Thursday, August 30, 2012

LATE SEASON GARDEN TRIALS EYE EXAM

If you wear glasses, then you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. This is the part of the eye exam where they put a machine up to your face and ask; which is better, one or two? Then the eye doctor asks the question again and again while the choices get closer and closer to being the same. Finally, everything's in focus and you're done. Let's try it now at the end of a hard summer!
Which is better?
One?                                      or         Two?

Easy, it's one. I'm keeping Coreopsis 'Route 66' but pulling Melampodium. It's eaten constantly by bugs.

Now for some out of bloom foliage:
                                                                          
               One?                                  or   two?

Again, I'm keeping one. The miniature coreopsis is compact while the Osteospermum sprawls.

Now for a hard one. I can only keep one of these due to lack of space:



One?                                           or                    two?

As much as I dislike picking, I'm going with number two. One sprawls too much, but is prettier.
Both are types of Salvia.

   One?                                  or  two?

Both of these Vincas are very nice and steady bloomers, but I prefer one due to the white eyespots.

And finally,
one? or two?
















        

This one was easy. One (the Zinnia linearis) beats out two, the poor Blackfoot daisy. 


And this painful process is how we gardeners improve our gardens year after year. 
That's it for today. It's time to pull the losers. Boo hoo. Have a terrific gardening weekend. David/:0)
The first year of the cottage garden instead of St. Augustine grass.

  

7 comments:

  1. Even without reading through your comments I would have chosen exactly the same ones to keep!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi, David. Today's post is very interesting!
    We learn what kind of plants suits our garden through such trials :)

    By the way, Thank you for allowing me to use your photos. I introduced your garden on my Japanese blog today.( http://ameblo.jp/k-tski/entry-11342620010.html )

    Everyone is impressed by your beautiful garden which has agaves and flowers planted together!
    It's impossible to plant agaves or succulents on the ground directly here in Japan.
    So they said "Amazing!!!" "Coooool!!!"

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your cottage garden looks lovely.

    Generally I am unable to pick, so I admire your discipline!

    ReplyDelete
  4. haha - Loved it! I need to give my garden a good, hard, look - and see if any of my plants are slightly out of focus!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I hate choices like that! I find it so hard to finally give up on a plant. They certainly get a long time to prove themselves in my garden. But yes, sometimes tough choices must be made.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have a hard time deciding between one or two, both at the eye doctor and in the garden!

    ReplyDelete
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I always appreciate your comments & questions! Happy Gardening from David/ Tropical Texana

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