# Well, I'm a gardener



## Barbara (Jan 13, 2007)

It's always this time of year I begin missing my gardens, so here's some pictures. Hope you like.




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Thanks for looking.

Barbara.


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## NYEric (Jan 13, 2007)

That's pretty nice for living near the North Pole!


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## Barbara (Jan 13, 2007)

NYEric said:


> That's pretty nice for living near the North Pole!



:rollhappy: :rollhappy: North Pole, eh? We haven't had snow yet this year. Lots of rain however, I'm thinking half my garden is going to be drowned by spring. My yard is the lowest in the area. Maybe I'll build a canoe.


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## smartie2000 (Jan 14, 2007)

:clap: excellent garden! hard work well done...I've still gotta re-do up my garden in a asian inspired way in a zone 2 climate. I wish it was warm enough to plant a japanese maple.


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## Gideon (Jan 14, 2007)

Barbara, that is a stunning garden, I could spend hours in there, well done


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## Jon in SW Ohio (Jan 14, 2007)

Beautiful garden!!

The "winter" here has been the same, but I still long for the looks of a late spring-early summer garden. Bee Balm is easily one of my all time favorites, along with Acanthus and to see them doing so well for you makes me as impatient as ever for the even warmer times this year has to bring. I wish my garden was half as nice as yours!

Jon


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## Grandma M (Jan 14, 2007)

Barbara

It looks like a little bit of heaven.:smitten: 

Marilyn


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## likespaphs (Jan 14, 2007)

can hellebores grow at your place? 
depending on the species, they bloom between november and april/may.
i've got some at my place about to bloom.
i think things that bloom outdoors during the winter are super cool...
guess when the one's called christmas rose (helleborus niger) bloom and what they kinda look like? go ahead, i dare ya.


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## Barbara (Jan 14, 2007)

Thanks for the nice comments, everyone. 

I have tried Hellebores, they love it here (Zone 6b), but they don't like my yard so well since it's so wet. They love sandy loam, and well drained ground in the shade the best. I still have one hanging on under the Robinia in the second picture. But after this year I'm sure it's dead now too.

Smartie, have you tried any of the cutleaf elderberries? They are surpose to make good substitutes for Japanese maples. The cultivar 'Sutherland Gold' is very pretty.

Barbara


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## Heather (Jan 14, 2007)

Oh, how lovely, Barbara! 
I especially like the pond. Do you have any fish in it?


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## smartie2000 (Jan 14, 2007)

OrchidNorth said:


> Smartie, have you tried any of the cutleaf elderberries? They are surpose to make good substitutes for Japanese maples. The cultivar 'Sutherland Gold' is very pretty.



Thanks. I think I might have seen them at the grocery store in the spring and I thought it was a japanese maple at first until I looked at the tag. Anyways my garden is basically old pine trees and shrubs, and I've got a lot of digging to do. I'm also going to have to pour a lot of cement to make rocks, since they are imporant in a asian garden. My first rock I made turned out ok and hasn't cracked yet. I don't think I can afford to buy real rocks  I just planted four japanese tree peonies, but I don't know if they will survive and there gonna be a long wait before they bloom. I hope to do a small pond or at least a fountain and I've seen ornamental grass that looks like bamboo in another garden


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## NYEric (Jan 14, 2007)

I hate to be the enabler but.. since you're that far north do you have any Cyp. regineae [sic]? If you made a bed you could grow them...


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## smartie2000 (Jan 14, 2007)

i bought one its in the fridge I've gotta have slippers in the garden too


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## SlipperFan (Jan 14, 2007)

That is a beautiful garden. It looks like it was created with loving hands.


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## Barbara (Jan 15, 2007)

Thanks for the nice comments. Heather, I do have fish. There are 2 ponds, the large one has goldfish in it, and the smaller one has Koi.
Here's a picture of both ponds and fish.




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The goldfish



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The Koi



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Barbara


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## Barbara (Jan 15, 2007)

Jon in SW Ohio said:


> Beautiful garden!!
> 
> The "winter" here has been the same, but I still long for the looks of a late spring-early summer garden. Bee Balm is easily one of my all time favorites, along with Acanthus and to see them doing so well for you makes me as impatient as ever for the even warmer times this year has to bring. I wish my garden was half as nice as yours!
> 
> Jon



Hi Jon, just in case you wanted know, it's Monarda 'Raspberry Wine' and Acanthus hungaricus (most winter-hardy).


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## smartie2000 (Jan 15, 2007)

beautiful pond and fish! You must have a very large plot of land! I have to keep my fancy goldfish and koi in my aquariums.  My koi are 15 yrs old and huge and in a giant aquarium


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## Persephone (Jan 15, 2007)

Beautiful!
Where do you find the time? I have a rather large piece of land for around here. when my children were little and I was at home with them, I had time for gardening. Now it's more difficult. The man who lived here before us built a stone fish pond at the back of the property. It had a windmill that drove a pump to a well that's in the front of the property. He built it in the '30s. Some day we'll restore it. Unfortunately the small evergreen shrubs that he planted around it are now about 70 feet high...or more. It's gong to take alot of work and $$$$$$$!

The local woodchucks, rabbits and deer convinced me to give up my vegetable garden.


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## ohio-guy (Jan 15, 2007)

your great garden reminds me of my own in summer. I have tried acantus without success, so I will have to look for the variety you mentioned....did you buy it locally, or mail order? 
Thanks 
Eric


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## Barbara (Jan 15, 2007)

ohio-guy said:


> your great garden reminds me of my own in summer. I have tried acantus without success, so I will have to look for the variety you mentioned....did you buy it locally, or mail order?
> Thanks
> Eric



I work at a garden centre and had responsibility of ordering the perennials, so when I saw it on Valleybrooks(Heritage Perennials) availibility list I jumped on it. This one is about 3 years old. Be sure to cover with evergreens and/or straw when the ground freezes to protect them.


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## Barbara (Jan 15, 2007)

Smartie, I would love to see pictures of your koi, and your making your own rocks!!! I don't have a large plot of land, I just squeeze alot into a small space. 

Persephone, I don't have a social life. Would those 'little evergreen shrubs' be juniper, if so you might need a tracker and chain.:rollhappy: We removed some 40 year old juniper (small type) last year and it took alot of digging.:sob:


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## NYEric (Jan 15, 2007)

Nice photo's.


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## Park Bear (Jan 17, 2007)

what a wonderful looking garden!!


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## Marco (Jan 20, 2007)

nice garden i was just gonna ask Heather's question but she beat me to it


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