I love your picture of your garden....I garden for nature too and I am sure some of our neighbors think the same thing of mine. I garden for myself, what I like, not to please other people because I know everyone has different taste. I don't use chemicals and all of our neighbors do ...don't let it bother you...garden for yourself!
I don't get this new forum Frank has here as I post things like before that you responded to and now I get nothing. I think I,m blocked Your garden is lovely and enjoy your messages ed
Ed, I'm glad you like our garden. With all the rain we've been having I haven't been able to get in to dead-head the roses, so they look a bit shabby right now. Good news--it did not rain yesterday! Now if we can just get a week of warm and breezy weather, things will start to look up!
Love everyone's pics here! I totally agree mg and all, more jungle gardens!!! They sure do help with the bee and Monarch populations that are struggling right now. We're working on adding lots of flowers to our gardens and fields here, too! Well done Stewbies!!!
Well, I like the looks of it. Manicured gardens are not my cup of tea, but I can appreciate all the work and planning that go into them. I can even appreciate the end result, it just isn't my way of gardening. I am sure that folks may think the same about my flower garden. Good grief, Mart. What a shame to read that account. It is a pity that he has such a dim view of plants and gardens. Ach--each to his own, I suppose...but I do find it a shame. Perhaps he will change as he becomes older.
I like to think of my yard as a "tame" jungle. I like having the beds defined with borders. But what goes inside them is random... I love combining all sorts of stuff in no particular order. Just put stuff wherever there's room. I can't wait until all of the beds are full to the brim! And I do like having a "lawn". Don't get me wrong, I don't fuss over it, just mow it... I think the contrast helps the beds look better. And I agree about planting for the wildlife. I tend to pick up stuff for the hummingbirds and butterflies. And the shrubs out front make a great hiding spot for the rabbits. So in other words, Jane.... congrats on your jungle!! It looks great!
Most of my neighbors have yards that look like they think like your neighbor. However, my city, Tallahassee promotes NATIVE PLANTS, WILDFLOWER MEADOWS, and RAIN GARDENS! I got a grant through their TAPP program to plant a rain garden fed by my eaves and gutters. http://www.tappwater.org/ Here's my Youtube playlist about it: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJe4yi0fqT115H2DJy7b-CbOcljXzrJDR I think lots of our lawn order neighbors just need to see more and more examples of natural beauty to replace the artificial template vision they currently have. I am replacing my entire front lawn (came with the house) first with a heavy layer of mulch among the big loblolly pines. Then over time in go whatever understory native plants suitable for partial shade that I can afford.
Your garden is beautiful. At the moment mine looks like a jungle because my mower has been down for over a month! Mine is nowhere near a formal garden to begin with, but I do love a nice crew cut on my lawn. Besides, it helps to keep the SNAKES down, and the ticks and the fire danger since we live in a heavily wooded area. I hope you do not live in an area with a dumb home owner's association or some other zoning nonsense so your neighbor cannot make trouble for you. Otherwise, you can just ignore her comments. Or get a Tarzan and Jane outfit for gardening in? I have a neighbor whose garden is a bit plain, but she does have a butterfly bush or two, and some berries on a fence, and a few flowering shrubs and trees. Maybe she does not have time to enjoy hers as much as I try to on mine.
AAnightowl, we are in an "unincorporated" area, which means no zoning, no code, and do what you wish! Our little farm was a disaster when we bought it, but over the years the invasive plants have been removed, natives and adapted plants put in, gardens established, and wildlife has moved back. We keep our lawn mowed for the same reasons as you do, and we also have a 20' fire break between the house and lawn and the pasture. Grass fires are a constant danger during the summer months. I like the Tarzan and Jane outfits idea, but I'm afraid I'd end up explaining that to the local mental health authorities!
