Learn More About The Knot Garden

Interest has been shown in the knot garden recently so it seemed a good idea to repost the original story about it that was published December 26, 2007. Changes that have been made to the knot garden since this post was written a year and some months ago will be noted below. The emphasis was on the center quatrefoil and its plantings. The pattern was chosen to represent the four leaf clover and the good luck associated with that symbol. The post was written using Blogger, not wordpress. The photos are small by comparison to the size now used, but each can be clicked upon to see a full screen enlargement.
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The Knot Garden

In a previous post, The Garden Through the Year, December 8, 2007, the knot garden was introduced. It was one of the first and only elements of my garden put on paper before put in the ground. Everything was laid out with string, then outlined in old bricks. I wanted that English garden look, neat and orderly. It looks more like a riot than a tea party in this photo. (Click photo to enlarge)

This is more the vision. But the four heaths, Erica darleyensis ‘Mediterranean Pink’, planted in the loops of the center died the first year. They were replaced with Calluna vulgaris ‘Sunrise’. That was the first of several planting adjustments.(Click photo to enlarge)<

Time marches on. The callunas turn a rosy pink in winter. All is well.(Click photo to enlarge)<

Next spring things are getting out of control. Violas are everywhere, seeding wildly. The Dianthus gratianopolitanus ‘Firewitch” is taking over. It gets a hard trim several times. Note the calluna turning yellow.(Click photo to enlarge)<

By fall the violas are gone but the black mondo grass, Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’, seems too large. Salvia coccinea ‘Lady in Red’ has seeded around a bit.(Click photo to enlarge)<

Winter again. The calluna reddens. Thymus citriodorus ‘Doone Valley’ becomes variegated. The blue fescue, Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’, is looking suspiciously large as is the dianthus and mondo grass.(Click photo to enlarge)<

Next summer the dianthus is out, the mondo grasss is out, the fescue is out and Gaillardia grandiflora ‘Goblin’ is in. I should have known that was a bad idea but there were these seedlings everywhere, free plants.(Click photo to enlarge)<

By the fall it became obvious the plantings needed rethinking. The gaillardia is way too large.(Click photo to enlarge)<

Early spring 2007 shows nice red calluna joined by Lavender ‘Hidcote’, Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’, cuttings. Bamboo stakes are placed to keep the planting line straight and the squirrels from digging there.(Click photo to enlarge)<

In mid spring the grape hyacinths , Muscari armeniacum, are blooming, the Sedum spurium ‘Red Carpet’ is red and the calluna is changing from red to yellow. The baby lavenders look good.(Click photo to enlarge)<

Mid summer shows yellow calluna and those pesky violas are back.(Click photo to enlarge)<

I like it. Taken this week (December 26, 2007), the photo shows the lavender filling in. It may grow slowly enough to be kept the proper size. There go those callunas turning red again, but more to come later about that.(Click photo to enlarge)<

Frances
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Update: April 2009
The shed door trim has been painted blue. The lavender has filled in and can be kept to the desired size easily. The Doone Valley thyme groundcover in the center quatrefoil is slowly being replaced with the lower growing Elfin thyme. The cutting of two large curly willow trees on each side of the bench has allowed the boxwood hedge to grow to a uniform size with all sides now getting the same amount of full sun. Miniature climbing roses, Red Dragon, have been added to the obelisks that flank the bench. The tulips and iris reticulatas have been spread as necessary to fill in the gaps in the quadrants. More varieties of creeping thymes have been added to the quadrants and filled in those spaces. What, if anything to be added after the tulips have gone by is still a quandry especially after last years dreadful failure with celosia seedlings. Thirty-six were planted, one lived.Violas continue to self sow in the gravel paths. A new color of violas, yellow with a purple edging was planted to add some new genetic material for future beauty pageant contestants. Click here to find out more about the yearly viola beauty pageant.Unmoved through the years, the Chinese Foo Dog stands guard at the base of Paeonia ostii ‘White Phoenix’ through rain, snow, squirrel attacks, sleet, hail and dark of night.
F

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~ by fairegarden on April 9, 2009.