I follow so many gardeners on RU-vid and love to see certain plants. Here’s my lesson…”Just because it looks great in someone else’s garden, doesn’t mean it will work in mine.” I’m in Zone 9b in a suburb of Houston, Texas. It is HOT and HUMID here. I love hydrangeas, but I cannot grow them at my house. Also, I will focus my next week or two on one garden bed only. I tend to jump around them nothing looks done.
I loved this video Janey...and it's all so true!🌻Gardening is so much trial and error as what works in one garden, may not work in another! It's a never ending learning experience!
Great video! In order to enjoy my garden, I choose to keep the space a size that some would consider small. However, I know it’s a size I can maintain. I work full time, I have an old back injury that flares up. By keeping my garden size manageable for me, it continues to bring me joy! Looking forward to seeing where your garden takes you over the next year!
I am 65 and live in Iowa 5b. What have i learned? Just as there are seasons in life, there are seasons or times in my garden. I gone through seasons of loving certain plants or color palettes and then wanted to try something new. Thats okay! It makes gardening so satisfying to change things up and to try new plants ideas in my garden. Be creative! Be brave enough to try something new! Maybe it will work, maybe not, but much of the joy of gardening is being creative!
My poor central California garden has suffered this year from heat. We're still on water restrictions here too. so I'm watching to see what survives and plant more of that, Crepe myrtles seem to do well, roses, cacti and some succulents. African daisies and some other warm weather plants are surviving. I am 80 so I can't garden like I did when I was younger, but i still get a lot of pleasure from the garden. I made myself a little fairy garden with knick knacks I had and some I thrifted... so much fun! Thank you for all your inspiration!
I totally agree about listening to your house. I moved into a house 2 years ago that needed tons of work and asked it what it wanted inside and out-I was surprised that it told me it wanted a Hawaiian vibe. It was far from that!!! I started adding tropical plants and touches inside and out and it’s soooo beautiful now! Glad you spoke about this in your video-I believe it’s so important! Houses and gardens need to be heard!
Don’t be afraid to move a plant or shrub. Don’t think that wherever you plant it is where it has to stay. You might come to learn that it will be better off in another location or you might later realize that you would enjoy it more in another spot.
Very valuable lessons, thank you! I’d say my over arching lesson in all of my properties has been TOLERANCE! since 1989 I have lived rurally, which means I have every critter known to man cruising my gardens. There’s only so much you can do to prevent damage.❤
The transformation from last year is amazing. When you show the before pictures you need to be so proud of yourself. Your orchard is beautiful. If you got everything all done, then you would need to move on again. It's real gardening.
You have made incredible progress this year. You have learned so much, and, in turn, you have taught your viewers as well. Thank you for bringing us along in your journey.
What I’ve learned is that plants will tell you where they like to grow! That’s why it’s so hard for me to pull volunteers. I’ve bought and killed so many hydrangeas and clematis, astilbe and hibiscus in my lifetime…they simply do not like my climate. But I have an oak tree that sprung up in a dead birch stump and it’s now 20’ tall. I’ve had Nigella, evening primrose, Jupiter’s beard, dusty miller, dancing butterflies, violets, hollyhocks, California poppies and sweet peas (just to name a few) multiply and return year after year. Gardens teach you to accept what you cannot change and see the beauty in what it gives.
You are so correct when you say that you garden and house actually speak to you. I have often wanted to place something in my garden and it just didn't work so I sit back and spend time just observing my garden waiting until it tells me what it wants and as always it was right
Great Insights😊 The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that gardens are the storybooks of our lives. 😊 I read my storybook every time I step out into my garden😊
Thanks Janie- great advice and I really appreciate those notes. I need to be a better planner and look at the whole picture of my garden. My husband and I are really learning how important soil is.
Perfectly said. I'm glad I'm not the only one that loves to look at my flower garden's. My oldest daughter grips at me about my flower garden's. She says their's more to live than staying outside all the time in the summer and working, watering my flower garden's. I'm 65 and retired. I'm doing what I love, I don't care if she says I'm crazy. Their must be a bunch of crazy people cause their's alot of people that loves to garden. Either veggie, flowers or both. ❤
Such fantastic reflection and advice, Janey ❤ Part of the fun of watching your channel is seeing not only how your garden develops but how your relationship with it grows too. Yes, listening to your house and your property is key, so well said. My current garden is 23 years old and it is still changing, I'm still trying new things and learning what works and what doesn't. It is a joyful and never-ending process!
Janey, this is perfect. I’m going to set a reminder on my phone to go back and watch this several times a season! Instead of berating ourselves for what we didn’t get to, things that went ‘wrong’ or for failed projects we should ask ourselves how would we talk to a friend in this position? Thanks for being that friendly reminder 😉
Great lessons! For me, although I’ve been gardening a long time I never feel done. And my lesson is to embrace that. One year I’ll love a certain garden area and the next year I may not love it - because plants grow, the weather can be different. I have never loved every garden area on my property and I think that’s what keeps me continuing to design and redesign what I want all winter long in zone 5b.❤
You are absolutely correct ! Listen to your place and it will help you design your personal space and definitely have patience. I’m so glad you left the zig zag planter it looks more than amazing!👍😎❤️❤️❤️
You have accomplished so much in just one year! and the many little pockets/areas are just beautiful! coming around some of the little bends in the walkway love love. 11:04 look behind you! wow wow how beautiful! 8:11 that is a painting for your wall. look at 11:19,16:21 love those scenes. so very pretty, the little corner pocket at 18:00. I can't imagine how overwhelming it had to feel to start and where to start. you have done well Janey give yourself a hug and a big pat on the back. Genie : )
Hi Janey,I'm in Adelaide,Australia. Your videos are oposite seasons to mine but your ideas are great as are your methods. Many of your plants and pretty much all of your mulch and soil bags etc are different but overall we're all gardeners and we enjoy watching all gardening videos.Yours are outstanding.I love them and so does my daughter.Thankyou so much🦘🦘🦘
I have learned so much through gardening; I have learned that the size of the seed I plant is the same depth of soil I should sow it at; I have learned that hydrangeas seem more susceptible to iron deficiency in their first year than anything else I have grown in my garden; I have learned that iron tone granules take longer to change the soil of something suffering from chlorosis (mhmm-my hydrangeas-haha!) than a water soluble (iron) solution takes because they have to dissolve over time whereas a water soluble solution gets it into the plant and it's soil right away. I have learned that plants teach us how to communicate, that sometimes we do not need words to express how we are feeling, we can actually see it in people if we pay close attention---sometimes my plants will have plenty of water yet if it is so hot, the leaves will wilt but they may not even require water, they are just saying they are tired. So, yes, I have learned a lot in less than a year and over a years time. I love seeing other gardens and I believe it is a reflection of the person and the home; they both dance with one another and it is really a beautiful thing. Thank you for sharing your home and garden. I truly enjoy it!
Loved the sunset view, so dreamy. Also I was certain I would hate the zig zag planter but I really adore it now. Glad you didn't take it out right away.
You can pat yourself on the back. You have transformed your garden into a beautiful place. It was bare and nothing and now beautiful and full of beauty. Thank you for sharing.
Gardening is just like life, it is a journey. It has a few growing pains, a few mistakes, and lots of joy. Just enjoy the journey and remember it does not happen overnight and for me that is the fun. The hunt for what will fill that next spot. I love your channel. You have accomplished a lot in a short period of time. It is lovely!!!!
The overall biggest lesson that I learned is to pay attention and measure where you plant tiny plants. Lol, they won't stay that small. Thanks, Janie, for showing me a good way to measure.
I knew there was something different..you didn’t seem as enthusiastic as usual..we live in the same zone 9, I’m in Sacramento ..but the new videos inspired me to start a new flower bed and squash and melon bed in full sun..so I used all your full sun flower 🌸 suggestions ❤your content..keep going
I'd say you nailed it Janey! Thank you for sharing all you've learned with your followers. Keep up the good work. You have come a long way in your gardening journey! Cheers to you!
Gardens are always evolving, through the seasons and through the years. I love walking around the garden imagining what perennial I need to fill a hole or what annual I might try next season.
I have some huge, mature trees in my garden, and I've learned that plants cannot compete with the roots of these trees. A 20, even 30 foot radius of root bound soil is not unusual. So raised beds and ornamental pots are definitely worth investing in. However, raised beds need to have a bottom, or a lining of landscape fabric, because those roots will infiltrate. Love your channel!
Oh, Janie you are so right, I used to be a master Gardner, but age has been hard for me ,with 5 back surgery’s 3 knees, and I. Will be 80 in couple months. We moved into a senior subdivision the garden in front was a mess,and the soil was clay,so I did some container gardening and some ajuga dark a chautruce green and sedum like what you have in your garden.i loved this last video it tells. It all.i enjoy your videos.it is my vortex with Laura’s Garden Answer thank you. For sharing 🙏👏👏👏👏⭐️
Thank you! Lessons 7 & 8 are especially reassuring. One area I want to concentrate on this fall involves planting star jasmine! But I feel so impatient to see it grow. Sleep, creep, leap. A perfect garden mantra. 😂 Can I ask what those gorgeous grey green plants cascading over the side of the zigzag planter are?
Janey or anyone else, how will you continue to work to improve your soil? For example, thanks to Janey's and a tour I took at my local botanical garden here in San Antonio Texas, I finally mulched my flower beds this year. This winter should I pull back the mulch and add more compost? I love your videos, Janey. They are educational and inspiring. Thank you.
Raised beds with good soil were a game changer for my vegetable garden. I also fenced the vegetable garden so I could stop crying about the deer damage. Then I took out 4 huge bushes which really increased my space. I plant flowers for color and scent in the garden area.
What I've learned in my garden (started planting in 2022) is that my soil is so bad: poor, lime stone and clay, wet in winter, very dry in summer. Compost is so expensive, I'm just working along with plants that handle that kind of soil (and surprise, actually tons of plants can). In only added woodchips in the beds to improve it, but it's going to take yeeeeaarrss.
Those are wise lessons regarding gardening. I believe that one (not all ) reason that gardening is therapeutic is that it’s repetitive. There are lessons to be learned.
love your video i have learned a lot of the ones you mentioned. you have a beautiful garden and home. thank you for sharing with us. learn so much from your channel.
My lesson learned - like life, nothing is perfect! If I strive for absolute perfection in my garden, I get too stressed out and my garden becomes a burden. Those flaws in my garden give it character...so, let it be! ❤M
Oh my goodness I just fell in love with you even more! Thank you for sharing your woo woo side, I resonate so deeply with this! Yes our gardens and homes and places we visit have souls of their own❤❤ we just have to slow down and listen.
This is excellent advise we learn over time. My shade garden had some trees that had to come down and it now has is a little to much sun for some of my plants I had a deer problem even living in town. I finally got a high enough fence so they can't get in. Now I have a woodchuck who stands right up and eats my Phloxs and lord knows what else he is eating. I use to have skunks. They were always behaved themsleves had babies under my shed. There is always something but the flowers always come back.
Iowa Zone 5 here. I found your Channel shortly before you moved to the new house and have been watching ever since. I love your positive, happy disposition, and it truly starts my day off right. Right now, we are very humid with heat indexes in the 100's. As I sit in my air conditioning knowing that my Garden is burning up, I am wondering how you manage to Garden in that heat. I am a sweaty mess just walking from my car to the house. 😥😥😥
I truly loved this video. I've been in my new house 2 years, the first year I couldn't garden and it allowed me to see what was growing in the yard. The last owner had landscape the yard very nice, but there was no color other than green. So my purpose is to add more flowers.
Janey, Great video! I have learned that it’s ok to make mistakes… learn from it and move on! Thank you for mentioning patience and reminding me about sleep, creep, leap! I had my front yard re landscaped late fall last year. I thought the new plants would have totally taken off this spring and when they didn’t I was disappointed and thought I was doing something wrong. The plants are all healthy… I just need to be patient!
Janey have you ever thought about using butterfly bushes as the hedge of plants for your entrance! I think it would be so cute! And they're drought resistant.
I think the lesson I learned was that I can be happy with a small garden, I can add plants, try different plants or flowers & through trial & error see what grows & doesn’t fit for my vision in my backyard. It’s been therapeutic to get into looking for plants I can watch grow & I’m closer to nature planting flowers for hummingbirds & bees. I love being outdoors in my Southern California weather & I can just sit with a cup of coffee & look at my planter garden. I have lemon & orange trees that give fruit so I share part of my garden with family. Thanks for all your advice on soil & helpful hints learning together with your viewers, I’ll keep watching your journey 👏🏼🥰
Thank you for sharing these lessons with us - the good, the bad & the ugly - as you continue planting & growing all the things in your new garden property! They say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade - and Janey, you have created the most ‘delicious lemonade’ from the blank canvas your property was when you first moved there! It’s all looking absolutely gorgeous - including the once dreaded ‘how-to-deal-with-the zig-zag-planter’ - and we can’t wait to see how it all continues to change and develop over the years ahead! Just a thought……. after the ‘shade garden’ turning out to be a full-sun garden - wouldn’t it be so beautiful to maybe turn that space into a ‘Secret Rose Garden’??!!! I can see climbing roses possibly on your arched metal framework for the ‘green walls’ (planted along with where the clematis is currently) with a long row of beautiful roses against the fence-line on both ends of the Lion fountain! What a beautiful view you’d have out the bedroom windows - and such a lovely fragrance you’d be able to enjoy so near to your wood-burning hot tub! I’m sure whatever you decide to do with that space will be beautiful!
Janey what a great video reminder! I had a plan this winter, two have come to life, one has been scrapped and a new one came about this weekend!! lol deer 🦌 have attacked my plans. But we carry on with patience.
My son found a online garden sun planner that shows you how the sun moves over your property seasonally. Very helpful. If you google you will find several.
Hi Janey! I loved your thought provoking video. ❤️ I personally feel like my flowers and trees are communicating (with each other and with me) although sometimes I feel like they’re giving me the silent treatment when I haven’t been giving them enough attention! 😜 My main lesson learned/key take away/discovery/observation is I need to stop overthinking what is the “perfect” place to plant something. Free it from its nursery pot and get it in the ground already! I can shuffle things around if there’s a better spot for it in the future!! 🪴🇨🇦
Hi Janey. These are great lessons learned. Thank you for sharing. I've been gardening for 30 years and I'm still always learning. I think that's one of the many beautiful things about gardening. 🥰🌼
I've learned how much I dislike gophers! They've taken out 6 of my plants in my artichoke garden in the blink of an eye. I'm "filling in" with bush tomatoes this year until I can plant more perennials next year. I will be growing them from plugs and seeds, so I need patience. Let me repeat, I need patience. The front yard is almost done with probably 250 plants. Irrigation is necessary even if it's a drip system on a timer on the hose bib because I don't have time to properly water and my yard is only 7500SF including house (retirement property!). Things die and it might be the dang gopher or the hail storm that happened that killed my Utah Giant Cherry tree, instead of my thumb. I agree with you that every house does have a personality that guides you to the design (even if you're flying by the seat of your pants}.
Hreat information Janie, first im going to have to amend my soil.i love plants and flowers that are invasive, cause that just means in my garden they just grow better not invasive. This land was a corn field back in the day, my husband's grandpa always use to plant a checkered board. Corn field. Also im thinking way before that it was a grape Vinyard. Because there were grape vines growing all in a row in several places. So the dirt needs amended bad. Its jut plum wore out. Thank you Janie for always being you. Love your channel. Love your home, love all your beautiful flower garden's. ❤
I am a new gardener in a new house with a blank slate and your channel has helped me so much with learning and trying new things. Also having the courage to start over when they don’t work out or my vision changes. Thank you so much for sharing your journey! ❤
I have learned that it is important to recognize garden zones are suggestions but knowledge of microclimates means that a zone higher may thrive. In my case mulching after the ground has frozen and ensuring snow cover may get that zone 4plant through our zone 3 winter. Spring is hard with freeze thaw cycles so the mulch keeps everything really cold until I take it off when temperatures are more moderate.
Well good morning Janey and monty. What a great video so much wealth of knowledge. We are never too old to learn. There is no place in the garden for fear. Thank you have a blessed day the oklahoma gardener😊
I really like your choices. I was so upset that you maybe taking out the zig zag planter. I love it too. It adds character to your home and land! Great job!! My sweet dog knows your music and loves watching! Ha❤
Thank you Janey ❤LOVE watching you and the way you explain everything! You’re my bestie in gardening, without knowing you in person! So grateful for your channel! Congratulations 🎉 on your successful first year in your, gorgeously changed home!! 🏡 🎉❤
Love your zig zag garden! I'm a new gardener, as of June 😅. Your zig zag feature taught me that you can plant with a color scheme in mind. I totally scrapped my original garden design and now have a lovely flowerbed with purple, silver, and green plants and shrubs!
Excellent advice, thanks. We've just moved into a new spot, and I've decided that 'me & my garden aren't speaking to each other' yet! Maybe when it cools off some. (Zone 8)
Another great video Janey. Your second lesson on the shade garden was interesting. I have lots of hosta's and shade loving plants in full sun and they are not fried or dying, they thrive. My thing is water, water and more water. Hosta's love shade but they can thrive with daily watering in a sunny spot. Your zig zag planter is the bomb diggity of all planters and I just love that you embraced it and made it work. I laughed at you saying plans change, oh boy as a gardener for 40+ years I can honestly say my garden is never the same two years in a row. I have foundation plants that are staples but I am constantly rearranging and changing and that is the joy of it all. Great job!
I loved the zig zag. I’m happy that you kept it. I’m 65. What visioned if it had been me with an old planter like that in California ( I live in Washington) is old Hollywood, Palm Springs. The grass is beautiful. Watching your channel has provided me with other gardeners that my own yard needs more care and ideas in the NW. trees. Which I thought of removing. I’m keeping I have tall evergreens and a big weeping cedar that hits my roof when it gets weighted down onto my roof.
That sunset and barn is a gorgeous view... and the orange 🍊 trees as well. I love LOVE the zig zag planter and wish I had one. 😍 I have no great focal point so I am trying to create one. I am not patient at all. Q? What made you want to move? Thank you for this video. Understanding that an incredible gardener goes through what I do/feel is very helpful. Like a pep talk. Thank you Janey 💜🙏💜 (p.s. I missed your Sunday garden tour)
It takes a bit to learn sun shade areas in new properties. I know because I failed. I’ve been here 2 years and planted some sun loving plants in spots that really are too shaded. The challenges and fun in gardening keep us going! Love your progress!
Great advice! I too, follow a lot of gardeners with these gorgeous gardens but I have found out that most of these plants won't survive in my hot, Texas 8a climate. I'm back to mostly Texas natives that take much less water. Oh, but I love looking at all the pretty flowers, sigh.
Fantastic video Janey and such good advice. You have achieved so much in just one year and you inspire me to get out in my garden every day. Thank you ❤
Soil is key if you want happy plants. Know your sun and shade spots.. Embrace the plants that work in your area. You can stretch out but often it will present much more work for you. ( extra watering , fertilizing, mulching) perennials are the soul of your garden and annuals are your fluff. Only do as many garden beds as you are willing to work on. Weeding, watering and fertilizing does take time. Make it where you have time to enjoy and not just work your property. Now if I could just follow my advice!🤣
