FLOWERS AND FOOD: EASY Perennial Gardens for the Suburban Homesteader

 So you love flowers but you also want to grow some veggies too! No problem. Gone are the days when one would separate growing space for vegetables, herbs and flowers. These days suburban homesteaders are tucking in fruits and vegetables amongst the flowers to make the most out of their growing space and season. This makes good sense because sun loving flowers and some of our most common vegetables ( and some fruits)  have similar growing requirements. Good draining soil enriched with compost or organic materials, at least 6 hours of sunlight and room to grow! 

 

What you don't see in the above photo is my zucchini, rhubarb, cucumbers and blueberry shrubs, but  they're right at home they're tucked into the flowers. Did you know that this is National Blueberry Month?  Blueberries are ripe for the pickin' here in New England from Maine all the way down to south coast. Blueberries are one of my very favorite summer fruits.Who doesn't love blueberries? If you don't please leave me a note. We need to talk! Seriously.  I love them sprinkled on top of yogurt, oatmeal, in smoothies, pies, and crisps and of course  muffins and pancakes! As you can tell, I love them mostly for how they taste in just about everything. Did I mention Blueberry Jam swathed on top of a crisp piece of sour dough toast? I'll be back in a minute... I'm hungry!

THAT'S BETTER!

  When I saw that our local Home Depot had Blueberry Bushes for sale this year I bought three of them and put them in an unfinished section of my largest perennial garden knowing I would be completing this week which I did at dusk last night! Oh, was I ever a site what with the sweat, dirt and black mulch stuck to my body and in my hair but anyway... I was in FARMGIRL heaven!

Right about mid photo where the roses in the green tubs are is where the unfinished part of the garden started. Can you see the three little blueberry bushes right below them? I placed them at the back of the border. They will get between 4 and 6 feet high eventually.  If you look down the center of the photo you'll see that there is a color pattern ( albeit a loose one) that I aimed to repeat in the new section.  Because the lower section of the garden is narrower than the top half I planted shrubs and flowers that will be about the same height through out the entire garden.

 

I added more Double Red Knock Out roses and Cat Mint ( Walkers Low ) but I used different plants in the new section for splashes of yellow, pink and orange. In the top photo I planted Yarrow, Black Eyed Susan,  Pink and Orange Cone Flower for splashes of bright sunny colors in mid to late summer. All sun loving herbs and perennials that come back every year!

To continue with the pinks I also planted some Phlox. 

Happy Returns Daylily

And Daylilies for more yellow... This variety has a soft yellow flower that smells very much like a gardenia and it also a variety that re-blooms if you pinch off the old flower head. I like that! 

Catmint (  Nepeta ,Walkers Low ) will bloom all summer and if you cut  the dead stems it will bloom again into the fall.

 I topped off the finished design with 3 inches of Cape Cod Black Mulch. Planting in mid-summer can be stressful on new plants that need to be watered more regularly. The mulch will help keep those tender roots moist and I just love the way the colors pop against that dark background!

Well, if you made it to the bottom of this post, THANK YOU for reading. Your reward for making it through are a few garden tips from little ole' me.

 Some gardeners doubt themselves when choosing plants and worry too much about companion planting, color combinations, what goes with what etc. I say phooey to all that!

• Plant what you love! I truly believe your plants know it when you love them and will perform better for you.
• If you fall in love with a plant at the nursery, study the labels for plant requirements before you get to the cash register.
• Key things to look for: Soil and sun/shade requirements and size at maturity. If you are still unsure ask for help. I've been known to ask other shoppers if they know something about a particular plant I am coveting! Just yesterday a woman saved me from buying Cleome which is a major re-seeder that I didn't want in my garden scheme. Not the one I just finished anyway!

My final tip is this:

Have fun! 

It's YOUR GARDEN and the only person it has to please and fortify is YOU! 

Love and happy gardening!

Deb ( who needs to go take some Aleve now )

Garden Vistas

Things are really heating up at Dandelion House Garden! Nearly everything is blooming! 

The Garden is different every year. What I imagine it will look like and how things really turn out usually falls somewhere between the Garden I envisioned in my garden daydreams and the one that actually comes to be... This year, however, I have been completely enchanted as every flower comes into bloom. 

( Endless Summer Hydrangea )

 I've shared many individual blossoms with you in past posts but dear reader Rhonda of Christmas Notebook Blog left me a comment last week that inspired me to try to capture more wide open shots of my gardens for you! * Be sure to visit Rhonda, she has some beautiful bloomers over at her place!

Rhonda said: Thanks for posting the larger picture of the entire bed with the monarda, etc. So often, garden blogs post pics of individual blossoms (which are beautiful!), but I so enjoy seeing the whole picture. It gives me more inspiration that single flower shots do. 

Thanks for the positive feedback Rhonda!  It has me looking at my Gardens with wider ( new ) eyes!

Today I'm sharing Garden Vistas!  

In this garden I've planted, Bee Balm, ( Jacobs' Climb ) which grows up to 5' tall and is mildew resistant.  It is definitely the jewel of this border and one of my favorite blooms. It attracts hummingbirds and butterflies too. Would you believe a man at  the nursery where I purchased it actually said, " I never plant anything red in my garden" .In my excitement over the red jewel I was tempted to say, " Well, you don't know what you're missing "! Yarrow, Russian Sage, Lavender, " Helecote and Munstead " Catmint, Black-Eyed Susan, (Goldstrom and Prairie Sun ) Goldstrom does not self seed but Prairie Sun does.Ornamental Grass ( Miscanthus " Morning Light " ), Oak Leaf Hydrangea, Autumn Sedum Joy, Butterfly Bush, Coneflower " Ruby Star and Sundown",  Clover Root, Gay Feather, Verbena, Shasta Daisy, and Rhubarb fill the rest of the border with a riot of color and texture. 

 I had to sneak in some Rhubarb into my garden and this post! 

 I won't be able to harvest it this year but it is plentiful in the produce section at the supermarket and hopefully at our local farmers market too. I'll share a recipe for my homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Pie soon!

I call this my Summer Garden because it's located in the largest sunny patch of the yard. Many of the plants are bird and butterfly favorites! 

 Our shed and the Little Red Hen House. Pretty girl Chestnut had to be in the photo too!

This Garden is nestled below a tall divider of natural woods. 

 The tall green plant you see behind the Red Bee Balm is Helianthus annuus " Lemon Queen " .This beauty
belongs to the Sunflower family. It blooms late summer to early fall and grows 6-8 feet tall.

It's not perfect. But it's mine!  I've got weeds, and gaps that need more color, height and texture. It's my place to play, experiment and enjoy. At it's widest point it is 20 feet and gradually narrows to about 8 feet at the opposite end. It is roughly 80 feet long. 

Here you can see how I have tucked in a small place for veggies at the tip of  the planting area. At the moment, the jury's out on my veggie garden. It was a cool, wet spring and the veggies seem to be growing in slow motion this year. 

Garden tip for a large perennial border from Deborah Jean ~ 


* One of the most basic rules is to repeat- repeat- repeat- color, texture and pattern in your garden. This does work, but don't be afraid to plant more than one color in the same flower family. This will make your border look " less planned " and you will get to enjoy more of your favorites this way. Add taller plants to your border. They add drama even after the blossoms fade. Some rules are made to be broken, especially in the Garden. 


I hope this gardening season has been good to you and you are finding peace in your gardening days.

I'm linking up to Homestead Barn Hop # 19, ,Missgreen "thumb" jean Bloomin' Tuesday and Tootsie's Fertilizer Friday!