The South Dakota Cowgirl

Life on the Ranch Through My Lens

You are here: Home / decorating / Minature Gardens

Minature Gardens

by 8 Comments

Tuesday.
A project.
Several Projects.

In case y’all didn’t know, I have more projects and things that I need to do than I can shake a stick at.

Back to the projects.
Let’s take them one at a time.

Last year I purchased two half whiskey barrels. I had every intention of planting blueberry bushes in them. The plants I wanted were back-ordered. I’ve since decided that they wouldn’t have made the winter in those barrels, because they wouldn’t have stayed warm enough. So, long story short, those barrels sat dormant all last year. They were however in their current locations. I need some height in my landscape, which is one of the reasons I chose the barrels- but not being able to put a perennial or some sort of evergreen in it due to my fear of the roots freezing off in these brutal winters had me confounded until last week when I had a moment of inspiration.

Zach filled them with compost out of an old manure pile.

IMG_2352

I have a couple cool pieces of driftwood. Must find more. Stat. Luckily I live near a river.

IMG_2353

Messy. Gardening is messy. Very messy.

IMG_2354

My solution to the problem: Purple Fountain Grass. It’s one of my favorite ornamental grasses. I love ornamental grasses! This grass turns really dark in the fall and grows to about 36 inches in height.

IMG_2359

IMG_2360

Part two: Petunias. One of my summer favorites. I opted for white and purple flowers.

IMG_2361

These flowers were big and healthy so I opted to separate them.

IMG_2365

And then placed them on opposite sides of the grass

IMG_2363

I alternated the white and purple flowers, watered well and then mulched with some Western Red Cedar.

Here’s the finished product. Both barrels.

IMG_2376

IMG_2377

IMG_2379

IMG_2383

IMG_2386

IMG_2387

IMG_2388

IMG_2389

IMG_2393

And my second piece of really cool driftwood:

IMG_2394

I might have gone crazy with the after pictures. I’d say I’m sorry. But I’m not really. I think it took me about an hour total to do both barrels, in case any of you were wondering. I didn’t take the after photos until a couple hours after I’d planted the flowers- because I wanted to get a good watering in on the new plantings and have the flower get all bright and perky again, so it was easier to mulch. Do any of you have garden plans this year?

About ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~

Jenn Zeller is the creative mind and boss lady behind The South Dakota Cowgirl. She is an aspiring horsewoman, photographer, brilliant social media strategist and lover of all things western.

After a brief career in the investment world to support her horse habit (and satisfy her mother, who told her she had to have a “real” job after graduating college), she finally took the leap and stepped away from a regular income; trading the business suit once and for all for cowgirl boots, a hat, and jeans. She has not looked back.

When Jenn first moved to The DX Ranch on the South Dakota plains, she never imagined she’d find herself behind a camera lens capturing an authentic perspective of ranching, and sharing it with others. Jenn has always been called to artistry, and uses music, writing, images, home improvement, and her first true love of horses to express her ranching passion.

Horses are the constant thread and much of her work centers around using her unique style of writing to share her horsemanship journey with others in publications such as CavvySavvy, the AQHA Ranching Blog, the West River Eagle, the family ranch website, and her own website.

Using photography to illustrate her stories has created other opportunities -- Jenn’s brand “The South Dakota Cowgirl” has grown to the level of social media “Influencer”. This notoriety has led to work with Duluth Trading Company, Budweiser, Wyoming Tourism, Vice, Circle Z Ranch and Art of the Cowgirl, to name a few. She also serves as a brand ambassador for Woodchuck USA, Arenus Equine Health, Triple Crown Feed and Just Strong fitness apparel. Her photography has been featured by Instagram, Apple, TIME Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Oprah Magazine. Jenn’s work has been published internationally, has been seen in several books and has graced the covers of several magazines.

Jenn became a social media influencer by accident when she started to explore Instagram as a way to share her life on the ranch with folks that don’t get to experience it. It’s grown into an incredible platform that she uses to empower women, create an environment for self improvement and share life on the ranch.

When she’s not working, she loves to drink coffee, play with her naughty border collie named Copper, start ranch colts, and run about the country chasing cans. Her mother still thinks she doesn’t have a “real” job.

Give your horse or dog, or cat the gift of mobility.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Ve DeCluette says

    I’m so impressed with your crafty home-maker-iness! I have grand garden plans, but alas no home of my own to adorn with petunias and peonies . . . so instead I will just ask you to continue to post pics of yours.

    Reply

  4. Weekend Cowgirl says

    I have done some planting this year. I am still searching for my barrels. I pitched my old ones this winter as the bottoms were rotten. All my usual places do not have them so far… I am going to plant lantana in one barrel and not sure about what am planting in second barrel (if I find them)

    Reply

    • ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~ says

      I love that you’re back. You were missed! What is the weather like where you are? Still too cold for Petunias? I figured I’d be one of the last folks to be able to put them in- well besides those in Canada!

      Reply

  6. Heather says

    I guess we here in texas get to do the petunias much earlier, I have had mine for weeks already. I guess I never put much thought into people not being able to do things at the same time. Interesting, you are expanding my mind! LOL!

    I love your set up and the whiskey barrels. I have thought about doing whiskey barrels, but hubby seems to think it would be a waste of money, cause they will rot. Maybe one of these days…

    Reply

What's on your mind?