Lessons Learned in a Gardening Life

A long-time gardener reflects on successes and failures

Today we ’re visiting the garden of Luana Carpenter in Massillon , Ohio .

My parents were wonderful gardeners so I reckon I was prosperous to get the gardening bug from them . After my husband and I go into our home , I begin with start from my parents ’ garden and put in my first bed . The yard was spare and neglected but had some endearing trees . My biggest regret was bringing lily of the valley(Convallaria majalis , Zones 3–8 ) from my old house even though it is my birth flower . We have a love / hate relationship .

I want to garden for wildlife , so I put in plants the hoot and bees need for food , shelter , and piss and for raising their young .

Included were evergreens , bush that produce berries , perennial , and a small garden pond . I became license by the National Wildlife Federation .

I had some failure in my part - shadiness , part - sun garden with find sphere that did n’t drain well and that take to have dirt brought in to put forward up beds . My first lesson in how important good drain is in a garden had to do with the perennial my parents had given me from their cheery garden , which did n’t fair well in my garden .

I wanted to make the garden a secret retirement , so I asked my hubby to make screens along the east and west sides of the property . This has also allow me to implant climbers , which I roll in the hay .

While my hubby has never been a gardener , gratefully he has agreed to build mandril , compost bins , and a swing house . There was a metre when my married man thought me a trivial off as I would come home with plant life with no place to put them and so would dig up more lawn to make elbow room .

Over the more than 20 years that I ’ve been gardening this thou , industrial plant have get and proceed . While I began with mostly garden pink , purples , and Edward Douglas White Jr. , I slowly tot up more color , although I still prefer more reposeful colour . I do it beds full of plants , and if I would have to categorise my garden , I would say it ’s bungalow dash .

White Siberian iris(Iris siberica , Zones 3–9 ) flower by the pond .

My garden will never be finished , and like most gardeners during the winter months , I ’m excited for leaping to come so I can get my hands dirty again .

Have photos to share ? We ’d bonk to see your garden , a particular collection of plants you screw , or a marvellous garden you had the opportunity to visit !

To submit , send 5 - 10 photograph to[email protected]along with some information about the plant in the pictures and where you use up the picture . We ’d have it off to get wind where you are site , how long you ’ve been garden , successes you are proud of , failures you learned from , hope for the futurity , favorite plants , or funny stories from your garden .

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