need help starting over to get the cottage look going again

This is where we are starting over! I need some help on getting a cottage look going again...have been here about two weeks now and I made the beds out front. trimmed the trees and paintted the front steps white, painted the window trim and we removed the stump, hauled in some gravel, and have ordered shutters in a light blue, so it will blend in with the Morton building... But I want to rip out those evergreen things in front of the big window and fill in with ???? I also want to re-do the side walk and make it curve and re=do that bed also... looking for all ideas to make this old place really stand out..as you can see in the pic's we are the oldest house in the area, most of the houses around us are 400,000. and up.... I would love to bring back the old garden look, like they have been here forever...I know the place has great bones all the pine trees where started from tiny seedlings....
would love to here your thoughts

these are the new beds I just planted

This message was edited Aug 22, 2008 3:52 PM

bed in the back I just started also, wrong picture sorry

This message was edited Aug 22, 2008 2:12 PM

thanks for looking!!!!

the other bed

Wow! You've made a lot of progress in two weeks!

And I love your stand of spruces! I would kill for those around the re-hab garden project I'm working on now!

Want2bee-
you certainly have done a LOT in two weeks! Great property!

Ok, hope you don't mind, and let me first say I'm terrible in photoshop, but I pecked my way around and attempted a first grader drawing.

I envision a covered concrete porch with railing on the left of the picture, with a peaked arbor entrance, and then narrow to a two pole thin arbor, to frame the large windows. (that thingy to the right of that was supposed to be a birdbath, lol!)

The porch would be a great place to sit and the peaked arbor entrance really could help "state" your entrance, and the flat arbor on the far right would really frame the view and those gorgeous tall windows.

I agree about taking out the hedge in front of the windows, to enhance the windows. The porch would frame the other windows. (no windows covered, "only framed")

Hope you don't mind me butchering your picture, lol! But, we've done arbors like that, on our property, and they are fairly inexpensive and fun. You could create beds in front of these and also grow all sorts of things, like morning glories, or climbing roses up the poles...
-T

how fun seedpicker TX, I love porches also...it does add to the front and gives it some personality! I was just at one of the garden centers and I finally had to tell the guy, I don't want to look like everyone else, I want to be DIFFERENT! thanks

Fun Photoshop project! So many interesting ideas to try out!

I love front porches too, and investigated adding one to our re-hab but it was too pricey. We did replace the front window with a more 'cottage-y looking one and added a window box. And we hope to get some trellises/arbors/pergolas made this winter to add a little more interest and depth to our facade. The new curved front walk was a big improvement even if we couldn't add the porch.

Our budget was really limited on the plants so we just purchased some hollies (on 'half-off summer clearance') and some ground cover for now and will try to add more interesting stuff later this fall (like the climbing roses, etc.) when it's easier to plant because of cooler weather and more rain around here (and the perennials go on sale around here.) I'm finding it's a challenge to be creative on a strict budget!

Good luck with your 're-do'! It looks like you have a lot of property to work with! You will have lots to keep you busy, but if you can do so much in two weeks it shouldn't take you long at all to landscape your new 'estate'!

Please post more pics of your progress as you go along! t.

want2bee-
Tabasco's picture just reminded me of something my hubby said, when I first showed him your picture...I only showed him the before picture, and then asked what he "saw"...

for what it is worth, the very first thing he said was "shutters".

I think if you added shutters to the windows in the left of the picture, it would help make them look bigger, to match the larger windows on the right.

I think he had something there! :0)

Also, it may be a bit late for hollyhocks this year, but would be a fun winter project to start some seeds.

To me hollyhocks scream cottage~y, lol...
-T

I have ordered shutters in a light blue, special order because I wanted light blue...
I also think we are going to change the iron pillar to a round white pillar...I have a climbing rose, I am hoping that will make it from the other house and a PG Hydrangea tree...Thinking the tree would look good just right of the door and a couple of chiquta Vibucoum bushes....the new Twist and Shout Hydrangea shrub in the spring is on my wish list! for by the garage door....
My budget is TIGHT also, trying to get our lives back on track and starting over from nothing after the flood....( as furniture and household goods and clothes shoud be on the top of the list) but i just want to be outside and working in the dirt with my flowers, as the summer has been spent dealing with flood stuff and the best therapy for me now is the yard! as winter is coming and I can work in the house then!
Tabasco, I know what you mean about the curved sidewalk, and window boxs...my other house I did all that too...there are pictures in some other posts on here...your place is cute also...

This message was edited Aug 24, 2008 10:27 AM

funny, but hubby's second question was "what is the budget?"...

I told him I didn't know, so that is why I just imagined with ambiguity...

Sorry, didn't mean to put any pressure you :0) I think everyone is thinking "tight" right now, but my goodness...starting over after a flood must be extremely difficult!! (((hugs)))

Ok, tight suggestions...back to the hollyhocks...now that fall is approaching, there are lots of things that you can start from seeds, which can be the least expensive way to start a garden. Especially the things that require cold stratification in order to germinate, like columbine.

Maybe meet your neighbors and accept "passalongs" from their gardens, like extra bulbs, or divisions of iris, or etc...

Birdbaths, and birdhouses can be inexpensive, and always add a touch of cottage.

Sunflowers are easy to start from seed, and are quite cheery. I've grown some realy cuties called "sun smile", and "sun spot". They are dwarfs, and only get a foot tall, but still have large flowers.

Are there any things already on the property, that you can utilize? ...like boulders, or rocks, or things you can re-purpose?

I've seen arobrs made entirely from fallen limbs, that looked really cute!

There's not a whole lot... The weeds were really bad, and the house had been a rental so they did nothing in the yard....I know it will take time to get it in shape, the other house had so much shade and this has alot of sun! Going back today and seeing what else I can get out of the ground over there, I did have some knock out roses, and hostas and some naked ladies...I so hoping to get them today, before someone slse does. Have had someone helping themselves to my flowers...no bad enough to lose to the flood but to theives just makes me MADDER! I know I should wait to move so plants till fall but I don't want them stolen!

This was my back yard!!!

oh, wow...that is gorgeous!

Can you take that arbor and fencing with you, or was it destroyed??

Looting is just the worst...kick you when you are down!

I don't have much that is zone 5 hardy, since I garden in zone 8, but I could send you clematis pitcheri, if interested?
-T

Thanks
I know, we also had a trailer full of rock that we had loaded from this house and took about a block away from here ( which is my husband grandparents farm) and someone broke into all the buidings. house and unloaded the rock and stold the trailer and a bunch of stuff...that was last weekend!
I keep wondering when is this going to end! Just want to put a sign on what we have left free take what we have left! (sorry, don't mean to be down)

down?...How could you not be? That is a perfectly normal emotion, considering what has happened!

If you are interested in the clematis, let me know. I also have brugmansia cuttings, but don't know if you wuold want to concern yourself with overwintering them...
-T

Wow, want3bee, you've had your hands full. I didn't know you had been flooded out. I haven't been able to keep up with the posts, but I should have suspected from your address that you were in the flood zone. So sorry to hear this move has been so difficult, especially with the pillagers and thieves not helping things along one bit! Your garden at your old house is fabulous and I hope you can save some more of it (especially the fences!).

Now, you mention you have lots of sun and I see you have a lot of space, so what about a 'butterfly garden' somewhere? Butterfly gardens lend themselves to the 'cottage' look and most of the plants for butterflies are easy to grow from seed since so many are native. It's so much fun to keep count of the butterfly visitors and the different species, my family (even my husband who hates gardening) love ours.

If you're interested, plants/flowers for a butterfly garden include: Milkweed incarnata, Milkweed tuberosa, coneflowers, verbenas, parsley family plants, dill family plants, hollyhocks, maypops vine, dutchman's pipevine, tulip poplars, sweetbay magnolias, and buddleia (not native but butterflies love it), clovers, violets, zinnias, native asters, and eupatoriums. You probably already have seeds or plants for many of these, but if you need more I am sure the posters on the Hummingbird Butterfly Forum would be happy to fix you up with some cuttings/seeds. They are a very generous bunch and always happy to assist newcomers....

And don't forget to check out the Lasagna Garden method of building a garden. If you haven't done it already (and I suspect you have) it's a easy and relatively inexpensive way to create a nice garden.

So, good luck with your project! You have quite a canvas for your creativity and I hope you have some fun with it (besides all the work!)

((((want2bee)))))

So sorry to hear of all of your troubles. Big hug to help you pick it back up and have *lots* of fun with your new gardens!

Want2bee, am also very sorry to hear about what you've been going through. How about posting which flowers/plants you'd most love to be able to grow in your new garden? It would make it easier for us to know which seeds, roots, divisions, etc. to prioritize in getting to you - and post away - don't you dare feel greedy - this is going to be so much fun for the rest of us - who doesn't love a brand new, flat, open, sunny, beginning to a new garden?

Thanks you guys, (and I do feel greedy if I ask)
I do love the Butterfly Gardens, and yes I do try and use the Lasagna method.. lots of newspaper and mulch...Most of my gardens and flowers before were of that nature. I have a guy that is a tree trimmer that is dropping a load off this week, and that really helps he is free!!!! I can at least get some stuff in before winter, so in the spring I can hit it hard and really work my beds....
The fences are ruined , and some of it completely gone, the currant was so strong you would not believe it!!!!The water was to the top of the garage doors...
Thanks so much for listening to me, I know I sound like I'm whinning! But you gardeners know what it means to love your flowers, and some of my friends they just DON'T get it!

I will check out the Butterfly Forum, didn't know there was one...thanks

I have an extra weeping buddleia lindleyana, if interested. It is a weeping buddleia, that has compact foliage(not scraggly) and has long weeping purple blooms.
Butterflies and hummingbirds love it. It gets really large and takes up a lot of space, but sounds like you have lots of acreage, so if you want one, I can mail it.
:0)

cool, would love it...

How about posting your wants on the trade list feature of our DG member pages? That wouldn't be greedy at all - if each of us sent you a few seeds or roots that were on your list, then we'd know they were going to a REALLY good home :) Let us know your favorite colors, too.

But, I haven't anything to trade! Didn't think you could post on there if you just were wantting.
I don't want to make people mad...

This message was edited Aug 24, 2008 9:22 PM

Oh no - I don't think anyone will be mad - I have seen lots of folks mainly posting what they want - folks just beginning for the first time or starting all over...Perhaps in that section on your DG member's page for your bio you could mention the flood and that, with respect to posting your wants, "Bluespiral made ya do it" :) After a few years, you'll be passing along the favors - I think we do this all the time around here.

Karen

As far as the Butterfly/Hummingbird garden forum goes, I think you will have good luck there. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/bbb/all/

They seem to love to give out seeds/cuttings if they are available to anyone interested in getting a garden going. Just let them know. Most times they don't really want anything back since their gardens are pretty filled up already. If you're too shy I will ask for you!

When I find my seedbox (I put it somewhere really 'safe' and now I can't find it) I'll be happy to send along some nice seeds.

Having water up past your garage doors must have been quite a terrifying experience. I hope you had evacuated your house by then.

Take care. t.

Want2bee, I remember all your lovely photos of your gardens : ) I am so sorry for the loss of your home, that has to be like a knife in the heart! I know exactly how you feel about loving all your plants. Most of the plants I have I grew from seed and every year I am waiting to see a first bloom on lots of them. It would just be awful, to all of a sudden know that you will not see your labor of love anymore! Sorry, I don't mean to make you dwell upon it, but I just want you to know that I don't think anyone thinks you are whining!! You have good reason to be sad.
If you would like, once I have collected more seeds from my gardens, I could put together a house warming seed package for you. : )

Bless your heart, want2be! We're ALL pulling for you. And nothing is more therapeutic than gardening. You have to know how much gardeners like to share! Post those wants! You love us, don't you? And wouldn't you do the same for us? This lets people pay it forward.

These are some things that I had planted before and I think have that cottage feel ...Iris,peonies, oriental poppies, early clematis, coral bells, bleeding hearts, Asiatic lilies, delphiniums, foxglove, and catmint, lilies, cone flowers, phlox, brown eyed susans, sage, shasta daisy, veronica, annual poppies, snapdragons, zinnia's, anemones, sedums, hollyhocks, buddleia,daylilies, hostas, and knock out roses, and hydrangda's....
I like it all that my problem!!!!

I got you covered on the Shasta daisies and the poppies want2bee! Also have other seeds you can have. If you don't use them, you can grow just to trade for others.
Are you in the addy section?
Also mind if I post the link to this thread over under the Hummer and Butterfly Forum? I am active there and just happened to see this one.
That was one beautiful backyard. I know it must be like loosing a family member to see it destroyed.

O'm so sorry for your loss Want2bee it must have been sooo crushing to lose your home and gardens.Not sure if you would like any but I do have a couple of seeds you can have if you want them. I have
Scarlet Magic Tassel
Violet Chinese Houses
Malva Sylvestrus Zebrina
Double Staw Flowers
Forget Me Not
Amaranthus Love-Lies-Bleeding
Shasta Daisy
Purple Cone Flower
Blackberry Lily
Queen Annes Lace
If you want any or all of these seeds you are more than welcome to them. Good luck and with what you've accomplished in just 2 weeks I'm confident you will have it beautiful in no time!!

Pauline

Thanks everyone for your kind comments and ideas!
not sure where to post my address. or do I just post it here?

Got your dmail with the address, will get a package out this week! It will be nice to say a little part of me is in your lovely setting ther in Cedar Rapids.

want2bee-
I wouldn't think you'd want your address that "public" for security reasons.
People can send eachother private emails for that. :0)

I have cosmos (plain old yellow and orange, my favorite) and purple coneflower seeds. Dmail me if you want some! Also dill. Lots of dill. Lots and lots and lots of dill.

You've received a lot of great suggestions so far.

Have you considered any shrubs such as a lilac or an heirloom rose? When I imagine an older, established garden, those images come to mind. Great fragrance would be a bonus! If you can keep it under control, honeysuckle would be nice too. Hummingbirds would like that.

Boy, I wish lilacs would grow here. They're so beautiful.

Ahhhh...but you can grow Jasmine. If I ever move to a warmer area, that would be one of the first things that I'd plant.