Happy
New Year to you all!! Now as the holidays pass & the temperature continues
to drop, the garden loving souls we are will look wistfully towards Spring. We
know not to rush dormancy so our bulbs will bloom strong come April & May
but we can't wait none the less. So what we do is plan: with our eyes closed
when we drift off to sleep, with each and every garden catalogue that comes our
way & as we gaze out our kitchen windows. So now I ask you to take the full
on approach to your plan and prepare with your five senses!
So sight is an easy one, or is it? Pay
closer attention to how one color or texture plays off its bedmate. Remember
how softer colors & finer foliage disappear if you plant them in a bed far
from your viewing areas. Perhaps try bolder colors like the Pantone 2019 Color
of the Year ~ Living Coral. My heuchera 'coral bells' fit this bill & the
hummingbirds love it! Larger petal plants like petunia, coneflower, hibiscus,
mandevilla & larger leaf foliage plants like heuchera & hosta will do
the trick.
When reevaluating the smells of your
garden, remember proximity to where you sit, read, relax & dine all come
into play. Fragrant annuals like heliotrope, gardenia & sweet peas can play
an important part in the right place. Perennials like hyacinth & roses are
wonderful & a variety of herbs are must haves for gathering and pinching
for some quick fragrance.
In keeping with your herbs, taste is why
we garden vegetables & herbs in the first place! Even if you don't have
room for a large garden that is fortified against rabbits, ground hogs, deer
& such, many varieties are cultivated just for planters and smaller beds,
especially the tomato. If you plant nothing else to fulfill your sense of
taste, let it be a basil plant & a tomato plant or two!
When you are a gardener touch is how a
season begins. We dig in the soil, loosen root balls, tamp lightly or firmly
and enjoy every second with or without gloves!! Beyond that is where you should
also be thinking; texture is where it's at. From various euphorbias to my
favorite amsonia, 'blue star', being able to run your fingers through foliage
as you meander along is a treat like no other. I plant my lavender close to a
walking route as I did my amsonia years ago. Rosemary & lemon balm or
chocolate mint are also favorites of mine to rub between the fingers &
smell!
Last but not least is sound. I think if
you plant for sound, plantings that the birds will enjoy, you can have that for
four seasons!! Seed/berry producing perennials such as echinacea &
rudebeckia, beautyberry & winterberry shrubs are wonderful choices. Nectar
producing plants for our hummingbirds like bee balm, coral bells, honeysuckle
& hyacinth bean vine are fragrant too! Our birds make the best sounds all
year round! It is also easier than ever to put some moving water near your
sitting areas. Small bubbling water features can be simple & inexpensive.
See link below:
