Planning a new garden is always so much fun for me. Each year I get to draw up field, garden and flower bed plot plans! This is one way that I spend my winter days! If you start with a garden journal and jot down what your garden dreams are, add some pictures from magazines~ my personal favorite is Country Gardens~ then you will have a plan of action and goals to work toward. Pre-planning your gardens on paper will give you an idea of space needed & quantity of plants required to have proper fill effect. There will be plants you can start from seed and others that you will need to get from your local nursery. Look in seed catalogs~ we are all getting loads of those and plan for Fall planting of bulbs for next Spring now! You can always tweek things after you start, but having that plan of action will give you a visual aid that is sure to help in the long run. For the next few entries I will be focusing on Garden Themes and helping you plan ahead to get a beautiful and long lasting end result.
Here are a few simpler Garden Themes with some choice plants for each, choose one or all.
*Butterfly Garden~ Purple Cornflowers, Butterfly Bush, Bee Balm, Shasta Daisy, Primrose, any kind of Phlox, Petunias, Cosmos, and single Marigolds.
*Hummingbird Garden~ Trumpet Vine, Wisteria bushes, Morning Glory, Lilac, Bee Balm, Hyssop, Petunias, Lavender, Salvia. Any flower with a tubular flower will be much appreciated by our beautiful feathered friends!
*Bee Garden~ Hyssop, Bee Balm, Lavender, all of the Thymes, any mints, Lemon Balm, Roses, Geraniums.
Moon Garden~
At one of our first home's I planted a Moon Garden for the first time. I had saw the idea in a magazine and thought it would be a neat idea, I had no idea how amazing it would be! In the blackest of nights the garden simply glowed with life and the night insects it attracted was in itself so awesome! Using all white flowers didn't seem that appealing to me at first, I am more of a Pink & Purple kind of girl with a splash of orange & yellow around to add interest- but white against the black night is simply gorgeous. As the moonlight reflects off the flower petals it makes a spectacular silvery light that is breath taking. My Moon Garden was planted directly in front of our living room window where it could be enjoyed either while inside or sitting outside. Here are some flowers to be included as well as some night blooming ones!
*Silver Sage, Carnation, Angels Trumpet, Lambs Ear, Silver Tansy, Yarrow, Silver King & Queen Artemisia, Clary Sage, Horehound, Grey Sanolina, White Petunia's, White Cosmos, Mums, Tulips, Daffodils, Snow Drops and Hyacinths. If you have an arbor plant Sweet Autumn Clematis~ what a show stopper.
*Night Bloomers include Nicotiana, Stock, Roses, Veronica, Impatiens, Alyssium, Azalea and Jasmine.
Make a special day with some friends and go to your local greenhouses to get more ideas. Remember when you are planning your garden's to look at plant blooming times, sun requirements and growth height & habits. Try to choose a selection of plants that will give color starting in early spring through the late fall so you don't miss a beat! The end result will be one you will never regret!
Here is a yummy way to use Cabbage in a not so everyday way!
Apple Orchard Strudel
4 cups cabbage from Garden Gate, finely chopped
1/4 cup onion from Garden Gate, chopped
1 1/2 cups apples , cored, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp mustard
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
8 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
1 stick butter, melted & divided
1. Add cabbage and onion to a skillet coated with non stick vegetable spray. Cook, covered, over medium heat for about 5 -7 minutes.
2 Mix cabbage mixture with apples in a large bowl, stirring in sour cream and mustard; add to cabbage mixture.
3, Brush one sheet of dough with butter; layer on a second sheet. Continue to brush each sheet of dough with butter and arrange on on top of the other. spoon cabbage mixture down 1/3 of long side of dough.
4. Top mixture with cheese. Beginning with the long side, roll up jelly roll style.
5. Place on a 10"x15" jelly roll pan lightly coated with non stick vegetable spray.
6. Brush dough with remaining butter. Make 1/4 inch deep cuts about 2 inches apart along the length of the dough.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.
Happy Day,
Jean
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