Old lamppost bed is looking pretty sorry. Really needs a new look.
I spent most of last spring coming up with a design. Then I “somewhat” patiently waited all summer for Ric to get started on this project. Then when I lost all hope at the end of fall, Ric in a burst of energy really dug in (literally) and got a real good start.
First we measured and laid out the shape on the lawn. Some marking strings and some lime worked really nice. Ric manhandled the RR ties with only a little help from me.
Then the digging and cutting started. The first set of ties are buried in the ground so that you can easily run a mower along them. Really saves a lot of time mowing and no edging needed. Digging in our rocky ground can take quite a bit of time and a good digging iron but in the long run it is worth the effort.
Got to get those angles just right.
Hey who says I don’t help?
Ah, the first layer is in. I obsessed over this shape for so long just couldn’t decide didn’t want a square and didn’t want a half circle finally came up with this and really like it.
The second step is easier. No digging!!!!
Move some dirt around from the garden to fill. Relocate a few bulbs and add a few more. (My job)
Add a little detail to the corners.
Now just wait for spring.
Time for son Josh to get into the picture
My Christmas present from him was the materials for and installation of the new post.
Both the post and the fall planted flowers are coming along real nice. The old post had an outlet you could plug into at the top of the post. This one has the outlet at the bottom not near as conspectus.
Everybody at my house gets to dig! I have a nice little arbor at the beginning of the walk with small lights. Josh is extending the in ground electric out to it and adding a couple of outlets there as well.
YEA! No more green extension cord running across the grass just waiting to get hit with the mower.
Up go the trellises. I found some pretty, inexpensive metal trellises at the discount store. I liked them but they were too small and not strong enough so I put Ric back to work making wooden frames for the trellises.
I needed a small trellis added to the lamppost for the old Clematis to climb on. Ric came up with a great design really added to the look of the post. We only added it to one side but will be putting another one on the back for a fall blooming clematis.
Ric came up with a real nice touch he added a bit of stained glass to the metal trellises. Said it would have been so much easier to have added it before they were installed but didn’t want to pull them back out. I picked a blue glass that I thought would look nice with my blue ball water feature you can see in the background of some of the pictures.
We stained it to match the front entry deck and the window boxes. The fall planted spring bulbs have been coming along as the project has been coming along. I have ordered more bulbs from one of the co-ops to plant the lower bed this fall.
There will be 5 Clematis one on each of the three trellis. Those are from last years co-op Ramona and Multi Blue have both come up and are starting to climb their trellises the other one is still a no show but I will give it a couple more weeks before replacing it . My old one The President and a fall blooming one (yet to be picked) will be growing on the post. I put in some Creeping Phlox and some Sedums and I’ll be adding annuals this summer and Mums for fall color.
This message was edited Apr 25, 2008 11:57 PM
Looks great!
HollyAnn, Thanks for posting your project. I had seen some pictures on other posts and for a while I was wondering what the total look was, now I know and I really like it. Nice job your men did, they deserve a big pat on the back.
You will like Romona Clematis I have one growing up my weeping cherry. If you ever have to replace one give Betty Corning a try she has a long bloom time and the "bells " are very charming.
Pic of my Ramona last year.
Hey there Holly! Your project came out fantastic. I might steal that cool shape for the new lamp post we are putting at the bottom of our drive. I love the 2 tiers especially.
Glad to hear your arm has healed up from the surgery. You looked mighty uncomfortable last summer.
I'm just getting back into the forums again and plant to look up your hubbies previous projects for inspiration. Keep them coming!
Joanne
P.S. How are your plants from the coop last year coming along? Most of my hosta came back but I lost half the ferns and heuchera. The drought didn't help though.
Holly, that's just beautiful. I hope you'll post some more pictures when everything is blooming.
What does it say across your entry arbor?
Ladygardener, Oh thanks for the pretty picture. Can't wait to see if mine bloom this year.
Joanne, How nice that you are back, I think of you and your cute kids quite often. Well I didn't do so well with my plants. I took all of them up to my daughters house thinking I could plant them up there and then dig them up at a later date when my beds were ready. Big mistake the Rabbits in her yard pretty much ate them all. LOL
But several of the ones that I had given to friends are doing very well. I was just up to Jane's house and the Heuchera she got are just beautiful. (sigh) and I know that some of the ferns also did well.
Hart, That's just the house # and street name. Ric wanted it there (probably just wanted to play with his router). You can't hardly see it even when the Trumpet Vine isn't in bloom. LOL
I'll post pictures when the Clematis are in bloom.
Thanks for all the kind comments.
Hey, when a man's gotta router, a man's gotta router. LOL
LOL Hart, Ohhhhhh you are so right!!!!!
Steps to the back deck.
LOLOLOL! That's adorable. Ric did a terrific job with it too.
Picturing Ric running around, router spinning, carving messages and fancy edges all over everything.
OMG! The man certinally has a sense of adventure. Just warn the neighbors when he starts running out of room to write at your house. LOL
Absolutely stunning!!!
Holly Ann S, love your photo, esp. the kitty. I think his cousins are living here with me in Seattle!
Thanks everybody for the nice comments. I told Ric and Josh how much everyone loved their work.
Velvetenna, That's our cat Bubbles she is a very old cat. She thinks I can't garden without her, It's pretty bad when every time I get down on my knees to weed or plant she comes over and stands right in front of me and waves her tail in my face. Oh yes, she's a camera hog, too. LOL
Holly Ann, you wouldn't believe how your Bubbles is the twin of my Nicky, who isn't even a year old yet. He's sitting on my lap right now, so I can easily compare their markings, right down to that little black crook at the end of the tail. Bubbles looks like a youngster. Thanks for sharing the picture.
I thought I would post a few updated pictures of the project. The old Clematis is blooming right now and really looks nice. It had been growing very straight and tall but slumped over just the other day so I tied it up. Next year I will have to get a few extra ties on it as it grows.
I've been planting the bed with a mixture of Perennials and Annuals. Here are the variegated Jacobs Ladder, Silver Mound, Violets and a variegated Nasturtium,
Also planted are Bergenia Pink Dragonfly, Violas, Creeping Phlox (can't remember which colors), 3 different Sedums, Verbascum Dark eyes, Asters, Mums, Snapdragons, Allissum, Dusty Miller, Josephs Coat and African Daisies. While I was putting in the new plants I moved some of the Spring bulbs down into the lower part of the bed and there will be more going in this Fall. I also hope to add some more Mums and Asters this Fall.
So far I'm pretty happy with the look. I may need to move things around as they grow and it's still looking a little bare here and there but should fill in soon. Bubbles the camera hog always following me around the garden. LOL
The new Clematis that were planted last fall are coming in nicely.
Well, I really am happy with this project and will post a couple more pictures later in the season. If you look in the background you can see my front yard is still full of rocks but I think Ric will be starting that project soon.
Gorgeous work! I absolutely love those trellises - is it okay if I show it to my handyman for reference?
Oh, and I have the ancient version of that cat...must find photo. His name is Simmons, as his tongue is too long for his mouth and hangs out sometimes (as in Gene Simmons from Kiss)
Help your self, Borrowing ideas, or using them to jump start your own version is always welcome. If you look back at the window boxes you will see a few more of the trellises hanging on either side of the windows. Ric just cut off the stake part of the original cheap metal trellises and hung them next to the windows. My Morning Glories will grow up them. They really don't show up much from a distance but you can see them closer to the house and they will serve the purpose well. We will probably take them down this fall and add some stain-glass to them, so they stand out a little better. We just didn't have the time to do it now. I have Calidums, Morning Glories and Bacopa planted in them and will post a few pictures of them when they fill in later.
Bubbles is an ancient cat as well and got her name because she makes bubbles. Not quite a drool but makes bubbles from her spit like a baby does. LOL
HollyAnn, It looks great! I like the way that Rick secured the coners. Going to have to show that to my DSO. In the first pictures, what is the orange blooming shrub? That color really stands out. Sinking those ties was a great idea. Mary
Those first pictures were taken in the Fall and that is an over grown Chrysanthemum. I had a couple of them in that bed before and just planted a few more.
Here is an old picture from just before we started to work on the new bed.
The sign came from an old Halloween costume that my son wore. We dressed him up as the Grim Reaper and had him carry the sign and a bouquet of flowers.
This message was edited Jun 12, 2008 12:05 PM
