Gisela's Garden History

Everywhere I have lived I have gardened.  I came by this naturally as my mother had fruit trees, berries, vegetable plots, flower gardens and rose beds.  When I moved here in 1993, there was a small flower garden in the back and an abundance of grass.  I wanted to bring my flowers and roses from Brookside so we made the large flower bed to cover the entire side yard in the back.  Next we built the raised beds for berries and vegetables.  The raspberries quickly grew out of their bed so I moved them to the slope on the side.  I added blackberries as well knowing that any bramble could survive on that steep of an incline.  Around the deck, we replaced rotten wood borders with castle rock.  I used several creeping plants like ivy to cover a portion of the castle rock as I am not fond of it’s look but it holds it’s position well.  I built the path to get better access to the back yard as well as delineate our property from the unsightly empty lot.  I started with five pots of hostas and divided them so small that each piece only had a couple of leaves.  The entire path is from these original pots.  The pergola comes from a picture I saw in a magazine.  After we built the pergola, the mud due to dense shade led to the building of the plaza stone patio.  And on it goes, more plants need more gardens so I built new areas.  Later I turned my attention to the front in an effort to add curb appeal and undo the standard foundation planting look.  I have built everything in this yard except the new stone steps in the far back of the property.  Hauling 1 ½ tons of stone was too much even for a do-it-yourselfer.

On my many trips to France (my daughter and her family lived there), I was amazed at how many things they grew in such small spaces while utilizing whatever they had.  Hence, my cucumbers grow in pots on tree stumps, my melons on a wire and vegetables like peppers and artichokes reside happily in the flower beds.  It was France also where I fell in love with the Parterres (knot garden) on the castle grounds.  Wanting to build my own from the ground up, I started a hundred boxwoods from 3 inch cuttings off my boxwoods on the path.  For the topiary, I listened to a lecture on the subject at the Flower, Lawn and Garden Show.  I purchased $4.00 yews and cedars and took the shears to them.  Sadly, last year one died and I am starting over with a bigger yew.

The garden is still evolving with thoughts of planting two pear trees to espalier (grow on wire frames) and a rectangular reflecting pool.  Although I have never had a garden plan, I do have some guiding concepts. I want a garden that is productive with fruit, berries, herbs and vegetables planted in a setting that is attractive for us as well as the neighbors.  I want to leave a large open space for entertaining and children to play.  Stretching the budget by purchasing everything small and starting from seed inside is important to me and has the added bonus of watching it grow.  I love the challenge of trying more interesting things like lingo berries, figs and currants.  Making much of my garden art is messy fun and adds that personal touch.  And lastly but most important to my husband is that the garden can be mowed which leads to the creative use of borders.

I have had more failures than there is space left on this page but that’s the challenge of gardening.  The reward is the smell of a newly opened rose, the taste of a fresh raspberry and the beauty of a blooming hydrangea.  Enjoy the garden and best wishes for yours.

Gisela's Ten Favorite Plants

1. Roses - Fear of growing roses is a thing of the past. Every year growers come out with stronger and more disease resistant varieties. Between the  structure of the plant (from tree roses down to ground cover roses), the shapes of the flowers and the scents there is a rose for any garden.

2. Hydrangeas - A no fuss shrub that bursts into prolific bloom for the entire summer. Good for partial shade. They make great cut flowers, dried flowers and add winter interest when the faded blooms are left on the plant. Again the varieties have expanded into numerous selections.

3. Azaleas - Beautiful bushes for spring color in full or semi shade. The bushes give structure to the garden and the foliage is attractive the rest of the season.

4. Blueberries - The easiest of the berries to grow. With a little fertilizer in the spring you have a bush that is covered in gorgeous blooms in the spring, delicious berries in the summer and stunning red foliage in the fall.

5. Ivy - A workhorse in the garden. Perfect for borders and groundcovers it can be trained to do anything. It does well in sun or shade. Shape it a couple of times a season and it will stay where you put it. Very easy to propagate.

6. Hostas - Another plant that growers have moved from ordinary to exciting. Leaf shape, color and size have expanded to a wide range of choices. Hostas are great for paths, groundcovers, soil retention, fillers and borders. Use the light and variegated ones to brighten dark areas of shade.

7. Cannas - Such a stately flower with its towering height and strong stems. Great as a backdrop and the colors stand out against the thick leaves. New varieties have variegated leaves and tropical colors.

8. Lavender - My favorite of all plants for its old fashioned scent and many uses. Brushing your hand across the top leaves a heavenly fragrance. Entire books are written on the many uses of lavender including cooking with it, crafts like lavender wands, essential oils for perfume and dried flowers.

9. Cherry trees - The easiest of the fruit trees because the fruit ripens so quickly that disease and pests have less time to attack. Covered in a sea of white blossoms in the spring, the trees yield large amounts of fruit by early summer. They come in several sizes to fit any yard.

10. Gardenia - A beautiful house plant in winter and deck plant in summer. The glossy leaves shine in the light. They bloom in the summer with an exotic tropical scent that fills a summer evening. It’s Bali hi without the plastic leis.