My "Lazy Gardener Garden" in Spring

Gaillardia 'Burgundy' self-sows;
Achillea 'Moonshine' grows rapidly;
Annual Nigella 'Miss Jekyll' self-sows.

Welcome to my "lazy gardener garden" in late spring! In my attempt to minimize how much work that I have to put into all the different gardens, I am relinquishing some of the design control to Mother Nature.

This large section of garden is on the east side of the house where the light has changed as trees have matured over the last five years. Rather than agonize over what to plant in a section where the sunlight and shade ratio is still changing, I'm allowing self-sowing and rapidly growing annuals, biennials and perennials "do their own thing."

I used to call this section the "butterfly garden" but since all of my different gardens attract butterflies, that's not as descriptive as it could be. I've relocated some of my stellar sun-loving perennials, such as coreopsis and agastache, from this section to the front garden.

There is a revolving color scheme of blue, purple, white, yellow, red and orange from spring through fall. All plants are drought tolerant and deer resistant, though there are a few plants, such as rudbeckia 'Goldsturm', that must be sprayed with rabbit repellent.

Salvia 'Caradonna' (self-sows true to parent),
Homestead Purple verbena (spreads rapidly),
and nepeta (easily divided)
in April 2011.

Purple salvia and nepeta give way to yellow, red and blue in late May.

There are several varieties of gaillardia (blanket flower) in this garden. I can no longer say for sure what each one is/will be as they have been cross-pollinated and the resulting seeds can be anything from solid yellow, burgundy, deep orange, or bi-color. That is the risk of letting seeds go rather than propagating by cuttings. The offspring will not necessarily be the same as the parent. The gaillardia 'Burgundy' is holding color fairly well among the offspring, but the solid yellow gaillardia has not. Gaillardia 'Tizzy' (plants) did not return this year, but 'Tokajer' has returned though I've not seen seedlings of that variety.

The prolific, self-sowing gaillardia can result in different colors
and heights due to the cross-pollination of the varieties. 

Blooming in April and May in the "lazy gardener garden":

salvia 'Caradonna' (self-sows true to parent)
allium 'Purple Sensation' (bulbs have multiplied over two years)
nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' (easily divided; minimal self-sowing)
'Homestead Purple' verbena (spreads rapidly by runners)
achillea 'Moonshine' (matures rapidly; divide every 3-4 years)
gaillardia (multiple varieties; some self-sow)
salvia greggii 'Navajo Red' (has produced offspring from seed that are true to parent)
salvia 'Black & Blue' (spreads by runners and easily divided in late spring)
salvia farcinacea 'Victoria Blue' (matures rapidly and am hoping for seedlings next year)

To bloom in summer:

monarda 'Jacob Cline' (spreads rapidly by runners; needs more moisture than the other plants)
ageratum 'Wayside Blue' (self-sows and spreads rapidly by runners)
crocosmia 'Lucifer' (corms grow rapidly and can be easily divided)
achillea 'Terracotta' (matures rapidly; divided every 3 years)
shasta daisies (divides easily; some varieties self-sow)
rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' (self-sows)
laceflower (self-sows)
marigolds (some varieties self-sow)
orange cosmos sulphureus (self-sows)
echinacea 'Sundown' (hasn't performed well for five years)
agastache (some varieties self-sow)
asclepias tuberosa (self-sows)
ascleplias incarnata (self-sows, but takes years to bloom; more moisture)
hypericum 'Sun Pat' is shrub-like (minimal self-sowing)
amsonia hubrichtii (self-sows)
verbena bonariensis (self-sows)
Russian sage (self-sows, but is new to the garden)
bronze fennel (self-sows too much; must deadhead)

Because I allow the plants to self-sow and spread, there is minimal care and maintenance. I let the seed heads stand until the following spring, when I cut them back at one time, divide any mature plants and transplant seedlings. I rarely provide supplemental water unless rainfall is scarce when the transplants and seeds need a good start. Since I allow the self-sowing of seeds, I don't use mulch except around the base of new plants. Mulch on top of the ripened and fallen seeds would prevent germination. In spots where the soil needs boosting, I work in amendments (organic compost) and sow seeds of filler plants such as nigella for spring and marigolds and cosmos for summer.

Less maintenance for the gardener means more time to enjoy the flowers (and work on the other gardens)!

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. Deer and rabbit resistance varies based upon the animal population and availability of food. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Let It Sow, Let It Sow, Let It Sow

Nigella damascena (Love-in-a-Mist) is a prolific
self-sowing annual.

Do you love the idea of drifts of jewel-box flowers in shades of blue to purple? Start with a few seeds from nigella damascena 'Miss Jekyll Blue' and just let them go, let them sow! A year later, you're likely to have a thick, mass planting of this sweet flowers.

Want proof? Take a look at the nigella in my garden in May 2010.

Nigella mixed with poppies May 2010.

The self-sown nigella area just beginning to bloom in May 2011.

Same nigella, different view
showing a Knock Out® Rose at the end.

In addition to letting this group self-sow, I collected pods and scattered seeds in other areas to see what combinations work together. While the 2010 nigella were restricted to the cottage garden, the flowers are now growing with achillea, salvia and agastache in the deer resistant garden. So far, no nibbling from deer or rabbits.

As I often do, I start taking photos before the peak bloom! I love these little flowers and the display is just beginning. Over the next week, there will be even more nigella blooming throughout my gardens.

There are other colors of nigella damascena or nigella hispanica from seed suppliers that include pink and deep rose as well as white with nearly black details. I am so tempted to try the other colors!

Too much of a good thing? It is easy to pull out any unwanted flowers. That said,  everyone needs to check regional invasive lists to make sure this flower isn't a problem for your area. To prevent the self-sowing, cut off the flowers before the seedpods dry. You can collect the seeds and sow them in autumn through early spring, or do as self-sowers do—plant the seeds in other areas at the same time the seed pods are ready to pop.

I sent nigella seeds to some of my gardening friends. I hope they'll still be friends after the nigella takes over their gardens!

Nigella with salvia (autumn sage).

Nigella with yellow achillea (yarrow)
and purple salvia 'Victoria'.

Nigella is quite photogenic!

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. Deer and rabbit resistance varies based upon the animal population and availability of food. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Bloom Time Line: Spring Bulbs

This is repeat story from 2010—a popular topic for those anticipating spring blooms from bulbs! As an update for 2011, the VOLES ate all of my Dutch iris bulbs over the winter. Very sad! Worse than the deer herd whose population is ever-increasing and chose only to munch a yucca in desperation over the winter.

When do plants bloom? That's always an important question when designing a garden. By noting bloom times, it is easier to match up companions for the future.

When selecting bulbs to bloom in mid-April, I shopped for bloom times in May or June—based on zone 5 bulb sellers.

All of my bulbs were planted in late autumn for spring bloom. The bulbs that have been in my garden for several years bloomed a few days earlier than new bulbs. Bloom time was also earlier for bulbs in all day full sun— versus bulbs in sun for half of the day.

Below is a recap of the dates for spring blooming bulbs in my zone 7b garden in North Carolina. Of course, warmer zones will have earlier blooms and cooler zones will have later blooms. Bloom times also differ by variety, so I'm not including daffodils in my recap.

April 15 - Dutch iris (iris x hollandica)
Blooms finished on most varieties by May 7.


April 15 - Spanish bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica)
Blooms ended around April 30.


April 15 - allium aflatunenense 'Purple Sensation'
Blooms were fading by May 7, but the green orbs will be interesting for another week.



April 22 - Star of Persia (allium christophii)
Still in bloom on May 7 and the green orbs will be left for interest.



Every bulb included has proven to be deer resistant. The Dutch iris foliage was nibbled by rabbits early on. The irises recovered so I consider all of these blooms to be rabbit resistant. Your results with wildlife may be different.

These perennial bulbs multiply every year, so it's important to mark the location in the spring if you need to divide the bulbs in the fall.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. Deer and rabbit resistance varies based upon the animal population and availability of food. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Garden Inspiration: Lilies and Bee Balm in Buffalo

Missing out on the July 2010 Garden Walk Buffalo, I had to tour vicariously through the reports of other garden bloggers. Gardeners, such as Gail at Clay and Limestone were all wowed by a combination of bee balm (monarda) with lilies!

I can do that—because I already grow the plants! All I need to do is a bit of garden tweaking to replicate the inspiration.

Monarda 'Raspberry Wine' is a big player in my cottage garden as well as in my outer gardens (aka "the deer resistant gardens"). Also growing inside my cottage garden fence is the perennial 'Starfighter' lily. However, the lily is NOT deer resistant, so I will replicate the Buffalo inspiration inside the cottage garden. All I need to do is transplant the lily from behind my azaleas to pair it up with the monarda.

Monarda 'Raspberry Wine'
with echinacea 'Prairie Splendor'
and annual castor bean in the cottage garden.

My favorite color combination is a mix of blooms and foliage colors that work with cool reds (magenta) and burgundy. The oriental lily 'Starfighter' is a natural to fit into this combination. The 'Starfighter' is a sister to the famous 'Stargazer' lily.

The 'Starfighter' is around three feet tall in bloom, so I will transplant it on the far side of the monarda which is the opposite side from the coneflowers. The lily will be between the monarda and salvia guaranitica 'Black & Blue'. The monarda and the salvia will keep the roots of the lily shaded—a necessity in this full sun location in my zone 7b.

My 'Starfighter' is now in the fourth year in my garden and is rated for zones 4-9. Oriental lilies are best transplanted in the fall, but I can safely shovel out this growing clump to transplant it in early spring. Since it flowers in July, the plant should have time to catch up and bloom again this year.

You can also plant new lily bulbs—and monarda plants—this spring, so there is plenty of time to recreate this garden inspiration at your home, too!

Oriental lily 'Starfighter' blooms in July in my garden.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. Deer and rabbit resistance varies based upon the animal population and availability of food. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Garden Plants: Best Performance in 2010

Best Perennial in a Leading Role
Agastache 'Cotton Candy'

Agastache 'Cotton Candy' never stopped blooming from April until frost. Gotta love it! Healthy and robust, I tried pinching it back, cutting it back and leaving it alone. No matter what I did, this agastache was happy all through the first growing season in my garden. Ignored by deer and rabbits, agastache is loved by bees and butterflies. This variety survived more than 90 days of 90 degree temperatures with little water!

Agastache 'Cotton Candy' from Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.

Best Perennial in a Supporting Role
Creeping Perennial Heliotrope 'Azure Skies'

Once again, heliotropium amplexicaule 'Azure Skies' from the Southern Living® Collection is the best ground-covering perennial that never stops blooming, rewarding you with Six Months of Bloom from One Perennial. The growth habit is low and it quickly covers several feet of ground. Cut it back to keep it from getting leggy, or let it grow, let it grow! 'Azure Skies' thrives in drought and is hated by deer and rabbits.

Heliotropium amplexicaule 'Azure Skies'
blooms for six months

Best Makeup
Leucanthemum 'Broadway Lights'

From pale yellow to white blooms on the same plant, the shasta daisy 'Broadway Lights' provides soft lighting along the garden path. Evergreen foliage (in my zone 7b) and ignored by deer and rabbits throughout the bloom season, this is a perennial worth growing. The short stature and straight stems make this perennial a great edger.

The blooms change colors on
Leucanthemum 'Broadway Lights'

Best Costume
Salvia guaranitica 'Black & Blue'

The hummingbird favorite, salvia 'Black & Blue' is dressed in the perfect blue that works with almost all other color combinations. Plant it with yellow, pink, white, red and even orange—the deep blue blooms are the perfect color companion. Resistant for those with deer (some nibbles) and rabbits, this long-blooming tender perennial is worth planting as an annual if it doesn't winter over for you.

The versatile deep blue of salvia guaranitica 'Black & Blue'
works with almost any other bloom color.

Best Visual Effects
Nigella damascena 'Miss Jekyll Blue'

Although nigella (love-in-a-mist) is an annual in most zones, this prolific self-sowing plant will return if you let it go to seed. The unusual blooms are almost out-of-this-world and they bloom for weeks and weeks. Then, the seedpods are decorative until they dry and burst open to sow the seeds. Plant almost anytime the ground isn't frozen in early spring through fall. Deer and rabbit resistant.

Sow nigella from seeds.

Best Foreign Perennial
iris ensata (Japanese iris), iris siberica (Siberian iris), and iris x Hollandica (Dutch iris)

The gorgeous blooms of iris are a "must" for my garden and I use Japanese, Siberian and Dutch for blooms from April through June. The foliage of the Japanese and Siberian iris also provide structure even when the there are no blooms. Deer will nibble the open blooms, so if you have a lot of traffic, cut the irises to use for flower arrangements. These perennials make it through the summer drought and can be divided in fall and transplanted. They are fine through winter wetness and I grow them in a rain garden and dry stream.

Delicate bloom on a tough plant.

Best Script
container garden of succulent plants

The summer of 2010 brought 90 days of temperatures over 90 degrees. I was very glad that I planted several containers based on plants, such as sempervivum, that require very little water. This succulent container looked great throughout the summer and is now over-wintering on my covered front porch where the plants receive morning sun and are protected from north and west winds.

Low-maintenance and water-wise succulent container garden.

Best Sound Effects
Joe Pye Weed 'Little Joe'

The best buzz in the garden was around the Joe Pye Weed 'Little Joe'. The butterflies and bees were drawn to the beautiful blooms. The deer and rabbits left the perennial alone and the height is a manageable four feet. I will not be without this perennial for the butterfly garden. It is a great companion for ironweed and milkweed.

Joe Pye Weed 'Little Joe' created a buzz in the garden!

Best Short Subject
Cranesbill geranium 'Rozanne'

In the third year, she leaped! My perennial geranium 'Rozanne' was quite the performer, blooming at the feet of my roses among salvias and coneflowers. Although I have to protect her from both deer and rabbits, Rozanne has earned a permanent place in my cottage garden. With a bit of trimming to keep her shape, the blooms continued throughout the summer.

Geranium 'Rozanne' is a great edging perennial.

Best Cinematography
A random mix of annuals and perennials

My "meadow madness"  proved to be a rewarding experiment. I have sown annual seeds, again at random—in colors of blue, purple, pink and white to attempt to repeat the scheme for spring 2011. Larkspur, cornflowers, agastache, poppies, verbena and rose campion are the major players for the meadow mix.

My "meadow mix" is a random sowing of
annuals to provide color among perennials that bloom later.

Check out the best performers from previous years in my zone 7b, North Carolina garden:

Best Performance in 2009
Best Performance in 2008

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. Deer and rabbit resistance varies based upon the animal population and availability of food. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.