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come into the garden, maud for the black bat, night, has flown come into the garden, maud i stand at the gate alone alfred, lord tennyson |
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come into the garden, maud for the black bat, night, has flown come into the garden, maud i stand at the gate alone alfred, lord tennyson |
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Mine is a new garden at an older home. My house was built in 1924 (which is old for Tulsa) I moved to this house in the summer of 1997, spent the first year and a half remodeling the interior and began work on the garden in the spring of 1999. I had an almost bare canvas to work with--which can be both a plus and minus. Very little had to be removed and yet there was so much that needed to be added. My garden is very much a work in progress. Since I do all the work myself, time, budget and energy limit what I can accomplish. Like most gardeners, my great ideas don't always work out as planned and sometimes have to be redone. But a little failure can be good for the soul and, frequently, leads you in the right direction.
So please join me on a tour of my garden.
Jan's Garden 2001 Jan's Garden 2002 Roses Water Features Other Tulsa Gardens
Although I've lived in Tulsa for most of my life, I still haven't gotten used to our weather. Our gardening climate can range from brutal 100° plus summer days to below freezing winters. Almost every year the days warm enough in January and February to make plants think it's time to start growing again, then it snows. Our rainfall is sparse in the summer, frequently heavy in the spring and, of course, we're famous for our tornadoes. The kindest description of our weather would be challenging.
I garden on a 60' x 150' lot in an historic district of Tulsa. My helpers consist of 2 badly behaved cats and a dog with boundary-limit issues. My family supports my gardening efforts as long as I don't try to involve them too heavily. So, for better or worse, I can personally claim full responsibility for my garden. I have three children--my two daughters are away at college, my son is a senior in high school. So I'm almost an empty-nester. But I'm not at all worried about how I'll fill up those hours. I just look out any window and immediately start making a mental 'to-do' list.
My interest in gardening began with herbs via cooking. Over the years my focus has grown to include antique roses, perennials and water features. I consider myself an organic gardener. I don't use pesticides or herbicides in my garden. Of course, I look the other way over a few chewed leaves and, by and large, I try to select plants with few problems. My exception is roses. I battle black spot all summer, and I usually lose. But most of my roses are own root, so they're back next year, giving it another try. And that's fine--while I might aspire to perfection, I don't demand it.
I no longer contend with swing sets and sandboxes as garden features, bicycles are no longer thrown carelessly against my hedges, and it's been years since a basketball crushed a lovingly-tended plant. Everyone uncomplainingly trips over stepping stones when a concrete slab would be more practical. They gingerly step out of their cars so as not to trod on a too-close planting. And they water my plants when I leave town. My husband lends some occasional muscle but mostly lets me wander down my own path and doesn't let the constant changes and rearrangements bother him. So, in spite of the weather, I garden in an ideal climate.
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| Bosco the Kitten tries to decide which plant to eat next. |
Addy takes a much needed rest from destructive behavior.
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e-mail: jj-s@swbell.net
Jan's Garden 2001 Jan's Garden 2002 Roses Water Features Other Tulsa Gardens
