After yesterdays post, some of you asked to see large shots of my garden, and where all my plants are blooming. After my wonderful visit with Marilyn yesterday...I came home to a freshly mowed lawn. The Hunter had cut the grass, trimmed the hedges, edged, and was in the process of power washing the back porch and cleaning out the shed. God Bless him!!! I tend to get a bit nervous when he cuts the grass...he does do it better than me, but I don't want him cutting the grass so that the mower flings the grass into the flower beds. I cut away from the beds, but he did too. He did an excellent job edging every bed for me. This made me VERY happy, and he even cooked dinner. While he did all of this, I perused around the garden to get some pics. 
Little fella taking a rest on the hibiscus leaf
This is a new bloom on the hibiscus. They only bloom for one day and then fall off. The bush is loaded with blooms.
Here is a larger shot of it
Althea, it is also loaded with buds.
Gladiolas....isn't that shade just beautiful!
This is my favorite so far
And my prized beauty...the Dinner Plate Dahlia...she is opening up more and more everyday. I KNOW ya'll are probably getting tired of seeing shots of her everyday....OH WELL!!!! I like to see her unfurl! 
Here we are in the back yard...look at that grass, The Hunter did an excellent job!!! This bed (on the right) I just created in late September. The one of the left is a bit older....and raggedy!
Oh...where to start with this one....ugh!!! This bed needs help, I am VERY well aware of that. Yesterday Marilyn gave me impatiens and begonias, I am going to use the impatiens as a border and plant the begonias. Currently in this bed I have a Jacobean plant, Four O'clock, hostas (very tiny ones), Tibouchina and a hydrangea that you cannot see thanks to the Four O'clock. Major work needed here! I will work on this bed Saturday and then show you some photos. The old car tags came off cars from both of my grandpa's, and the hub cap....I like old weird stuff!
Here is a shot looking back the other way. That whole area on the fence to the left....that is another raggedy zone! I have lots of raggedy zones! LOL! ONE DAY I am going to rip those hideous shrubby trash trees down and make a raised bed (the area I am referring to is directly behind the little green cart). I can't plant anything here because the ground is like concrete, so I want to raise it and make it nice and neat. Those shrubs must go!
This is actually 2 beds. The bed on the left is raggedy as well.....do we see a trend here! Let's just say that shade areas are not my strong point! This is the bed where the circus piece resides...man I love that thing. If you don't know about my circus piece click here:
Little fella taking a rest on the hibiscus leaf
This is a new bloom on the hibiscus. They only bloom for one day and then fall off. The bush is loaded with blooms.
Here is a larger shot of it
Althea, it is also loaded with buds.
Gladiolas....isn't that shade just beautiful!
This is my favorite so far
And my prized beauty...the Dinner Plate Dahlia...she is opening up more and more everyday. I KNOW ya'll are probably getting tired of seeing shots of her everyday....OH WELL!!!! I like to see her unfurl!Now onto the overall shots.....I am going to sound like a broken record to all of you who have been following me, but for the new followers (glad you are here), here is a little info on my garden.
August will be 4 years that we have lived here. I have only been gardening 3 of those. There were no flowers beds at all in the back yard when we moved in. The were 3 beds in the front yard, but they had nothing in them but boxwoods.
Here we are in the back yard...look at that grass, The Hunter did an excellent job!!! This bed (on the right) I just created in late September. The one of the left is a bit older....and raggedy!
Oh...where to start with this one....ugh!!! This bed needs help, I am VERY well aware of that. Yesterday Marilyn gave me impatiens and begonias, I am going to use the impatiens as a border and plant the begonias. Currently in this bed I have a Jacobean plant, Four O'clock, hostas (very tiny ones), Tibouchina and a hydrangea that you cannot see thanks to the Four O'clock. Major work needed here! I will work on this bed Saturday and then show you some photos. The old car tags came off cars from both of my grandpa's, and the hub cap....I like old weird stuff!
Here is a shot looking back the other way. That whole area on the fence to the left....that is another raggedy zone! I have lots of raggedy zones! LOL! ONE DAY I am going to rip those hideous shrubby trash trees down and make a raised bed (the area I am referring to is directly behind the little green cart). I can't plant anything here because the ground is like concrete, so I want to raise it and make it nice and neat. Those shrubs must go!
This is actually 2 beds. The bed on the left is raggedy as well.....do we see a trend here! Let's just say that shade areas are not my strong point! This is the bed where the circus piece resides...man I love that thing. If you don't know about my circus piece click here:http://northmobilegardensociety.blogspot.com/2009/02/creative-minds.html
The playhouse bed....There is a fish pond under the playhouse...ONE DAY I will rip it down, refurbish the pond and make this area nice and neat. In this bed I have a hibiscus, gerbera daisies, bee balm, butterfly bush, miniature dahlia...yeh I know it doesn't look like it....but it is all there. The butterfly bush is just a mere babe.
Here is a bigger shot of the big bed behind the house. This is my favorite bed. In this bed I have (deep breathe)......front to back - Butterfly Ginger, Mexican Petunia, Glads, verbena, amaryllis, crinnum lily, daffodils, angel trumpets (2 very puny ones might I add), zinnia, cosmos, hollyhock (very small), lupine (small), Bee Balm, Butterfly Bush, Pagoda Bush, irises, daisies, Dinner Plate Dahlia, blueberries, climbing rose (on the arbor not shown), salvia, sapphire sage, coneflowers, and a few I am sure I am forgetting. The stepping stones are 12"x12" mosaic tiles.....clever huh! No I didn't buy them, they were FR$$!!
Here is another one...I recently enlarged this bed. In this bed I have - daylilies, sweet william, dianthus, dusty miller, irises, daffodils, verbena, amaryllis, crinnum lily, bee balm, lupine, hydrangea, clematis. The copper things on the fence were my moms, and my aunt bought me a few of them.
The playhouse bed....There is a fish pond under the playhouse...ONE DAY I will rip it down, refurbish the pond and make this area nice and neat. In this bed I have a hibiscus, gerbera daisies, bee balm, butterfly bush, miniature dahlia...yeh I know it doesn't look like it....but it is all there. The butterfly bush is just a mere babe.
Here is a bigger shot of the big bed behind the house. This is my favorite bed. In this bed I have (deep breathe)......front to back - Butterfly Ginger, Mexican Petunia, Glads, verbena, amaryllis, crinnum lily, daffodils, angel trumpets (2 very puny ones might I add), zinnia, cosmos, hollyhock (very small), lupine (small), Bee Balm, Butterfly Bush, Pagoda Bush, irises, daisies, Dinner Plate Dahlia, blueberries, climbing rose (on the arbor not shown), salvia, sapphire sage, coneflowers, and a few I am sure I am forgetting. The stepping stones are 12"x12" mosaic tiles.....clever huh! No I didn't buy them, they were FR$$!!
Here is another one...I recently enlarged this bed. In this bed I have - daylilies, sweet william, dianthus, dusty miller, irises, daffodils, verbena, amaryllis, crinnum lily, bee balm, lupine, hydrangea, clematis. The copper things on the fence were my moms, and my aunt bought me a few of them. Moving on to the front yard
Looking from the driveway out into the yard
There are those wonderful boxwoods that I love so much...ugh! Hate them!!! The Hunter did trim them for me...still didn't help! They will be out ONE DAY. In this bed I have lantana, daylilies, sapphire sage, vinca, crepe myrtle, caladiums, irises, coleus, baby zinnias....there is no rhyme or reason to what or where I plant.
This bed is a disaster. Long story short...it was full of weeds, I dug it up, put down black garbage bags, filled it in, garbage bags make it a pain to plant in, so garbage bags are going to come out as well as everything in it, and I will start over in this bed for the 4th time!
Something old, something new, something borrowed, nothing blue. Old is the back part of the bed that was existing, new is the front part of the bed that I added on 2 months ago, borrowed is the satellite that The Hunter left on the front porch, and the blue part just sounded good. This bed is just a plethora of stuff, let me see if I can do it - Nandina, Glads, day lilies, fire spike, irises, shrimp plant, calladiums, daffodils, amaryllis, zinnia, cosmos, vinca, coleus, mexican heather, coneflowers. gloriosa lilies, climbing rose (you can't see it yet, I want it to grow up each column), dianthus...thats all I can think of right now.
This is the side bed...apparently. This was an ant kingdom when we moved in. The whole bed must have had 10 trillion ants in it...slowly but surely over the past 4 years I am running them outta there! I have been viciously attacked 100's of times by fire ants in this part of the yard. They seek me out and attack. In this bed we have, mexican petunia, wild ageratum, african daisy, morning glory tree, glads, althea, hibisucs, vinca, coleus, day lilies, zinnia, cosmos, and fire ants.
The LOVELY satellite courtesy of direct tv....concreted in my flower bed! That's ok Mr. Direct TV man....I've got this!!! I am hiding that hideousness of a dish with a morning glory tree, some mexican petunia and an african daisy...that's right...its an International cover up!!!
A little close up of the porch bed.
Looking from the driveway out into the yard
There are those wonderful boxwoods that I love so much...ugh! Hate them!!! The Hunter did trim them for me...still didn't help! They will be out ONE DAY. In this bed I have lantana, daylilies, sapphire sage, vinca, crepe myrtle, caladiums, irises, coleus, baby zinnias....there is no rhyme or reason to what or where I plant.
This bed is a disaster. Long story short...it was full of weeds, I dug it up, put down black garbage bags, filled it in, garbage bags make it a pain to plant in, so garbage bags are going to come out as well as everything in it, and I will start over in this bed for the 4th time!
Something old, something new, something borrowed, nothing blue. Old is the back part of the bed that was existing, new is the front part of the bed that I added on 2 months ago, borrowed is the satellite that The Hunter left on the front porch, and the blue part just sounded good. This bed is just a plethora of stuff, let me see if I can do it - Nandina, Glads, day lilies, fire spike, irises, shrimp plant, calladiums, daffodils, amaryllis, zinnia, cosmos, vinca, coleus, mexican heather, coneflowers. gloriosa lilies, climbing rose (you can't see it yet, I want it to grow up each column), dianthus...thats all I can think of right now.
This is the side bed...apparently. This was an ant kingdom when we moved in. The whole bed must have had 10 trillion ants in it...slowly but surely over the past 4 years I am running them outta there! I have been viciously attacked 100's of times by fire ants in this part of the yard. They seek me out and attack. In this bed we have, mexican petunia, wild ageratum, african daisy, morning glory tree, glads, althea, hibisucs, vinca, coleus, day lilies, zinnia, cosmos, and fire ants.
The LOVELY satellite courtesy of direct tv....concreted in my flower bed! That's ok Mr. Direct TV man....I've got this!!! I am hiding that hideousness of a dish with a morning glory tree, some mexican petunia and an african daisy...that's right...its an International cover up!!!
A little close up of the porch bed.
Well that does it for today...I am still painting...so I have to get to it! Hope you all enjoyed the tour of the Dirt Princess' low budget garden!!!! Have a great day!
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17 comments:
You have one fine yard there. You have so many beds to work with. Love the copper on the fence. The dinner plate dahlia is to die for. Everything is colorful. Have a nice day Dirt Princess. Becca
You have done so much work! Well done. I will never tire of seeing your lovely photos.
Loved the tour!!! This encourages me to do the same. I do, absolutely love your junk on the fence and buildings. Please don't be offended by the word "junk" (junque' better?) I mean it in the most loving, tender way! I also hang junk on my fence and garage. Impressed with complete knowledge of every flower name!
I really enjoy the long shots and you did a fantastic job of posting so many. Sure gives the big picture. I do love the whimsy on the fence. Don't worry about your brugs, they'll grow fast! And I do so hope you win your battle against those pesky ants. I lived in southern Alabama for two years and almost really couldn't garden. If it wasn't the heat, it was the ants. I so admire anyone who can garden with those two factors all the time! And I must say the heat and ants are one reason we did not settle down there:) Nothing against deep southerners you understand.
It looks like you have a big garden and a great husband :)
Great post from a very nice garden!
I love the "bird" music :)
What a nice big yard you have! You've done a lot in 3 years, and it looks great! It all takes lots of time. One thing I've learned is to focus on one or two areas at a time rather than feeling overwhelmed by the whole thing.
Your hibiscus is so pretty and I'm not tired of your dahlia. I can't wait to see how big it ends up, I've never been able to grow that type!
Glorious flowers and so much scope in your garden. Where did you find such a treasure to take such care of the lawn and cook dinner!
Becca - Thanks. I wasn't sure about the copper tins when I hung them, but I think they look good.
Florida Sue - Thank you so much
Debbie - I am totally not affended by the word JUNK! I LOVE JUNK!!! I pick up other people trash off the sides of the road!!!LOL!! That is where I got my 2 wicker rocking chairs on the front porch...off the side of the road in a trash pile! One mans trash is another mans' treasure! I actually keep up with every flowers I plant. I write down all of their names. As of today I am up to 130+ plants...
Tina - I could see where it would be difficult moving to the south and trying to garden. But I have lived in the South all my life, and you get somewhat used to the heat, humidity, mosquitos and ants. There are days in August that I won't be able to work outside or else I will have a heat stroke!
Marie - He is learning...LOL! For the longest time he thought that gardening was stupid. Then we would be riding down the road and we would see a disgrace of a yard and I would say "Aren't you glad our yard doesn't look like that". Eventually he is beginning to come around. I had to laugh at him the other day. He saw some calladiums for sell, and he called me and said he wanted to buy some, because he liked them and we needed them in our yard. I told him we have tons of them if he would look outside.
Catherine - This is my first time to try to the Dinner Plate. I want to add several more into my collection if all goes well.
Joanne - Oh Joanne.....as most men....he is only a treasure when he wants to be. If he would clean or wash clothes then he would qualify as a treasure..LOL!!! I do love him
what a wonderful surprise!!! Your gardens are outstanding!
Oh DP, I love seeing your gorgeous home.. Yours really is alot like ours ---with various flower beds all around... Neat!!! You have done a great job!!!
We have Direct TV also---but luckily, our dish is on the roof --almost out-of-sight.
Hugs,
Betsy
Wow DP- you have done an amazing job in such a short amount of time. I am impressed. It is hard to look at a whole yard and break it down into manageable jobs. That seems to be my current problem. You did a wonderful job of it. Looks good. I like the whole picture pictures!
Thank you for this, it's good to be able to put things into context and how the close-ups relate to the whole.
First of all, I love the american way of a garden! You don't have any fences and you love the beds! I love them, looks so neat! Our type of garden is not so pleasant to the eye, I think. We don't use beds, the flowers, trees, shrubs and plants are planted into the grass. We had a large empty plot and we made the coniferous mini-garden. I love your yard, great work!
Wow. That's quite a tour. Thanks so much. Your Hibiscus pictures are so nice. I have a couple of questions. You mentioned a Shrimp Plant. I didn't see it. I have one and it's not worth photographing now. We need rain. Maybe later. And, what is a Morning Glory Tree? I had one (Ipomoea arborescens) and I'm wondering if it's the same things. I ripped mine out in a fit of remodeling, sound familiar?
Tootsie - thanks :)
Betsy - Thanks, our dish was on the roof until they came out to upgrade it and moved it into my flower bed!
Heather - that is my problem, that and a lack of funds to do it with!!! LOL!!
EB - Glad you liked it. I like to see entire yard shots as well.
Silvia - Actually I do have a fence around my entire back yard. I am glad you like my garden, I am not so fond of it...I guess because I see it how I want it to be not how it is. I have grand plans for the yard. Thank you very much. That makes me feel good ;)
Propero - Ok lets start with the Shrimp plant, mine is not blooming, it is very small right now. Here is a link to what it will look like:
http://home.att.net/~larvalbugbio/shrimpplant.html
Mine is yellow. The morning glory tree is an old flower. It get 6'-12' high. It basically is morning glory in form of a tree. Here is a bad photo of one, its the best I could find:
http://www.garden-hut.com/plants-cuttings/cuttings/morning-glory-tree-1-lilac-unrooted-cuttings/prod_138.html
Yes it is the same thing, that is the botanical name for it.
Thanks for the links. Yes, you have Pachystachys lutea (yellow). It's a very nice plant. I have the red shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana).
I looks like what you have is Ipomoea carnea (synonym Ipomoea fistulosa) or Bush Morning Glory. What I had was a different species in the genus (arborescens) which grows into a 30 foot tree and flowers (white) when the tree has no leaves. Your links are good because it makes sure we're talking about the same thing. Thanks again.
We really enjoyed your garden and loved the Dahlia and the Gladiolas.
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