Jodik: Just lurking and enjoying your great garden pictures!! I was wondering if I could ask you what the plant is in the photo along with the lovely red daylillies. I am looking at the plant with the arrow shaped leaves and the spires of floweres on top. The reason I am asking is I have a plant that looks identical to this in my garden but do not know a name for it. It has a licorice smell when you brush the leaves. If you could help me identify it; it would be appreciated. Thanks. Ross.

Jodi, it looks like it's going to be a wonderful flower bed next summer! I admire your strength to work this big a bed.

I love your daylilies and am dying to have some. Do yours have seeds? May I ask to have some seeds, please?

Someone, Annette Barley, from Cottage forum has offerred to send some seeds. But she's in Canada and sending seeds across borders is not allowed. Also, finding someone from Canada that travels to Vietnam is not easy either. So maybe you can spare me some of the seeds you may have on your daylilies?

Thank you.

Xuan

Ooooh - does "Irish Eyes" come true from seed?!

Thanks, everyone!

Ross - That plant is commonly known as Anise Hyssop, I believe... the proper name for this plant is Agastache, and it comes in different color and heights. Wayside Gardens has a few examples on their website, listed in perennials. Yes, if you crush a leaf, it smells like licorice... it's actually an herb. I grew this common variety from seed about 3 years ago, and I have found it to be quite large, and a little bit invasive! I've been pulling out volunteer plants that have seeded everywhere! I don't know if the colored varieties will reseed, but this variety is rather tall and very prolific! It is a nice backdrop for the back of the border, though.

Thank you, Xuan! Yes, Daylilies are easy to grow from seed... just as easy as hippis! Yes, I should have plenty of seed at the end of the season, and yes, I'd be happy to send you some! I'm not sure what varieties or colors I'll have, but I'm sure I can put together a "seed package" for you! I've been carefully watching the seed pods form on the Clematis, and I've got a few Daylilies pollinated... once I'm able to pick the seed pods, I'll let you know that I have it ready. I really enjoy knowing that plants from my gardens are going to grow halfway around the world, and make you smile, too... just as they make me smile!

The corner flower bed is huge... I'm not sure of dimensions, but it's a very large area, shaped sort of like a kidney bean, and it contains several mature trees... I'll be getting rid of the undergrowth and adding all new trees, shrubs, and perennials... the edging will be a combination of flagstone, farm rock, and wood from some of the felled trees. The idea is to have a nicely landscaped corner, so that people driving by will want to stop in and see "Our Secret Gardens", which is the name we'll be selling perennials under. There will be a sign on the corner directing people to our driveway, just a short distance down the road. The sign will be made of old fence pickets.

The corner is a HUGE project, and I'm just doing a small piece at a time. The felled trees and most of the weedy undergrowth were removed earlier this spring, so that makes it a bit easier. We also had some help doing the initial turning of the soil. I had wanted to amend the soil, but it's already quite rich. I may just add a few wheelbarrows of compost and horse manure, just to help with the areas that are heavy clay soil.

Wildebloem - I grew the Irish Eyes Rudbeckia from purchased seed last year. I'm not sure if it will produce true to type from it's own seed. I'll find out next spring when the little seedlings emerge in the gardens, and then flower! I do hope it does! It's really quite nice to have the green eye... the other Rudbeckia variety I have planted is just plain, with the brown/black center.

Jodik: Thankyou so much for the information on the Anise Hyssop (agastache)plant.I truly don't know whether I planted that some time ago or whether or not it is a volunteer but I had no idea what it was. I will watch it closely now for invasiveness but I will enjoy the smell of it each time I pass by. Thanks again. Happy gardening. Ross.

No problem, Ross... always glad to supply information for fellow gardeners! I've thought about adding one of the colored hybrids to the gardens, but I'm having such a hard time containing this one, I don't know if I should! But again, it is sort of a nice backdrop for other plants. Bees love it... I assume they're gathering nectar from it to make honey.

Jodi, are you starting a nursery business? May I come work for you???? Oh... oh... how exciting! I'm waiting to see all the good things coming out of those big bed.

And thank you so much, as I always do, for all the seeds you will have for me. You're so kind, so so kind!

Xuan

Actually... we thought it would be nice to make a little pocket money by selling a few plants... we're right on a corner, have the space, have the materials... and we figure that it would be nice to recoup some of the money we spend on plants by selling the excess, and helping others who love to garden!

"Our Secret Gardens - Perennials and Unusual Plants" will open for business next spring. We'll sell out of our little greenhouse and garden area, and also have tables at a few local flea markets and farmer's markets.

We want to stay small and keep a comfortable amount of plants for sale and care... we want it to be fun! Once it feels like work, it's no longer fun, and our goal is to keep it all enjoyable!

Xuan, if you ever decide to come to the States, you're more than welcome to be a part of our little perennial experience! The more gardeners, the merrier! We could always use another knowledgeable hand!

As I've said before, Xuan, I'm more than happy to share the seeds from my gardens... it's a great feeling to know that I have a friend halfway around the world, enjoying plants from seeds grown right here in my yard!

A little update... the Clematis seed pods are maturing nicely, and several daylilies have beautiful, large seed pods growing! I should have a wonderful assortment of seeds to send to you!

A little note to Kitty... I'm having a heck of a time getting my Cerastium to grow in a pot once I dig some up... the stems are really long and thin, and the roots don't look that great. I think it would be better to dig this one in spring. But, I do have some other wonderful pink flowers for you, and some seeds, too! Once I get all of them harvested and dried a bit, off they go! And the Cerastium can be shipped in spring, when it begins to emerge and is better able to acclimate to a container for doing so.

On rainy days, I'm working on the sign for our little business... it's an old weathered piece of plywood, and it will be cut and painted to look sort of shabby-chic... and the sign pointing the way to our driveway will be made from an old fence picket... and that will be painted to match, with flowers and nice lettering!

We'll never get rich on our little corner in the country, but we will have fun, and we'll at least make a few dollars to buy more plants with!

Uuuuu! Uuuuu! A nursery business!!! What joy it will be!!! I wish I could come and work with you, tending plants which I'm so fond of doing!

Next Spring? Pls show us what you achieve along the way. I'd love to see the sign, once you've finished making it. Bet it will love real "shabby-chic"!

Oh, I'm so excited to talk about your project I forgot to say "thank you very much" for all the seeds you're saving for me. Now I must source out who's coming to VN in Aug or Sep LOL! I'll be a proud "mum" of overseas plants!

Xuan

It's no problem at all, Xuan! I'm happy to save the seeds for you! I hope they all grow in your climate... it's so different from mine! But, I think everything will grow fine.

We've put quite a bit into building these gardens, and we thought it would be nice to make a little money back! At the very least, it will give us a bit of spending money for new plants! I'll be sure to photograph the whole thing, from start to finish... we're keeping a photo album of the gardens and how they progress... and I'll post a few to keep up to date!

Just email me when you know who I should send seeds to, so they can take them to you in Vietnam! And, thanks, Xuan... I appreciate the encouraging words! The whole project is turning out to be a lot of work, but fun work!

WOW you are ambitious, Jody, dear!! What a great project! I love the idea of making a bit of pocket change doing something you love to do!

Well... we have the greenhouse, and that should be up by next year... and we spend so much in plant material that it would be nice to make a little back! We certainly have the space, and there's nothing local, except for a small yuppie garden center that's WAY overpriced!

I think it'll be fun to help the locals find the plants they want, and help them with garden ideas! The extra pocket money for more plants will be really nice, though!

Here are current shots of the huge project I'm doing... the bed has been cleared of weeds, scrub, and debris... and I've begun to plant a few ornamental shrubs and lots of perennials! The soil is rich enough without amending, very easy to dig, and the only thing I might add is a good top-dressing of compost.

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Looking at it from the other side... this is the other half of the bed, the shady side...
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And this is the natural path that bisects the huge bed... one side of it edged with smaller farm rock...
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Thanks for looking again! I hope the weather cooperates, and allows me to continue to plant and get this project closer to being finished! With the high heat index today, I must wait until the sun lowers a bit to go out and do anything... hopefully, tomorrow won't be so hot!

Happy Gardening!

Wish I could help! It looks very promising, Jodi. Already I can imagine it will be wonderful by next summer!

Thanks for keeping us posted of the progress. Guess everyone is following you.

Xuan

Thanks, Xuan! It's a huge bed, and a lot of work! If you lived close to me, I'd welcome your help! If the heat holds off today, I'll be out there planting more perennials and getting the second half prepared for planting. I still have to rake and remove all the debris.

Once it's all planted, I have to spread a thick layer of mulch to help keep down the weeds and protect everything from the cold of winter. After that, I'll be starting another perennial project... this time, it will be two beds flanking the front sidewalk... from the house, to the mailbox by the road. I hope I can get all of it finished before fall!