Re: [SG] Something Odd

Well, now, Clyde -when I was at Sissinghurst, I seem to recall borders
chock full of assorted flowering plants - well placed, to be sure, but
mixed.

And, the last time I was at Longwood, I was totally impressed with the
borders in the front - absolutely full of annuals used in the most
intriguing ways - again, in good taste, at least to my eye; might have made
someone else want to throw up.

But, to each his own and what I consider an eyesore may be heaven to
someone else.  Blocks and masses of the same plant can be effective and
they can also be boring...depends.

Now, my pet peeve is the placement of small, scraggly annuals, purchased in
bloom on single stems, (worst offenders:  marigolds and red salvia) in
stiff rows about 3 feet on center.  They will never amount to a hill of
beans and I see this so often from here north to PA and beyond and south to
Richmond and beyond.  If you're going to use annuals, be generous is what I
say.  And, hafta agree with you about Petunias.  No matter what you do,
they look like hell come July and they are so fetching in May.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
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>  Hi Marge,
>
> I know that Page designed the Duke & Duchess of Windsor's country garden
in
> France to look like an English garden, but he deplored the use of
flowers.
> Trees, water, and grass., period. I think we inherited our "love" for
flowers
> from the English, but they know how to use them. Most Americans do not
know
> how to plant a proper perennial border, nor would most ever consider the
> wonderful practice of bedding out.
>
> Now Vita Sackville-West did use flowers but did not mix them horribly as
most
> American gardeners would do. If she were alive today and saw the use
> Americans make of flowers I think she would turn over in her grave.
>
> I do not object to the use of flowers, but rather to the WAY they are
used.
> They should be planted in MASSES--one and only one variety and color.Not
that
> awful practice of planting red salvias with ageratums and allysums.OR the
> HORRIBLE use of pellies and window boxes with all those things mixed
> together. AND petunias! Come August, most are nothing but scraggly stems.
> Isn't Longwood considered a great garden? VERY VERY few flowers and
certainly
> NO annuals.
>
> Aff.,
>
> Clyde Crockett z5 Indy IN
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