I'm grateful, humbled by your kind words. You all went above and beyond with your encouragement. My heartfelt thanks to each and everyone of you for indulging my publishing pipe dream. You're seriously awesome!
In keeping with tradition, I present my pink preamble: This begonia was a July freebie--a right time, right place, acquisition. With my nervy goal to snub the Zones, it came indoors during December's Plant Cruelty stint [a nasty stunt]. Lacking the foresight and common sense so critical to successful gardening endeavors, with what turned out to be a temporary rising of the mercury, Begonia was relegated to the outdoor covered deck area where it could huddle safely with its more impervious compatriots. Wrong. Let's just say Begonia is black mush right about now.
The above and below photos are opposite sides of a nearby street. The wall above was built a few years ago using that now ubiquitous cottage stone or whatever it's called. The below photo is a more naturalistic wall, still under construction. Do you have a preference?
I think the cottage stone has its place and successfully tidies the area as intendid. However, the bold defiance, the fearless intrepidity of this developer is admirable. Yesterday shrubs and ground covers were planted. By mid-summer they'll be spilling over and softening the craggy edges.
But don't let my assessment influence your opinion. Do you prefer one method over the other?
But don't let my assessment influence your opinion. Do you prefer one method over the other?
Finally, Freda B. Me has been a part of my [tacky] garden art repertoire for going on three years. With the seasonal disrobing of Rosa 'William Baffin' winter is her time to shine. Don't tell anybody but my kids think she's creepy. Do you think she's creepy?
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45 COMMENTS, Click here to add yours:
Grace: Freida B Me is no less crrepy than the styro head my Aunt kept on the dresser for when her 'hair' was retired for the evening. As an unassuming child I thought her husband was a scalper!
As for the walls, I do prefer the second over the first but found my eye wandering to the A & W behind it..... damn it but I need a Papa Burger right about now!
Grace,
How unfair to make us chose between the two stone wall treatments without first seeing how the second more natural looking stone wall will look when landscaped. I'll bet that most readers will use imagination and opt for the natural-looking wall, even though it look ugly without plants.
Love the pink preamble but inclined to agree with your kids, however character as well as creepy.
Sorry to hear about the begonia, what a pretty one.
Around here we see lots of both of those types of walls. I kind of prefer the cottage stone, but that could be because it's similar to what I have in my front yard and it goes with my style of gardening.
I absolutely love Frieda B Me! Grace....If your book is anything like your blog writing~~it will be a hit!
I prefer natural stone and even like re-purposed concrete. I've seen castle rock used very effectively and when it's covered in moss and plants are cascading over the edges it can look fantastic.
Thanks for asking.
gail
A difficult question to answer - the cottage wall looks quite severe but that will be softened by summer growth.
The stone wall reminds me of the walls I've seen in Wales which use big, craggy pieces of granite. Our Cotswolds walls are made of soft, honey or cream coloured limestone, all cut with a flat face so more orderly. A bit between both your examples.
As for your kids - I think I probably agree with them!
Johnson
I think Frieda is super cool! I want her.
Hi Grace,
I'm sorry about your Begonia - may it rest in peace :( I am a lover of the natural and am not a huge fan of formal design, so I go for the natural looking wall. I would love to see a picture of it this spring when the new plants start to grow.
Grace,
Meg has a Freida B Me type head in the dining room on turned post. Which do you think is creepier? I like here, your Freida B Me that is.
Grace, it looks like you were taking our Zone Denial, very seriously!!!
I always prefer natural stone to fake stone, but that said, I do have a cottage stone retaining wall (a little one) in my back yard that is covered with the most amazing green velvet moss.
As for Frieda - yah, she's creepy.
Sorry.
Cindee
Bummer on the begonia Grace. I've lost a couple beauties by setting them out way too early in spring too. Never as early as you tried tho ~ in Colorado that would be plant homicide!! ;-)
I don't mind the "fake" stone ~ in fact I was thinking of putting a wall up along my back patio area using it. The positives are how much cheaper it is than real stone. I have some of the latter too and boy, did that hurt my wallet!
Your Freida B Me reminds me of a southern lady! So stylish in her pretty hat ~ not scary at all!
I have no luck with begonias, so you should be proud to have had such a lovely one even if it's gone now. None of mine looked that good except for the cheap 4" pots I got at Lowe's. Maybe it was because I paid a good amount for them that ultimately did me in. :P
Not creepy at all. Most beautiful and sure to bring a smile to all who view her in the garden.
She is a little bit creepy.
Freida needs to be there, everyone needs some whimsy in their garden.
I like her.
As for the walls. The dark heavy stones look too big for that space but it could be not seeing the whole area. I like terraced walls it many applications.
Grace,
Freida B. is a bit creepy. But I like her!
As for the walls... For a busy street, I think the blocks flow better. For my home? I'd choose the naturalistic stones in a heartbeat.
I had fall in love with your begonia. They look so delicious - I understand as the flowers are edible?
Regardless, the falling flowers look so much like berries.
Love the natural boulder wall...I yes I agree with your kids, Freida is a little scary....maybe she needs her rose robe.
Dear Grace, In answer to your questions, I think that I would have to come down on the side of the second which, one trusts, once planted will be largely concealed. Living for much of my time in Hungary, I was reminded a little of walls, wire and checkpoints which were, until not so long ago, used to keep people in or out of the country.
As for your model wearing such a fetching hat, I approve wholeheartedly. Can she not be repositioned when the rose is in leaf?
Oh yes the sensitive Begonia, know it well. I do hope it comes back, (with mine.) Beautiful cascading plants can make any wall look good! I think Freida is an adorable gardening companion...not nearly as freaky looking as me when I'm in the gardens.
Grace girl .. I think the chunky stone wall will look a lot more appealing with plants spillin gover it to SOFTEN such an intimidating force ! LOL
Freida .. hum .. slightly creepy but I'm sure as with the stone wall , the rose will soften her edginess ? and make her perfectly pinkly appealing ? LOL
Joy
Kudos on the publishing girl !!
Frieda could have my skeleton skull as her boyfriend. They seem like a likely pair.
I love those huge rock walls! They are magnificent!
Maybe Frieda scared away garden ghosts, tell your kids that.
Rosey
These beautiful hot pink colors on your blog today are just what I need to brighten the February grey gloom.
I don't think Freida is creepy, but that's because I've seen plenty of creepy garden "art" and that's tame in my book. Take it as a complement.
I would think I would prefer the natural boulders, but they just feel like a big moat around a castle and daunting. I have to vote for the more tame version.
Freida B. is much more lovely than the wig form I made into a witch one Halloween with glowing red eyes. LOL! Frieda looks lovely to me. Sort of like disembodied figures floating in the garden but not ghostly at all.
I like stacked rock walls but I hate the rocks they used in this case.
Have a great weekend!
I'm such a little kid - I love being asked my opinion - it happens so rarely at home..... Great begonia, were there any unslimy bits - sometimes you can take a slip - this variety is really forgiving. And, no not creepy at all, I like her. And the walls, I'm a little less tidytoes - give me the rocks - hope no one else wants one of those round pompom things - I'd say the nursery is probably all out. I'm always for local rock - less expensive, less energy to move them. Perhaps they'll find some nice local natives to make everything look a little less commercial.
I'm, just going to have to cheat and say that I like both walls. Each of them has their own style and is completely appropriate in different circumstances. As for Frieda...a little creepy, but fun to think what a jolt she may give an unwelcome intruder!
I guess Freida is a little creepy. But then I imagine I look pretty creepy, strolling my gardens early on a summer morning in my cowgirl jammies! As are as the other Q. I'm undecided... :)
Hi Grace, First of all - the first photo appeals to the symmetrical desire I sometimes have... but I really love the second wall the most. It would be lovely softened by YOUR gardening touch!
I'm not put off by Freida... you've seen my garden ladies. ;-) Have a great weekend!
It's not even close - I definitely prefer the natural stone. It will be beautiful with the plantings.The other looks artificial and commercial. Frieda is on the creepy side, but nothing wrong with it. We all need a little whimsey.
Freda B ME makes me happy. Fun to see her peeking out of the window and assessing the winter damage. I happen to be a fan of the cottage wall which actually goes against my need for order and symmetry.
What a shame about that pretty begonia Grace and there we were last month talking about zonal denial. Second wall gets my vote. Not sure what to make of Freida B. but don't think that she is creepy.
eeewwww....I don't know. Though I would almost ALWAYS go with the natural stone, and had voted for it even before I scrolled down to see it, when I actually laid eyes on it, I probably let out a gasp. I personally think it looks pretty terrible right now - like my 5 year old built it on a play date with two other 5 year olds. I'm sure after it's planted, the sun is out, it will look a little more cheerful. I hope.
Grace - it's not a pipe dream, only a goal, which is different I think. :) Goals can be achieved, quite often! So I hope yours is and bet it will be.
Well, that black basalt (?) is not my favorite stone, it's so dark especially in our gray winters. So my vote would depend on how it is softened with plants. Not a fan of the boring straight rows in the 1st pic - the faux-stones could look cool and modern with the right plants. Not that I know what they'd be, but hardscaping is only as good as the plants that surround it, in my opinion. Chicken or the egg, I know.
Sorry about your begonia. FB (Yun) M is, uh, well, let's just say that dolls freak the hell out of me!
Hi Grace! I would prefer the second one, but the first one is not bad too. The lady in the hat looks good!
Creepy, she is!
So, when will we be able to read your book?
I vote for the craggy and with plants falling over it's edges ... lovely! Freida's dilated eyes might be a bit chilling especially to kids... if you put a couple of pupils ... maybe a blue to match her eye shadow ... I wonder if they would change their minds? Or maybe it is seeing her through your thorny rosa? I find her quite fun floating there in your suspended window ... clever her looking out ... or is she looking in? I imagine the other viewpoint is fun too. I may be reading too much into it but it seems a bit philosophical... then again all art is open to interpretation... ;>)
Hi Grace,
I like Freda, but she looks as though she is from the PNW, a little pale ;) perhaps you could put just a bit of blush on those cheeks to soften her up just a little. :))
Grace, the first wall serves its purpose as a strong retaining wall, but the second one offers more opportunity for trailing plants and those that can grow between the rocks: rosemary, alyssum, aubrieta, echeveria, various sedums, and many kinds of thyme... therefore, my preference.
Did I tell you I like your new "do"? I like your new look!
Those interlocking stones are fine in certain places. I must say I don't care for those dark cut stones. Just me, but I prefer natural (uncut) field stones.
Marnie
Sad to know about begonias they are so lovely. I think cottage wall covered with moss or some greenery is better option. Still both the options seem convincing at same time.
Grace, Not sure if you'd see my response on my blog but had to mention what we did with cherries in Germany. We had to soak the whole batch in cold water. The worms would come out of the cherries then we'd be safe to eat:) Thanks for the help on the weevil. Nasty things for sure.
I'm enjoying your photos. The combinations are lovely and make me long for spring.
What a Rorsarch test you have created here, Grace. I am more drawn to the natural wall, but appropriateness would be the deciding factor, regardless of personal preference. I have seen some cast concrete retaining walls lately that were so perfect with single level mid-century modern that I found myself loving them....go figure.
Freda is awesome(-: I want to see her in the summer too(-: Does she peek out?
My kids think all my stuff is creepy(-:
I love your site, so lovely with wonderful photos. I wish I had something to look at in my garden except snow!
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