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What a difference the sun makes!

60 comments


I love my garden but it doesn’t match up to lots of your wonderfully colourful borders and fabulous combinations of plants ~ I am learning how to do that from being on here.

Anyway, the back border as you can see is mostly green with the backdrop of the woods:

I needed something to lighten it up and break up the green, nice as it was; I tried white which usually works but it was Rudbeckia Prairie Sun that did the trick:

Here it is again ~ I bought 2 plants and then 2 more because I was so pleased with them:

I love them, they remind me of that van gogh sunflower picture:

I only hope they survive!

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Comments

 

It's lovely Sticki, the yellow really stands out. Well done!

5 Aug, 2011

 

thank you sheila ~ its thanks to one of the local GCs that had it on offer!!!

5 Aug, 2011

 

Your garden is beautiful! You should be proud! I love it! and WEll Done! :)

5 Aug, 2011

 

Wow, that really lights it up doesnt it.

5 Aug, 2011

 

Very beautiful Sticki. Lucky to have that backdrop as well!

5 Aug, 2011

 

I love your garden and the way it extends into the natural back ground. The new yellow plants work really well to. I think its good to take photos as the lens sees what the owner sometimes doesnt - the beauty in a garden you created.

5 Aug, 2011

 

that certainly hits the spot Sticki! What an amazing transformation with just 2 plants. It looks stunning.

5 Aug, 2011

 

I love your garden Sticki....The yellow Rudbeckias are lovely...I have had my eye on that variety for a while now...Will have to get a couple...:>)

5 Aug, 2011

 

They light the border up - great choice. :-)))

I need you to be aware that they may not survive if we get a hard winter, though. My 'Autumn Shades' are the same. This is what I found on 't' net.

"Gloriosa Daisy hybrids are short-lived perennials, sometimes treated as annuals. Often these will survive a few winters, or at least self seed."

We'll both be keeping our fingers crossed, and I'm going to leave some seedheads on and hope they do seed themselves.

5 Aug, 2011

 

thanks spritz, i was hoping someone would know a bit more about them; i really hope they come back next year but if not they have still been worth it ~ like having a beautiful bunch of flowers to look at every day ~ i can see that view from my lounge window.

thank you pixi, cinderella and lil ~ yes i am lucky ~ its not so good in the autumn mind you ~ so many leaves!!!

I agree Drc ~ im no good at being objective but i can see it better through a camera! [as an aside i find clothes buying the same ~ cant see what it looks like until i see it on camera !!]

thank you too tet and mot. ive certainly enjoyed looking at them.

5 Aug, 2011

 

Your garden is gorgeous Sticki....If I had that view from my lounge, I would never get up off my backside!!
The Rudbeckia did the job perfectly.
I don't want to rain on your parade, but I lost these last year in the bad weather :( I hope you and Spritz get a result!

5 Aug, 2011

 

lots of fleece? do they die right down? thanks for the nice comments ~ and the warning scottish!

5 Aug, 2011

 

It looks lovely Sticki, I envy you the woods at the back even with all those leaves that are no doubt going to head your way, think of all the lovely leaf mould next year...
You were right about the yellow, it works a treat....

5 Aug, 2011

 

sadly we dont use the leaf mould ~ i know you will all be horrified ~ well i suppose thats not strictly true ~ eventually the leaves do work into the soil and some of the soil is fabulous ~ but they are oak woods and the leaves dont seem to break down like others do.

the bigger problem is the shade they cast but i still love having the woods there ~ even if it does make a shady garden.
thanks lincslass

5 Aug, 2011

 

I love your borders Stickitoffee :)))

5 Aug, 2011

 

What pretty flowers - I especially like the big greenish ball in the centre - a good choice ?

5 Aug, 2011

 

thanks michaella and mariek ~ the green ball in the middle of the rudbeckia mariek?

5 Aug, 2011

 

Och Sticki! You should put more pics of your garden on! It's gorgeous! I love it! It looks lovely and soothing!
I grew Prairie Sun last year from seed, but it doesn't survive, but, what does, is Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm'. It's a perennial, with the same yellow flowers but with a black seedhead a bit like a small sunflower in the middle, that looks like a teddy bears nose! lots of people have it in their garden, here on Goy, so you could look at them. People have said that it's been a bit rampant in their gardens, but I think it would be fine with you, and it's such a lovely colour I don't think you could have too much! It's very well behaved with me! There are lovely yellow Crocosmia as well, nice spiky leaf shape, one of the ones I have has variegated leaves! I've grown Coreopsis Early Sunrise for the first time and it's cracking too. Same lovely yellow egg yolk shade as the Rudies! These last two are perennial too and don't mind the frost. I'll post some pics tomorrow night! We have to go and get some grey shoes to match a dress I'm wearing to a wedding on the 20th, I'd like to see if I can catch a bargain in the sales, we only just got the invite yesterday! Sorry for rambling Sticki, I'll just go and put myself on the naughty step... What's the procedure? Stay here for one minute for every year old? Sigh, I could be here for a while...;0)x

5 Aug, 2011

 

I love your garden and just one plant colour lifts it to something special. I love green gardens as much as the ones with lots of colour they have a restfulness about them.

6 Aug, 2011

 

thank you jen, i love the green too ~ perhaps mine is restful cos i havent worked so hard!!??

thank you libet, thats really helpful ~ i must look out for those. i hope you get your grey shoes ~ i have done the wedding outfit thing ~ i have ivory white shoes ~ do you want to borrow them? i wont need them by the 20th!!!

6 Aug, 2011

 

That's so kind of you Sticki! I forgot you had a wedding coming up! Those ivory white shoes sound like the finishing touch to a lovely outfit! I'll keep them in mind! You must put some more of your garden on Sticki, it's so lovely...you should be proud of it, you have a very difficult site to work with! I think it's lovely!x

6 Aug, 2011

 

Sticki, thats looks fantastic, Im the same - lots ideas from GOY and inspiration, and some really good suggestions from everyone as to what else to plant, looks beautiful :^)

6 Aug, 2011

 

Beautiful garden Sticki , looks so natural and the Rudbekia sun has brought sunshine in your garden.

6 Aug, 2011

 

You've really made that border a treat for the eyes, Sticki, it's marvellous! Troppo modesto!!

6 Aug, 2011

 

H Sticki.

We have lots of shade and green here also. I have found two ways to handle it. One is to plant those things that like morning sun, bleeding hearts seem to enjoy the shade of the afternoon. The other is to plant in pots so the plants can be moved into more sun until the ideal spot is located.

as for oak leaves, I use whatever I can get hold of. Oak leaves get chewed by the lawn mower and then composted in the raised beds for the winter. In the spring I toss that over the flower beds, and work whatever is left over into the beds along with new mown grass.

I might suggest that the oak leaves would make excellent over winter mulch on the beki's, can't hurt and might help save them.

Good luck with your garden, green is an excellent background for any color in the flower world. Mixed colors all seem to pop in front of it.

6 Aug, 2011

 

Just love that back border Sticki!

6 Aug, 2011

 

you are all so kind ~ thank you, its so nice to hear your lovely appreciative comments; the garden was lovely when we came here, its not so tidy as it was with the previous owners but i have put in more plants

thanks rusty ~ i will try some of those things ~ good idea.

the most difficult bit libet is not falling over when i try to work on the slope!! i need a few paths i think??

thank you again lulu, rusty, sheila, camilia, daylily and libet, what good friends you are!

6 Aug, 2011

 

xx
:)

6 Aug, 2011

 

Beautiful Sticki

6 Aug, 2011

 

Good choice your border looks lovely.

6 Aug, 2011

 

your garden looks lovey sticki...

6 Aug, 2011

 

They remind me of Van Gogh too Sticki! I must say, I don't know why you think your garden doesn't match up..it looks absolutely fantastic to me! What about that backdrop too! It's so pretty....I would love a woodland behind my house! I agree, the rudbeckia really does the job of adding accents to your border...well done!

6 Aug, 2011

 

i think your garden has a natural look with the trees in the background, lovely rudbeckia to ;o)

6 Aug, 2011

 

It is scented with lilies at the moment which is lovely. I also have some very interesting fuchsias - I can't seem to get a good photo but I will keep trying.

Many thanks Yorkshire, clarice, hollyeaves, Karen and sanbaz.

6 Aug, 2011

 

Beautiful backdrop to your garden ... and a lovely border with the Rudbeckias ... much nicer than seeing chimney pots! :o)))

6 Aug, 2011

 

What a lovely garden Sticki; very natural looking which I like. And the first photo shows how well you can make a garden blend into landscape. I think you're very lucky and I envy you. The yellow really lifted the border whilst keeping the 'natural 'look. Love it.

7 Aug, 2011

 

Great garden sticki. It just shows what a big difference adding a bit of colour can make. We have a woodland area we have created at the top of our garden, just because we had to do something to work with the trees we inherited. but the top border which meets the woodland is very similar to how yours was, lovely and lush but lacking in colour. after seeing how great yours looks, i feel a trip to the GC coming on!!

7 Aug, 2011

 

I am with Scottish, if I had a view like that I would sit there looking at it all day.
What a great natural backdrop, I love it.

7 Aug, 2011

 

Good grief Sticki...most of us would give our eye teeth (whatever they are and if we still have them) for a garden like this! It's beautiful...don't forget the Welsh poppies:-))

8 Aug, 2011

 

Lovely! Wish I had room for a few! :-)

8 Aug, 2011

 

You are a lovely lot! Thank you Shirley, diggin, Tilly, containerch, Ba and red. Lots of welsh poppies earlier Ba.

8 Aug, 2011

 

Sticki they flower all year if you dead head them regularly :-))

9 Aug, 2011

 

oooh thanks for that Ba!! i shall go out with the secateurs now!!!

9 Aug, 2011

 

Too cold:-(

9 Aug, 2011

 

snip snip snip, im very busy!!!

9 Aug, 2011

 

If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were having me on:-)

9 Aug, 2011

 

really???

9 Aug, 2011

 

Beautiful Sticki:)

9 Aug, 2011

 

thank you nana d!

9 Aug, 2011

 

Sticki even without the Rudbeckia lovely though it is, you have made a great job of what could have been a difficult border. It looks as if that woodland is part and parcel of your garden, even the little of the fencing that you see is in keeping with its surroundings. All in all I think a gold star is in order.

9 Aug, 2011

 

wow! thank you stroller ~ you have made my week! never had a gold star before!!

9 Aug, 2011

 

I agree with Stroller, you deserve that star,and you have made your garden really lovely especially working with the shade you have. Rudbeckias are my most favourite of all flowers as they seem to flower anywhere and all summer whatever the weather.

10 Aug, 2011

 

Have you tried helianthemum lemon queen? I had one which spread like mad, too much for my front garden so had to get rid of it. It's a pretty plant and may be fine in your garden, though it looks lovely as it is:-)

10 Aug, 2011

 

you are very kind rose; the fuchsias are beginning to come out now ~ i really like them.

10 Aug, 2011

 

i shall have a look for that Ba ~ thank you.

10 Aug, 2011

 

when i looked, couldn't believe how gorgeous your garden is - :( long way to go........... and 'yes' the sun makes such a difference

12 Aug, 2011

 

Hello stickitoffee, your border looks really nice and even more so with the lovely backdrop of the trees.

12 Aug, 2011

 

Thank you flowerpower and julien, it is only small but the trees are lovely. Nice easy soil to dig too - which is a huge bonus!

13 Aug, 2011

 

its lovely ................ and lucky you to have the woods as well

16 Aug, 2011

 

Thanks Cristina, the woods are the best part of living here!

16 Aug, 2011

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