A tale of two gardens
As we wait out the national financial disaster that’s keeping potential buyers away from our former home, I find myself in the unique position of caring for two properties. I mused on the differences this morning as I watered the old garden, seeing as it’s never going to rain again. (Go ahead, Sky. Prove me wrong.)
The first difference that struck me, as I got out of the car, is that my old garden is very fragrant. Kathy Purdy of Cold Climate Gardening commented on it when she visited a year ago, but it took moving for me to understand that not all gardens smell wonderful. My new yard, lovely in many ways, is not fragrant. But the old garden smells of salvia, oregano, white mistflower, and kidneywood. I can smell it as I simply walk past the fenced garden, but strolling through it really brings out the clean, minty fragrance.
Note to self: Add lots of salvias and other fragrant-leaved plants to the new garden.
The next thing I noticed is that I’m missing the big show put on by ornamental grasses in the fall. In my old garden, silky, tasselled flags are waving in the breeze. Miscanthus ‘Adagio’ and ‘Yaku Jima’ and native Gulf Coast muhly are really gorgeous right now, and their fine-textured movement contrasts beautifully with the big-leaved, static agaves. The lime-green bamboo muhly hedge, which blooms rather insignificantly in the spring, is also waving and moving, as are the inland sea oats.
Note to self: Add movement to the new garden with ornamental grasses.
My final observation was that my old garden is alive with colorful butterflies, bees, anole lizards, skinks, birds, and other insects. The fall-blooming salvias and mistflowers and fruiting American beautyberries prove particularly irresistible to the flying sort.
While I haven’t seen many butterflies or bees or anoles at the new place, I am happy to report that birds are plentiful. A nearby greenbelt and the extensive canopy of trees probably attracts them, and there are berrying pyracanthas in the back yard. I’ve seen lots of wrens, mockingbirds, and blue jays, and thankfully no grackles as yet. Oh yes, and an army of squirrels busily burying acorns.
Note to self: Add more berrying plants and late-flowering plants to attract more wildlife.
Two nights ago, as I was taking out a bag of trash, I noticed another difference between the old garden and the new. As I dropped the lid of the garbage can, I heard a sudden scurrying and thudding sound just to my left. It was dark, and my night vision is not so hot. I stood still, peering into the dark to see what I’d startled, and what had startled me. A male deer with broad antlers stood on the Asian jasmine-covered berm near my car, staring at me, as several does fled further down the street. As I watched, he turned and followed them, hooves clip-clipping on the driveway. They paused to browse in my neighbor’s yard, and then one of the does ran past my house to stop across the street next to another neighbor’s basketball goal.
Good grief. There’s knowing you have deer and KNOWING you have deer.
I’m glad all my potted plants from the old garden are safely tucked away behind the back-yard fence.
(All photos were taken this morning in my new garden-to-be. I didn’t have my camera with me at the old place this morning.)
All material © 2006-2008 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
I’m sure it will soon be better. Where ever you lay (plant) your hat (plants and they look great) is your home. I said it before this week…always look on the bright side of life …..tadam tralalala./ LOL Tyra
Did I come off as feeling down in the dumps, Tyra? I didn’t intend to. I was just cataloging the differences between the old garden—which I’d made with the plants I love—and the new one, which doesn’t reflect my tastes yet. But it will! 🙂 —Pam
Update: Yea! My dare worked. The sky is proving me wrong by raining buckets right now. Yippee! —Pam
Maybe you could use the opportunity to take more divisions and cuttings of your favorites.
Even here we are feeling the effects of the meltdown-we were selling one property to buy an apartment in the city, which we have already put a down payment on, but because of the US crisis the buyer (a company which holds major investments in Florida) pulled out. So we have to look for a new buyer in a hurry now.
I love your cute little opuntia.
That’s a ‘Santa Rita’ opuntia in the cardboard box (the easiest way to move it without getting stuck). I hope you find a buyer soon too, Nicole. The market is bound to turn around soon. —Pam
Hi Pam, this is going to be so fun, following along as you think about your new garden and what the plan for it will be. I love that you can still go to your old garden for tips and ideas, even though it is bad that it has not sold. Maybe all this jabbering by the governments of the world will send a little cash flow to a deserving buyer for your house. With the grasses and fragrance who could resist it? All they need in moolah! That is sort of scary about the deer, and realllly scary about the squirrels. Chicken wire for the squirrels, I don’t know what to do about the deer. Your little stash of plants look healthy and happy as they wait for you to decide their fate. ;->
Frances
http://fairegarden.wordpress.com/
Hi, Frances. I fear the deer more than the squirrels, but maybe that’s because I don’t plant a lot of bulbs. It is nice to be able to spend time in the old garden as I formulate ideas for the new garden. It reminds me of what I liked about the old place. The new place has different conditions, but some of my favorite combinations or features will no doubt reappear here. —Pam
Oh my, the worst thing would be the deer in the garden. The poor things will think your garden is a smorgasbord.
This post reminds me that I need to plant more fragrant things. Right now my garden smells like dust and rotten apples. Not all that appealing, even to me.
You had me laughing, Lisa, over “dust and rotten apples.” It sounds very earthy and farm-yardish, which sounds appealing to me. —Pam
Good job on the rain! Maybe you should now dare the financial crisis to end. Come on, double dare it!
I like the way you think, Vertie. What hubris it would reveal though. 😉 —Pam
Pam — all good notes to make — those things you enjoy -frangance, rustling, berries. The deer are quite an experience, aren’t they? They are very interesting to watch, that’s for sure. And I’m glad you have a wild area and a safe area where you can plant at will. Good luck with the house sale … hopefully the market will turn around and someone will fall in love with it soon.
I’m glad to have a deer-safe area for gardening too. I won’t call it deer-proof though because I know the deer could jump the privacy fence if they wanted. —Pam
I feel for you, It must be hard to have two houses to look after at the same time. I can understand that you must feel unpleasant to visit a garden that you like so much and see the differens between thise two. But I am sure that you will make your new garden just so beautiful as your old one.
Ken
Thank you, Ken. The old garden took 8 years to get to where it was. This one will take time too, to make it the way I want. Luckily, this one has a nice foundation to work with. —Pam
Your ideas sound wonderful – grasses, scent, berries. I’m sure in no time your new garden will be as beautiful and loved as the old one. As for the deer……Yikes!
Chloe M.
Yikes indeed. I consider them a bigger challenge than the rocks. —Pam
Pam, as I write this, it is actually RAINING here in south Austin! As I’ve missed out on the other rains that north and central Austin have had in smattering spots, it is a blessing. However, I’m willing to share and send out vibes that it comes your way as well, especially on your “old” garden. Your “notes to self” are good reminders for me as well…thanks for posting.
As I write this, Robin, I’ve had 1 3/4 inches of rain and it’s not supposed to get out of the sixties today. A real fall day at last! I hope you’re enjoying it as much as I am. —Pam
Are you sorry you left? No, just joking. I’ll bet your new garden will be looking and smelling like your old one in no time at all. Then the anoles, bees, lizards and birds will be moving in, oh, and the deer. They aren’t too keen on the asiatic jasmine and I guess that’s why it’s . It’s raining hard at our house right now-hurrah.
I’m not at all sorry I left, Jenny. It’s a little bittersweet to go over to the old garden, and I’d like to just sell the place already and turn it over to someone new. But we really love the new house and especially the private and serene back yard. Now that I’ve gotten a lot of unpacking done on the inside, I’m starting to mull over the possibilities for the outside. I’m feeling that gardening itch… —Pam
Yes, we can stand in a garden and think that something is missing, but not quite put our finger on what it is. Then we return to a place that has that something and we realize what is missing from the other. It is nice that you can see this now, while spending time in both gardens, and make notes on what you want to do to make your new garden YOUR garden.
As for those deer, I still remember driving in a car with Annie and MSS while I was in Austin and seeing two very young deer near the side of the road. I shouted out, “Look, some deer!” and they both yawned and said “so”, or something like that. I got the idea that in some parts of Austin deer are quite common!
In any neighborhood west of MoPac (a north-south highway), there are deer. Lots of Austin gardeners must contend with them, as in other parts of the country. Our family is still excited to see them, but I’m sure we’ll be yawning soon. —Pam
What great observations. I have five words for you regarding deer, Liquid Fence and Oh, no deer! Good luck as they eat everything. I saw two on the way home this evening!
Is your garden deer-fenced, Layanee? I don’t recall ever hearing you mention that deer have eaten your plants. —Pam
Oh yeah, welcome to deer country. Wait until you have a doe giving birth beside your driveway.
Nooooo! Actually, that sounds kind of amazing, Bonnie. See? I have mixed feelings about them. —Pam
Adding fragrant foliaged salvias should help with the deer, too. The general wisdom is they don’t like to browse on fragrant foliage. Or felted foliage.
Yep, deer-resistant plants are the smelly- or fuzzy-leaved ones. But I hear from other gardeners all the time that deer have eaten their deer-resistant plants, which is why they don’t call them deer-proof. —Pam
Pam, I was so hoping for raccoons or even an armadillo! Sorry you have the not-dear deer in your neighborhood. I have a good feeling that before long your new yard will be smelling just as sweet. Hoping you’re in on the receiving end of rain, too! Gail
I’m sure we’ll be seeing raccoons and armadillos too, Gail. It’ll be a whole new wildlife adventure over here. —Pam
Pam, how lucky two gardens, both different! I hope your wonderful garden sells soon but just for a while I will envy you the two lovely gardens. I love the stone in your new garden.
I am interested in your fragrant foliage, if you have time perhaps you could do a post about it, please. Next year it may be warm enough to bring the scents of my plants to life!
Best wishes Sylvia (England)
Sure, I’ll do that, Sylvia. Austin gardeners have a lot of scented-leaf plants to choose from. —Pam
Trees and deer. It’s like you moved to a different gardening planet.
And rocks! It feels that way, MSS. At least the hardiness zone is the same. —Pam
Yes, welcome to deer country! When you figure out how to discourage them, let me know. We fight them all the time – they love to eat EVERYTHING I plant. Your grasses you want will do well as will your succulents but everything else is fair game (they even will eat prickly holly and roses)!!
I know that roses are deer candy, so I’ll be saving those for the back yard. But most of the front yard is shady, so sun-loving ornamental grasses and salvias will get me only so far. It’ll be an exciting adventure! —Pam
I think part of what you’re observing, Pam, is the difference between a landscape lovingly tended for years and one which is awaiting the same attention. You’ll get all of your deer resistant plants in your new home, and won’t it be fun to watch you.
I hope you sell your lovely home soon, my friend.~~Dee
So do I, Dee, but it’s fine for now. The weather is cooling, we’re getting some rain at last, and the gardening bug is starting to bite again. I just need to save my pennies for some paths and fencework before I start any new beds. —Pam
Oh that is scary that you have to mortgages to pay now. I would be having a freak attack. I hope it sells asap. It is scary how things are at this time.
As for the deer we have had our share. I found that turning a radio on a talk radio station at night will keep them away. They don’t understand that there are not real people sitting there talking. It has to be talk radio not music! Not sure how the neighbors would feel but where we live is out in the country where there are no neighbors so I would crank it up. Worked like a charm(-:
That’s a good idea for the country, but I’m afraid playing a radio all night would drive our new neighbors crazy. I’ll just have to take my chances with deer-resistant plants and learn what these particular deer have a taste for and what they’ll leave alone. I’ve read that deer “tastes” will vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, depending on what they’re taught by their mothers. Isn’t that interesting? —Pam
Like Carol, I was thinking it is a great opportunity to compare the two gardens and make notes. My friend Cynthia has a bad deer problem (they looked in the dining room window while I was eating breakfast there) and she said salvias were one of the few flowering plants she could grow. And yes, as soon as I got out of the car at your place, I was awash in the fruity fragrance of them.
I remember hearing about Cynthia’s deer problem. Looking in the dining room windows is bold! Maybe if she served venison a few nights a week, it would discourage them. 😉 —Pam
Pam, thank you for reminding us that the wildlife-attracting gardening we do really does make a difference. I have noticed a lot more butterflies and hummingbirds since I started converting over to Central Texas native plants about a year ago, but then again it’s hard to know for sure. Thanks for sharing your observations with us!
You are welcome, Stephen. As you’ve noticed, planting for wildlife, especially with native plants, does make a difference in bringing beauty and life to what may have been a sterile sweep of lawn. —Pam