Most of these pictures were taken by DH - so don't blame me for quality! Lol
Here is Earl of Essex - my first Bearded Iris to bloom. I had no idea the blossoms could be so big! I think the only irises I had ever seen before were Dutch irises and Siberian Irises.
This iris is Total Recall - the bloom is almost as big as my hand!
This iris is Painted Cloud. In the background you will see I have planted white wax begonias. And behind them are Johnson's blue geranium. The wax begonias will fill in and make a nice little mini hedge - sort of like a box hedge with blossoms.
This message was edited Jun 10, 2007 3:06 PM
This iris is called Mother Earth (I think)
Dahlias are ones we saved from last year. They survived in spite of my ignorance. I tried to split them up - but did not really understand the concept of "eyes" - just as well, I would have ended up with twice as many as i could use. They were started inside in early April. A kevin limelight has buds already :-)
The dahlias are now about twice the size that they are in the picture.
This spring I totally dug out the dirt from this narrow strip and replaced it with amended soil for the dahlias.
Here is a rose my DD bought shortly after we arrived - have no idea what the name is. It is quite short and as broad as it is tall. I just call it Bilbo Baggins after a suggestion from tracks_in_sand.
This message was edited Jun 10, 2007 3:14 PM
Here is Eomer - from the Westerland, part of the Riddermark (lol)
White daffodils from early May - still waiting for the leaves to die back
Plum pudding heuchera and jacob's ladder
Bleeding hearts . . . well - about three weeks ago . . .
rhododendrun - American Beauty I think - correct me if I am wrong :-)
Sweet peas starting - these are the ones I started sooo early! I had a dickens of a time trying to give extras away - nobody seems to know what sweet peas are! I had to warn people not to eat them.
My new arbour DH put together for me. We purchased it very early in the spring from the Christmas Tree store for $89. On the right side is Gandalf (aka Darlow's Enigma - a new rambling rose with a strong perfume) on the left side is Super Dorothy - for my deceased mother-in-law named, you guess it, Dorothy. She was character enough!
Underplanting the roses are lemon coloured petunias I grew all by mysef. :-)
Here is another shot of the arbour - (are you bored yet?) You can just barely make out the petunias and Super Dorothy
Another Iris picture - I think this one is called Strike it Rich.
Baby mums (can't spell the full name!) These were planted this spring. There are 3 Coral Cavalier - football mums; 3 Volunteer (dark red) large flowering mums; and 3 daisy bronze mums. I know it's not a very interesting picture - but I wanted to show you I have been working.
Here is our home on Memorial Weekend. I will have better pictures to show you in July. These pictures are about week or more old, and DH doesn't take the same shots I would. I won't bore you with pictures of baby roses with no blossoms etc. lol
Did I ever mention I hate squirrels?
Very nice Michaela. Beautiful house. Do you have a shot of the entire house?
Yep.
Very pretty! How long are you there? That's a pretty steep roof - the rain must really cascade into (and over?) your gutters. I would not want to be the roofer. IS the top level a finished attic or third floor? Very nice.
Very nice, side gabled colonial revival.
Looks good so far. The dahlias at the end of your strip might be a little tight on room - you'll have to prune them to make them fit in there.
This house is WAY COOL! We lucked into it when we came in 2002. DH has been restoring it to Edwardian charm. But he didn't have to do the 3rd floor games room with the original Victorian Bar (complete with brass foot rail) still in place. The third floor is completely finished; there is also a guest bedroom and a full bath complete with claw foot bathtub (with really strange plumbing)
We could NEVER afford this house anyplace but Springfield. We were able to pick it up for $175,000 - which to me is a real bargain, 'cause in Vancouver, where I am from this little baby would be selling for over 1 million!
And it's not even the best house on the block! Belmont Heights is a designated historical neighbourhood. Our house was built in 1899 and I have been told it represents the cross-over between Queen Anne Victorian and the Craftsmen movement. Even the door hinges are ornate! There were some scruffy looking coat hooks in the front closet DH was going to toss, but he decided to see what lay underneath about 7 layers of paint - the most beautiful art nouveau coat hooks - who knew? DH can't work until we get permanent residency (God only knows how much longer that is going to take) so he has restored the entrance way (with the blackberry wallpaper I mentioned in another thread), the staircase to the second floor, the kitchen, the living room (complete with fireplace), his den, guest bedroom, and the second floor bathroom ( this room just spruced this up - can't afford the ThIs Old House bathroom overhaul, lol). Each room takes about four months because he is so meticulous. We could never afford to pay someone to pay so much attention to detail.
It's really funny - 'cause DH has hardly any tools to work with, so he has to be creative - and the work probably takes a lot longer as a result. All the window are double hung with weights, which DH repairs (lots of windows would not stay open until DH repaired them), all the visible hardware - hinges, doornobs, etc. are stripped of paint, the woodwork is restored to wood finish - tricky, because much of it is ornately carved. Plaster walls are patched and smoothed, wall paper attached, ceilings refinished, wooden floors restored.
Still to do: Third floor bathroom, servant staircase, master bedroom, second bedroom, parlour, and basement.
I am one lucky gal. I get to do the gardens :-)
Is that what it is called, Al? Regarding the dahlias - that's what vases are for :-)
It sure looks like it to me, right down to the perfect symmetry. It was the last true formal style for this country. Craftsmans style did have bungalows shaped the same 10-15 years later, but they were not supposed to be ornate.
thanks for the info - we were never sure how to describe it because of all the funny balconies. (which you have to climb through windows to get to!)
Wow, what a steal! You were very fortunate. And you're lucky Hubby is so handy. I'd like to see some inside pics some time.
Michaela, What an interesting, pretty house! It took everyone's mind off your beautiful plants though! Great job! Great iris.
Seandor, great house and how great that between the two of you, you can recondition the inside and out. As to your mention of squirrels, I was on the deck the other day observing a large pot of tiny plants where the soil has been upturned, dug out, removed, ,just a general state of upheaval. Slapped myself on the forehead and wondered aloud, "does Seandor realize that this is the work of Robins and not squirrels?" :~(
Dave - you stumbled on to my secret plan, I haven't painted the trim on my house in 6 years and don't want anyone to notice.
Al, Do you have an interest in architecture? I was impressed!
I do, self taught basically, but I did work on a 6 month project back in the old planning days.
Are you in the unpainted trim architecture movement??
Man, we've got unpainted architectual trim police! Once you live in a historical district, city hall will force you to paint your trims, etc.
God forbid you have to replace a slate roof!
I should also reveal that Vancouver has some of the most expensive real estate in North America. For instance, our home on Longmeadow (about 5 minutes from here) would probably be worth around $500.000. - but it would also come with a much larger lot, and much more taxes!
Oh, by the way, the taxes on a $1.5 million house in Vancouver is about $1800 LESS than what we pay.
This message was edited Jun 10, 2007 8:43 PM
This message was edited Jun 11, 2007 9:47 AM
Venu209, what is the world coming to, when we have to put up with naughty robins???
i dunno, but I bet you those robins are laughing their butts off when they see us humans waving a fist at the squirrels :>)
It has peeling paint now come on - I was way ahead on the shabby chic!
We all have some peeling trim and what not. Our houses too!
Seandor - beautiful home and your gardens are coming along nicely. Looks like you have been very busy. Love your arbor. Are you going to have a climbing vine of some sort on it? It will be wonderful to sit on the bench and smell the frangrance of flowers!! Eleanor
it all looks gorgeous my dear friend.... I am dying to see it in person....
