Bob and Mary Ann Hines persevere through a difficult growing season.
"Greetings from Bob and MaryAnn Hines' garden in Elizabethtown, Kentucky! The 2016 growing season here in Kentucky has been much more hot, wet, and windy than other years, but the garden has seemed to respond well to these conditions. Our garden is seven years old and located in a city neighborhood in the Zone 6 growing area."
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Comments
Greetings MaryAnn & Bob - Your garden is absolutely spectacular and a real credit to you both. Every photo. is both colourful and interesting. The balustrade, picket gate/fence, arbours, garden ornaments and water feature are amazing.
I'm sure your lovely dog appreciates it too! Thank you greatly for sharing.
Cheers, Frank
Hi, Bob and MaryAnn. I am very impressed with your garden. I would never think this was a "city" garden. Great job with creating different garden rooms. Love the 1st three pictures which also reflects my garden style ( and thus why I am pulled to it). We have the same armillary sundial.
Are those Pamela Crawford planters in the 3rd to last photo? I have looked at them online, but haven't invested. They look great. Do you like them?
The porch with the containers are very attractive. Love all the color.
Thanks for sharing you beautiful garden.
G'day Kev - When the mob of Aussie gardeners arrive at your lovely place soon, it would be very interesting to find out if they know about the GPOD blog and the fun bit (i.e. the comments/chat section) below all the advertisements (I believe many are unaware of this section). These guys will either have magnificent gardens or know of unique Aussie gardens, which I'm sure would be of great interest to the GPOD community. They may just need some encouragement to use this fantastic technology/blog as part of the globalisation of gardening. Just a thought! Cheers, Frank
I agree, Frank. I will let them know about GPOD. There will be about 35 coming, so I am also curious about their own garden experience. Unfortunately, I will only have them for 90 minutes.
These pole pots are Pamela Crawford side-planting baskets. Picture 4 is a side-plant basket in a sunny area with petunias. We like the side-plant baskets and they seem to work well in shady and sunny areas. It took us a few tries on the first basket to get the method, but found it you follow her planting directions, the baskets do well. They are a great way to add lots of color in a small space. We use Dynamite fertilizer in these containers and feel it does a super long-term feeding job as the plants grow.
Stunning! What fertilizer do you use in the rest of your garden?
One generous application of 10-10-10 in early spring.
What a delight to see your garden again, Bob and MaryAnn...gpod is always the richer when we get to take a cyber walk about and catch up on all your beautiful plantings. My goodness, I am mesmerized by the lushness of everything and it certainly seems like "hot, wet and windy" are the perfect weather conditions for things to look positively glorious. What is the vine in picture 7 that is creating such an eye-catching frame of greenery over your pergola?
For anyone who wants to see some of Bob And MaryAnn's previous sharings, just put their name in the search bar at the top of the page.
I could not locate the search bar. I thought it might be the area to the right of "fine Gardening", but when I placed my cursor there and "clicked" on it nothing happened. Help! :-)
Well, I'm puzzled on your behalf. On my screen format, there is a search rectangle to the right of Fine Gardening in the main header area that has purple as the background color. I hope someone has something helpful info to share that can help. Like I said...I'm befuddled why it isn't showing up for you.
I just logged back in and there it was! I'm not sure why it wasn't there before, but happy it's there now. Thanks.
Glad you now have the search box. You know... I went through a stretch a while ago where I didn't seem to have it but then when I finally clicked "yes" for updating my laptop's operating system, things seemed to behave. Ahh, the mysteries of our technology in today's world.
I have discovered the search feature does not work on mobile applications, only the full desktop version.
The vine area is a combination of grapevine and a climbing hydrangea. This gives a great area of growth during the spring, summer and fall.
Very pleasant garden. Yeah I don't see much stress in your garden...looks great. Your waterfall is a great feature right across from the patio - I gotta do something like that. And I dig those post pots...they really "stand out" (haha). Thanks for sharing.
I have always been a sucker for impatiens. Have they figured out the disease thing yet? Your brunnera look great also. I can't seem to get them to stay! Is that a grapevine over your arbor? It all looks beautiful!
Hey Rhonda - Is downy mildew the disease causing the decline of impatiens in your neck of the woods? Cheers, Frank
I don't think so Frank, but I can't remember what it was! Anyone?
My impatiens were decimated about 4 years ago. I switched to New Guinea impatiens, but they don't flower as well. This year I am trying a limited number of 'Bounce' and 'Big Bounce' impatiens. They look great so far, with no mildew.
This is a combination of grapevine and climbing hydrangea. Our area is not having as much problem with impatiens as in past years. The brunnera is called Jack Frost, and it seems to be a strong plant for our growing area.
It's nice to see your garden as floriferous as ever. I took a quick tour of your previous GPOD posts for a reminder. Keep doing whatever it is you are doing.
It is fun to see all of the impatiens, seeing that they practically disappeared from the market because of the disease that Rhonda mentioned. I've missed them.
The container of coleus on your back patio really caught my eye!
This year I am trying a limited number of 'Bounce' and 'Big Bounce' impatiens. So far, so good.
Good Ness !!!! Looking terrific over there. Just have hot / windy here. Rained 2 x here in 5 months. Not good for my OCD. Very grieved about it- have folks under water, folks with no water- looks like you have it just right in Kentucky. So enjoyed the beautiful pics !!!!
Wow! So lush. I am envious as we are in drought conditions in the NE - a very rare occurrence. Oh, how I miss that lush growth of floriferous green! But never mind I see it here - beautiful! As much as I love the flowers, I am drawn to the tranquil scene of St. Francis among the green ferns and hosta which is such a nice spot to pause before viewing the rest of your incredible parade!
IM so thrilled to see your Kentucky garden. I recently moved here from Vancouver Island where gardening is so easy compared to here. WOnderful to see the possibility. Do you have a sprinkler system?
We do have a sprinkler system and some areas have to be hand watered, especially when it gets real dry. This year we have had lots of rain, so not as much work was needed with the hose.
Thank you. I love gardening but with the heat, can't keep up with the hose, and even on the island where it was far more temperate, the 13 zone irrigation system made a huge difference. I think we seldom water deeply enough when holding a hose! Your garden is a real inspiration to me. We are in Bowling Green on an older property which has a good frame of trees and a stream, but there has never been an enthusiastic landscape gardener on site, so I have my work cut out for me.
Your garden is spectacular, so beautifully designed and impeccably maintained. I've gone through the pictures three times and can't decide which I like best - they are all so lovely! Which brunnera is planted in the last picture? I love your 4th of July plantings, especially the hanging basket with the red, white and blue petunias. Thanks for the inspiration!
This brunnera is Jack Frost. It does well in our area.
Brunnera grow well here in NW Arkansas, too. I just planted an Alexander's Great which has similar leaf coloring, but larger leaves, is a bit taller, and spreads to about 30". I have it where I took out a small shrub and am hoping it will fill the space. They certainly brighten up a shady area. The bed in which you planted your Jack Frost is lovely.
The heat, rain and wind of your summer might have been annoying to you, Bob and Mary Ann, but obviously your flowers felt differently! I can't imagine they could be any more lush! Wow!
Bob and Mary Ann, I did a search and found your previous pictures. It is just unreal all the beauty you have in your yard. Absolutely gorgeous. I would love to sit in that sitting area with a cup of coffee and take it all in.
Congratulations your garden has survived all those conditions. Everything is beautiful and healthy looking.
Beautiful, lush, inviting - I think you nailed it! I agree, the plants sure don't seem to mind the weather you have had.
Good morning Bob and Mary Ann. Your garden is such a treat to look at on this rainy (yes, rainy , whoo hoo!) morning here on Whidbey. I love the oasis that you've created in the midst of difficult weather conditions and can imagine how relaxing it must be sitting on your deck listening to your waterfall. Thanks for the eye tour.
Wow! had to look at them several times. Beautiful!
It's been a joy to watch your gardens progress over the years Mary Ann & Bob. They have filled in so beautifully. Love your containers too. Absolutely splendid!
Absolutely beautiful. Colorful. I have to view them again and again. Thanks
Mary Ann & Bob you have a good eye for color and placement of plant material. I love the cottage garden look you have created. Your containers are magazine worthy! Vikki in VA.
You certainly have a very special place! So full, so colorful, so inviting!! Lots to se and admire. Sure love that Blue Heron statue as well! Thanks for sharing!
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