The Goodbye Garden

In the garden that inspired Delores Cullivan to create Artistic Gardenscapes, she devoted 12 years to creating a sylvan spot out of overgrown bushes, wild wisteria, and long-fallow land. Cottage garden flowers in a perennial sun bed that spans the length of the lot include penstemon, purple coneflower, summer phlox, Russian sage and bluebeard. In the back yard, masses of purple-leaved perilla and oxalis make a showy border in the shade beds punctuated by a bright red Japanese arbor.

Delores recommends perennials over annuals and bulbs because they get larger every year, and because one should factor in time to enjoy a garden. To sit and enjoy the garden. Planting, removing and replanting seasonal color several times a year takes time and energy added to the basic requirements of mulching, fertilizing, dead-heading and grooming perennial beds and caring for a lawn.