A Rose covered Cottage and native plants for your garden

The small shop and arbor were literally covered in fragrant rambling roses last month. Now, the wild white roses have fallen, but the small pink ramblers are beginning  to engulf the cedar arbor.

 There are 5 different varieties of climbing roses in this section, and all but 2  were gathered from the woods and hedgerows.

If you have native wild roses in your area, see if you can dig up a few roots and plant them in your garden, near a fence or close to a building. I planted these from tiny 5 inch roots, forgot about them, and was amazed to see the vast display this year!

It is often the plants you see by the roadside, or the "Common" so-called weeds that grow abundantly in your area, that are too often overlooked as a welcome addition to your cottage garden. 

Orange Field lilies grow in our meadow with abandon. There are SO many that I could open a lily farm ( if anyone wanted orange lilies) . If ever you come to visit me, I will be sure to send you home with a pail-full!

 James mows around them creating islands of field lilies... it almost looks like a  wild park.

 I move dozens of these to my gardens, as well.

 Orange is not my favorite color, but these happy, native plants are still a staple in many of my gardens . They are TALL, spread underground and multiply, and fill in spaces where nothing else seems to grow. They can grow so thickly that you could make a hedge with Field Lilies, if you wish. Perhaps  these grow in your area, if so, make use of them.

 Another common native is the Violet. Violets are wonderful for under-planting in ANY garden. They are fabulous short border plants and bloom twice a year.

Two more wonderful native plants in our area are the Ox-eye daisy and the black eyed Susan (not yet blooming), growing along steps with violets.

 Are they weeds? I think not!

   Now, just because you are plopping many of the same plants into your garden, that doesn't mean your gardens will all look alike, INDEED NOT! It all depends on what other flowers you combine with your natives.

  Here are oxeye daisys planted in my slope garden with bright yellow Evening Primrose, and pale yellow snapdragon. 

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And in another garden they mix with Queen Anne's lace, (another native plant plucked from our woodlands)  a purple butterfly bush and a rose.

 Here, in yet another garden, are more ox-eye daisies happily existing with Lambs ear and hot-pink colored roses.

and again, in another area, with the field lilies.

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There are many other native, wild plants you  can easily find; Joe Pye,  Ironweed, Angels bower Clematis, Dames Rocket, Buttercup and red clover. All grow freely here in the Southeast. You may have different natives in your area. Not only are these plants free, but they seed wonderfully creating even more babies and more garden choices.Take a drive along a country road, or ask a farmer if you can dig up a few of his "Weeds", if you don't have your own. Find your natives and invite them into your cottage garden.

 PEAHEN Disappearance.

I was quite distraught when both of my peahens disappeared within 2 weeks of one another. Usually, when they decide to sit on a nest, they stay within our parameters of the fence, but I could not find them anywhere.

 And then, Hettie Pepper (pealady #1) suddenly reappeared,behaving strangely. She waltzed  around the yard, honking and hooting, flew onto the roof and from there, over the fence and onto the drive. She jumped upon the remnants of an ancient fallen tree trunk, and disappeared.

 And here she is: In the hollowed out cradle of the trunk.

 Snug as bug in a rug...sitting on 2 eggs.

It's a  safe,cozy haven for a nest, what a clever girl!