The Corner Succulent and Cacti Garden

When planning my garden spaces I've tried to keep it somewhat native. I've designed wildflower gardens, butterfly gardens, humming bird gardens, perennial gardens, shade gardens, and even a water garden for the pond. But the garden that I wasn't so sure about was my Cacti and succulent garden. I thought about putting container gardens in the area where I wanted this garden, but I also wanted to keep that area rather rustic looking. So I decided to plant a corner garden with a Yucca plant Vera Jameson Sedum and a couple of cactus.

The pink blooms of the Yucca plant and the pink blooms of the ground cover that the Sedum provide make for quite a bright surprise in the fall.

Til next time,

Happy Gardening!

Changing Seasons in the Garden

The days of summer have come and gone and autumn is now upon us. This is the second year that I have been able to plan and design my own gardens, and I have had the most wonderful experiences. The many flowers and trees that I planted over the past two years seem to have been the perfect choices for my gardens. I have enjoyed with great pride and awe how my gardens have flourished without a whole lot of stress.


I'm not saying that the process has been easy and without failures. Because it was hard work and there were a few casualties. But all in all I've decided that what grows and what does not grow are both examples of lessons that are taught to us by Mother Nature. Lesson that must be appreciated.


My first big project this summer was the planting of my Earth Kind Rose Garden. I planted nine rose bushes and developed a garden around the bushes.

The second project was to landscape my two tier pond that I installed last year. I kind of went away from the usual water plants and designed a butterfly hummingbird garden around the pond which has a peach tree for a backdrop.

(I've never eaten any of the peaches, the squirrels always get to them first.)

That idea proved to be an excellent one! The butterflies showed up daily to drink the sweet nectar of the flowers and flaunt their beauty. The hummingbirds made their appearance in late summer.

The sound of the waterfall in the pond - the fragrance from the zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers,salvia, and blanket flowers - the constant visits from the butterflies - not to mention the array of songbirds that stopped by for a drink, made for a very tranquil and beautiful space in my gardens.

Summer may be gone, but autumn is no slouch. Most of my gardens are still in bloom and now the mums and asters have made their debut. They are bursting out all over.

I know the fall will be just as beautiful as the summer was.
I used to think that spring was my favorite season. But now I can't decide. I guess my favorite season of the year is the one I'm experiencing right now.
I hope you have enjoy my look back over my summer of 2009. The holidays are fat approaching and this yer will soon be over. I've discovered that life goes by much too quickly so we must always stop to smell the roses or whatever flower that we are blessed to be near.

Until next time,

Happy Gardening!