What Is A Gramma Garden?

Kate's -  Gramma Gardens

In a Gramma's Garden at dusk, you will find arrangements of all sorts.  In the above photo there is some shade so you see Hostas back by bench.  As you go to the center of the area, there are sunny perennials that are almost wild.  The area is in back of the Fairy Garden and has the Bless arch with the metal Rooster gate.

Here it is a little less formal.  I wanted it to look like a forgotten corner of an old farm settlement.  The Outhouse is a tool shed .  The metal antique bench has an orange sign above it named DREAM.    The Bless arch with metal Rooster gate that Dick has made when opened brings you to the back side of the Fairy Garden.
     So now you ask me again, "What really is a Gramma's Garden? "  "If I want to make one like it where do I begin?  And that is the secret.  Begin anywhere.  Let go of all that formal groomed stuff like I had to because of health issues.  Take what you already have and add to it.  I lean towards old but a modern theme is also fun.  My Rock Garden is modern formal look.  But is sits right dab in the middle of my near wild look.  Let me go backwards now.  A Gramma's Garden is a discription of a unique garden which started out as a perennial garden.  Because I plant close together with no soil showing, most places, I am stuffing an extra plant here and there as I walk around holding the perennial, (a plant that comes up every year after winter is over) in my hand trying to find a special spot for it, I have a great assortment of flowers growing in a mesh of compatibility becoming the Gramma's Garden.  No matter if it is a shaded area or a hot sunny area like my new Birdhouse Garden it can be developed into the Gramma's Garden.  An English Garden, which is groomed, is a more or less formal version of the Gramma's Garden.

     This summer because of health issues I could only work in the gardens for 30min to 60 min. at a time.  Any time it got over 80 degrees I would have to head for the house, causing less time spent working the many hours I use to spend out there.  Weeding was at a minimal so when I went out in the early morning or later after supper in the evening I began to see what I use to call weeds.  The Wild Asters, Goldenrod, Yarrow seedlings that had sprouted up from it's parents pods that had dried and dropped hundred of seeds.  Most the birds had eaten theses seeds but some did shove up new plants.  Because I wasn't able to erradicate them from the gardens they actually got to mature size and bloomed along with the perrenials that were in there.  I plant very close so not much shows except the flowers.

Globe Thistle is a special flower that blooms in August along with the
blue and white balloon flowers.  In the back ground you can see red
daylilies and a touch of the yellow Rudbeckia.  Joe Pie Weed is
also growing here, planted especially for the butterflies.
I have left them self seed by not cutting off the seed
heads in fall.

This area use to be well groomed and formal.  The decorative Grass "Carl Foster"
surrounded it and I use to plant annuals at the bottom of the pillar.  Goldenrod
is a wild flower that I encourage to share my gardens.  Now in August it
flourishes here and actually framed out the statue is this area.  Blue Balloon
flower and Rudbeckia also have started to grow by throwing out the
perennial seeds that grew in the surrounding area. I am often late
in cutting back the perennials in fall so the seed pods have formed
and easily plucked off and scatter the seeds where I want them,
letting nature finish the part of germination and have them
bloom in the following year.

This area shows again the Blue Globe flower, White Balloon flower, the Red Daylilies Queen Ann's lace, Rudbeckia and even a pink rose.  All started in the Birdhouse Garden by scattering the perennial seeds out among other plants.  Because it was a new area with lots of soil spots showing I planted the Daylilies and Balloon Flowers amongst Sedum, Iris, lots of Lily Bulbs of all kinds which I purchased at Brecks catalogue.  

The above area is the higher level of my more formal gardens up by our home in which  I let become more wild.  They are shady gardens with shrubs, and trees.  The rock garden ends up here on the top of the hill.  There is a wide grassy path that goes up in between the second shady garden and the top of the Rock garden.  I have let the perennial blue and white Capella reseed and keep it under control by selective weeding out what I do not want in there.

This is a break between the hillside gardens and the second upper garden.  Giving a walkway to the third upper garden. On the left it is more wild, on the right is another hosta garden, on the hillside giving a more formal look, groomed look.  The I  Believe sign that holds a thistle feeder, is a metal art that Dick made me.  

White balloon flowers.  See the buds in background?
They indeed look like balloons.

This blending, mending are oh so beautiful....   blue Balloon Flower
and the lacy wild flower Queen Ann's Lace.

This grouping is a gramma's garden that is again given a break of grass area to bring you to the Rockgarden in the background.  Many perennials again blend, mend, to each other and the surrounding area, giving a pause in nature like music does in music notes.  Combining one area to another.  Eyes can see both, but melded to one another, making a melody my Creator nods to -
Ahhh, what was I worrying and fretting about not able to groom and weed my gardens because of health issuses?  My gardens have become a new song that only nature knew from the beginning of life on earth.  It is the eye that sees,  that make the soul see the music.  My gramma garden!

Rubeckia dasies, Light Purple Manarda, Phlox and few wild Asters scattered into the setting all making their music light and airy.

See the buds.  They look like balloons and pop if you pinch them
together which my grandkids love to do.  Some are open and show
the pattern so very intricate.  Pink cone flowers are in the back
ground.  I love blue in the Gramma's garden!

I feel so joyful in my garden!  I feel so close to my Creator God The Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, One.    

                                  Kate

Sends you love and blessings.

May you see the music in all

your gardens and find great joy!