My new Oudolf/Kingsbury inspired Hellstrip

Yes, inspiration comes less frequently in my middle to late age. However, after reading 'Planting a New Perspective" by Noel Kingsbury and Piet Outdolf , I've been "blown up" with inspiration. The information in this book is very informative for those who have wanted more conceptual information on the "New Perennial Movement". I'm interested to see how all this pans out. I'm sure most of you have read reviews about this book as well as seen many Oudolfs/Kingsbury designed gardens so I won't bore you with more details.
This inspiration has powered me enough to design the unfinished west side hell strip which currently is mostly a Fescue lawn area, a few perennials and last but not least a large Silver Maple (which the wood borers are devouring and will be removed). I got the old canary tracing paper out (yellow dog) and began to sketch over the CAD created base plan. So much fun, it brought back old memories from college and my early professional career, installations during the day and designs at night.

View looking West

View looking East, below.

As you can see soil preparation has began with gravely soil, compost and native fill soil added from all my unfinished garden projects. Yes, I will admit my propensity to start many projects at once, it's just that when you start one project details arise which create new projects. Evidently my perfectionism and artistic mind leads me to many different avenues (rabbit holes). 

These are photos of my sketches of the planting plan: first one is the planting plan

Second one is a rendering of flower and foliage color:

So now the next step is to scour the internet for plants and transplant many from existing inventory on hand. Looks like a busy time ahead, hope to have it completed by my 60th birthday this August. Shalom.

April Bloom Day: 101, Tornado's, Flu and Landscaping

Corner Hell Strip- - (LtoR) Viola(front),Saponaria ocymoides(soapwort),Salvia 'Rapsody in Blue', and Aethionema schistosim (Persian stonecress).

What is the title suppose to mean you ask? Good question.
101: this is post number 101.
Tornado's: As many of you who live in the central plains know, this is tornado alley.
Flu: stomach flu.
Landscaping: I provide free landscaping services to my sons.
Story Line:
All last week my son has been communicating that he wanted to take me up on an offer to add a perennial bed to his new house in Edmond (near Oklahoma City). I responded with some regret as I knew that the rain had been dropping there all week. And as some of you many know the soil there is nasty red clay. It is so bad that Acme brick has a Edmond quarry near there manufacturing plant that they make brick out of. We're talking sorry soil! Anyways my plan was to add compost from the local municipal recycle plant into the bed. When I drove to the compost plant on Thursday it was closed due to weather! Weather! Come on. Well it probably turned out to be a mixed blessing. Therefore I went to plan B which was purchase compost in Edmond and take tiller and tools along to amend bed.
Friday night finally came around and off we go. As we were leaving we heard we were in a tornado watch. This warning was not a normal warning, as words were using such as total destruction, loss of life possible if not in a tornado shelter. Whoa, never heard that before. (Come to find out the the national weather bureau has stepped up theie warnings as many people were becoming complacence when tornado's never became real. They later replied that this saved lives this weekend as they knew the weather conditions were going to be severe. The tornado's in Kansas were called a month's worth of tornado's in one day.)
We arrived and my son and I immediately went to work removing the builders applied Bermuda sod with mesh netting. This allows the sod to stay together during application. We worked into the night under the street light shadows and completed step one. Not a easy task as the mesh was rolled into the clay soil and was difficult to remove. The wind was blowing 40 mph along with interspersing rain.
That night we were watching the storms on tv radar move through Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The tornado siren went off at 2;30 a.m. Freak out! Went to the inner closet until the storm had passed. Missed it as the funnel never touched ground. Needless to say it was hard to sleep.

The next day we went after bulk compost. None to be found. So we added two yards of amended topsoil and elevated the bed in berms to improve drainage.

Perennials (seedling volunteers from my garden) were placed for review. Rudbeckia hirta, fulgida, Salvia fairnancea, Salvia  guaranitica 'black and blue', Stipa tenuissima, Echinacea purpurea, Gallardia, Napeta 'walkers low', and Foeniculum vulgare (bronze fennel) were added. I finished planting them and then we added shredded hardwood mulch. Done. Then it rained and rained. Then I got the stomach flu. I had not regurgitated since college ( many, many moons ago). Up and down all night.
That night Wichita, Kansas was hit by multiple tornado's. Wichita is only 40 miles from our home. The warnings were well advised. Our home was spared any damage.

 As always the 15th of month is garden bloggers bloom day where bloggers meet and share their blooms at May Dream Gardens. Image above is Yucca rigida, Verbascum (common mullien), and Linum (blue flax).

 Saliva 'Rapsody in Blue' and Aethionema schistosim (Persian stonecress)

As always, have a great gardening season.

Bougainvillea goes to Town

 Over the past three summers in Kansas I've planted these Texas purchased bougainvilleas in the garden. Two are five years old, one is red and the other orange flowered. Another was given to me by my mother last fall. When I lived in San Antonio they were some of my favorite container plants but were somewhat persnickety when it comes to producing blooms. I researched many different methods to produce blooms and discovered a few rules of thumbs for my particular growing zone in Kansas. They bloom more often when they are pot bound. Many landscape contractors will transplant the growing pot into the new pot and slit the growing pot down the sides to allow some root escape. They are heavy feeders , but  heavy nitrogen amounts will create more foliage than blooms (kinda like tomatoes). They seem to do very well in my compost enriched soil with no additional feeding. When moved from one growing condition to another they often take 3-4 weeks to recover and resume healthy growth. They must have full sun to bloom. They will do fine in partial shade but will not bloom as well if at all. And of course good drainage is important.

 The above photo is the orange flowering variety purchased at a Home Depot in Corpus Christi, Texas over five years ago in a #1 pot. Planted in the hell strip, it gets full sun surrounded by asphalt and concrete on two sides. These photos were taken November 13th before the big freeze. The tallest vines are 5-6' tall.

Here I am pruning the vines before transplanting and moving indoors. What a shame I suppose to cut those blooms.

Are you nuts, thinks my wife?

Many branch vines.

Time to root prune. Not much left there.

Pulled from soil in original pot from the spring planting, a 10-12" plastic one.

Surprised to see such small roots?

 Pruning roots before taking inside.

Looks like a bonsai doesn't it? This was three weeks ago and today the plant which is set in a west facing window is producing  a flush of new growth. I'll create a new post during planting time in the spring.  Which I wish was closer than it is. 

-Greg

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder-GBBD 11/11

Asclepias tuberosa-Butterly Weed

As preparations for the Garden Bloggers Bloom Day post for November began, I began to reflect about the past year. These reflections had been influenced recently by my loss of internet technology, and how I've responded to this drought. Or more importantly how do we as bloggers make this blogging world take precedent over our daily lifestyle. I suppose everyone has their own answer to that question.

 Schizachyrium scoparium-Little Bluestem with Salvia 'Mystic Spires

Initially my thoughts were focused on comparisons of a year ago, and how this blogosphere has influenced my everyday life since then. When my shoulder was injured in January along with the subsequent surgery, all my time was spent indoors or at physical therapy. Blogging became a real passion for me. Enjoyment was spending days reading, blogging, and pickin' on blotanical. (Does that mean I get a star now,since I mentioned it on my blog?).

Salvia fairnacea, Artemesia 'Powis Castle', and Schizachyrium scoparium-Little Bluestem

Along the way I met many garden blogging "friends" which are very encouraging and provide great fellowship. It's been great. My artistic side has resurfaced, knowledge gleaned, and have had a renewed interest in photography. Thank you all!

 Last of the Gallardia.

However, after getting over the withdrawals after a week, (my video memory in my laptop was gone, my warranty was up along with my soul after dealing with Tech Support in India), I became "used" to being in the "real" world. More time spent outside, more time with family, and of course more time with my wife. She mentioned a few times she thought I was spending too much time online, and she was probably correct. It's kind of like food. Food is alright but too much of it can cause problems. Anyway, the biggest time constraint occurred when I went back to work in August. Seven months not working, what an adjustment. So, it's good to "see" all of you again! In conclusion the loss of technology has brought perspective for this blogger, gardener, husband, dad, follower of Christ and last but not least "grandpa". And I'm pleased to be back in a more limited role. Greg.

Salvia leucanthus-Mexican Bush Sage, Miscanthus 'Dixieland', and Salvia guaranitica 'black and blue' before the great freeze two weeks ago. Mex.Bush is smoked bush now.

Taken yesterday "Grandpa Fred" - Red Admiral. Last of the butterflies. Noticed a Monarch flying three days ago. Didn't quite understand that one.

Volunteer Alyssum "Golf" seedlings

Panicum "Heavy Metal"

Kalamagrostis "Karl", Achillea. and Annual Salvia.

Achillea, Artemisia "powis"

Mums

Basil seeds

Salvia fairnacea and Panicum Dewey Blue
I have linked to Carol(May Dreams Gardens) @ GBBD, Donna(Garden Walk, Garden Talk) W4W which is texture and Foliage Follow up with Pam @ Digging

Cool and Crisp - GBBD October 2011

Cool and Crisp.  I suppose that would be a good description of my garden.

Salvia fairnacea-Mealy Blue Sage and Colias eurytheme? Orange sulphur

Cool and Crisp. As there is a definite drop in temperature. Cool and Crisp. As the blues in the garden lower the color temperatures of summer.

 Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'

Cool and Crisp. As the newly arisen Monarch stretches her wings to dry in the cool fall days of a Kansas afternoon.

 

Asclepias-Milkweed with Danaus plexippus-Monarch. Can anyone identify this species of milkweed?
Cool and Crispy. As the Goldenrod begins to mature and dry to seedling stage.
 

Solidago rugosa-Goldenrod 'fireworks' ? with Strymon-Hairstreak

Cool and Aromatic. Globe Basil-Ocimum with Gray Hairstreak-Strymon melinus

(above)

Cool and Blue. Nepeta faasseni-'Walkers Low' Catmint with Sulphur (above)

Cool and Blue(stem) hellstrip

Get Cool this Fall @ May Dreams Garden - Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.
Visit all the other cool dudes and their fabulous fall blooms worldwide.