Garden/tank design website

[deranged chipmunk]

The past few weeks, I have been working on a design for a friend's garden. While I was poking around on the Internet trying to get some inspiration, I came across this website. I found it to be interesting and could help folks in designing their builds. Yes, I know it is a garden design website, but the principles discussed can, and should be easily converted to tank design. While not as thorough as other websites I have seen, this one is good for the casual builder. I hope it helps some people design their tanks in a much more easier way

http://www.gardendesignexposed.com/


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[LilyPad]

That is a very cool site. When I worked at the garden center, I was constantly trying to draw quick layouts for customers, something like that would have made it much easier for them to do it themselves. Everyone assumed that just having me draw it out was so simple...yet then they didn't bring in the actual dimensions of the area to be planted, what kind of sun it got, what the soil was like etc...not that easy then. Other people would have the dimensions and a picture of what they wanted it to look like, and then were shocked by the amount of plants they'd need. We live in Wisconsin people...not a lot of growing time here. If you want it FULL you need a lot of plants now or you'll have to wait a few years for the perennials to fill in, IF they all come back on the years that we have a ridiculously harsh winter (like last year.) I love garden design, but I do not miss working with people. End of vent, I'll keep this site in bookmarked for the future though.

[deranged chipmunk]

Hahahahaha!! People tend to see these gardens so full and lush and don't realize exactly how much is involved with it, and just how long those plants have been growing. When I told my friend his garden would take about 10 years to fully mature, he freaked. He wanted the cottage garden look, now! I said sure, we just need to place a plant order of about $3000. Suddenly, he didn't mind letting it grow in a few years lol


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[LilyPad]

That's the truth! My butterfly/hummingbird garden has been going for, I think, 4 years now, and is just starting to look full. I'm still supplementing it with annuals to fill in yet, I'm hoping in the next 2 or 3 years I can stop doing that. My shade garden has been established for 8 years and it's finally huge and gorgeous. Another garden I started 2 years ago, it looks so bare and empty yet. I ended up buying about $100 worth of perennials for it again this year because I lost all my lavender in it due to the flooding. It just rotted off.

Honestly, I spend way WAY too much money on my gardens every year. This year is the least I spent in a long time, and only because I'm not working at the garden center anymore.

EDIT: My shade garden WAS huge and gorgeous...until the deer got ahold of it. They've never gone to that part of the yard before My coleus, begonias, and hostas were all completely destroyed.

[deranged chipmunk]

Now see, you have my interest piqued. Pics of these gardens??


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[LilyPad]

I'm at work but I'm trying to steal some off my fb page to upload here. It's a slow slow process. I did not get pictures of the shade garden before it was eaten, but I'm working on reviving a few of the coleus (saved 4) and one of the begonia plants, so hopefully it'll be nice and lush by the end of the summer again.

[deranged chipmunk]

Just in time for winter to set in lol


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[LilyPad]

Exactly, I actually ordered my coleus early this year and started it inside because it's such a slow grower in WI spring. So it was the biggest it's ever been. I have heard it's like "deer candy," but the deer have never gone to the area where my shade garden is before. Of course, this is my first summer without a dog in 16 years, and I've had more deer/woodchucks/squirrels/bunnies in my yard than ever as a result.

[LilyPad]

Have to upload one pic at a time, so I will upload, edit, upload, etc,

Butterfly garden - in desperate need of weeding right now, please overlook that LOL


Window box (about a month ago)


One of two matching gardens...need to fill in now that most of my lavender died, haven't had time yet. Also took the holly bushes out, not happy with them there. Again, please ignore the weeds. That is my job this weekend.


A pic of my petunias from the garden center last year. These suckers were my babies. Started from seeds indoors in March and tended them until sold.


Random pics-
Planning to rip the lambs ear out this fall and do all types of impatiens here next year. This pic is several weeks old already.


I have a lot more pics somewhere, I will have to take some new ones this next week as everything continues to bloom. I have a lily garden too, but I lost most of those bulbs when everything flooded earlier this spring. They were sitting in about a half foot of water Between the bitter colds this past winter and the flooding this spring, my gardens were not happy and have been slow to get going.

[deranged chipmunk]

Even under adverse conditions, they are very pretty, and well done. Never worry about weeds, they are plants too!!
You last pic reminds me of where I am at right now. Container gardening. It sucks not having a real garden, but all that will change soon! Then I will have a proper garden to absorb all my hard earned cash!! Lol


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[LilyPad]

Thanks, Bill! What you should do is get a job managing a garden center, and then have your boss give you a "bonus" of not having you pay for all the plants you took home at the end of the season because the greenhouse was so profitable

[LilyPad]

Coleus is making a comeback hostas are not

[deranged chipmunk]

LOVE the coleus! i've never been a big fan of hostas. they can be a deer salad as far as i am concerned. lol

[LilyPad]

The area is both shady and acidic. Hostas grow amazing there, I have 4 different varieties now. I have tried other plants, but they just do not take between the lighting and the acidity. Begonias and coleus are both annuals, but they thrive there and look awesome in contrast to the hostas. I planted 12 coleus and 6 begonias, saved 4 coleus and 1 begonia.