuse tone. Chartreuse and grey-green/blue bring out the best in one another.

I'd really like to see wider photos showing how the beds relate to the rest of the place and its uses. I know .. greedy, greedy, greedy. At least you've started your own thread so maybe we'll get to look around more soon. Please keep them coming.

17 Nov '08 8:12 am

Good idea starting a thread about your garden. It sounds as though you have a large garden and, in time, should be able to post plenty of pictures. I love the little areas you've created so far and the general "tumbling down" look you've achieved.

Looking forward to seeing more.

17 Nov '08 9:21 am

I like it-it seems to be 'comfortable' in its simplicity,even if it is accidental.I would love to see more pics and hear of your plans.

17 Nov '08 5:52 pm

Another garden thread, yay! Very Happy

What a beautiful rose.
(I really must do something about my garden. Got diverted today and pruned dust bunnies under the bed instead. Sad

I would really like to get a few things organised and under control so the garden can again have the priority it deserves.)

20 Nov '08 10:30 pm

Hello Kerole's Diary!

I never knew you had arrived! As MacFlax says, Yippee, another Garden Diary. It is always interesting to get to know other people's gardens, and this is the best forum to do so.

Now listen to teacher, Kerole: you have given us tantalising glimpses and mentions of your various gardens, but we have, on the whole, a rather sketchy idea of it all. So I suggest you explain the lay of the land, so to speak. Go right back to your first posts down by the pond, or give us cross-references to it if you don't want to waste time reposting.

We have often spoken of the need to draw and photograph plans of our gardens. So far I think Gordon is the only one who has actually done it. Mark's garden is a little like a dreamscape in my mind, re-organising itself into new sequences that I don't manage to tie down. I'm certain many people feel the same about mine, although back when I wrote a whole description of it. Here - I'll cross-reference it: http://forums.mooseyscountrygarden.com/viewtopic.php?t=737&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&sid=9b86fde2bb570210943cf9a0d3356db0

I've really enjoyed your rose postings and I look forward to seeing more of your gardens - in the long run it is also easier if most of the info is on one thread Smile

21 Nov '08 3:21 pm

I just whizzed through the lot devouring the photos like a kid licking the frosting off a cake. Now I shall go back this weekend and get to know your garden better this weekend. I will have a little time since Lia is off to China for a week starting tomorrow and I will only have myself to amuse. I'll be back.

24 Apr '09 4:25 pm

Well, I've been a bit slack updating my own garden thread haven't I?! I have taken on board what Master Jack has to say about garden maps etc... and I promise to get onto it.

We have a large garden that is disjointed and bitsy. We inherited this mess, and are slowly, slowly beating it into a more cohesive shape. It will take a LONG time and many of the garden areas toward the rear of the house have not/will not be touched much because a great big house extension/makeover job is planned for 2-3 years down the track and that whole area will be re-developed.

So I potter around trying to do some good with what is here. And this Summer we put some serious effort into the White Gardens. These form a circle of quadrants cut out of a slightly sloping expanse of lawn. They are a ghastly travesty of chic English formal gardens... I have no idea who is to blame for this! Originally they housed a motley collection of unkempt disheavelled roses, most with no names, and all in various stages of ill health. There were no underplantings (except for weeds) and the colours all clashed horribly - it dredged up awful memories of old Aunty-type gardens of mixed rose beds. No offense to aunties. Embarassed

My first thought was to fill the whole lot in with lawn. But instead I decided to keep the white roses (by far the most plentiful) as the beginnings of some pure white gardens. Having spent last winter giving most of the coloured roses away and all spring conditioning the soil, this summer work on the White Gardens began in earnest.

They are still gappy in places but it's not a bad start. Very Happy

24 Apr '09 4:44 pm

We're beginning to get a picture! And you should add the lovely pic of the 'notMM' rose underplanted with mini aggies you posted to your rose thread... (that, by the way, is the 'correct' plural around here!)

24 Apr '09 5:52 pm

Thanks Jack - the mini aggies are 'Peter Pan'. They are supposedly sterile-ish - but one or two of the plants make good seeds 'cos every now and then I'll find a wee patch of baby aggies growing in the gravel. Gotta love the tenacity Wink

Here's some of the stars of the new White Gardens. This is first time I've tries cleomes. I grew them from seed. They have horrendous prickly stems and a funky smell but by God they put out the flowers. This plant has flowered absolutely continuously from spring and is still in full bloom. The calla is a truly beautiful little mini with fab narrow wavy inky green leaves. There are also bright lime green flowers in these gardens - perhaps they should be renamed the White and Lime Gardens? Hmmm. There are several lime green pompon mums in this bed ready to pop. My Mum made these plants from cuttings taken from flower stalks from the florist Very Happy

I hope that's not considered theft Exclamation

Kerole's Place

Kerole's Place

I like.

Hey! You nearly left me behind!

Thanks for the link to the earlier posts Jack.

White Gardens

Aha!

White Things