Since I share your problem, of course I'm going to say...order those tree peonies!!!

Seriously, it sounds like a great idea. Tree peonies are so pretty. How many would you need to fill in your beds?

My obsession this year (as I think you all know) is roses. Not hybrid teas, but old-fashioned roses and hybrid musks...and a few shrub roses. My mom is teasing me that they all seem to be pale pink, darker pink, pale lavender/pink or darker crimson/purple. I explained to her that most of them are for the FAIRY garden...it has nothing to do with me and my love of purple, lavender and pinks :)

At least I got different bloom sizes and had the presence of mind to order mostly thornless (or vitually thornless) roses. It's not always easy to stay focused in the midst of an obsession! LOL

Last year I was obsessed with lilies. This year they are all coming back up, some with 2-3 stalks where last year there was only 1. I was so happy with how everything turned out, I may continue this obsession for the front entry bed. I am passionate about hummingbird and butterfly gardening, so this year I placed a mail order with High Country Gardens to see how their plants do. The order should arrive this week, so that will be fun. I have a mild obsession with hostas, and moved many of my favorites from my previous house to this house. They have all taken off and last year I even split some to transplant them to open spots in the bigger garden. This year there is nothing I am totally bonkers about, but I am really enjoying how my garden is maturing and showing less and less mulch :) I like tweaking stuff amd moving things around to show them off well. I don't have alot of garden art, mostly because the foliage of the plants covers it all up! I really enjoy all the colors, the textures, scents and forms of the plants - to me, that is my garden art... in how I place the plants, choosing colors and textures to make interesting combinations, how something can reseed itself in just the right place, and how the hummingbirds and butterflys enjoy themselves, that is my reward.

I mentioned in the other thread my focus this year is on succulents Particularly, echeveria, aeoniums, sedums, hens and chicks.

I would like to try my hand in creating a living wall.

I am obsessed with adding height. For two years it was daylilys and iris. Then lilys and tulips. (That isn''t over, either.)

But I've ordered agastache and foxgloves and hollyhocks.

And there are always pinks and purples. I am just obsessed period.
kay

I have periodic obsessions. For years, it was roses, but I've backed off from them after seeing Rose Rosette Disease on the wild roses nearby. Then I started looking for things that I could replace roses with and found a neat type of hydrangea called serrata preziosa. It looks a little like an old fashioned rose when in bloom, except its flowers are shades of lavender (in my acidic soil) instead of pink. The flowers age to a dramatic dark burgundy, and the leaves are nice, too, with reddish edges to them like japanese maple leaves.

Then I saw a picture of a pink figleaf hollyhock, and realized it might be able to fill the tall pink gap left by the foxgloves when they stop blooming. So I spent a lot of time trying to find seeds for just the pink figleaf. Finally found a source and they are now almost ready to transplant into their permanent home.

I have a couple tree peonies and I love them, but they only bloom for a week or 10 days, and then their leaves get brown on the edges and don't look so great. So I probably wont get any more - unless I can find a great price on exactly what I like.
Right now my obsessions are centered around my tomato seedlings. This weather and the frosts we are supposed to get for the next 2 nights are not helping my peace of mind, LOL.

Lois in Pa

Once I get my vegetable garden tilled and the seedlings in the greenhouse set out, I will return to obtaining more roses. Can't get enough roses! I don't think a Cottage garden can have too many roses. I love the old-fashioned garden roses best, even though they only bloom once a year and tend to spread and become monster roses. They have the most fragrance of all roses and they are hardy, but I have developed a new adoration for Shrub roses and Musks too. Continuous blooming from May till first hard freeze.

I'm tired, so I'm hittin' the sack.
~Annie

Annie- I've decided to go with those roses, because they're hardy, have a great fragrance and come in my favorite colors...but also seem to match the age of our farm. My husband's family has owned it for about ninety years (it's older than that) but I wanted to get roses that look like they might have been chosen back in the 1920's and 1930's.

My roses are all coming as little "own root" bands, so it will be a few years before they're big and blooming. Do you have any pictures of your roses? I'd love to see them :)

LOL Thyme2dig, I'm the last person who could or should talk anyone out of an obsession! I've had several fairly harmless ones over the years altho I never obsessed much about plants or my garden itself until I found gardening forums! The only things in my garden I've been obsessed with were glass garden totems but I think (hope) I have that one under control, at least until I've found spaces for the 24 I now have. Had planned to sell some but I think I may use them all.

Time to start being obsessed about plants and I know y'all are such good teachers (enablers)! ;-D Going to take that one slowly until more new beds are prepared.

Irises. Tall bearded irises. NO MORE IRISES!
Renee

Roses! Apparently, white roses. I had no idea so many of my roses were white. The garden sure does glow in the evening.
~Melissa

Roses here, too. And this year, I somehow acquired a lot of camillias. :)

Obsession, no, not me :o). Collections, I call them collections..... Asters, Echinaceas, Lilies, Iris, Clematis, Daylilies, Tradescantias, etc, etc, etc. At one time I had 350 Fuchsias, 100 Sempervivums, 100 or so different succulents, Orchids, 250 African Violets the list goes on. No I'm not obsessed I have collections :o).

Annette

Holy Moly Annette!! You are a serious collector. Compared to you I just dabble in my obsessions. You just convinced me that it's OK to go out and buy those extra tree peonies!! LOL!!

Hollygarden, I wish I could grow Camellias up here. Serious zone envy over that one. My mom and dad have a large collection and do a lot of air layering. My sister just purchased a new (old) house in Atlanta and apparently there are a boatload of heirloom camellias on the property. My folks are heading down this weekend to start the air-layering process.

Luckygal, I had never seen garden totems until a couple of years ago. I think I remember a picture you just recently posted with your garden borders and the totems. Do you make them all yourself? That must be a lot of fun if you do to collect all the different glassware and try to fit it all together.

Timetogrow, do you have any night photos of your white gardens with all those roses?

LL, I would really love to see some photos of the shrub roses you have been collecting. I had a bunch of the "fancy" roses but they were just too much work and never did all that well for me. Shrub roses I'm sure would do better for me. I can probably fit at least 6-8 tree peonies in the area I've cleared out. But I'm thinking about your shrub roses now. I also cleared out an area along my split-rail fence and was thinking about using fairy roses, but a nice mix of different shrub roses would be more interesting.

Threedogsmom, asiatic and oriental lilies? Must smell yummy. I'm allergic to the orientals so had to give them all away. The chipmunks would shimmy up the asiatics and bite off the buds, so between them and the red lily beetle I gave up on those too. So sad because they are so beautiful. I'd love to see pictures!! Carroll Valley...is that right near Gettysburg? I went to college at Gettysburg. What a lovely area of PA.

Ianna, I so want to see that living wall when you have it underway. It sound like such an interesting project. Have you ever seen a living roof? Here is a picture of one at the Norfolk Botanical Garden. So pretty. I don't think I would have thought of doing this but it really can be done on a shed even.
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Renee, iris are a dangerous obsession! So many to choose from and they are soooooo gorgeous.

Organic kitten, have you added NY ironweed or Joe-pye weed yet? Those are very tall and have such beautiful flowers!

Lois, my mom has that hydrangea preziosa. It really is a beautiful shrub. Are your tree peonies in sun? I'm surprised the leaves get crisp for you in Z6. I have a few in full sun and have never experienced that.

Sweetannie, what is the difference between shrub and musk roses? Which do you like better, or perhaps that's not the right question. What is the best thing about each of them? See, now I'm really thinking about putting roses along my split-rail fence! You rose-lovers are going to convert me back to planting more roses again!!

Isn't this such a great hobby that we can all be so passionate about. It doesn't hurt anybody (well, maybe our pocketbooks a tad bit) and brings such joy.

Cheers!
Susan

Susan- Except for a few fairy roses and a Tamora (and two little Fantin Latours from last year) most of my roses are bands that I'm ordering this year...but I have big plans! In a few years, they are going to look gorgeous! (I hope) LOL

The old fashioned roses, like damasks, albas, gallicas, portlands, moss, etc. will all do well in your zone. Many get big and people think of them as shrub roses. While some do repeat, often they are once blooming, but spectacular when they bloom and usually have a great fragrance.

Hybrid musk roses (at least the ones I'm getting) are all good in partial shade, hardy to zone 4 or 5, repeat bloom and many have smaller blossoms...1" to 2", which make them perfect for the fairy garden. I'm actually putting the hybrid musks in front of some bigger damasks and other old fashioned roses. Some polyanthas, like the Fairy rose are also hardy, but I haven't had as much luck with Cecile Brunner...although it might do well for you :)

I like plants that grow. I don't even try to limit myself to shrubs, perennials, roses, or whatever. If it grows for me, I want more of those. But I have to confess. After growing my own columbines from seed, I could stand to have a few more of these in my yard. Can't wait to see what cross pollination brings me next year.

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I've been trying to get a collection of hosta and other shade plants going. But the sun never shines on that side of the house, so I never really visit that area. Maybe next year.

Susan, what a small world it is! I was visiting Norfolk last year on business and went through the Norfolk botanical garden and saw that living roof while it was in bloom. I recognized it right away whan I saw your pic. What a beautiful garden it is. I was obsessed with having a living roof on top of my potting shed after I was there, but the mechanics of building and maintaining it seemed overwhelming here in Texas. The heat here can kill everything in an afternoon.

I've had a string of obsessions over the years, grapes, roses, raspberries, irises, lilies, hydrangeas, hostas, garden junk, succulents, daisies, ponds, peonies, clematis, bulbs, fruit trees, greenhouse, chickens, organics, ferns.

The doc says I suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder. How can he say I'm suffering from something that's so much fun? I love gardening, I love plants, I love having dirty hands and dirty knees. If you call that suffering, make me suffer Baby, make me suffer some more!!

Cheryl (suffering in Texas)

Okay, I think I have mentioned my collections here enough that everyone can probably name them off for me, Lol! Mine are nowhere near as impressive as Annettes though!

My top collections:

Corydalis- just started working on my collection this year. Will have nine total if all come up.
Perennial Geraniums- 17 (not counting the new WS seedlings)
Geum- grown about a dozen over the years
Various Ferns- 10
Tulips- almost 30 types at last count

Things I want to start collecting (I swear, just a few more!)

Polygonatum- have four, need more.
Aconitum
Eupatorium
Helenium- no room for more, but...
Lonicera
Thalictrum
Brunnera- have four, need at least ONE more!

;-)
CMK

Fun to read about everyone's 'attractions' or obsessions and I'm glad to say I'm fairly safe from becoming obsessed with many of these plants as they either won't survive in this zone or the deer would like them too much!

Thyme2dig, I have made over 4 dozen glass garden totems and sold half of them. For most of the people I've met online it can be a serious obsession because it's creative, easy, inexpensive, and fun. I bot most of the glass at thrift stores and yard sales and am now trying to avoid buying more!

Susan, thanks for posting the beautiful pic of the living roof, I was thinking of moving all my semps up on the roof of our long shed which is covered with rolled roofing and topped with fiberglas panels. I just might do this, thinking of all this extra space is making my toes tingle LOL....... I can add and add and add, big happy sighhhhhh.

Annette

I think right now I am obsessed with figuring out how to expand my gardens without actually spending money! I moved some self-seeded echinacea purpurea and 3 of my heuchera to the front by the sidewalk yesterday. Then I moved some stuff around to spread it out more (which I'd been planning, anyhow.). I'm also plotting what I can move or divide for dd's border. I did buy roses, and will hopefully buy more for the front, but right now, frugalista is my name. ;)

Can I count terra cotta pots as an obsession too? So far I have seven huge pots (grunt! try getting those up and down the back steps!) and still want more! Love trying to find different ones that have some special detail to them.
CMK

I'd have to say that roses are my all time obsession. I do love all kinds of flowers though, but roses just tug at my heart strings. Since the economy went south, I've not bought anything in a couple of years. I've been planting seeds and rooting cuttings. It's a wonderful way to fill in your gardens for cheap.

On the way home from work yesterday I found two Crepe Jasmine, Tabernaemontana divaricata Flore Pleno, and a bromeliad. The two Crepe Jasmine were wilted, but after soaking in a bucket of water overnight, they are doing fine. We are going to buy some potting soil tomorrow and put them into the huge shell planters that we have.

A week ago DH headed out to do an errand and a little while later came back with an aloe vera that someome had discarded. It is always a treat to 'find' things curbside shopping. :-)

Our gardens are tropical/cottage and they bring me joy.

I have lots of pictures on my blog.

Here is a link that might be useful: FlowerLady's Musings

one obvious one for all of us here.... we are obsessed with gardenweb! LOL

Roses,Delphiniums, and Snapdragons (rockets) are my obsession! I'm huge on Cottage Gardening and love to cut them for vase arrangements for work and friends! This year I'm trying to add dahlias because of their later summer blooms and cuttings! I know dahlias arent 'true' cottage plants but they are a challange and I'm up for it. SPRING FEVER YAY!!!

Susan, just read your posting.. and the answer is yes. It's being practiced here in Ontario. That's a huge undertaking though. And they don't use real soil. It's a kind of hydrophonic system to catch the rainfall, making sure the roof is waterproof. etc. It can be done on sheds and dog houses, etc... The one I am impressed with is Peter Blanc's creation(French) which started off these living walls gardening. It's a style that reminded me of the cliffs besides waterfalls.