A Friendly Garden for Birds, Butterflies, and Squirrels

This garden has something for every visitor

Welcome to Kamalika Chakrabarty ’s garden .

Our garden in Chapel Hill , North Carolina , consists of a edge along the front porch and a side garden that surrounds a patio . We use the garden year - round , and our plantings mirror that year - orotund purpose . We begin the flush time of year with paeony and daffodils . peony are the easiest of plants to grow . Just plant the bare roots at the ending of fall , and in three year you will have so many efflorescence that there will not be enough flower vessel in the house to put them in . genus Funka are just peaking out of the ground by midspring . The roses waken up and put out the buds , and the first flush is a beautiful show . Our garden has a mixture of hybrid teas ( ‘ Fragrant Cloud ’ , ‘ Leibeszauber ’ , ‘ Miss All American Beauty ’ , ‘ Elle ’ , ‘ Iceberg ’ ) , landscape originate ‘ Bonita ’ , grandiflora ‘ Queen Elizabeth ’ , and old - fashioned English roses ( ‘ Graham Thomas ’ and ‘ Abraham Darby ’ ) .

The roses are plant with contrasting colors . I have paired this yellow ‘ Graham Thomas ’ rose with a clump of inscrutable blue Siberian iris(Iris siberica , Zones 2–9 ) . The coral pink of ‘ Abraham Darby ’ contrast with the silvery leaves ofArtemisia . Everywhere you turn over you may see a small vignette that will fetch a smile to your aspect .

The garden is design to be a sensory delight , to be enjoyed with all the senses . I have set breaking wind chimes and bells in certain corners so that a gentle breeze puts forth a solace sound that feels very peaceful . I have essay planting tulip over the years , but they have ferment out to be tasty food for all the critters who chaffer the garden ; hence , I have decide to plant daffodils , which are less palatable . I have fragrantNarcissusthat peak profusely in midspring .

With all the flush burst out of their winter sleep , you are secure to get a grand female parent ’s Day bouquet !

Our dwarf Japanese maple(Acer palmatum , Zones 5–9 ) is twenty - four years old and just 4 feet in height .

These leave are a beautiful Marxist , and the sun shining through them produces firework in the garden fit for a Billie Jean Moffitt King . The color of the velvety red leaves contrasts very finely with the low-spirited color of the siding .

The hydrangea bud in midspring . Hydrangeas in our garden blush from tardy spring through late summer in tint of pink to blue . I add together some Al sulphate to the ground to get more blue blooms , because I am fond toward blue .

Our butterfly bushes(Buddleiaspp . , Zones 5–9 ) bloom profusely , but sometimes due to their fork habit they do not take care a acute pruning in other spring . Several specie of butterfly visit us during the anthesis season . Lavender and blossom onions(Alliumspp . ) are the favorites of bee . Hostas are plant as outer space makeweight and their flowers produce sake in spaces where there are all the shades of green . Other filler such as creeping phlox , thyme , and daisy are soft to grow and can stand a sure academic degree of neglect . A flowering jasmine next to the front door is utterly posit . It come back year after twelvemonth without any maintenance requirement . Fragrant lily and gardenia planted around the front porch can be enjoyed on a quiet summer evening .

Squirrels are frequent visitant to our garden . They love to use up Spinacia oleracea , clams , and comestible bloom such as nasturtium , but not kitchen herb such as rosemary , lavender , chive , mint , and basil . In addition , chili peppers and tomatoes do not seem to attract to these furry friends of ours .

The loyalist of the winter garden are the camellias . They make full in the spaces where the surrounding shrubs either expect a little spent or overgrown . Camellias are ideal to raise in the acidic soil in North Carolina , requiring very slight care .

As in all other things in liveliness , one learns from preceding mistakes . The garden is a perfect example of how we learn what plant survive the four time of year , drouth , neglect , and weeds . The industrial plant in the garden love the sunlight and are drouth kind , since in Zone 7 we have red-hot summers . The heavy layer of mulch does us a great overhaul in reducing weeds and watering needs .

We have twist our patio into a dining region . Our midget Japanese maple shield the buffet car on the terrace from the street . We have started experiment with a blueberry President Bush and some veg such as Malabar Spinacia oleracea . A combination of peak , vegetables , and butterfly stroke - friendly plants makes it all worthwhile to work in the garden . On some days , we notice more Mary Jane than flowers . On other days , we are grateful for the yield of our working class . We deal the garden and all its pleasures with admirer and critters who jaw .

Have pic to share ? We ’d be intimate to see your garden , a finical aggregation of plants you love , or a wonderful garden you had the chance to chaffer !

To accede , send 5 - 10 photos to[email protected]along with some data about the works in the scene and where you took the picture . We ’d love to get a line where you are located , how long you ’ve been gardening , successes you are proud of , loser you learn from , hopes for the futurity , favorite flora , or funny stories from your garden .

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