Thanks for your kindness !

I have a garden path composed of crusher fines (crushed granite). It is a terrific seedbed. The Gaillardia that I tried for 3 years to grow in the flower bed is now a huge bush blocking the path!

Edwin Lutyens used slate on edge in many of his designs. The British Embassy in DC is one fine example.

Thanks for the kind words Ian.

I think you're comparing yourself too harshly Judy. Do what suits you!

They have a big budget, lots of people working in these gardens, and they're always learning and changing things up. You can't compare yourself! I'm sure your garden is lovely, even if a bit messy plants are just beautiful in general. And as long as you're having fun I'm sure it comes through as well

Give yourself some garden grace honey...😊

Wonderful diverse gardens ….is access free?

Oh yeah I used to dred bringing by cacti houseplants outside for the spring and summer but then I switched the potting mix to 25% potting soil and 75% pearlite and I never had to worry about them ever again. Doesn’t matter how much it rains for us those cacti never suffer from root rot. The water just passes right through the dirt like it’s nothing

That’s a pretty quick-draining mix. So you’re leaving them out all winter? What’s your cold hardiness zone?

@@jul7673 No im not leaving them out all winter. I have some succulents I keep in the ground year round here in North Carolina 8a. I have 3 separate opuntia (prickly pear) species out by the 'hell strip' my mailbox is on. I don't care that it's straight red clay cause that clay aint ever holding any water anyways. It's way to hot and sunny out there for it to ever hold any water for longer than a day so I plant. I also have some Sempervivum (hens and chicks), Graptopetalum (Ghost Plant) and an agave like jim has. But unlike jim who amended the soil he has. There's not an ounce of organic matter out there so I dont worry about the clay on the roots. It's inorganic anyways so I don't have to worry about it ever getting boggy out there. They've been in the ground for 3 years now and thriving. They're all completely hardy where we are at. Now all my other cacti and succulents like my Jade plants, etc that I know would not tolerate my clay soil I keep them in Terracotta pots with that highly draining potting mix you commented on. And those I do bring inside every winter. But recently I haven't been needing to bring them in until December because it doesn't freeze until then LOL (rip us were gonna be so cooked in 50 years)

Thanks Nolan! Yep, cooked, I know. I’m interested in evergreen potted plants that can take reflected heat on the concrete pool deck. Jim says containers should be 2 zone hardier than where I live (8a/b), so that means zone 6. I will try your formula next time to see if I can keep them drier over winter. Opuntia by the pool- why not lol

@@jul7673 oh my god are you kidding me? Absolutely they’re a PERFECT thing to add to your pool deck. Literally maintenance free. All I’d do is add some sort of 3 month slow release balanced fertilizer. Nothing organic. Has to be synthetic fertilizer. And then just leave them alone for the rest of the year. And if you want to add a spiller for the container too there’s a ton of zone 6 hardy sedum that would be fine in our winters here. Plus more flowers to enjoy in the same planter lol. Also another note. Learn from my mistake and if you’re going to get 1 prickly pear get a 2nd different variety so they can cross pollenate and produce fruit. I tried to pollenate my prickly pears by hand last year and learned the hard way that they are not self fertile and need to be pollenated by the genetics of a different plant. Which sucks cause I had 3 of the same opuntia that were clones of their mother plant I took cuttings off lol. So now I have another species entirely so I know for sure the genetics are different and will get successful pollination this year. The bumble bees and carpenter bees love hanging out in the flower so I’m sure they’ll be natural cross pollination. Also final PS: NEVER pay for a prickly pear from the store. Just drive around your neighborhood. A ton of people have prickly pears and I’ve realized over the years that if you just go up to them complement how beautiful their garden is then ask to take a small cutting off their prickly pear 9/10 times they’ll just let you do. Then literally plop the cutting in some well draining dirt and ignore it. Boom. Easiest plant to propagate on earth. Other option if you’re extremely socially anxious which I DO NOT CONDONE 😉…. I meannnn whose gonna notice if one cactus pad is missing off a plant that has 100 of them? THIS IS SOMETHING I DO NOT CONDONE okie have a great evening lmfao

Hi Kathy funny you should mention Beth shadows Garden. We went there as well and we’re also very inspired by the gravel garden there. Glad you noticed it.

Why do anything about them? They'll protect your plants and clean up whatever's on the ground that could be food. Ants getting into my house and fire ant colonies are the only ones I ever mess with, the rest are just part of the natural cycle.

I had this in a pot that was sitting directly on the patio stone. I got a wire wheeled plant stand so it”s about two inches off the stone, and the problem stopped

The garden was in terrible shape at the time of her death in 1936 and wasn't dedicated to her until 1939. My guess is that she would have loved this garden and the current stewards trying to lessen its environmental impact. Hopefully no one thinks that a monoculture of heavily sprayed roses would be a good decision with visitors including children and pets. I've always joked that the Raleigh rose garden glows in the dark from all the chemicals that have been applied there.