Today we’re off to Laufersweiler, Germany, to see Dani’s beautiful garden.
I am sending some photos of my little rose garden. I am an American living in Germany and have become a plant hoarder. My garden is 15 years old, only one-tenth of an acre, and already is stuffed with 385 roses, hundreds of bulbs, and perennials. The coronavirus lockdown did not help, as most of my days were spent online buying more and more discounted plants or bulbs. These purchases must be hidden from my hubby, who thinks plants and gardening are a waste of good money. His critique has made me go underground with my habit. Below is a description of my last no-no. He had no idea.
“Mud is everywhere—in my hair, in my socks, under my nails. My sneakers are covered. My mind screamed, ‘Need to clean this up before the hubby gets back.’ Burned the boxes and invoice, check. Put plastic in the trash, check. This afternoon, I planted 20 tree lilies, 40 normal lilies, 50 crocuses, one massive Itoh tree peony root, 10 white daffodils, 15 monster Allium bulbs, 75 anemones, 100 short irises. Three hours later there was no evidence of my bulb shipment except the mud-plastered shoes sitting next to the stairs and the mud trailings from the door to the laundry room.
“To cover up my obsessive plant/bulb shopping, I think I’ll tell the hubby I moved a rose or something. Since the weather is not freezing cold, I managed to buy all these bulbs for 50% less than normal retail and get them in the ground before they froze. This time of the year, Dutch growers sell off their stock for dumping prices. After all of that work, I literally walked in the house, stripped, put all of my clothes including my coat in the washer, and took my naked, tired butt upstairs to shower.
“I’m out of control. The beds are so stuffed that I quite often hit a bulb trying to squeeze yet another in. But when tree lilies only cost 50 cents each, well, they have to go in. Hubby will be amazed how many “seeds spread” this year. He doesn’t have a clue about plants and thinks my roses are naturalizing and spreading! Sure, reproducing/cloning—including the plastic tag!”
The beautiful pink rose ‘Augusta Louise’
What a wonderful idea—free bouquets hanging from the garden fence for anyone walking by to take and enjoy
This garden is overflowing with lush flowers.
Arbors are covered with the climbing rose ‘Ilse Krohn’.
Spires of foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea, Zones 4–9)
The incredible clematis ‘Nelly Moser’ (Clematis ‘Nelly Moser’, Zones 4–9) is covered with soft lavender blooms.
A stunning bouquet from the garden
Roses and foxgloves bloom under the apple tree.
A garden statue is tucked into the lush abundance of this garden.
Have a garden you’d like to share?
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