Technically speaking, a wildflower is defined as a native plant that grows naturally in the wild, and is not a cultivar that is different from what nature created. That's a pretty broad definition. Most of us would most likely imagine wildflowers in a meadow or wooded area with a large variety of random native flowers growing in conditions that each plant has adapted to over eons. When we decide we want to create some of that wild meadow feeling in our own home gardens, it often turns into a battle to contain the wanderings of these wild-flowers as well as attempting to provide the right conditions for our favorite varieties. It can require lots of water to keep the wildflowers looking fresh and not weedy or scrappy. It can be an ongoing challenge to weed the volunteers that appear where they aren't welcome, as well as the true weeds and grasses that often creep into the mix over time. But, it doesn't have to be that difficult to enjoy a little bit of the meadow look at home. The trick is to choose plants that are native to your area/climate (and therefore require less water and just less fussing) and are likely to grow in a way that's suited to the amount of space you have and the tidiness that you prefer. Don't get me wrong, any wildflower will always have a loose and unplanned look to it. But then that's part of the true charm that appeals to us in the first place. Over many years of experimenting in my Northern Arizona mountain garden, I've found a few superstars that strike that balance. One of them is the Evening Primrose (I recently did a blog post about Growing Mexican Evening Primrose) and the other that I wanted to explore today is commonly called Blanket Flower. ~ post continues below, click Read More ~
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I love to have a garden that is relaxed and inviting - a cottage garden. But since we live in the high desert of Arizona I am careful to grow plants that don't require too much water and can take the dry early summer and four season climate here. Every early spring, of course, even the Arizona low-land deserts are covered with native wildflowers and the show is quite spectacular. But in a home garden on a small city sized lot, wildflowers can be challenging to incorporate without a scrappy or weedy look. And often they require quite a bit of water to regularly flourish and reseed on their own. Enter, the primrose (along with a few other plants I'll tell you about later). After much experimentation in my mountain garden here in Prescott, Arizona I have come to depend on this wildflower as a reliable and pretty plant to gives me that meadow feel I love without all the hassle. ~ post continues below, click Read More ~ Every summer we do a monthly garden feature, to share with you the success and inspiration of other local gardeners here in Prescott, Arizona. #gardensofprescott For August I'm featuring a garden in the Williamson Valley area, northwest of downtown. This garden is in a much newer part of town, than the July Garden, but it has a wonderful organic and lived-in feeling to it; like the garden has been here for a very long time. Because it is located in an area with many old Oak trees, and was designed with meandering walks and small pockets of plantings and garden room destinations, it is friendly and inviting space to relax and entertain in the dappled light of the trees. ~ post continues below, click Read More ~ When someone mentions cactus, I bet most of you would first think of Prickly Pear. It is one of the most distinctive desert plants, and grows in a wide range of locations, but is typically considered a hot desert dweller. And for those of us who garden in the high country of Northern Arizona, some of you may not think of incorporating prickly pear initially. While our climate is considered a high desert, it might be surprising to know that many prickly pear varieties will not only survive in our four season climate, but truly thrive. |
July News & Inspiration: • 5 Reasons to Use Pots in your Garden Landscape • Artful Uses of Budget Friendly Garden Materials • Growing Cactus & Succulents in the High Desert • Welcome Monsoon! • 5 Ways to Celebrate National Simplicity Day • Celebrating Summer Solstice & Carl Sandburg • Gardens of Prescott: July Feature • Slow Down & Relish a Meal Outdoors • Stay Connected, join the conversation • What's Up Next at The Whiskey Porch? |
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It's another lovely rainy afternoon here in the high country of Northern Arizona. Hope it is too wherever you are.
~Miriam
Gardening, on a budget? Sounds like an oxymoron to me! Let's face it. We all start out with a fabulous idea for the perfect addition to our garden or landscape, and inevitably realize that it's more complicated and expensive that we imagined. Sometimes there's just no getting around it - some projects, whether you do-it-yourself or hire someone are just going to be pricey. A paver patio for example, or an elaborate gazebo. In the case of a paver patio there are definitely some materials choices that can be made, some very creative, but there's just nothing like the look and durability of a properly build paver patio. And that costs. |
But in most cases, there are often many budget friendly material options to achieving your garden addition. And, I'll just be really honest here, a lot of times it ends up looking (and lasting) like a thrown together project.
Even with cheaper materials it's really important to consider the longevity of the material as well as the way you build it to make it worth your while. Because, in the end you're time will be worth way more than the materials and you want to spend your time in a meaningful way so that you can enjoy your beautiful project for a good long while.
So, in the spirit of sharing some artful uses of unusual garden materials, I decided to put together this blog post to focus on a few that I think are worth considering. I've got 6 Budget Material ideas for you - let's get to it.
~ post continues, click "read more" ~
This is a new summer monthly feature for us. #gardensofprescott
So, for the month of July, just to kick things off, I've decided to start with my own garden here at Juniper Hill Cottage - in downtown Prescott.
Although this is a standard sized downtown lot, we've packed a lot into the space including meandering walks, covered porches, patios and gazebos, tons of shade, and even a completely custom built kitchen garden where I am growing over 100 different herbs, almost entirely from seed.
One of the biggest highlights that make it feel luxurious is the creation of many small garden "rooms" and extensive integration with the massive old trees we are fortunate to have (13 of them at last count) and some outstanding views.
~ post continues below, click read more ~
Usually we plan our garden landscape around patios, arbors, outdoor kitchens, and the trees and shrubs that will decorate the space. But sometimes there is nothing better or more appropriate than incorporating carefully selected and placed pots. You can, of course, create a garden entirely out of pots - if you move often, or just don't have the space to plant in the ground. In this case, though, I'm thinking about the magic that happens when you add pots to an outdoor landscape - not as an after-thought, but as an integral and inspired part of the overall design. |
And after thinking about it, I realized that there are many great reasons to not only add pots to your landscape but actually use them strategically as part of your problem solving strategy as well as you creative design.
Here's 5 great reasons that I hope you'll consider.
~post continues, click "read more" ~
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Hey there. I'm Miriam ~ and I've been doing this my whole life. It's my passion.
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