Last fall I made this before-and-after video of my “Front Garden Make-Over with Vines and Paint.” I submitted it to my town’s local access TV station and won second prize in the Community Video Contest!
So that was encouraging, and I finally found a video-editing program I like using (Movavi, which is similar to iMovie but for people with PCs). Best of all is the thrill of finally loving my garden (in my 10th year in this location), prompting me to make this next video, the first one I’ve made of both my front and back gardens – because I’m finally not embarrassed by either of them.
I remember in my first year here a friend suggesting it would take about 3 years to create a garden I like and I was horrified at the notion! No way!! Was she mistaking me for someone who’s patient? I swore to do better. And yet it actually took 10 years, mostly because of the ridiculous, counter-productive rules my co-op imposes on us that severely limit our ability to create vertical screening, privacy, those garden “rooms” that invite us to spend time in our yards. (In an upcoming rant I’ll explore the bizarre history behind the mandatory openness and the virtual ban on private gardens.)
How to Make a Garden Tour Video
Did I mention that I’m impatient? So imagine me taking the time to watch long videos of gardens, with the gardener chatting about every plant, its sun and water requirements, maybe giving us some garden history, all the while with me thinking I could have read this information SO much faster.
So in that vein, I’m aiming at garden tour videos under 3 minutes – is that a stretch? This one came in at 2:22 – so yay! And to provide all those plant details I copied it all into YouTube’s description – which I copied below in this post. I used a few still photos but mostly video clips, zeroing in on plants I’m craziest about this time of year, and panning for views from places I sit.
As a viewer, are you yearning for anything more? I’m thinking of doing another update in late summer/early fall, maybe using before+after collages to show the progress of major plants. Your suggestions are welcome!
The YouTube Description
Quick video tour and highlights of Susan Harris’s garden in Historic Greenbelt, Md., with “A Love that Will Last” from Adobe Music. Walk-on by Handsome Harry.
PROMINENT PLANTS, FRONT
Vines:
– Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) ‘Tangerine Beauty’ is fast-growing, evergreen and native to this region. I planted these 4 last summer.
– Native honeysuckle (Lornicera sempervirens) ‘Major Wheeler’ – just planted.
– Morning Glory, annual, grown from seed.
Shrubs:
Several ‘Ogon’ Spirea, the native Ninebark ‘Summer Wine,’ and Nandina domestica ‘Burgundy Wine.’ Unlike the common Nandina, this variety stays short and bushy, and has no berries that could make it spread or harm birds.
PROMINENT PLANTS, BACK
– A 9-year-old Crossvine and several newer ones.
– Groundcover Golden Groundsel (Packera aurea) is a native woodland plant that spreads easily and is mostly evergreen.
– More groundcovers: Sedum takesimense, Mondo Grass, and Comfrey (Symphytum grandiflorum).
– Ninebark is a native shrub with red leaves, so the mix of colors on this ‘Amber Jubiliee,’ variety are unusual.
– Amsonia hubrichtii is regionally native, blooms blue in spring, and has brilliant orange fall color.
– Lungwort (Pulmonaria hybrids) looks pretty most of the year and these have lasted at least 25 years for me, first in Takoma Park and now here.
– Korean Spice Viburnum (V. carlesii) has extremely fragrant blooms in spring. Otherwise it’s boring but provides screening where it’s needed.
– Purple Smokebush (Cotinus x Grace) has glorious purple leaves, blooms in the form of long pink plumes, and oddly shaped limbs. A stand-out in the garden!
I loved the closeups mixed with panoramic views as well as the pace. Some videos move too slowly as you said but some move too fast to even be able to figure out what is what. Without the panoramic views one never gets an actual sense of the garden.
That’s always my reaction – show me the whole garden as I’d actually experience it.
Beautiful garden. Love the under 3 min video tour. Would enjoy seeing the tour in summer and fall!
That’s the plan – seasonal updates.
I’m the friend who predicted that Susan would have finished her gardens within 3 years. And actually I stick with that a bit. I live nearby and over the years of this 10-year project, I was seeing subtle and beautiful transformations in the look of her front and back gardens. Nothing ever looked unfinished, to my eyes. I understand that to her eyes it’s only now that it’s reached maturity. But I’ll predict that in 5 years it will look different. We’ll see!
Now that I think of it, did you maybe say 5 or more? Even 3 was enough to horrify me.
I’m right with you re always thinking that reading is faster – than video, podcasts, any old thing but reading! So good on you for fast and I love it. Must make one of Veddw.
But not sure how I can be sharing space with you and you saying it will take me 10 years to fix those gardens in my last post!
Though you are quite right – Robin Lane Fox will not visit a garden under 10 years old.
BUT – when you have a garden 33 years old https://veddw.com/ then not only can you be still making new gardens, but you have to start renovating. Which involves destructing bits of gardens and plants.
There is no end to it. Only to us. Xxxx
Ah, wisdom from a MUCH older gardening culture. Thx.
Thanks for the tour. Love crossvine! Tell me about the crossvine on wood panel… How large is the panel? How does crossvine climb, i.e. does it twine itself through the slats, without sticky fingers? Do you need to prune it to control size / weight?
Crossvine needs to be attached at first, then new strands of it will attach themselves to old ones. The panel you see them on in the video is 6×9′. I cut back some of the new growth every year but otherwise do no pruning.
What zone are you? I’ve never heard of crossvine. I planted a smoke bush and want to prune another bush to see it more easily! Pulmanaria are one of my favorites.
Thanks for the video and inspriration.
I’m in Zone 7. Google tells me crossvine is hardy only to Zone 6.
Love the video. Wonderful garden….particularly the view from that back screened-in porch….amazing how private it seems, yet the little glimpses of neighbors to remind you you’re in a community. I am intrigued by that crossvine also….
Thanks, Mary!
I just love the video. Such wonderful gardens, and like mine, on the small side which makes things a bit easier. Reading other comments here, I am not alone in my ignorance of Crossvine. I now must have one! My neighbor installed a bright white vinyl fence and while I love the privacy it provides, it is SO glaringly white with the sun hitting it. A vine like Crossvine sounds like a wonderful solution to that. Please make more videos!
Wow, the garden changes turned out wonderfully. Great choice in the cross vine. I like it too. You rock!
Thank you for the Movavi suggestion. Your finished product looks great. I tried Adobe Premier Rush…it was user friendly but had too many conflicts uploading a 3 minute video.
This is gorgeous. Actually, I thought the 3 minute video was a little short; I wanted to savor it. I’ve watched so many times! Also commented on YouTube, lol.
Question: how do I achieve the shape of your cotinus? I know they’re prone to doing weird things and I’d planned to cut mine to the ground next spring. But yours does has a controlled, narrow, airy habit. Any tips?
I did nothing to achieve the shape of the Cotinus (purple smokebush). I read that some people cut it back hard in the spring but i decided to leave it alone (except for keeping it off the sidewalk) and see what happens. Turns out, it has a naturally weird growth habit.
Thx everyone for your encouragement! You wouldn’t believe how nervous I was about making the video. But it’s ridiculous to fear failure or criticism when there’s so little at stake, right?
I loved the video! Great amount of detail, great music, perfect length. I would prefer if you gave a slight pause–maybe two seconds–at the beginning and end of the panoramic views so I could appreciate the overall design a little more. Of course there’s also the pause button but I didn’t want to interrupt the flow!
Thanks for sharing this!
I definitely want to see the seasonal changes! That’s what makes a garden so interesting. I would also like to see a tiny bit longer focus on each section. I don’t think that would make it too long. It looks like you have fit so much variety into a small space. Keep us posted!