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How does she do it?

Category: Garden | Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 6:56 am

Went to see a friend yesterday. She's found out that she wants to grow palm trees and cacti outdoors. In Norway. It gets cold here! I was awestruck by her new setup:

Everything is looking so good in that garden:

Her Acers are prettier than many other people's flowers. Well, maybe not, but lovely anyway:

I thought that blue Rhododendron was gorgeus, but of course that one was just for starters:

She's got some really lovely orchids too:

And a tree peony, P. lutea:

The foliage colours are astounding. I've never seen a dark Heuchera with pink spots before:

The darkest Ligularia leaves I've ever seen:

She's got ferns:

Her fish are happy in the pond:

The woman's a true inspiration, with all the unusual varieties combined with the more common plants. Her use of grass and ferns in between everywhere gives her borders an airy quality. I asked her how many different hostas she had growing. She had counted about 100 in autumn, but was afraid she'd lost some over winter. More about those later.

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Sjoerd wrote on Sat Jun 07, 2008 7:51 am:

Well Droopy--those rhodos really WERE special alright.
The Heuchera with poink spots may be commom someplaces, but I've never seen them either around here.
Those ground orchids lookewd pretty fancy there--are they the ones that bloom every 14 or 17 years or something?

Isn't her array of Acers lovely? I can't get them to grow well in my garden. Too unprotected from the freezing, I suppose. I have neever seen one that I didn't likee. They are becomming more and more popular.

The palm garden: oddly enough I saw something on creating dry gardens in england on the Gardners' World tv program last night. They look quite interesting with a variety of interesting plants that one can plant. I will be very interested to see how the palm 'n cactus trial works. Good I hope. She is so accomplished that if anyone can do it, SHE will be the one.
Thanks so much for showing these piccies. Her work there truly IS inspiring.

Droopy wrote on Sat Jun 07, 2008 8:02 am:

Thanks Sjoerd. No, those orchids bloom every year. That dark one's on my wish list but it's hard to come by. Actually all those dark-leaved beauties are on my wish list too, along with lots of other stuff. *lol*

Sjoerd wrote on Sat Jun 07, 2008 9:08 am:

heh heh heh... a good wish to give a fellow gardner is to wish them that their wish list will be an unending one, don't you think?
BTW...How DOES she do it?!? That mum of yours is an amazing gardner.

Droopy wrote on Sat Jun 07, 2008 9:17 am:

Thanks Sjoerd, but this is not my mother's garden. It's our good friend further to the west's garden. :D She's one of the worst garden nut cases I've ever met! In a nice way, mind...

eileen wrote on Sat Jun 07, 2008 9:49 am:

I want to be a garden nut case just like your friend!!! How does she manaage to grow so many different types of plants, that I consider tender, in her garden?!!! Surely those orchids aren't growing outdoors too? Oh Droopy she has an absolutely fabulous garden. Acers are a favourite of mine and hers are real beauties. There doesn't even seem to be any damage by slugs, snails etc. OMG I'm soooooo jealous!!!

Droopy wrote on Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:47 am:

You and me both eileen. :D She's got some slug damage on the hostas, but the worst pests are the roe deer. They've chewed on quite a few of her bushes and trees. Her place is so lush, though, so a nibble here and there doesn't really show well. The orchids are hardy types, and stays outside all year. And yes, she's an amazing gardener.

Sjoerd wrote on Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:53 pm:

Doh!!!... I knew that. What's wrong with me. Tch!

toni wrote on Sat Jun 07, 2008 2:34 pm:

What a beautiful adventure it is to wander thru your friend's garden.

glendann wrote on Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:45 pm:

That garden looks like a little bit of heaven to me.Just to visit it and wonder through it would be a dream vacation.Thanks for the wonderful tour Droopy.

Droopy wrote on Sat Jun 07, 2008 5:12 pm:

Thanks both, I'll tell her how much you like the garden. She's the only one in her village with a passion for gardening, so every time we visit she fairly dances about. I know how she feels. To want to share a triumph and have no-one to share it with that can appreciate it is just so sad.