On a dreary January morning a thick fog has settled over this low lying garden nestled between foothills at the western edge of Virginia’s Piedmont. Today, temperatures will be slightly above the seasonal average, with the slight cover of snow and ice melting quickly in the relative warmth. My rambles through the garden are more…
Category: ponds
Plants that seed themselves about
My annual budget for plants is not extravagant, though certainly my wife will disagree. Our property is somewhat over an acre, and much is covered in garden, but I am determined that there is ample space to continue planting for as long as I’m able. With a somewhat limited budget, and marginal enthusiasm on my…
Preparing the garden for winter
There are, at minimum, dozens of tasks that should be, or could be completed to prepare the garden for winter. I will perhaps get around to a few, possibly not even those that should be considered the most critical, but those are the ones that will be accomplished, like it or not. First and foremost…
This garden’s for the birds
The garden did not begin twenty years ago with the intention that it become a wildlife refuge, but intended or not, rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks are sighted daily, signs of deer are seen everyday, with groups of five or more often seen at dusk. Raccoons, groundhogs, skunks, foxes, and possums are witnessed on occasion, along…
Walk on the wild side
The garden is bordered to the south by a sliver of mature poplars and maples, and to the west by a water retention area that was botched in construction, which resulted in a poorly drained swamp that is impossible to keep cleared of cattails and brambles. Over twenty years I have planted more of this…
A splendid September stroll
Today I was roaming through the garden with no particular purpose, just wandering, reflecting, listening. I choose each footstep carefully to avoid any of the abundant frogs that flee in terror as I approach, and pause for a few moments to watch a striped garter snake glide through the dark water in the front pond….
Meadowlark Gardens
Today I visited Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Virginia while taking part in the ZNA Koi and Pond Expo. The beautiful, huge koi are worth the trip, but the ninety-five acre garden is a delightful spot to spend a September afternoon. Unfortunately, the summer’s heat and extended dry spell have made the garden a bit…
The last of summer?
Today a cool breeze whistles through the sliver of forest that borders the garden, the tall poplars and maples sway in rhythm. The sun shines brightly, but this is an autumn sun, not the unmerciful sun of summer. The past week has been quite hot, with temperatures in the mid-nineties that have become so familiar…
The marvelous blooms of late August
When gardeners refer to August their descriptions are unlikely to be favorable. The “dog days”, and worse, characterize the most troublesome part of the growing season when the heat of summer has taken its toll. Spring is vibrant, full of yellows, reds, and blues, but August is dusty and brown at the edges, the gardener…
The swimming pond -Summer 2010
I’ve had several recent inquiries about my swimming pond, so I figure that it’s about time for an update. This is my favored spot in the garden, where I spend my most relaxed time, and (on rare occasions when I’m sociable) where my wife and I entertain friends and family. There are six ponds in the…
Big is beautiful
No, not me, I’m big, but more bulldozer than beautiful, useful for digging holes and moving boulders. In my garden I’m a fool for any plant with large leaves, trees, shrubs, perennials, or tropicals, the bigger the better, I’ve got to have them. In garden design big leaves contrast nicely with just about any foliage in…
Plants in the water gardens
The topic today is plants in the pond, not around the pond, but growing in the water. But first, I must address briefly the plants that surround the pond. Through the years I have seen many ponds that are intended to mimic a natural water feature, but are left naked, ringed by stones, stark in…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 