Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel

Five Year Update

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Sun, 06 Sep 2020 14:32:00 +0000

Hello again!

I've continued to leave the blog posted for reference. While I'm not gardening like I did at the gardens featured in my posts, I have a few flower beds at my current home. I was traveling a lot until the pandemic. I hope everyone is staying healthy during these unusual and challenging times. My current hobby is painting with watercolors, which I enjoy very much.

Iris 'Clarence' is a great reblooming, fragrant, iris.

Happy gardening, travels, and art!

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. Deer and rabbit resistance varies based upon the animal population and availability of food. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Goodbye, Home and Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 14:43:00 +0000

Dear readers,

My home and gardens, featured in this blog, are now in the hands of a wonderful family with children and dogs.

The years spent here with my husband were incredible. We loved our neighborhood, our home and the gardens. After "The Musician" passed away from brain cancer, it was time for me to move on. I spent a year here without him and it was bittersweet.

I'm currently renovating a much smaller house, built in 1939. It's a project! There are still months to go to completion and I'll have new garden opportunities on the established half acre lot.

Thank you for reading my blog. I'll keep it alive for reference purposes on the many plants that I grew over the years. Thank you, garden bloggers. I've met many of you in person and consider many others as friends as we still engage in other social media.

Here are a few last photos of the garden in 2015.

The cottage garden

Nigella, a favorite grown from seed

The deer resistant garden

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. Deer and rabbit resistance varies based upon the animal population and availability of food. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Chocolate Chili Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 22:07:00 +0000

This recipe never disappoints. If you like gingerbread and you like chocolate, bake these for a sweet and spicy chocolate fix.

The recipe that I used came from the blog, Savour Fare. I altered the recipe by using powdered ancho chile instead of chipotle. My photos were taken with an iPhone and therefore don't really show the darker color of the chocolate cookies as the photos on the recipe blog.

The cookies while cooling...before they disappeared!

I used Madagascar vanilla bean paste and Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa. Using quality ingredients will give you the best results. The cinnamon, honey and ginger add so much to the flavor and if you love ginger snaps, just imagine those flavored with intense chocolate and dash of spicy chile. The chile isn't overwhelming at all, so don't let that ingredient prevent you from trying these easy cookies.

One tip that I'd like to pass along is my non-messy method for rolling cookie dough into balls. Using a regular flatware spoon in my left hand, I scoop out the dough. In my right hand, I swirl another spoon on top of the dough to create perfectly rounded balls without putting my hands in the dough. This method makes quick work of the task as well.

With no eggs in the dough, you can pass the bowl to hungry onlookers to clean it up for you!

Rolling the dough with spoons keeps hands clean.

One Last Time: Free Yourself and Your Oven and Grill the Turkey

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Sat, 22 Nov 2014 22:34:00 +0000

Friends: This annual posting of my favorite Thanksgiving story was inspired by my wonderful husband who passed away in May 2014 from brain cancer (glioblastoma multiforme)... the reason I've been off the blogs for the last year.

It all started with Thanksgiving 2006. Expecting a crowd for the big meal, I couldn't work out a way to get everything in the oven since the turkey was so large.

We had to figure out how to get everything cooked on time. The microwave wouldn't do it. Ah ha! What about using the grill? Would that work? My husband placed the turkey (in the pan) on the grill to see if the lid would close. It did. Since it was already Thanksgiving morning, I frantically searched the Web for turkey grilling instructions. After finding several versions, my husband and I created our own variation.

All twelve of our guests showed up. We announced that the turkey was on the grill. Amazed, all the men went out onto the grilling deck to witness what they'd never seen before -- a turkey on the grill!

They didn't bother with the games on TV, they wanted to watch the turkey. There was a problem with that. The guys kept opening up the grill lid to see the turkey! Opening and closing the grill lid slows down the roasting with all that cold winter air. It took longer than expected due to the spectator interference and the meal was still late. However, the results were fabulous and we agreed to grill the holiday turkey in the future.

Fast forward to summer 2007. I was shopping for a new gas grill for my husband's birthday. After all, if he was going to grill the turkey from now on, he needed a better grill.

I asked the salesman if grills came with windows. No.

I asked if I could buy a "turkey cam." He laughed hysterically! No, they don't make cameras for the inside of a grill.

I bought the grill in spite of the lack of desired features.

A few days later, I went to my favorite kitchen gadget store. Telling the salesperson about the problems with the spectacle of turkey grilling, she had a brilliant idea...buy a remote digital thermometer!

When I enthusiastically presented that thermometer to my husband, he was skeptical. Very skeptical. I was tempted to return the thermometer with such a reaction, but we kept it. It was several months later before the debut of the remote thermometer at Thanksgiving 2007.

I prepared the fresh turkey by rubbing it with olive oil and Herbes de Provence--a mix of basil, savory, fennel and lavender. I placed the turkey in a standard roasting pan fitted with a roasting rack. I put chicken broth in the bottom of the roasting pan to create moisture during the roasting process. The culinary sage in the garden was still looking great, so I added fresh leaves to the chicken broth. I handed the turkey off to my husband. He programmed the remote thermometer and agreed to keep the grill lid closed.

I was free and my oven was free! I worked on the side dishes without having to worry about the turkey.

The remote radio control sat in the kitchen. Several hours later a voice said "your food will be ready in five minutes." The thermometer had worked! We double-checked the temperature with another thermometer and the two agreed...the turkey was done.

The Herbes de Provence and the fresh sage provided great flavor. The turkey was moist from the method of grilling. Our guests all agreed that it was the best turkey...even if they didn't have the fun of watching it grill!

Story by Freda Cameron, November 2009; Photo added Thanksgiving 2008;
My recipe (Your results may vary. I'm not a chef! No guarantees. Grill at your own risk.)

Yes, The Deer Ate the Yucca

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 00:26:00 +0000

Deer damage. February 2014

Well, not the entire yucca. Not yet—and there's no sign of spring around here.

It's been a cold winter and food is scarce, so hungry deer seek out plants that aren't on the regular menu. The deer ignore the yucca from spring through fall. This is not the first winter when the yucca was ripped up, so I wasn't surprised. I should have put a cage around it, but I didn't. While the yucca is ragged, it will recover and bloom again this summer.

The victim here is yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard' but the deer will nibble the tips on any variety of yucca. For photos of this particular yucca in full glory, refer to my past post "Rays of Sun, Leaves of Yellow." I love this yucca and am keeping it in the deer resistant garden. Not only is it an easy-keeper (ignore it except to protect it from deer in winter), it's a great evergreen companion to shrubs, annuals and perennials in my zone 7b garden.

So, gardeners beware—protect your prized yucca from deer in winter.

Baked Gifts: Chocolate Biscotti Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Sat, 07 Dec 2013 21:11:00 +0000

For the holiday season, I'm repeating this post from 2012. This Chocolate Biscotti Recipe from David Lebovitz is easy to make. Bake a delicious gift!

Start out with good ingredients such as Valrhona Cocoa,
demerara sugar, slivered almonds and chocolate chips.

As a fan of food and bigger fan of Paris, I follow the blog of expat American +David Lebovitz, pastry chef, author of cookbooks and one of my favorite iPhone apps, Paris Pastry®. I made his Chocolate Biscotti Recipe for holiday gifts.

Is it possible for an amateur like me to turn out great biscotti?

I took David's advice and searched out the best cocoa as he proclaims it makes a big difference. At the new +Sur La Table® in Durham, I found +Valrhona® Cocoa Powder (made in France) and while a bit on the pricey side, I'm now a convert to this brand. Intense chocolate. I also picked up demerara sugar (for the glaze) and slivered almonds at the local +Southern Season in Chapel Hill.

Pause for technology tip: You'll note that there are now plus signs in front of some links. These are easy links provided by Google+ to profile pages so I don't have to go searching the web while I type and copy/paste in web addresses. I converted my blogger profile to Google+ for easier link-up. These links aren't paid or click ads.

I started with a fresh bag of flour (Trader Joe's®).
To keep flour from flying everywhere, I put the bag in a
big bowl to contain the mess while I scoop.

Toasting almonds on stovetop.

I've never succeeded at toasting almonds in the oven. I tend to look away at the wrong time and end up with a burned mess. Now, I use a Calphalon® nonstick crepe pan that is flat. No butter or oil. I gently shake the pan, or stir with a wooden spoon, over medium (gas) heat until the almonds are lightly toasted. They will continue to toast in the hot pan, so I immediately put the almonds in a bowl until ready to add to the biscotti batter.

The biscotti batter is very thick, so don't be alarmed. David doesn't use butter and this gives you a perfect, dense biscotti. The almond-cherry biscotti that I've made before, used butter. To me, the texture is better without.

Biscotti is "twice baked" and the only thing difficult about making it is patience. After the first baking, the two logs look good enough to eat, but don't do it!

After first baking. (I use parchment paper on a cookie sheet.)

Slice on cutting board, using a serrated bread knife.

Cool for fifteen minutes after first baking. Slide the biscotti off of the parchment (or silicone mat) onto a cutting board. Use a large serrated bread knife and cut the logs into half inch pieces.

Re-reading David's recipe, he says to "diagonally cut" and I didn't catch that, so I cut straight slices. It didn't seem to be an issue with my biscotti. I managed to cut forty-eight biscotti out of my two logs and David lists fifty to sixty.

Place the slices onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and return to oven for second baking. I rotated the pans halfway through the bake time. My range is duel-fuel, so the oven is electric.

Final verdict: this is the best biscotti recipe that I've made. So much better than store bought, so don't hesitate to try David's recipe if you've got the time for baking.

Biscotti slices are ready to go into the oven for second baking.

Ready to enjoy!
Notice the nice demerara sugar glaze on the edges.

For gifting, I purchased red fold-down food bags from The Kitchen Store® at University Mall in Chapel Hill. These cute bags were only fifty-nine cents each. I like the Christmas tree window that shows off the contents.

Store biscotti for two weeks in an airtight container. Trust me, these goodies will be eaten long before they expire—dip in espresso or other coffee.

Ready to gift.

Ready to keep for two weeks (eaten in two days).

PS technology tip: I used my iPhone 4s for all photos.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Do You Know the Way to Monet's Gardens at Giverny?

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Sat, 19 Oct 2013 00:07:00 +0000

The Grande Allée in Monet's Clos Normand.
Giverny, France. September 2013

In Paris, the weather is anything but predictable, but you cannot wait around for a sunny day. So it was with umbrellas and raincoats that my husband and two friends left our apartments in the Marais neighborhood and descended into the Saint-Paul Métro station at seven that September morning. Destination: Giverny.

Switching once at the Châtelet métro (but we prefer to switch at Concorde), we traveled to the regional train station, Gare Saint Lazare. There, we purchased roundtrip SNCF tickets on the Rouen-bound train. Before boarding, we validated our tickets in the yellow boxes on the platforms. If you don't validate, you'll have to pay the conductor a fine when he comes around to check tickets.

After forty-minutes in our comfortable second class seats, we descended onto the platform at Vernon. Since there were four of us, we climbed into a taxi (instead of the buses) destined for the nearby village of Giverny. Minutes later, we were the first ones in the door at 9:30 a.m.

Easy—because I'm familiar with Paris and have been to Giverny. (Our friends later called me a Garmin GPS). Although it can be daunting to find your way to Giverny without a guide, you can go without a tour group.

Here are some tips to help you find your way, but remember to double-check all information before you go as anything can change.

SNCF Train Schedules
You can search for Paris to Vernon on the SNCF train website. Once you decide what time you want to depart Paris, plan how much métro (or taxi) time you need to get to Gare Saint Lazare. Allow another twenty minutes to get to the platform and purchase a ticket.

You don't need to purchase these train tickets online.

Paris Métro Map
Find the métro line closest to your hotel/apartment in Paris. You may have to switch trains to get on a line that goes to Saint Lazare.

Saint Lazare Train Station
From the métro—go up, up, up to the Grandes Lignes arrival and departure platforms (accès aux quais).

If you're not experienced with the ticket machines, go to the window and buy a round-trip (retour) ticket (billet) to Vernon on the SNCF train headed toward Rouen. For the forty-minute trip, a 2nd class train car is quite comfortable. No seat assignment is made for 2nd class. Choose an empty seat.

Make sure you get a train schedule when you buy the ticket so that you'll know what time to return to Paris.

France uses a twenty-four hour clock, so if you want to leave Monet's Gardens in the afternoon, add twelve hours. For example, 4:20 p.m. will show as16h20 on the ticket.

Once you have your ticket for Vernon, watch for departure (départ) times on the big lighted overhead boards. You want the DIRECT train bound for Rouen with a travel time of 00h44 (forty-four minutes).

When a track (voie) number shows on the marquis, go to the bright yellow box at the beginning of that track and insert your ticket. Once validated, find a coach car for 2nd class and board.

Forty-minutes later, get off at the village of Vernon.

Outside and to the right of the train station, there will be buses waiting to take tourists directly to the nearby village of Giverny, where you'll find Monet's Gardens.

The buses park down the hill, across the road from the village, so it will take 5+ minutes to walk to the admissions door at Monet's Gardens.

Fondation Claude Monet
Located in the small village of Giverny, accessible from the town of Vernon.
Open April 1 until November 1
9:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.
9 euros for adult admission

You'll go through the gift shop first, so pick up a map of the gardens at the ticket window so you can find your way around. Just outside the gift shop, you'll find restrooms.

You cannot picnic in the gardens and there is no place to eat. Your ticket is valid until you exit. You cannot reenter on the same ticket. Once you've left the gardens, you can find several places to dine in the village.

When you're ready to leave, return to the bus parking lot at least 30 minutes before time to catch your train to Paris.

Once you are back at the Vernon train station, find the yellow box to validate your return ticket.

Enjoy your excursion!

Next post...the gardens.

In May 2009, my husband and I visited Monet's Gardens for the first time. Even though we've been to France every year since, it wasn't until September 2013 that we returned to Giverny. On this visit, we showed Southern Living writer, "The Grumpy Gardener" and his wife the way to this gardening mecca.

Pics from Paris: Seeing Red at Luxembourg Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 07:24:00 +0000

Luxembourg Gardens, Paris. 15 Sept 2013

The fashionable color combo around the Senate building at Luxembourg Gardens is red and purple. This is another favorite garden in Paris where I've never seen the same combinations repeated on my many visits over the years.

Familiar flowers combined for a unique design.
Castor bean, dahlias, petunias and geraniums dominate.

Panoramic view of public section of the gardens.
Pink (begonias and anemones) and blue plumbago towers (corners) are introduced.

I like the use of purple fountain grass and purple spires of salvia.

Add caption

I'm inspired by the spires of salvia. Love this look.

On a smaller scale, this would look great in a cottage garden.

The color coordination of my scarf with
the garden was purely coincidental.

Pics from Paris: Dahlias are a Big Deal

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Sun, 15 Sep 2013 17:24:00 +0000

Dahlia 'Bel Amour' at Jardin des Plantes. 15 Sept 2013

Jardin des Plantes is my favorite Paris garden, and I wander through on every visit, in different seasons and it's always delightful.

Huge dahlia blooms—in many forms and colors—are abundant right now. The flower trial sign indicates the varieties were created by Label Rouge and are "Les dahlias de qualité supérieure."

After enjoying our picnic on a bench in the gardens, I snapped a few dahlia photos to share with you. I can't decide which ones I like the best—do you have a favorite?

Huge blooms!

Dahlia 'Château de la Bordaisière'

Dahlia 'Flamina'

Dahlia 'Bumble Rumble'

Dahlia 'Fripon' is a short variety, paired with echinops.

Dahlia 'Néo'

Dahlia 'Colorama'

Dahlia 'Clair de Lune'

These red dahlias show the height of most.
Paired with deep red coleus, backed by grasses.

Pics from Paris: Louvre Lawnmowers

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 20:08:00 +0000

Tuileries Garden, Musée du Louvre in Paris. Sept 2013

Don't you know the goats would love a bit more rope to reach those flowers in the Tuileries Garden? A few days later, the goats were gone, but the grass was evenly trimmed in the ravine. Good work from the goats.

Dog-Friendly Fearrington Village

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 20:39:00 +0000

Once again, we have a dog in the family. Brie, our miniature poodle, loves to lunch with us so we're getting to know all the dog-friendly dining spots in the area. Fearrington is one of her favorite hangouts. We love it, too.

Puppy Brie sits patiently under our table at The Granary Restaurant.
Brie will be one year old on October 19, 2013.

Jenny's White Garden behind the Fearrington House Inn. May 2013

Fearrington Village, with the charm of an English hamlet, is located in the rolling countryside only ten minutes from Chapel Hill and thirty minutes from the Raleigh-Durham Airport in North Carolina. Fearrington House Inn, with its renowned restaurant, is a member of Relais & Chateaux, a family of the finest hotels and gourmet restaurants in the world.

Whether overnighting at the Inn, dining outdoors or browsing in the shops, dogs on a leash are welcome to join their owners. They may even sniff out a rock covered with dog biscuits while strolling along a garden path.

Brie finds the dog cookies beside a path!
She was treated to another cookie while shopping at the Dovecote.

In addition to home and garden décor,
the Dovecote sells a large selection of pet products.

Will the real dog please bark?
Brie shopped for a great dog toy.

While humans shop at Dovecote for apparel and Paris-inspired home décor, pets may shop the huge selection of accessories. Pet beds, collars, books and toys make this a great stop with your pet or to take something home to your favorite dog or cat.

Ready to relax and read? McIntyre’s Books, an independent bookseller welcomes dogs in their cozy shop. With the ambiance of an English cottage, complete with fireplace and comfortable seating, the shop carries classics and bestsellers in fiction and non-fiction. As a writer, I'm always interested in attending their author events.

Brie wants someone to read to her as she checks out McIntyre's Books.

Beginning in spring and continuing in good weather, outdoor dining options include the Granary Restaurant for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. My favorite lunch is the chicken salad and Richard is fond of the BLT. We both agree the Granary burger is one of the best around. While we can get these at dinner, we like to opt for something bigger, such as the herb crusted or parmesan crusted pork.

The Goat is the place to grab pastries, coffee and snacks as well as sandwiches, quiches and salads for lunch and dinner. My favorite sandwich happens to be a toasted ham with Brie (the cheese).

Dogs join in the seasonal weekend fun at the Roost Beer Garden, an outdoor beer garden with a wide choice of micro-brews. Serving up entertainment, guests may also order food from the Goat and participate in wine tastings with the sommelier. The charcuterie and cheese boards are fabulous with the wine and beer.

UPDATE July 30: My musician husband, Richard Roach, plays upright bass for the Boys from Carolina. Their performance scheduled for Friday evening, August 2 had to be cancelled, so Tommy Edwards will be playing without the group.

According to Brie—when visiting Fearrington, there's no reason to leave your loyal canine at home.

Brie posing with the lion on The Roost front porch.
She has attended several music events in the beer garden,
but she drank water.

Fearrington will always be special to our family as one son was married here in 2012.

No perks, free meals or discounts for humans were given for this blog post. Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Do You Need a Rattlesnake Master in Your Garden?

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 23:14:00 +0000

Eryngium yuccifolium (aka 'Rattlesnake Master').
Looking downhill in the deer resistant meadow garden. July 15, 2013

The first time I saw Rattlesnake Master was at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C. I saw it again in The Battery Gardens in New York City and was hooked on the architectural form of this native wildflower.

This is now the third growing season and my plants have matured into tall, sturdy stalks supporting branches tipped by white globes. I grow mine in a meadow mix of flowers (daisies, coneflowers, bee balm, etc.). But I think the white globes would be spectacular against a solid green or burgundy foliage background or among grasses.

The bluish rosette foliage at the base of Rattlesnake Master resembles yucca leaves, but don't use the leaves to fight off rattlesnakes. The eyebrow-raising common name for Eryngium yuccifolium originated from the Native American tea, brewed from the roots, used as an antidote for rattlesnake bites.

The one-inch globes are made up of tiny white flowers defended by prickly bracts, so wear gloves if cutting stems for indoor flower arrangements. The deer and rabbits haven't nipped a single globe from my plants, but bees and other pollinators are attracted by the heavy honey scent emitting from the flowers.

This wildflower is hardy in zones 4-9 and is suitable for dry to medium soil conditions in part to full sun. It's tall—three to five feet, but since the spacing is one foot apart, you can squeeze it in to tight spaces and let the globes rise above garden companions. It's a great see-through perennial, too.

My plants have survived months of drought one summer and months of rain this year. Although I started with small plants, Rattlesnake Master can be grown from seed.

With the interesting name and fascinating form, I highly recommend Rattlesnake Master for your garden. It's an easy keeper. Really.

Looking uphill in the meadow garden.
New blooms. July 9, 2013

My Favorite Phlox

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 21:18:00 +0000

White Phlox paniculata 'David' with
'White Swan' and 'Prairie Splendor' coneflowers. July 2013

Tall, sturdy and fragrant. I love phlox 'David' for so many reasons. While other varieties have cross-pollinated into different colors, David has remained pure white.

The show is big this year as I cut back the Knock Out® roses to give this mass of David more space. No regrets—the roses bloomed beautifully and will repeat. However, the crepe myrtles along the outside of the cottage garden fence will soon shade this area enough for me to replace the roses with hydrangeas. I hope David will continue to flourish here in part shade.

Difficult to see in the photo: Spiky, deep pink persicaria amplexicaulis 'Firetail' is beginning to bloom behind David to repeat the purple coneflower color. I love this persicaria and look forward to masses of spikes as the perennial gets established in this new spot.

(Note: After two years of growing the persicaria in the deer resistant garden, I removed it because it's not resistant at all. The deer love it and reach through the fence to pick the blooms.)

There are also new clumps of white liatris 'Alba' in the cottage garden border. Because we sit on the front porch in the evenings, I'm using the white to light up the garden along the fence.

Another view of same phlox in the cottage garden. July 2013

Another group:
Recent divisions of phlox 'David' are underplanted
with geranium 'Rosanne' and daylily 'Joan Senior' for now.

I've repeated divisions of David along the cottage garden fence. One group is underplanted with geranium 'Rosanne' and 'Joan Senior' daylily. I want to move that daylily to my pale yellow garden section for next year and replace this one with a daylily that will echo the color of the geranium.

Another group is planted with salvia guaranitica 'Black & Blue'. I don't have photos right now because those clusters of phlox aren't yet in full bloom. But I love the cobalt blue salvia with white phlox. The hummingbirds approve.

In a larger cottage garden border, I'm still growing David with monarda 'Raspberry Wine' and oriental lily 'Starfighter' for a favorite combination (click the link to view the story and see the photos).

Grow phlox paniculata 'David' in full sun in zones 4-9, but part shade is working well here in my south-facing southern garden. This perennial is topping out at about forty inches with rich soil and ample moisture. It's so easy to divide in autumn or spring.

What's your favorite phlox?

Monarda 'Blue Stocking' Goes with the Gold

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 22:13:00 +0000

Monarda 'Blue Stocking' blooms in late June in zone 7b.

With so many varieties of monarda (bee balm) available, it sometimes comes down to a color choice. I have three favorites in my garden and monarda 'Blue Stocking' is easy to incorporate into multiple color schemes. Growing in my garden since 2008, I've used this bee balm with purple coneflowers, agastache, baptisia and spirea. This summer, I've paired it with bright gold rudbeckia (susans) in the deer resistant meadow garden.

Monarda 'Blue Stocking'
zones 4-8
30" high
full-part sun
deer and rabbit resistant*

This combination is viewed uphill and downhill. I planted the rudbeckia uphill as it is slightly taller than the bee balm (and the bee balm was already in place). These rudbeckia were grown from seeds and allowed to self-sow, so I can't give you a specific named variety—choose your favorite. I thin out the susans, and given the ample rainfall this year, I pulled enough to fill a few more gardens.

Like all bee balm varieties, 'Blue Stocking' is easy to grow, spreads quickly, but is easy to pull if it goes too far too fast. Besides growing this in regular garden soil and mulch, I also grow 'Blue Stocking' in the gravel garden where it is quite happy.

Downhill view of the combination. June 2013

Uphill view of bee balm and susans. June 2013

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel.

*Deer and rabbit resistance varies based upon the animal population and availability of food.

All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

A Favorite Combination: Coneflower, Salvia and Verbena

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 14:45:00 +0000

Echinacea 'PowWow Wild Berry'. 16 June 2013

The cool temperatures and ample rainfall boosted the coneflower blooms to the best I've seen in years. After losing many coneflowers, including the variety featured to aster yellows disease in 2012, I'm happy to see healthy plants.

One of the short varieties, echinacea 'PowWow Wild Berry' is blooming beautifully beside salvia farinacea 'Victoria Blue' in the cottage garden. I love this combination when the blooms synchronize and peak in unison. The frilly, ground-covering lavender blooms are verbena 'Imagination'.

These three plants bloom over a longtime, front and center, in the cottage garden. The echinacea reblooms through the summer (supposedly without deadheading, but I deadhead to speed up the repeat). It can be grown from seeds, though I purchased my plants.

The salvia is another repeat bloomer, with the best show in early summer and again in the fall. Again, I purchased my plants, but you can grow this one from seeds, too.

The combination fits well into small spaces, but the verbena is a prolific self-sower, so watch if it spreads too far and wide. I trim it back to keep it shaped for the space and pull unwanted seedlings. The verbena blooms non-stop until frost.

Although these three plants are great together, they seem to enhance any location in the garden. I use the verbena as an edger or filler in multiple locations. The salvia is a go-to plant to use with dianthus, zinnias, black-eyed susan and daisies.

This trio is growing behind the protection of the cottage garden fence, but I grow all three in the deer resistant garden. Bunnies are more interested in the coneflowers than the deer, but in some areas, you may need to use repellents. Neither bunnies nor deer eat the verbena and I've had no issues with the salvia.

Echinacea purpurea 'PowWow Wild Berry'
perennial zones 3-8
full sun-part sun

Salvia farinacea 'Victoria Blue'
perennial zones 7b-11
full sun

Verbena tenuisecta 'Imagination'
self-sowing annual (has wintered over, zone 7b)
full sun

Another view of 'Pow Wow Wild Berry' (one plant). June 2013

Another view of same Salvia 'Victoria' with dianthus
and daylily. June 2013

Verbena tenuisecta 'Imagination' (different location). May 2013

Gravel Garden Versus Hardwood Mulch for Japanese Iris

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Thu, 30 May 2013 13:25:00 +0000

A. Japanese iris. May 2013

B. Japanese iris. May 2013

Compare the two photos. Both clumps of iris are healthy and happy. But if you look at the companion plants, you'll guess which one is mulched with gravel and which is mulched with ground hardwood.

Iris "A" is planted between a hedge of rosemary and butterfly bushes in the sunny gravel garden. The gravel garden was installed in 2011 and I've not had to add additional gravel mulch around the iris. A little raking or leaf blowing is all that is required to keep the gravel garden looking tidy.

This spring has been cool, but even in the hot 2012 spring, the blooms were just as lovely. A month ago, I cut the clump in half to share with my son as it has grown so well in this location. The iris is planted in the dip that makes a dry stream, so in heavy rains, the runoff water is channeled here.

Iris "B" is planted with astilbe, flowering tobacco and bee balm in a part shade garden where I use ground hardwood mulch, replenished in the spring and fall each year. More work, not to mention purchasing the mulch. However, I'll never use gravel here because I think the hardwood looks better in this particular bed. A design choice.

The surprise is that I have never watered the iris (or any other plant after being established) in the gravel garden, but I have to water the hardwood mulched garden for each week without significant rain from spring through fall.

Iris "A" different view in gravel garden. May 2013

Bright morning sun on gravel garden iris. May 2013

The Bright Side of Gloomy Garden Days: Better Color Photos

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:59:00 +0000

Container hosta nestled between nepeta and Japanese painted ferns,
growing beneath a tree-form Encore® Azalea. May 2013

Gloomy. Misty. Chilly. Where do I live? Not Seattle. North Carolina is having a cool spring. To find a bright side to this weather, I walked in the garden with the camera.

Colors show true in photos when the skies are overcast. On a typical, bright sunny morning in my south-facing garden, it is difficult to catch the true bloom colors as the rays of the sun cast a yellow-orange glow. I compared the two conditions in this photo post in 2009.

So, I'll stop complaining about wearing a raincoat outside and running the heat inside and share today's garden highlights in the lowlight.

Perennial blue flax, grown from seeds originally sown in 2009, continues to return or self-sow. Flax is a favorite and I have two varieties that, when transplanted early in spring, are welcome fillers in bare spots. Otherwise, I let it go where it sows as the slender foliage takes up little space. Deer and rabbit resistant. For more photos of this companion, click here for 2011 and here for 2010.

Two views of perennial blue flax. May 2013

Spires of salvia nemorosa Bordeaux™ 'Steel Blue'. May 2013

Salvia 'May Night'. May 2013

Salvias rule. My best nemorosa varieties include Bordeaux™ 'Steel Blue', 'Caradonna' (not yet in bloom) and 'May Night'. Of the three, I can't choose a favorite, but 'Steel Blue' and 'Caradonna' are more unique than the popular 'May Night'.

The shades of red in my salvia greggii have a more accurate representation on cloudy days. I'm a fan of this drought-tolerant perennial that blooms heavily in spring and fall, and is loved by hummingbirds. Below are two of my favorites, but take a look at this post on April 26, 2012 and you can see the difference the cooler weather has made. Today's blooms are nowhere near the display of last year. Deer and rabbit resistant.

Salvia greggii 'Diane' is a lovely purple-red. May 2013.

I failed to capture the quick hummingbird feeding on
salvia greggii 'Navajo Bright Red'. May 2013.

Verbena 'Imagination' dangles over the cottage garden stream.
May 2013.

I'll wrap this up with dainty bloom clusters of verbena 'Imagination' that was sown from seeds and the native amsonia hubrichtii, two of my favorite frilly bloomers. Both self-sow freely and it is easier to keep the amsonia under control than it is the ground sprawling verbena. Deer and rabbit resistant.

I've been using my iPhone for many photos lately, but for today's post, all photos were taken with my Samsung HZ30W, purchased in 2011.

Until there are more blooms in my garden...enjoy yours.

Amsonia hubrichtii at the edge of the gravel garden. May 2013.

Weeded, Mulched and Waiting for Blooms in the Cottage Garden

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 14:50:00 +0000

The cottage garden, bare compared to previous springs,
is ready and waiting for blooms. April 27, 2013.

Any complaints about the weather where you garden?

The cool temperatures, while delaying the blooms, provided the perfect weather for preparing the garden. I don't feel as rushed this year and gardening has been more enjoyable. It isn't ninety degrees already. Sixty and seventy degree weather could be worse as other parts of the country have been flooded and experienced late snows.

Looking at photos from 2006-2012, peak spring bloom in the cottage garden happened in the first week of April. Still waiting for blooms, but the plant foliage looks healthier and happier than ever.

The centaura varieties (in the photo below) were tiny new plants in 2012, and now, they're starting out huge! In a future post, I'll tell you more about centaurea gymnocarpa "Velvet Centaurea" as it blooms. It's one of my new favorites and hope it meets my expectations.

Silver lace foliage of centaurea gymnocarpa in back.
Green foliage of centaurea montana 'Amethyst in Snow' in front.

The rose bed along the fence received a make-over.

In February, the Knock-Out® Roses (dark foliage above) were cut back by two-thirds. I edited this rose bed, adding divisions of other perennials and tucking in a few annuals around the greyhound statue. I'm most excited about this area in the cottage garden to see the results of my rearrangement, having incorporated more white blooms (phlox, liatris, cosmos) for late evening enjoyment. Another future topic.

Few Dutch Iris remain after vole damage from previous winters.

The voles took a bite out of the cottage garden in the winter of 2011-2012. We added metal edging and used more gravel in areas surrounding the cottage garden. Doing so thwarted the varmints this winter, so I'm encouraged. I've made my wish list of bulbs and seeds to plant this fall for spring 2014.

While the blooms are sparse right now and we have another week of cool temperatures in the forecast, I'm envisioning a peak bloom like I've never seen before—when spring blooms merge with early summer blooms.

Perennial blue flax is being encroached upon by pink phlox subulata.

Encore® Azaleas typically bloom around April 5, but waited until April 27.

P.S. There's a new dog in the garden. Meet Brie, our six-month old miniature poodle puppy. She's a sweetheart.

Puppy look one day.

After her first professional spa day.
No longer a little ragamuffin.

Easy, Safe Way to Carry a Phone in the Garden

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 00:20:00 +0000

Losing or breaking my iPhone while in the garden has been a concern when I carried it in my back pocket. Turns out, a travel accessory that I've had for ten years turned out to be the perfect way to carry my cell phone and seed packets in the garden.

My undercover travel pouch keeps my phone handy, dry and free from dirt. Mine is old enough to be made of nylon and has three compartments (intended for a passport, foreign currency, etc.). Newer styles are typically in silk and I have one of those, but decided the nylon is easer to wipe off.

Made to wear around the neck, I wear the pouch in a cross body style beneath my shirt so that when I'm weeding, it doesn't fall in my way. The neck strap is adjustable to the length that works best for an individual.

Undercover travel pouch can be used while gardening.

I discovered that the pouch is also the perfect size for stowing seed packets. Although I don't need to carry meds in the garden, it could also be used for something like an EpiPen® for those with insect sting allergies.

My pouch has a Velcro® closure, so it's easy to rip open while wearing gardening gloves.

Although my pouch is repurposed, new pouches from different manufacturers range in price from twenty to thirty dollars. A good investment considering the cost of replacing a cell phone.

Happy Gardening!

My iPhone in the front and seed packets in the larger pocket.

The Orange Garden

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 03:27:00 +0000

It's not a secret. I'm not embarrassed by it. I have an orange section in the deer resistant garden—seldom mentioned on the blog because it's so darn difficult to photograph the plantings together as one unified design. When one bloom looks great, another is declining.

Orientation:

To the left of the plants in the photo below, is the red and white garden seen here. The yellow St John's Wort divides the two color themed gardens. Not because I planned it that way, but because I didn't want to move this glorious shrub. Bees literally bathe in the pollen of the St John's blooms. It self-sows minimally and I'm always scouting for seedlings to use in other sections of the deer resistant garden.

The orange garden is on the east side of the house, receiving full sun until very late in the evening during the summer. This garden is watered only when I'm establishing new plants. All plants are drought tolerant.

The plants are shown in order of bloom.

The orange garden early in the season. May 12, 2012.

Blanket flower (gaillardia). May 2012.

Blanket flower (gaillardia) is allowed to self-sow and can easily take over a section of the garden, so I thin and transplant seedlings. These plants are attractive to pollinators, so all the named varieties in my garden have crossed to the point that I cannot give you a specific name. If it's an orange blanket flower, I plant it here. Deer and rabbit resistant. Drought tolerant with a long bloom season. Zones 3-9.

Orange milkweed (asclepias) is a host for Monarch butterflies. May 2012.

Milkweed (asclepias 'Gay Butterflies' mix) is a host plant for Monarch butterflies. This patch of milkweed has been here since 2005 and continues to return and bloom each year. Deer and rabbit resistant and drought tolerant. Zones 3-9.

Coneflowers (echinacea 'Sundown') may be nibbled by both deer and rabbits. I've had great luck with minimal damage until late summer. These orange coneflowers tend to fade to the pink-purple color as the blooms age. I've transplanted these at least four times and they continue to perform. Drought tolerant and suitable for zones 4-9.

Orange coneflowers (echinacea). June 2012.

Bronze fennel behind coneflowers.

Bronze fennel (foeniculum vulgare 'purpureum') is a great swallowtail butterfly host plant, although praying mantis also love it—and they eat butterflies. I grow it for the foliage, too. If the deer don't deadhead the yellow blooms for you, do it yourself! Otherwise, it will self-sow everywhere. Drought tolerant. Zones 4-9.

Crocosmia spreads quickly and needs to be divided every few years when the corms push the plants out of the ground. I love the foliage as much as the blooms. Occasionally, a deer may nibble the blooms. Rabbits don't seem to bother this plant. Drought tolerant. Zones 5-8.

Crocosmia in full bloom (looking uphill). June 2012.

Lantana 'Miss Huff'. July 2012.

Lantana 'Miss Huff' is still getting established and was late to bloom in 2012. It can grow into a huge shrub when it overwinters for several years. Butterflies love the flowers for nectar. Drought tolerant, deer and rabbit resistant. I'm in zone 7b and this plant is best for zones 7-10.

Marigolds are self-sown from seeds in the past, so I don't have named varieties. Also loved by butterflies, these short annuals are great in the front of the garden when the other plants are losing color. Deer and rabbit resistant as well as drought tolerant. Sow the seeds early in the summer.

Marigolds (in front of lantana). August 2012.

The kniphofia was planted in 2012, so it didn't bloom the first year. The orange agastache was also new and the blooms weren't yet large enough to adequately photograph.

I love to use blue around orange and yellow, so I'm throwing seeds of perennial ageratum all around this garden section.

So there. Showing my orange bloomers wasn't too painful.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. Deer and rabbit resistance varies based upon the animal population and availability of food. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

The Deer Resistant Garden 2012 Review

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 15:59:00 +0000

Deer resistant garden. May 2012.

I've been gardening with my deer friends since September 2005 when we built our home. Deer resistance varies according to the availability of food in the wild and the population of both the deer and humans (new construction removes habitat).

My definition of deer resistance is this: If the deer nibble the plants, but the plants bounce back for my enjoyment in the bloom season, the plant passes the test.

See that pretty Yucca 'Color Guard' in the photo above? The deer nip the tips in January and February when food is scarce. But the leaves recover and the plant blooms on schedule in May. That's what I mean by deer resistant, even though the yucca looks a bit scruffy as I write this post on a cold January morning.

In the photo below, note the mounded Spirea 'Neon Flash' blooming in shades of pink. Once in awhile, the deer will pick a bloom, but overall, I don't miss a few flowers during peak bloom season. The spirea blooms for a long time, then I trim the blooms and the shrub repeats.

This is the key: If a flowering shrub will re-bloom after I trim it, then it will re-bloom after the deer eat it—UNLESS they devour every bloom and eat the plant down to sticks and stubs.

For example, the deer pick rose blooms through the cottage garden fence. If I planted roses outside the fence, the deer would destroy the shrubs and I'd have no blooms to enjoy.

Spirea 'Neon Flash' blooms in shades of pink. May 2012.

Japanese iris growing in the deer resistant gravel garden. May 2012.

The lovely Japanese iris is a favorite of mine. As you can see in the photo, this plant is in full bloom and untouched by deer. I get to enjoy the blooms until a doe has a fawn in the nearby woods. When mama's baby is first born, she won't forage far away from the fawn. During those first weeks, the doe will eat anything she can stomach and Japanese iris blooms are on her post-natal diet. This happens every year to this iris. I know it. I expect it. I'm willing to share.

Other Japanese irises that are planted in the larger garden are seldom touched because they are too far away from where the fawns are born. I don't use deer repellents, but if you never get to enjoy your irises, then consider using an organic spray.

Susans, coneflowers, shasta daisies and bee balm. June 2012.

In summer, my deer resistant garden is in full bloom with susans (rudbeckia), shasta daisies, coneflowers (echinacea) and bee balm (monarda). The susans bloom all summer long and by late August, when food is dwindling, the deer will nibble the susans, but not destroy the seedheads or entire plants. These are self-sowing flowers, so I don't sweat the loss of a few flowers because I'll have hundreds of blooms again the next year and will have to thin out the plants myself. Thank you, deer.

I've heard other gardeners complain of deer eating coneflowers, but I've not had a serious issue in the largest part of the garden. Once again, the side gardens that are closer to the woods (where the fawns live) tend to be picked more than the big "meadow" section of the deer resistant garden. That said, we count 20-30 deer sleeping in the grass meadow next to this section of the garden.

The following photos show how our home is oriented next to a meadow and backed by woods. As you can see, the deer have access from all sides.

While not all plants are deer proof, selecting plants that are resilient after occasional browsing is possible—with a bit of tolerance and a lot of planning.

For more information on my deer resistant gardening experience, check out these links on my blog:

Blooms in the Gravel Garden
Posts (Many) about Deer Resistant Plants
Deer Resistant Plant List

The deer sleep in the meadow out front, next to the deer resistant garden. June 2012.

The large south-facing front section of the deer resistant garden. June 2012.

East-facing deer resistant garden is browsed due to nearby woods. June 2012.

Path below front deer resistant garden. June 2012.

Path below east side deer garden. June 2012.

On the Waterfront in Charleston, South Carolina

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:11:00 +0000

Waterfront Park in Charleston, SC.
Nine A. M. (looking away from the sun) January 13, 2013

A forecast promising sunny days and temperatures in the seventies was enough of a temptation to put us on the road to Charleston, South Carolina. With a drive time under five hours from our home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, we spent little time debating our getaway destination.

We stayed in the historic district where it was convenient to walk through the streets (a few remain cobblestone) in the French Quarter and South of Broad, including the famous Battery. We got caught up in the game of "which house do you want to buy?" as we wandered along the shady streets and drooled over the architecture of homes from the 1700 and 1800s.

It was "Restaurant Week" in Charleston, but the crowds weren't bad. We enjoyed a great dinner with coordinating flights of wine at Social Wine Bar on East Bay Street. We stopped in during the early afternoon and made our reservations for evening.

I started with the arugula and fennel salad with an herbal white wine, Grüner Veltliner, and it was a perfect pairing. My husband started with their homemade chips (blue cheese fondue and scallions) and a sparkling white wine. For entrees, he chose the seared scallops and I went with the flat iron steak over root veggies and a braised shallot ragu. I paired my steak with a bold red La Follette Pinot Noir (North Coast, California). We shared an amaretto tart for dessert. My apologies for the lack of food photos, but I was hungry!

For Sunday morning brunch, we dined at Eli's Table on Meeting Street. We managed to snag a great table in the courtyard and the weather was perfect. Although we opted for the "Mary and Polly Classic Breakfast" of eggs, bacon, grits (topped with cheese) and an English muffin, we drank pots of coffee and toasted with five dollar mimosas. The folks at the next table bragged about their bacon bloody Mary's and sweet potato pancakes with pecan butter—next time!

Our favorite spot to sit and soak up the scenery is the Waterfront Park. There are benches for sitting (while sampling pecan pralines picked up from the market) and wide gravel paths for strolling or running (to work off the calories).

Everywhere in Charleston, the people smile and welcome you. It's true that the city upholds the definition of real Southern Hospitality. Just go!

Waterfront Park in Charleston, SC.
Nine A. M. (looking into the sun) January 13, 2013

Flower boxes in bloom in January--okay, I want to live there!

Chocolate Biscotti (A David Lebovitz Recipe)

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:38:00 +0000

Start out with good ingredients such as Valrhona Cocoa,
demerara sugar, slivered almonds and chocolate chips.

Is it possible for an amateur like me to turn out great biscotti?

I started with a fresh bag of flour (Trader Joe's®).
To keep flour from flying everywhere, I put the bag in a
big bowl to contain the mess while I scoop.

Toasting almonds on stovetop.

Biscotti is "twice baked" and the only thing difficult about making it is patience. After the first baking, the two logs look good enough to eat, but don't do it!

After first baking. (I use parchment paper on a cookie sheet.)

Slice on cutting board, using a serrated bread knife.

Cool for fifteen minutes after first baking. Slide the biscotti off of the parchment (or silicone mat) onto a cutting board. Use a large serrated bread knife and cut the logs into half inch pieces.

Place the slices onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and return to oven for second baking. I rotated the pans halfway through the bake time. My range is duel-fuel, so the oven is electric.

Final verdict: this is the best biscotti recipe that I've made. So much better than store bought, so don't hesitate to try David's recipe if you've got the time for baking.

Biscotti slices are ready to go into the oven for second baking.

Ready to enjoy!
Notice the nice demerara sugar glaze on the edges.

Store biscotti for two weeks in an airtight container. Trust me, these goodies will be eaten long before they expire—dip in espresso or other coffee.

Ready to gift.

Ready to keep for two weeks (eaten in two days).

PS technology tip: I used my iPhone 4s for all photos.

Capturing Paris

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 15:21:00 +0000

1. La Tour Eiffel shot from Museé du Quai Branly. Paris, October 2012

2. Boucicaud Square, Sévres Babylon neighborhood. Paris, October 2012

3. "Jelly Baby Family" by artist Mario Perucchetti.
Photo by my husband. Paris, October 2012.

4. Parc Monceau. Paris, October 2012

5. Panorama of Parc Monceau. Paris, October 2012
(click to enlarge photo)

6. View of Louvre. Paris, October 2012
Special effects using CameraBag.

I packed a "real" camera, but it never left our Paris apartment. On this trip in October 2012, I used my iPhone 4s with OS 6 for all photos. That said, we've traveled to Paris many times, so I've accumulated hundreds of photos with Canon and Sony cameras that took advantage of powerful zoom capabilities and high resolution. I've used some of those photos to decorate our family room. If you travel to Paris for a once-in-a-lifetime trip, take your best camera.

Unless specified in the caption, none of these photos were edited (other than cropped or straightened). You may click any photo for a slideshow.

Where to take your own photos of these scenes:

La Tour Eiffel shot from Museé du Quai Branly: If you're walking along the Seine between the Eiffel Tower and Musée d'Orsay, stop off and wander through the walled garden of the Quai Branly Museum in the evening. Besides going inside the museum, there's a little coffee shop/snack bar if you want to wait for the Eiffel Tower lights.
Boucicaud Square, Sévres Babylon neighborhood: Get off at the métro at the Sévres Babylon stop. This little park with the marble statue of Mme. Boucicaud and Baronne de Rothschild and stroll the neighborhood to go to the Sorbonne or Cluny Museum.
"Jelly Baby Family" by artist Mario Perucchetti: See this work of art (and a few others by the same artist), in front of Église Saint-Eustache (a church) near the Louvre.
Parc Monceau: A beautiful, tranquil park filled with French families strolling, playing and picnicking. This park is in an upscale neighborhood, within a few blocks of the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Élysées.
Panorama of Parc Monceau: For more on how to do panoramic shots, see this story.
Louvre view: Walk through the arches from rue de Rivoli. I used CameraBag software for this special effect.

Favorite Flower Combinations in 2012 - Part Two

noreply@blogger.com (F Cameron) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 15:05:00 +0000

Rudbeckia (yellow blooms), loropetalum (shrub)
and monarda (raspberry blooms).

The burgundy foliage of loropetalum chinense rubrum anchors this color scheme and has been paired with monarda 'Raspberry Wine' for years. For 2012, I added a mass of rudbeckia (grown from seed) as the deep brown eye of the susans picks up the chocolate tones in the loropetalum. I was hesitant to add the gold-yellow color to the cottage garden, but the brightness of the blooms do brighten the heavy shades of burgundy.

All plants are growing in full sun, south-facing in zone 7b in the fenced cottage garden. When hungry, deer will nibble the loropetalum, especially in winter since it is an evergreen shrub. The rudbeckia are grown easily from seed, so I don't worry so much about the occasional deer nibbling and grow the susans outside the fence, too. Rabbits may also nibble rudbeckia foliage and blooms.

Monarda 'Raspberry Wine' is a great bee balm and you can click here to see what's growing on the other side of this combo. Yes, it will spread easily, but bee balm isn't difficult to remove if you have too much. This variety is suitable for zones 4-9 and has been good in drought without a mildew issue.

View the pink and purple combination in Part One.

Another view