This is my Combine Garden. I don't actually know if the piece of equipment that sits along the back of the garden is a combine or not but even if I were to find out now that it wasn't, I doubt I could kick the habit of thinking of it as the Combine Garden. It sits at the entry to Sleepy Hollow Road and there is a direct view of it from the little house. Although I did not originally plant this garden, I did drop seeds this Spring. When I did that, I forgot how much Yarrow was growing here and unfortunately, the Yarrow overpowered most of the seeds. This, coupled with all of the hollyhock seeding to the front of the bed, has got me thinking it is time to make changes here this year. The view from the other side of the bed shows just how unruly it really is. Today was sweltering hot and late in the day, a summer rainstorm blew through. The result was that I was inside with these thoughts and thus began the planning process. I love to plan my gardens. I can spend hours making lists, sketches and maps full of little labeled circles. It is, however, rare that I follow any of my plans. My planting technique tends to be more haphazard. The maps I keep usually are the ones I make after the planting is done. That never stops me from enjoying the planning process though so here is the plan for my new Combine Garden for 2011. Work begins this fall.
Step 2: Shear down the Yarrow when done flowering to prevent it from seeding.
Step 3: Relocate at least half of the Yarrow, all of the Daylily and the Asiatic Lily.
Step 4: Remove weeds and dig grass out from back of bed around equipment and roses.
Step 5: Tie the wild rose stalks to help them climb the bush edge.
Step 6: Dig compost into the soil.
Step 7: Rake and mulch the bed.
Final Step: Drop seed this Fall and next Spring then wait to enjoy!
My new plan calls for this garden to become all direct sown or self-seeding plants with the exception of the Yarrow and the wild roses that stay. This garden is in full sun all day plus, it is quite a distance from the house. It needs plants that can handle our hot afternoon summer sun and do not require huge amounts of extra water. Calendula, Rudbeckia, Sunflower and Poppy are on the top of my list but that may all change when the seed catalogues arrive in the Fall. I will be sure to share the result next Summer so we can see how far I stray from the original plan by the time it is done.
A very ambitious plan! Good thing most of it can be done once the realy hot weather passes. I will say that it looks lovely the way it is but I can certainly understand wanting to have more there than yarrow taking over.
ReplyDeleteThe yarrow is really driving this change. I cleared some away when I dropped the seeds but all that found space to come up were a couple bachelor's buttons, a couple sunflower and a handful of marigold. The calendula didn't even show up here but it did everywhere else I put it. You got me going on the idea of specifically a seed garden so I am going to try it. Seems easy and there are lots of sun loving, drought tolerant seeds that will direct sow here. I might include Zinnia if I can muster the forethought to be ready to do a few flats of seedlings inside. They will direct sow here but flower really late and likely small if I try that.
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