Hopalong Hollow....

Hopalong Hollow, where the Blueberries grow sweet, and the moss feels soft beneath your feet.

Saturday, June 4, 2016

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!

34 comments:

  1. Those field lilies, my late father in law always called them "ditch lilies ". Because around home everyone planted them by their driveway or mailboxes. Thanks for the memory.

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    1. A very common sight, here in the countryside of E. Tn., is Iris growing next to mailboxes... and they are nearly always purple. It must be a Southern thing.

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  2. Love your rose and arbor covered in roses and all of your 'natives'.

    How sweet about the peahens reappearing and showing you where her nest is.

    Have a wonderful week dear Jeri ~ FlowerLady

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    1. Lorraine, You are a lady that knows a thing or two about roses! Yes, I was so relieved that Hettie showed me her nest, hope those eggs hatch.

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  3. Heaven on Earth!! Congrats to Hettie- keep us posted on her perfect hideaway

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    1. Lurena, She has about 2 weeks to go until those eggs hatch.... if we're lucky.

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  4. Those orange lilies also grow in roadside ditches here, too. Beautiful cottage gardens, Jeri! -Jenn

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    1. Jenn, Wow, those field lilies are in Canada as well?! They certainly get around.

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  5. Glad you found her. I've planted wild roses and violets, but in the wrong places. Remember not to plant in places where you don't want them as them become invasive and you can't get them all out. Your fields and plantings look gorgeous and roses. Love them.

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    1. Donna, Glad Hettie is safe, but I still haven't seen her sister. I'm afraid she nested in the woods and that is dangerous around here. True, true about many species being invasive, the worst is Creeping Charlie. I've tried to make friends with it, but, I swear, it never stops growing.

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  6. More and more I'm thinking that native species (while often not as big or luxurious as cultivated plants) are the way to go. They generally reseed readily and come back true, need very little, if any, coddling and in large drifts look just beautiful. The ones that I worry about are the ones with underground rhizomes which become so thickly entwined that pulling out or digging out unwanted ones become difficult if not impossible.

    Queen Anne's Lace is one that I will probably be adding. I have a largish bed with Joe Pyeweed, Ironweed, and Butterfly weed as well as Shasta Dailies, Coneflower, Bee Balm and Iris. Queen Anne's Lace would work well with all of those and make a pretty filler.

    Keep us informed about Hettie's two eggs. Smart Lady Peahen---finding such a perfect spot for her nest----she was definitely thinking.

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    1. Vic,I can imagine that native garden of yours! I've had good luck transplanting Joe Pye and Ironweed to a boggy area. I am mixing in Siberian Iris and Queen Anne.The worst rhizomes I ever encountered were the Buttercups, they really travel and now I keep them down to a minimum, thinning them out before they can overwhelm everyone else.

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  7. I love your garden posts! Always so lovely. And I love hearing the tales of your menagerie. Aren't Ox-eye Daisies wonderful! Mine just showed up and when they start to fade I just pull the whole plant up, if it's in the walkway, knowing it will come again next year. Are your field lilies the same thing as day lilies? I think I have a cluster--the leaves look the same--but they've never bloomed. They are in a semi-shady area along the old driveway to the property at the bottom of a sloping rocky area. It would be such a lovely garden if they'd bloom.

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    1. Cathy, After my oxeye flower, I cut them way down to about 3" and they fill out and bloom again later in the summer. Yes, Field lilies ARE daylilies, witha one day bloom and then another and another. They will usually bloom in the shade, thought not as lustily as they do in full sun.

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  8. Oh Jeri, I feel as if I've been wandering around in a fairy tale book, my steps as page turners, each moment a punctuation in the story. Reading your wonderful narrative, seeing you fabulous gardens comes at just the right time as Ruben and I just came home from an enchanting walk not far from our neighborhood in the Como Park neighborhood. Not only did we see wonderful European cottages with wild to formal gardens, but we were swept away by the PEONY love everywhere, the WILD TURKEYS in people's yards, and get this, THE POETRY printed into the cement on the sidewalks!

    Like you, orange is not my favorite color in the garden. HOWEVER. The poppies this year and the day lilies so prolific here in Minnesota are breathtaking. Woman, your garden is spectacular, our lives so different in style, but we both love our earth and animals and leave a poem imprinted on our journey. LOVE YA!

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    1. Anita, That neighborhood sounds dreamy, I would love to stroll through such a place. I really don't like HOT colored flowers, with red Poppies being the exception. I just don't have any luck with them,so far, at least from seed. Next year, I am planting red poppies from roots,maybe I'll succeed that way. Red Poppies and Blue cornflowers, thats what I want to see!

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  9. Jeri, even without a garden, I thoroughly enjoyed all your advice in this informative post.

    That photo of Hettie the sly little hen has made me smile. Hoping her sister has found a safe hideaway, and that you'll soon have some peahen chicks enjoying discoveries in your garden.

    I thoroughly enjoyed my virtual visit! xo

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    1. Frances, You don't need a garden, you have Central Park!
      I am crossing my fingers for pea-chicks, last year none of the eggs hatched. So far, no sight of Peahen #2.

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  10. Hettie is one smart expectant lady. I do hope you see her sister soon. Your gardens are lovely, Jeri. The roses remind me of roses we saw crawling over the cottages in England. Just beautiful! Our day lilies are just beginning to bloom. All flowers make me smile and natives are included. ♥

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    1. Martha, I can understand why these Rambling Roses would be covering the cottages in England, pure charm. And the scent is out of this world!

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  11. Your garden is beautiful! And what you have planted will return year after year to delight you, your family, and guests. It is so pretty!

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    1. Jean, Thank you! I plant mostly perennials for that very reason. Only a few annuals here and there for consistent bloom.

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  12. Dear Jeri I always am so delighted to see your garden. What an enchanting rose covered cottage. I like you have used the common orange daylight to fill in my flower beds. They seem to do much better than some of the other plants in our woods. The old fashioned cottage garden is certainly my kind of gardening. Yes Bettie Pepper is looking quite content as she tends to her eggs. Summer is sure looking good at your home. Hugs!

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    1. Deborah, I love cottage gardening because it so forgiving and carefree. We don't need stress in the garden! I cannot leave a message on your blog, because it always has this message: "Deborah has not shared anything with you yet" See if you can change your settings to" SHARE PUBLICLY",

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  13. Congratulations to Hettie Pepper! I pray the chicks hatch and have a fun time in your garden. The log nest is a drawing in waiting. Beautiful post and garden!
    My success with the wild white roses with the most delicate and beautiful scent hasn't been great because the masses of thorns make it difficult to trim. My all time favorite climbing old fashion roses is the Fairy Pink cushion rose. You can sometimes find then where old houses use to be and along old fences. Wild flowers...white yarrow is neat to dry, dye, and use for making wreaths.

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    1. May... I think my pink ones must be the Fairy Pink, you mention. I dug it out of a ditch along the mailbox and planted it under the arbor about 3 yrs ago. Oh yes, that white yarrow is great and appears out of nowhere. I have some growing in a frontyard garden, haven't a clue where it came from!

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  14. What a charming and magical place. It is surrounded by beauty and charm.. I love climbing roses and this year our blooms have been plenty.

    Blessings,

    Janet
    rosemary-thyme.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks Janet, You can never have too many roses!

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  15. Jeri and James, we love the new website. While those eautiful flowerswersgrowing there was a lot of work going on outside the garden. Sure hope the other peahen returns, hugs, Deborah and Mark

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    1. Hey you two! It looks pretty good, I agree.Still needs some tweaking, most of the fiber animals are not even on there yet. BUT, it has already paid off, as we sold a nice rabbit the first day we added Paypal.

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  16. I am in heaven looking at your rambling roses! Oh Jeri, they are just beautiful.. My favorite colors in the garden have always been pink lavender, blue and white. All of what I see here... One I have yet to attempt is Queen Ann's lace... I have always wanted to grow a few, but think it may be too hot here.. It is already in the 100's and this is just June.. Even though lavender love the sun, my poor lavender is looking pretty sad. You have such a beautiful variety in your garden..Just lovely.
    Pealady #1 looks very content. And two eggs! Oh happy day.

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    1. Penny, I agree with your color preferences; I generally choose cool colored blooms: blues, purples, pale pinks, etc. but it seems most of what is blooming now are yellows and orange. The Queen Annes lace does wilt a bit in the hot sun, but does well in the shade.

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    2. Do you think the Queen Annes lace would make it in extreme heat if I could find a bit of shade? I am talking 100 and above.. I think this summer is going to be very hot.
      Thank you for your kind words for Clara.

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  17. Lovely! and so glad the hens are safe and nesting!
    Stacey
    www.downtoearthdigs.com

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