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inkognito_gw

any ideas?

inkognito
12 years ago

I have a space around my house what do you suggest? Should I plant some stuff, they have a lot at the nursery.

Comments (42)

  • drtygrl
    12 years ago

    I am pretty sure giant broccoli is the best choice. You should take a look at the giant broccoli forum for some ideas. If your nursery doesnt have giant broccoli you can grow it from seed. I will photoshop you a picture of what giant broccoli looks like in the space around a house.

  • missingtheobvious
    12 years ago

    Just print out the Photoshop and paste it in the garden. (Or copy and paste if you have room for more than one. I happen to like a double row of giant broccoli along a walkway, though the giant cabbage butterflies can be a nuisance.)

    Oh by the way, if you have Windows 7 be sure to try the new Curb Appeal function.

  • duluthinbloomz4
    12 years ago

    Buy anything the knowledgeable nurseryman or the plant tag tells you is deer proof.

    Has the space got a big tree in it? A tree ring might be right up your alley. Let the same knowledgeable person calculate how many orange marigolds and red salvia you'll need to ring the tree leaving 8-12" between plants. Have the same person calculate the length of cement-look dentil edging needed to keep grass at bay around the tree ring.

    Walk around your neighborhood while the neighbors and their kids are all out mowing, raking, pruning, weeding, and edging and ask them about their no maintenance landscaping.

  • inkognito
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    You have been so helpful we all love broccoli thanks for sharing, do you think I need shutters?

  • drtygrl
    12 years ago

    Absolutely - shutters. My favorite look is bright lime green. Your house is pink right?

    And regarding the tree in the middle of your yard is it a volcano planting? because there is no value to a tree that is not coming out of a volcano of mulch. If you dont have a volcano I would probably suggest piling mulch around the tree so it looks like a volcano, or just cut the tree down.

    In terms of the proportion of the tree volcano I would think 10 square feet by 5 square feet is appropriate.

    And pretty much anything the nursery sells you will survive, thrive and be no maintenance...they specialize in that.

  • bahia
    12 years ago

    No, definitely not any shutters, they just don't go with the Giant Broccoli, but if you decide to go with the Dinosaur Kale instead, then lavender shutters could work really well...

    However, since you seem a little vague about what kind of stuff you actually prefer, maybe you should browse the home forum first, to get some ideas.

  • duluthinbloomz4
    12 years ago

    Advance to the home forum at your peril. An ersatz French Baronial needs more than window boxes to turn it into a cozy cottage. And despite the consensus, you don't need to tack on any more gables because the roof line probably already looks like the front range of the Rockies.

    A couple of trellises leaning around with the ever foolproof clematis would be worth looking into. Be wary of the big boxes, no matter what the tag says, you'll come home with a C. Jackmanii.

    PS - I thought only Anne Geddes went for the giant kale... stuff in a baby, snap a few pictures and make a bazillion bucks. Shudders! (Ha ha - that's what some call shutters.)

  • natal
    12 years ago

    Slow day on hot topics?

  • laag
    12 years ago

    I'm a DIYer and I have saved a ton of money, because I like the sense of accomplishment rather than being cheap, by starting my Giant Brussell Sprouts myself using canned sprouts. I take three toothpicks and poke them into the side evenly spaced so that they each sit propped up over a shot glass. Simply fill the glass with water and the next thing you know your sprout will be sprouting.

  • anitamo
    12 years ago

    I am cracking up over here...so comical!!!

    Ink must have started this post in response to "Smith with an acre by half an acre."

  • feijoas
    12 years ago

    I suggest planting a gazing ball, a bridge to nowhere and a pink tricycle around your letterbox.
    They are no-maintainence (as long as they're plastic) and their year-round display will really impress your neighbours.

  • AncientDragonfly
    12 years ago

    Don't forget the gnomes and fairies. They will add color during the winter. If you're artistically inclined, you can take an old tire and cut one sidewall into triangles, flip it inside out and paint it a bright color, and VIOLA, you have a planter.

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    12 years ago

    LOL!! This thread should come with a warning....don't drink while reading! My last mouthful of morning coffee just wound up spewed across my keyboard :-)

    Ink, you getting a little frustrated at the lack of understanding of the purpose of the forum and often extremely vague nature of the requests for assistance? It's kinda that time of year :-)

    Personally, I really like the contrast of the deep green of the giant broccoli with the pink house. And for maximum curb appeal, I'd suggest using a contrasting dyed mulch to set them both off. And don't forget the mailbox planting!

  • inkognito
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I am beginning to get a mental picture from so many mental suggestions although I am wondering where I should put the big box duluth mentions.

  • duluthinbloomz4
    12 years ago

    Big box is temporary (can be left to molder in the elements or flattened for the next recycling day) - shows where sun casts a shadow for someone whose slate is so blank there is no other point of reference.

    Thanks for the tip on sprouting canned Br.sprouts - but will they be compatible with evergreen rock? Can I eventually remove the toothpicks without causing any damage? The tire planter sounds good; lots available by country roadsides - how do I pry off the rims?

  • lpinkmountain
    12 years ago

    Sorry the world is not all filled up with geniuses like you. What a snarkfest. This is not a fun place to hang out. Gbye.

  • botann
    12 years ago

    Don't forget the pink flamingos.
    I had a couple. My watchdogs, Rollex and Seiko, just loved them, and did their best to protect them from predators. Despite their best efforts Tongue and Cheek disappeared.
    May they rest in Peace.
    Mike

  • laag
    12 years ago

    There is nothing wrong with a little fun, especially since most of these folks have donated a lot of time and effort to help people over a very long time and will continue to do so in the future.

  • karinl
    12 years ago

    Pink Mountain, you've had a rest from the forum; some of the rest of us haven't, and it does get wearing after a time. Check out some of the threads from the time you've been away, and you might see why people are frustrated.

    The Design China person was responding first to almost every post with surreal images of giant broccoli and conveniently altered topography, and there has been an influx of people, perhaps with a Home Dec attitude, whose answer to every landscaping dilemma is window boxes and shutters, and also both OPs and responders who cannot see landscaping as extending beyond standard foundation planting. The humour may be a little ponderous (sorry guys, nice try!) but sometimes it's gotta be that or we all just quit and leave.

    We only get very rare OPs who engage with new ideas and who we get to see launch into their own learning processes. Those are a delight, and are what we all stick around for. But we have to blow off a little steam.

    It is nice to see you back.

    KarinL

  • inkognito
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Ponderous? Karin, ponderous? I always liked the theme music but I found the acting a bit dull and left me searching for a bonanza.

  • drtygrl
    12 years ago

    I think we are ridiculously funny.
    I guess you had to be there.

    While some of us are heavier than others, its nothing a little landscape exercise cant ameliorate.

  • karinl
    12 years ago

    There are some pretty good zingers. I should talk, I couldn't come up with anything! When exercising humour and landscape exercising I inevitably seem to land on my butt :-)

    KarinL

  • widdringtonia
    12 years ago

    As a completely untrained and inexperienced gardener, I think this thread is hysterical. Even if I've probably committed all of the above disasters. Except the giant broccoli. In my area they attract giant slugs. And I have cats. It's well known that giant slugs will just plough over any unwary cat foolish enough to get in its path. They're sort of like the hippopotamus of the suburban garden.

  • duluthinbloomz4
    12 years ago

    You've touched on it, widdrington. Admitted or not, we've all done something (maybe still do) to our yards that would make others cringe. Maybe even recoil in horror.

    Been a long hard winter here; last of the snow fell around May 5th. I've got to get outside and change out the clothing on the little flock of geese; maybe move them around a little to create the illusion of realism. LOL

  • nandina
    12 years ago

    Ink, I fear that your important, original question has been lost along the way. Of course you must install some plantings in your yard. Hopefully the following will provide some guidance.

    First decision - which plant nursery to visit? Maybe the big one on the other side of the city that takes you by the Aston-Martin dealer. That red beauty that's been sitting on the lot... On the other hand the Bently dealer is just a mile beyond The Brown Thumb Nursery...Decisions. Decisions.

    Pressing on. What to purchase? Tall plants? Short plants? How to combine colors? Garden shapes? Bags of fertilizer to haul? What color to paint the shutters everyone is urging you to install? Probably an anemic broccoli green color to complement your chosen color palate - which is?

    A few words of warning, Ink, as you make decisions. Lurking in plant nurseries are many hidden dangers. Elves of all types hide behind foliage whispering, "Take me home". And pesky garden faeries dart about with mischief in their hearts intent on distracting you.

    Once you have planted a few choice plants then you will realize that a pond would be nice and a stone wall and a wide curving pathway. The best place to look for a suitable stone dealer and stone mason is near the Moped store. Better stop there, too.

  • tanowicki
    12 years ago

    And don't forget your colored mulch. Sadly, the color choices are limited.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Link snagged from earlier discussion.

  • sunnyca_gw
    12 years ago

    I think a rusted out car with some marigolds planted where the engine should be should complete the pic. Laag probably won't get the sprouts to you tho, they tend to get nasty bacteria when they sit around in a warm place for few days! I love the questions, I want a hedge,cheap, no maintenance,etc. Right! Get plastic & replace every 2 yrs.OOPs they aren't cheap!

  • laag
    12 years ago

    Huh! It has to work. My cousin's sister's uncle read it on the internet and nothing you say is going to change my mind - opinions wanted.

  • drtygrl
    12 years ago

    Brussell sprouts from a can always grow roots to become giant broccoli - who doesn't know that.
    Tan - thanks for the spray paint idea, I think I am going to do bright purple mulch this year because it will go better with the flowers. It would be way to much work to remove the mulch that didnt decompose - because I think I might have put a little too much on last year. Instead I will just spray paint it - btw - I didnt have any weeds last year. Not too many plants but almost no weeds. I am thinking of renting a jackhammer to go through the mulch to plant some more knock out roses and then spray painting the whole thing purple.

  • duluthinbloomz4
    12 years ago

    I like the rusted car idea - especially if you want the neighbors to think you're a multi-car family. Get a spray can of Krylon for the worst spots.

    Truth be told, I think the OP should come back and tell us more about his property, zone, exposure, soil type, his likes and dislikes, and whether or not he did a search of the internet using the keyword plants - at this juncture, there's no way to tell if a bag of bulbs from Lowes grows better than a bag from a mail order catalog.

  • inkognito
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Don't you 'professionals' do the design I gave you loads of details even calling my yard a space for you intellectuals to get your head around. This forum is called Landscape Design so design why doncha and stop whining. I did buy some tulips from a catalogue for your information but they sent me a bag of onion things, isn't there anybody willing to help a noob?

  • karinl
    12 years ago

    I think it is nice for a garden to attract wildlife. With careful planting selections you can attract rabbits, deer, bears, and even skunks.

    KarinL

  • timbu
    12 years ago

    Easy for you guys to be smart, your gardens are more finished than mine... but do add this thread to the FAQ section.

  • duluthinbloomz4
    12 years ago

    That's some attitude, mister! But sometimes a noob gets cut some slack. Just forget about those onions in the garage for a year or two, then come back and ask if they're still okay.

    First step already accomplished...you've discovered the true purpose of the internet which is simply asking gets someone to do all the work for you.

    Keep checking back and someone named Spam will post with a blog complete with diagrams and plant lists. The water features are always special, but resist the temptation to add a replica of the Manneken Pis - this little fellow is not a cherub and might be disturbing to other garden fairies.

    For the front of your house, the plan is basic: arborvitae, yew, mugo, yew, arborvitae, entryway/steps, arborvitae, yew, mugo, yew, arborvitae. The specimens are small, they'll fit just fine. Work out from there in layered plantings of "pereneals" and "annuls" to insure an entire season of riotous blooming. (See past threads on layering)

  • missingtheobvious
    12 years ago

    The original Manneken Pis in Brussels -- like duluth's flock of geese -- has a considerable collection of costumes.

    Can anyone post photos of the costumes they have for their own Manneken Pis, garden gnomes, flamingos, or other statuary? Anyone belong to a garden club that awards a prize for the best-dressed garden character?

  • bonsai_audge
    12 years ago

    The one answer to rule all answers - "It depends."

    - Audric

  • duluthinbloomz4
    12 years ago

    "Depends" could be a costume for the Mannekin Pis, Audric.

  • bonsai_audge
    12 years ago

    Hmm... I thought that Pampers would have been most appropriate in that situation.

  • inkognito
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    See this is another example of over thinking and obfuscating (my word of the day): boy needs to pee... boy sees water..boy adds to it, and in a constant stream too. What a simple solution Form Follows Function? fffing right and not bad for the planet either.

  • wellspring
    12 years ago

    Classic.
    By the way, Tony, did you remember winter interest? Or will that be handled with frozen broccoli and sprout forms?
    C

  • duluthinbloomz4
    12 years ago

    Winter interest is going out in the garage looking for a hammer to crack open some filberts and finding the bag of onion things.

    Should I carefully peel off the brown tissue layer down to the naked bulb? Should I ignore the shrivelled sprout tip; should I get out the ice fishing auger and drill some holes in my garden? Is just above the permafrost layer deep enough?

  • drtygrl
    12 years ago

    Kind of off topic - but i am sure no one will mind, since there is really no topic here anyway.

    I have had success planting bulbs after there is frost in the ground. Daffodils especially seem to do okay. Probably worth the try if its not too cold out!