There comes a time in a young gardens life when it goes through an ugly phase. Usually in late spring or early summer you can tell what worked and what didn’t and the “what didn’ts” can be a bit disheartening. Something part of your design might not work or you may have a string of plant deaths that make you question whether you really know what the hell you are doing. Maybe you actually have one of those black thumbs that none gardeners are always talking about.
There have definitely been some disappointments in my garden. I usually notice them when I am crawling around the garden grouchily pulling out the stupid kikuyu grass that keeps coming back. Some perennials are growing slower than I thought they would, of course there are plants that I was really excited about that dropped dead for no discernible reason even though everything around them is thriving, entire areas where I added that new soil are dying or not thriving (I should have added compost instead of just planting mix – that can always be fixed), and of course a few plants that are new to me aren’t quite as impressive as I thought they would be or didn’t bloom as long as I thought they would.
Before you let your failures get you down it is important to step back and look at the garden as a whole to see what did work and make notes about what can be improved for next year. The garden as a whole doesn’t look so bad.
Looks nice enough from a distance, right? In the medit garden the Santolinas are blooming, and the Gaura and Nepeta have been pretty successful. I absolutely love the silvery white Calocephalus and the Salvia ‘Aromas’ has been pretty awesome. The California poppies were amazing and I have cut most of them back all the way to the ground in the hopes that they will leaf out again this fall and come back even stronger next year.
The new annuals to the left of the mailbox are filling in and I think they will be really nice when they bloom.
Next year the garden will be even better! But I think it is off to a good start (just don’t look too close).
I have really enjoyed watching what is happening in this new garden. I find the ” garden as a whole” shots to be particularly interesting, as spaces fill in. And I am rooting for the path garden to go, go, go!
I am going to try to do an update on the path garden soon(ish). As expected the Thymes did very well and I may add more of them to replace the meh stuff.
We are our own worst critics. You had some variables, a learning curve of the soil, climate differences, critters, etc. In some cases you have knowledge of species but growing them first hand for the first time and learning of their idiosyncrasies, that is also a first. You have next year and many more to hone your yard to perfection. Cut yourself some slack, your yard looks great from a distance and I’m sure up close and personal, it’s the bomb. Il tuo cantiere è bella!
Oh yeah I totally cut myself some slack toward the end of the post. Maybe I didn’t get that across very well. I think it is important to look at the big picture (which is quite nice and has received a lot of compliments from neighbors) and think of the failures as a lesson.
I definitely consider it a learning process as gardening in CA is hugely different than gardening back in NJ or even designing gardens for clients.
I reread, got it.
Yes, I do understand when you say some plants grow well while others fail or look at you as if they have turned to stone -We used to own a shack down near Port Arthur and not far from the ocean, with lots of land…, so cleared the block and I planted mostly native shrubs, some gorgeous fancy shrubs which were mulched, and trees. – A lot were either eaten by wildlife, died, or disappeared ! – years later and much more gardening experience, I now realize that I should have planted Acacias, Eucalyptous, Cacti, Aloe, Succulents and Geraniums as all survive well in sandy soil – I dread to calculate the $$$ in lost plants. – cheers, Rose – Tasmania
One thing I will do next year is simplify the design by replacing the plants that didn’t work with more of the ones that did. Or maybe I’ll add some totally new things!
I did add a succulent section to the large border. More about that soon.
I think it looks really nice–on the verge of something great when the plants mature and fill in. I mope over my garden in July and August..in fact when I had the Idylls here a couple years ago I had them come in June instead of July ..I was worried that not only would my garden look crappy, every other garden in Norcal would too.I hope you’ll continue to take photos from this vantage point as the seasons progress.
Thanks! I definitely will continue to take lots of before and after pictures.
“The garden as a whole doesn’t look so bad”…what!? It looks fabulous! When you begin to think otherwise go back and look at some of your before shots. Not even close. Also stop to think of all the little critters you’ve provided for with what you’ve planted…
Your neighbors are terribly lucky!!!!
Keep up the great work!
I agree, new plantings can cause anxiety. But then seeing what does well and building around those plants, that’s when a garden really hits its groove. You are on your way! Trying so many new things is going to give your garden an amazing stamp of originality, like that thriving calocephalus.
I’ll echo what others have said…it looks GREAT for a first-year garden! It is hard at first, as it seems like things will never fill in…and all you can see are the gaps between the plants. I think it looks awesome for such a young garden…especially considering what was there before your garden (NOTHING)! I’ve come to accept that we gardeners will never really be satisfied with our gardens…we will always find something to change
i like it alot! Love all the colourfulness and free spririt in the garden space! well done
) i would like to add my 2 cents worth, and do with it wat u will… maybe a creeper like thunbergia alata (black-eyed susan) for the fence in the background. just to screen it, as its not attractive and because of all the low growing shrubbery it keeps your eye at that level. its a quick grower and doesn’t like alot of water. or jasminum multipartitum (starry jasmine) great scent, creeps beautfiully too . or even bouganvillia sp (stunning love full sun etc). maybe try some shrubs which can be hedged (cut the sides only leaves the top wild (prune twice a year) just to create more interest and seperate areas such as driveways, walkways, your garden will become 3 dimensional… something like duranta ‘sheenas gold’ (it is south african hybrid, not sure if you get a duranta there in CA, but it is lime green leaved and semi-deciduous) tiny blue/purple flower. Another goodie is abelia grandiflora “francis mason” variegated leaf, stunning! A larger shrub something with a veriegated larger leaf like Agave attenuata ‘variegate’ this is one of yours (am sure!), its large gorgeous leaves succulent like, drought resistant and makes babies which u can lob off and chuck in sandy soil! Try find some larger leaved shrubs with bigger flowers just here and there and it will accentuate all these fine textured flowering plants you have grown with such love, so they can truly steal the moment 
love and light! Tavia
Yeah the fence is rather horrible. Unfortunately the bed in front of it was the last area that I prepared so the plants went in late and I had a lot of failures in that area. There were also sweet peas planted along it but they need to be started in fall in CA and I didn’t move in until Dec. and the planting area wasn’t ready until late April so only one plant survived. There is an Eccremocarpus too but for some reason it has not thrived. It is just barely hanging on to life. Not sure what is going on there as it is supposed to be quite weedy.
I was thinking maybe Mina lobata next year and I am definitely going to start a bunch of sweet peas in the fall. I have a Clematis that needs to go in the ground soon too.
I’ve afraid hedged shrubs are out of the question. It is not my favorite look and I have zero interest in that kid of maintenance. There are some shrubs in the garden though. They are all just rather tiny right now. And I have just started adding succulents to the largest border and I’m hoping to do a big succulent and shrub garden in the side yard in the fall (possibly. there are some external factors that may change that plan).
Since most of my plants are from mediterranean climates I don’t have much with large leaves and flowers but I know what you mean about having them set off the smaller flowers nicely.
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