Newbie pics 4

I took this at the end of April. It doesn't show much in terms of detail but it does show how I got a little carried away with the size of the thing.

You have the bones of a great shade garden. Use the chopped up leaves that you can have to mulch around your Hosta and other plants you will have. You are fortunate to have nature's gift . Many of us must spend years getting what you already have. I wish you well.

Oh, you'll fill that up in no time. There's no such thing as getting carried away. We're assisting Mother Nature with her work. Nice job!

Kathy

Thanks Peony. It's been a lot of work but also a lot of fun.

Kathy, that's what I keep telling DH but he doesn't seem to agree. He thinks I need to look into a 12 step program for plant addicts. lol

Well, I would be the first to say that I'm a plant addict. But I'm not joinin' no 12-step program any time soon. I LIKE my addiction. Heh heh.

Kathy

Beautiful garden! It will really look fantastic in a year or so. I admit I'm addicted but hey at least it's gives me execise and fresh air - can think of a lot worse things!!

Great project! How many people worked on it? It will be such a wonderful area to walk through and see the plants grow. I wake up sometimes too early and go to the garden just to have a quiet moment to see things grow. My men don't appreciate plants unless they have flowers the size of a football :(

I've been looking through the pictures I took over the last two years and I wish I did more on this scale to get an idea of how the garden as a whole grows and changes.

Thank you for sharing.

How many people worked on it? Just yours truly. All of the rock walls (and I use that term loosely - I'm no stone mason) came from rocks that I dug up. Dig a hole any larger than a tea cup and you hit rock...some little, some huge. The gravel paths were a challenge. I carried it up to the top in 5-gallon buckets.

I know what you mean by quiet moments in the morning. If the photo were to continue to the right there is a small patio that is just outside my bedroom. I love my morning coffee sitting there and just taking it all in. And my mid-day iced tea and evening wine...

My husband grows the fruit and veggies and I stick to flowers although he is very good about taking the obligatory "tour" every couple of days to see what is blooming.

Love the obligatory 'tour' idea Debbie. I'm so impressed at how much muscle you have put into this garden. What a project! Just beautiful.

Debbie -- very pretty! I have a question about your stone walls. Did you use anything to mortar them, or did you just stack the stones?

Thanks Doss.

Happy, no I did not use mortar. I just stacked them up pretty randomly. If I came across a stone too big to dig up and move, I started a wall at that point. In the winter freeze/thaw I do end up with some stones that fall out of place so I re-stack them in the spring. The moles also cause a few to fall now and then as do the other local critters and my dog that chases said critters.

I like the way they look. We have so many rocks and stones in our yard that I may try the same approach...

I'd love to see a comparison pic with everything in bloom!

Debbie,
That is really beautiful. I am very impressed. I, too, want to see it when things are in bloom. Really a great job.

DebbieLou - WOW!! How gorgeous! I agree with kdfisher - I waould love to see pics of everything blooming, and then again in its full summer glory!! Fabulous job!! Samantha Oh, & PS - IF you truly are addicted, then you, my dear have come to the RIGHT place! LOL!!

Wonderful job, Debbie. The entire setting is so peaceful. I think I would be tempted to move a chair right in there for my morning coffee.

I wish I had that much space in the shade. I have dug up just about every area I have in the shade and it is only about 20 square feet all together.

Onyx, sounds like you need to plant a tree!

Super job! I'm doing a woodland garden this spring and your garden is very inspirational. Are those redbuds?

Sandy

Yep, I think I need a larger yard too. I did realize that I have a bunch of lame grass on the side of my house that gets a lot of shade. I think I will make that one of my projects this year.
BTW- I didn't mean to put 20 sq ft...It is more like 40 sq ft

Here it is as it looks this morning. I have a difficult time trying to photograph it. In summer when everything is filled out it is completely shaded and too dark to see. This is about as much actual bloom as I get.

Sandy, yes, those are redbuds.

This is a view from the top down.

And a close up on one of my favorites, dwarf crested iris.

A view of my shade garden in Broxton, Ga. Sharon