thank you, I have been pleased with the progress. It always seems so slow... but I need to have more patience. Between full time work, disabled husband and family needs, my garden landscaping can't be first (darn it! LOL)
Wisteria is WORK. I loved it when I got here but it's too destructive. I'm going to cut it down to little starts and see if I can then stay on top of the project or whether ALL of it needs GONE, period. I keep having to cut it away from my dogwood tree.
Really? My snapdragons ALWAYS overwinter! Dahlias are much more sensitive.
SOON I will again have a beautiful flower bed.
June 2016, back side of the picket fence, first 2 shots. Second 2 shots are the road side of the picket fence, showing of Knock Out Rose, pink dahlia and Stargazer lilies. Last shot is of my "new" frog garden art near the entry of my patio.
This message was edited Nov 12, 2016 8:04 AM
August, front of the house with dahlias, and from the picket from to the house.
Oh I love it, and in just a few years it looks so established.
BTW, the pink petunia matching the frog tongue is inspired!
Thank you. I LOVE. Pink petunias.
I was looking back at old threads and came across this one. First picture in front of house looking at picket fence, 2nd from house out to road. next 2 are close ups of the house bed next to the house near entry. Final one is at the entry to my patio.
I really like you clematis. What variety is that?
the deep purple is the very popular variety -Jackmanii. the light lavender one might be Anna German, since I did not purchase them myself, it is a guess.
You could try surrounding them with small fence and let the flowers ( especially Clematis ) to climb it. Like one of these: https://www.decorhomeideas.com/22-beautiful-flower-bed-ideas-around-trees/
especially number two is a beautiful Clematis around a tree.
This message was edited Aug 2, 2018 12:52 AM
There were some pretty ideas
This is a 2019 image. I am having a covered patio built in the back. When I had a 3rd bathroom built, where the exterior door had been had to change. THAT's going to be my big outdoor project this year.
You've worked so hard to create a beautiful space in your now not so new home and most of it on your own. What a lovely space you have made. I check into the other threads you post on now and again but rarely post here myself. Kudos to you for working full time, caring for a disabled spouse, making doll clothes with your sister for charities and still having time to garden. You're the bomb!
LOL... not the bomb, just very ADD. My garden gives me such satisfaction, it helps me find peace and comfort. I can't dig in the dirt and have a negative thought. It helps me thru rough times. I see my flowers and can't help but smile.
How's your Maypop coming? still doing lots of work there?
We close down the house and property (Maypop) January and February and start back poking around the kitchen garden by mid-March. I no longer plant a spring and fall garden. Instead, we stage the summer kitchen garden into an early and late phase so we are picking from end of April to first freeze in mid-November. Yes, lots to do. Canning, freezing and pickling season is beginning. Seed saving is a whole other time suck.
The one hundred and sixty mile round trip each week to garden in the beautiful Appalachian foothills is worth the drive but tiring. Winter is a welcome break. There was a time I didn't mind gardening when temps were near freezing.
What an amazing place to go. I do imagine there are times when the distance is very tiring! By the time winter comes I am happy to no longer be watering and mowing.
todays pictures of some of the same areas. I should be taking pictures of the back yard, THAT is where there has been a lot of change. Maybe tomorrow.
#3 I was trying to get a picture of the beautiful Calla Lilies but they didn't show up against the white lattice.
Pat, what an amazing transformation your place has gone through. Seems like you moved there only yesterday and it was bare bones.
I've gravitated to growing mostly vegetables in the kitchen garden over the years so it's food among the flowers. Hope to get mulch down next week. We've had endless rain.
My sweet husband passed away February 8th, it still sneaks up on me. I can be "OK" and functioning, and then WHAM, something triggers the grief in big waves. I still find the gardening is the most helpful. I think he knew... last year for my mothers day he bought me a lilac and for my birthday a Japanese red lace maple tree. These were the first plants he ever bought for me, and he did it with his caregiver's help, without my knowledge.
I'm so sorry to hear about Ben's passing. What a nice way to leave a legacy by gifting you with plants. How meaningful.
I am reminded of all the wonderful people, many now passed, I met through hosting DG Roundups over the years. Aside from dozens of perrenials, there are eight or ten shrubs and four figs, all now bearing. More than half of the vegetables I currently grow were seed gifts, saved year after year, starting more than ten years ago.
How cool to have the heirloom vegetables to continue that gift legacy
!
New covered patio, finished last year and I am working this year to get it painted and decorated. The new house color is green, a little more mint than the sage I was aiming for! Oh well.
#1, At the far left you can see where the door used to be, the new door on right.
#2 and #3 are after then new door got put in, before the patio was constructed.
#4 the headboard storage bench I made for the patio.
#5 a different shot of same door showing I have started to paint, slowly but surely. It will take me a while....
This what my newest garden looks like. My sister gave me some money at HomeDepot for plants to celebrate my retirement. I bought 3 rose of Sharon & 3 burning bush. The Butterfly bush was already there. Then I bought a whole cart full of perennials that were discounted to $1 a piece & filled in.
The blue flower is penstemon, it has been deadheaded /trimmed back since this pic and now the Rose of Sharon is in bloom with the daisies. #3 is the same garden but the photo is shot from the opposite end towards the front.
This is what that picket fence area looks like now at various times of the year.
It looks I have not done much updating over here on this thread. First 2 pics are along the front of my house. The next 3 or of different views & times of an "island" of flowers in the middle of the front of my house. I eliminated the grass and it is ALL parking. I have a big back yard, I don't need the extra grass in front & the parking has come in handy. #3 & #5 are taken TOWARDS my house, the #4 is towards the road of the same island with section of picket fence.
I have started working on the back yard, added a covered patio & also a walk along the garage to the back yard. #1, very back of yard. #2 &3, view from back porch, #4 along the garage (that was just planted less than 2 years ago) and from the back of the yard towards the patio.
I just love what you have done. Those lilies, the white with pink, are just gorgeous. What is that rose bush? It looks so happy. Please post a photo of those chubby lilies in your 3rd photo when they bloom. Looks like it will be an incredible display!
the rose bush is a Knock Out Rose & they are so easy to grow. They will continue to bloom without dead heading & are resistent to lots of nasty stuff that frequently gives roses issues. The "chubby lillies", I honestly don't know. They were given to me by my Sister In law over 20 YEARS ago, 3 houses ago! They multiple like crazy. They bloom here late June. The taller pink & white are Lolly Pop and they are sooooo sturdy!!! They have stood up to fierce winds and not broken off.
You have so many well grown plants. I am in love with your huge purple vine in your earlier photos! A Clematis Jackmanii?
I grew lots of roses but no Knock Out Roses. They seem so easy and so floriferous. I hated all the diseases mine got!
Yes, the Knock Out Roses are sooooo much more carefree than other roses. I took out most of the roses that were here, put planted a few Knock Outs.
Yes, Jackmanii, it is a happy plant where it is planted. I have a lavender clematis, next to the front door and a different one behind the house. I am not the one that bought those so I don't now what variety they are.
This message was edited Jul 31, 2022 1:39 AM
wow cool
I just sold that house and have moved on in just the last couple of months.... I drove by the house yesterday. They took out the 3 white trellises, dug out my butterfly bush, clematis and more. My pink & white tulips are in bloom. We'll see if they let those stay long term.
I ended up having to connect to sewer and lost a lot of my flowerbed in the transition.1st picture is the house within a week of them finishing the sewer connection in November. 2nd pic is long the front of the house with rose & clematis in bloom this past summer (new owners took them out). 3rd along the side of my house. 4th & 5th a portion of my flower bed behind the house.
New house, new challenges. It will be very different.
