Garden Planning Update

My Garden Layout has made a lot of changes since I last posted but this one is pretty solid. When I think about extra flowers or plants I might get I can't think of anything not on the layout. That already happened with White Begonias. I had taken them off the list but on Mother's Day missed them so I put them back in.

What about my Mum addiction like last year? Accounted for. I will buy Mums in September but I have some planned to get in October as well. In Mid-October, most likely around Columbus Day unless it's too hot, I will be getting the Cabbage. Last year's addiction came from wanting to extend my garden as long as possible. I wasn't ready to be done buying and planting and caring for my garden. Now I will have a true four season container garden. Maybe this plan will prevent the seasonal Winter Depression I get every year.

I had been sticking to the one nursery in walking distance from my house but was drawn to another nearby nursery. I'll call my regular nursery HF and the other nursery CGGC. When last the layout was posted, the Sunflowers were still a part of it. But in the time since I learned that HF doesn't carry them usually and thought they had annual Black-Eyed-Susans. So the Black-Eyed-Susans briefly replaced the Sunflowers until I learned they aren't at HF every year either. So I went to CGGC and sure enough every year they get a type of dwarf Sunflower called "Teddy Bear". I will be getting three when they are available in about a week or two. Zach will be getting one.

But something unexpected happened. While at CGGC I was doing research for my parents. I talked before about a neighbor's tree that they had taken down and that my parents are letting me suggest what to put there. My Dad wanted a view of a different house blocked so that meant tree not shrub. I also had to take into account it needed to be Evergreen and fit a space of 7' - 13'. At 7' or smaller we can keep the Pachysandra and garden space. He took my recommendation from CGGC of a Black American Arborvitae. They are about 25' tall, grow quickly, are evergreen, and are thin enough to keep the Pachysandra and garden space.

While looking at small evergreens I saw a couple of very small evergreens in 1 gallon containers called 'Columbia Blue Spruce'. They had "Merry Christmas" tags on them. I asked and they said they get those in around Thanksgiving of every year. They sell these types of trees at Home Depot too for those interested. I would put them in the 15" pots I got for my garden at my parent's house (this year it will be in a spare I have here so it will be one instead of two as planned. Once my parent's move I'll have two Spruces.) They might not last a freeze/thaw cycle in pots so I would replace them each year but that's what I was going for, not permanent but Winter friendly.

I asked about them because in Fine Gardening they feature these small trees in pots with a bunch of other plants. I always wondered how they do that. Basically, they either replace each year or cut the root ball. I'm going for the blue spruce to compliment my two blue snowflake decorations and because the pots are dark red so I don't want it to look too Christmasy all season. Especially, if I still have them into Spring!!!

I love this layout! I had trouble finding where to put my Mother's Day flowers. I did find a nice place not in this layout but nearby. I know all this will fit because I brought the pots out of the garage and did an empty pot layout. We are now in Spring 11. The Pansies start wilting once it hits 80 degrees steadily but the decorations change to Summer on Thursday so I suspect they will be around into June a little. The layout becomes Summer 1 on Thursday. Here are the specifics of some of the plants I plant:

Pansies:
Panola Yellow/Blotch (Yellow)
Matrix Red Wing (Burgundy)

Daisy:
Snowland (Leucanthemum Paludosum)

Marigolds:
Antiqua Orange
Antiqua Gold

Begonia:
Valentine Lace

Sunflower:
Teddy Bear

Asters and Mums: http://www.syngentaflowersinc.com/default.aspx

Aster:
Daydream (preferred)
Henry I Pink
Believer Purple

Mums: ***There were other types but these were the only ones I got tags with***
Kathleen Dark Red
Merilyn White
Tabitha Red

Spruce:
Columbia Blue Spruce

Daylilies: Stella De Oro
Hosta (great Perennial for shade): Fortunei


Here it is! The link. I hope it opens. I tried to copy and paste the spreadsheet like I used to but something changed and Blogger won't let me do that anymore.

https://workspaces.acrobat.com/?d=1w3k9NzFmE5E*8-kvmZ*Uw

Hostas are along the stairs, they will bloom around August and the Daylilies are starting to bid. The 4 potted flowers are My Mother's Day gift, Ageratums