Lessons from Amy’s Garden

Rules learned in the garden

Today we ’re inspect Amy Birdsong ’s garden in Virginia .

Two years ago I became serious about restoring and improving our place , which up until then my husband had valorously been taking care of with little to no input or help from me . As a kitchen and bath designer I am well versed in blank preparation , but I had zero knowledge on how to create a true garden . So like all good student , I locomote all in on inquiry . I beganvisiting garden , purchase an unenviable amount of garden books , obsessively ransack the net for information , pop up into any and all nursery within a 50 - mile range , asked a ton of question of people whose gardens I admire , and consult a landscape designer . My prompt - smasher list of rules are spotlight by our July garden , which is breathtaking right now in all its summer glorification .

Pruning hydrangeascorrectly is a challenge , but they are ruffianly , so just keep trying . This moulding is really five age sometime with a new Empress of China dogwood(Cornuselptica‘Elsbry ’ , Zones 6–9 ) . Every yr I pruned the ‘ Little Lime ’ hydrangeas(Hydrangea paniculata‘Little Lime ’ , Zones 4–8 ) , but they would finish up scraggly and floppy by midsummer . This year I utilizedFine Gardening’spruning tutorialand finally found success .

Move plant that are n’t well-chosen , even if it ’s not recommended . ThisGuara‘Whirling Butterflies ’ ( zona 5–9 ) was thin and covered inaphids . Several online sources said you could n’t moveGauraeasily due to their long taproots , but it was so poor there was nothing to fall behind . Now on the edge of the driveway where the soil is fragile , it has exploded and isself - seedinglike brainsick .

A tree diagram soapbox is an opportunity for a specimen plant . We lost apine treehere and were depart with a stump at ground level . The spot require something with height . An inexpensive cask fit thewoodland vibeof the area , and this ‘ Spider ’s Web ’ fatsia(Fatsia japonica‘Spider ’s vane ’ , Zones 7–10 ) is a rattling pop of vividness all year long .

herbaceous plant gardenscan be beautiful . While herb are messy and can beinvasive , they are also oftenevergreenand leave lot of interesting contrasts oftextureand color . A landscape painting designer evoke thetuteur , which elevates the place . I ’ve planted a David Austin rose , which has already start blooming . Unfortunately , theJapanese beetleshave regain it .

Closer flavor at the herbaceous plant garden

make littlevignettes . This is a pip by our back door found with jasmine(Jasminumofficinalis , Zones 7–10 ) , a ‘ Steeds ’ Japanese holly(Ilexcrenata ‘ Steeds’,Zones 5–8 ) , lambs ’ ears(Stachysbyzantina , Zones 4–9 ) , and snowhill salvia(Salvianemorosa‘Snowhill ’ , Zones 4–9 ) . I ’ve cut back one of the sage and left the other to see how they compare in a few months .

variegate plantsare everything , and you may commix them ! For years I disliked variegated plants ( which I read is coarse with new gardener ) . I just wanted unripe on immature on light-green . Last fall a Quaker share a blog billet that featured a efflorescence border shout out the “ pitch-dark and White ” garden . In it the possessor used all character of diversification fromsilver , Paris green , white , andsage . It was charming , so I embraced the estimation and am glad with the result . The key seems to be get enough deep green to countervail the variegated plants , but also repetition so it does n’t see accidental . Here a golden yellowEuphorbia‘Ascot Rainbow ’ ( Zones 5–9 ) glow with the saturnine super C around it .

Use evergreen industrial plant to provide social organization and backcloth for flowering plants . A boundary line of all flowers can be beautiful , but it can also be mussy and only fully shines duringpeak flowering season . In addition , like in interior design , the eye need position to reside , and things stand out when there is a neutral backcloth . Evergreens do n’t have to be shrubs;carex , lirope , priming coverssuch as ajuga and lambs ’ ear , and sedum follow in a sort of colors and texture . Like vary plants , they can merrily comingle for anEnglish gardenlook .

in conclusion , unify superlative within theborder . When you look at pictures where everything is lined up like soldier with ground top in front and very strictly getting more and more taller , it face affected . apparently you do n’t want 6 - foot - grandiloquent shrubs or flowers at the very front , but a garden or margin is more interesting if it bring out dissimilar views as you take the air toward , beside , or even within it .

Have exposure to share ? We ’d bang to see your garden , a peculiar collection of plant you roll in the hay , or a wonderful garden you had the chance to jaw !

To submit , send 5 - 10 photos to[email protected]along with some info about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos . We ’d do it to hear where you are located , how long you ’ve been garden , winner you are proud of , loser you learned from , hope for the future , favorite plants , or funny storey from your garden .

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