Gardening help please?

[Marty]

We celebrated our 21st aniversary last week on August 21. We forgot about it last year under the circumstances, so this year we had a nice day together went out for dinner and rode around in Crossville, then we bought ourselves a little gift for the front entranceway. We had a really nice time and actually, we've been getting out often now and "dating" again. I think we kinda forgot in all these years that we are still capable of enjoying eachother's company!

We decided to re-do our front entranceway since it looks awful and I've killed all our bushes out there mostly because I planted them on rock

: years ago, and bought things that would not grow in full sun...double wacko

:

: It was also overgrown with juniper which took over the whole area.

When we got home, Hus plowed us up an area with the old garden tractor and I got the fun job of walking behind and picking up rock and preparing the soil with some good top soil. I can't believe it, I am finally getting a little garden area. :aktion033: :aktion033: :aktion033:

Now I need shrubs, plantings and flowers and here's what I want help with:

I need things that take full sun and do not die and turn to bare branches in the winter. I really hate looking at twigs in the winter for zone 7.

I would like something that flowers too.

So far, I have:

1. Holly (dwarf burford holly)

2. Firepower Nandina (a bush that turns beautiful red in the winter months)

3. dwarf arborvite

But I have nothing that flowers! Help! Must have flowers!

This is Hus plowing away

PS: Note the weeping willow to the right. Michael grew that from a 6 inch twig years ago when he was

in FFA for Hus for father's day and it never really grew until last year.

And this is our little gift for the new entranceway. I asked Hus "What's his name?" And he said "Heavy"

So this is Heavy Pony. I'm going to paint him white.

We had tons of fun trying to get him unloaded out of the truck

(I don't know what you guys pay for these concrete things, but we got this little dude for $50.00) He's 3 feet tall. The ones that are 4 1/2 feet tall are $100.

 

[CyndiM]

:aktion033: [SIZE=18pt]CONGRATULATIONS Marty and Jerry! [/SIZE] :aktion033:

Most of the flowers that come to mind loose their leaves in the winter here so I would be of no help.

 

[tifflunn]

:aktion033: [SIZE=24pt] Happy Anniversary [/SIZE] :aktion033:

 

[ChrystalPaths]

First Happy Anniversary! You have a great list. For posies, I would plant pansies and snapdragons and lots of bulbs so they all come back the next year from spring to fall. Ask Karla..she's got that incredible green thumb (or is it hand?).

 

[Wee Mite Miniatures]

Marty,

Stop and think a minute. That flowers did you have at your wedding? Can you use any of those?

In my wedding I had a white rose with pink tips. One year for our anniversary my husband bought me a rose call Eden Climber. It is just like what I had in my wedding. Roses love the sun.

How about some winter hardy cactus? Several people on here mentioned they have them. I bet one of them would be willing to send you a piece. I just start some in my garden and plan to add more to them next year.

 

[Denise]

Happy 21st Anniversary Marty & Jerry!!!!!!!

I love your new addition to your entry way, he is adorable.

Tell Jerry I love the name! :bgrin

Glad to hear you all had a nice time.

:

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Jerry and Marty, I am so glad to hear you two are "dating" again. I can feel it in your post how happy you are to be doing something special. I sure cant help you with your garden...I would be about as good as you were ~planting things on top of rocks and expecting them to grow . I'm lucky I was able to get the flowers, all perennials, to grow good along the barn!!! Ohh, and my 2 rose bushes, which were like from my grandmothers house, so I am sure the poor things have got to be a very hardy variety. I LOVE your HEAVY PONY, $50.00 was cheap, I could never find something for even $100.00 in that size around here. I tried, I need 2 of them for our front yard. I bet your garden is going to be beautiful when your done with it. Corinne

 

[LittleRibbie]

:aktion033: :aktion033: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO YOU BOTH :aktion033: :aktion033:

Marty it sounds like you two had a nice day. I wish I could help you with your flowing plants but I am terrible with flowers and plants. Jerry picked a great name for your little gift. I can only imagine you dressing him/her up for all the holidays....long fuzzy Easter Bunny ears, Rudolph antlers, maybe a shamrock and funny green hat....others can think of more.

P.S. I think its about time you show us pictures of your chicken wire horse....you remember....the one with the case of colic......

 

[Marylou]

Happy Anniversary! We share a date. August 21 is my birthday and this year was a milestone. I am now 65 and qualify for Medicare!

:

 

[Just Us N Texas]

Happy anniversary Marty and Jerry! Doesn't it seem like you've been married all your life sometiimes, and other times you feel as if you're just beginning! I'm glad you are dating again. It keeps everything so fresh and enjoyable!

Marylou, I had that "special" birthday last month, and it isn't it fun being bombarded with all the "supplemental insurance policy" junk mail?

Carolyn

 

[runamuk]

Congrats, and I love "heavy pony" :bgrin

OK if the horses will not have access to the plants you can find rhodes and evergreen azaleas that will take sun, zone 7 and flower beautifully in spring to early summer. For winter flowers and foliage try heaths and heathers. Japanese spirea is another option for foliage and some flowers. You might like a weeping cherry or weeping pussywillow even though they lose their leaves they have wonderful architecture in the winter months. Flowering quince often holds its leaves through winter and has cute flowers. There is a variety of honeysuckle that is also evergreen for good smelling summer flowers. All of these plants could be planted this fall for next season and if you water deep next summer most will require very little watering after the first year. If you use some of these shrubs as the beginning then next year you can add perennial flowers and annuals. You actually can get great deals on perennials right now and get them in for next seasons bloom. Also bulbs can start going in anytime for spring flowers daffodils, tulips, snowdrops, hyacinths, irises, etc.

Just go shop look for perennial and evergreen and buy what ever tickles your fancy you cannot ever plant a garden wrong.

Rori

We celebrated our 21st aniversary last week on August 21. We forgot about it last year under the circumstances, so this year we had a nice day together went out for dinner and rode around in Crossville, then we bought ourselves a little gift for the front entranceway. We had a really nice time and actually, we've been getting out often now and "dating" again. I think we kinda forgot in all these years that we are still capable of enjoying eachother's company!

We decided to re-do our front entranceway since it looks awful and I've killed all our bushes out there mostly because I planted them on rock

: years ago, and bought things that would not grow in full sun...double wacko

:

: It was also overgrown with juniper which took over the whole area.

When we got home, Hus plowed us up an area with the old garden tractor and I got the fun job of walking behind and picking up rock and preparing the soil with some good top soil. I can't believe it, I am finally getting a little garden area. :aktion033: :aktion033: :aktion033:

Now I need shrubs, plantings and flowers and here's what I want help with:

I need things that take full sun and do not die and turn to bare branches in the winter. I really hate looking at twigs in the winter for zone 7.

I would like something that flowers too.

So far, I have:

1. Holly (dwarf burford holly)

2. Firepower Nandina (a bush that turns beautiful red in the winter months)

3. dwarf arborvite

But I have nothing that flowers! Help! Must have flowers!

 

[River1018]

Glad you had a good time!....I can kill a cactus so can't help you in the gardening department. :bgrin

 

[wildoak]

Happy Anniversary :aktion033: . August is a good month, we just had ours a couple of weeks ago.

Can't help much with your garden except to tell you that I plant pansies in the winter because they flower like crazy, don't mind the cold and put up with the extreme neglect I dole out LOL.

Jan

 

[rockin r]

OK Marty...I have a question...Where will you put the scrunchie??? :bgrin

Congrats on your Anniversary!!

 

[Kathy2m]

Congrats on the anniversary, cant help on the garden thing, my brother who lives in Ny has lots of lilies, they are beautiful but of course not in the winter. love your heavy horse, my kids got me the horse one and when they put it my front yard the minis acted like it was real, flagging their tails and running the fence line to get a better look!

 

[AppyLover2]

Marty I was glad to see you post something about flowers again. I've often wanted to suggest that you try some 4 o'clocks. Yes...they're flowers. There were some here in a flower bed when I moved and they're very pretty and very prolific. They like lots of sun and are very drought tolerant. I'm not sure they're classified as a perennial, but they definitely re-seed themselves every year. I had so many volunteer plants this spring that I transplanted them everywhere and even gave some away. You can't plant them til spring but I hope you'll give 'em a try.

And it's a bit late but.... happy anniversary.