This garden is for sale

A few weeks ago a friend of mine wrote in relation to the garden, that she is envious of me for my knowledge and experience. I really liked her approach, because it was in fact one of the greatest gifts in my life that I could create this garden, that step-by-step, on nearly 2,400 square meters, I could achieve in Hungary something which fifteen years ago only existed in some books imported from Britain.


It seems that my way is like when something is done, I need to move ahead. Our life has had a turn where we have to sell this garden (with the house connected with it). However, I want it to come in good hands, if we could pass it to people who would take care of it with the same love and would find at least as much fun in it as we did.


I want to ask you, dear Readers, who have shared our joys for so many years, and from whom we received so much support: look at our advertisement, and help to find us the new owner of the garden. Perhaps some of you will think you could be it… But I also ask everyone else to spread our advertisement, put it on Facebook, send it on community lists, and ask your friends and acquaintances to do the same. Perhaps it will be an acquaintance of an acquaintance to carry on this garden. Thank you very much to all. Kata

autumn II.

autumn I.

The first snow

Before rain

Good morning!

The first autumn day

Drought-tolerant perennials

Three years ago I started experimenting with planting on the street, in front of the early summer-blooming old rose bed some drought-tolerant perennials flowering in late summer and autumn.

I think the experiment was successful. In this year’s extreme heat and drought this bed got absolutely no watering, and yet its plants not only live, but are beautiful, proving to be drought-tolerant not only in the books, but also in the reality.

The first one is the plant in the left lower corner of the picture, Aster oblongifolius (syn. Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) 'October Skies'. At us it starts to bloom in late August, early September, and in contrast to most description, it does not require full sun, but also blooms beautifully in part-shade.

The grass next to the Aster in the first picture is in the left upper corner in this photo: Panicum virgatum 'Squaw'. Now it is at the beginning of its autumn coloration, later it will take on beautiful red tones. In the middle, a yellow flower: Solidago canadensis. It came here by itself. I like it very much, but it is so aggressive that I do not dare to put it in the garden. Here, in the street, above dry building rubble, however, it works perfectly. In the right lower corner of the image, a Perovskia atriplicifolia (at us it is usually much larger than what Dave’s Garden writes, at least one to one and a half meters high and large). It is one of the most drought-tolerant plants I know. Its airy shape and pastel grayish blue color makes every composition lighter and more sophisticated. It should be planted in a way to feel its pleasant, spicy scent as well.

Behind the Perovskia, another excellent, drought- and shade-tolerant (!) Aster: Aster ageratoides 'Asran'. (Though I must say that Aster oblongifolius tolerates drought even better.) On the following picture, the same plants in close-up.

As they spread very aggresively, I would never plant it in good conditions, but they are excellent on hard-to-plant places, bad soil, in shade (!) and dry areas.

Finally, in the foreground, a Heterotheca villosa (also sold as Aster 'Golden Sunshine, e.g. by the Mocsáry Perennial Nursery in Budapest), together with the Panicum virgatum 'Squaw', already seen at the beginning of the bed. As it is really drought-tolerant and long-blooming, it can brilliantly associated with grasses and other drought-tolerant perennials. It would be worth to plant it more often.