the projects are proceeding slowly as I am doing most of the work myself.
Deer, drought, over grown plants, and high maintenance borders have necessitated these changes.
The David Austin Roses...
greedy for water and slightly high maintenance
are staying put!
There was a bed in the middle of the gravel driveway that took a lot of work and the plants were not too happy.
I laid down some landscape cloth and covered the base of the rose with bricks and filled the gaps with gravel and then spread a cubic yard of "screenings"over the cloth so none of it shows.
This will pack down nicely with time and blend in with the rest of the drive.
The romneya coulteri likes "living on the edge."
The dry gravel and sand are it's best friends!
The rampant invasive violets were pulled and the bed dug deep and we have laid black garbage bags in hopes that they will not come back.
This bed in the back side yard will be replanted after a few weeks or possibly months.
this bed is also under wraps...
ugly I know but I couldn't bear to spray with toxic chemicals.
This patio is in the side yard
and features two dwarf apple trees and a riot of Lady's Mantle and Limelight Hydrangeas.
It's shady part of the day and a lovely spot to sit with a cup of tea.
Look what we found nestled under the overgrown lilies!
It was a slow release "frog" fertilizer and now it looks prehistoric!
The view from the kitchen...
The slide is in the space where the greenhouse is going to be placed.
The grass is full of clover, buttercups and violets...we hope to find a hardy grass that will be green in winter and gold in summer as we will not be watering it much, if at all depending on the water restrictions.
The bed with the asparagus and two climbing roses will be modified and the hydrangeas will be dug out and the rhubarb and strawberries will be relocated near the green house.
Pots were planted up to add colour and interest.
The intimate patio area just off the back basement door.
Out front we planted more deer and drought tolerant plants...
in the front of the bed we chose Blue Fescue grasses.
The bees love the prickly blue eryngium and the lavenders.
Blue Russian Sage and Salvias are mixed in with yellow rudbeckias
and at the front more Blue Fescue Grasses.
Pots were replanted...
Feather Grass
Boxwood
Black Mondo grass and a Lime Green succulent.
The deer have so far, resisted munching these hydrangeas and I am so grateful!
I have several of these out in the front yard and I love them.
I'm considering swapping this blue and mauve hydrangea for another limelight...
Roses planted with lily of the valley as a ground cover.
I have kept a few Hostas which the deer love to dine on...
(as do the slugs)
I will see what happens over time and if they are munched too often I will place them in the back garden.
At the end of the drive against the fence we have a drought tolerant bed of mostly grasses.
Montbretia, sedum, hostas, black mondo grass, hellebores, variegated iris and planters with succulents.
So they are not going to happen for awhile...
in the meantime I putter and chip away at the tasks that I can do myself.
It's a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun!
I hope you've enjoyed seeing what's happening in our patch.
These flowers look like a smiling face...
do you see it?
Hope you have a fabulous weekend.
We're on "Baby Watch" this weekend.
Fingers crossed that wee one comes soon.
We can hardly wait to meet her!
Cheerio
XO
27 comments:
adore your garden! x
So much work there, but what a gorgeous yard you have!
Your gardens are fabulous, Hostess. A lot of work, I know, but so worth it!
You've put a lot of thought into your garden and it shows! Hopefully you will end up with something that won't require as much maintenance. We're looking to replant our front yard with more drought-tolerant plants, but will probably have to hire an expert to help with design and re-adjusting the irrigation system.
What fun! I love to see what changes you have made in the garden. You have used some of my favorite hardscape materials and your plant choices are great. What pretty combinations. I certainly know how much work has gone (is going) into all of this, but the rewards are worth the effort...beautiful and charming! I have removed a lot of obnoxious weeds and grass using the black plastic method, it is the easiest and it does work. Good idea, and this fall maybe you can replant.
I love your little sitting areas in your garden. Although you will put much effort into your garden, the rewards are plenty. The David Austen Roses and hydrangeas are beautiful. I also do not like using chemicals in my garden. I tried cabbage collars around some of my plants this year to deter the slugs from eating on my plants. They have a copper material in them. So far, so good.
That David Austin rose! Those hydrangeas! I'm swooning.
I grow Canadian Explorer shrub roses in the one truly sunny part of my yard and fragrant hybrid teas on my deck in containers where I can sniff and enjoy them. I'd love to put in more roses, but they do love sun and attention.
Your garden looks beautiful and all of your hard work shows. Hope your granddaughter arrives soon, so exciting.
You have done sooo much work! Your plants are lovely. We share some of the same problems and frustrations and have been much more slowly renovating too. You are an inspiration.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your lovely garden!
I live in Phoenix, Arizona. . . need I say more!
What an incredible amount of work you have done! Our hostas get attacked by slugs too.
Thank you Janet...
I love your home and garden so much...your blog images and posts stay with me long after you have written them. I think of you often.
XO
Thank you mater.
It's a small garden but we try to make it as interesting as possible.
I like the feeling when we stand back and admire the finished product the best!!
I am a big fan of hiring the professionals...
they know what plants will thrive in the conditions and so you don't waste money on things that might perish...plus they have an eye for form and design. Good luck!
I could really use that wagon that you put together awhile back...my wheel barrow has a flat tire and I do not have a pump!
That's good advice about the slug deterrent...I have been told crushed egg shells work too but have never tried them.
I am familiar with the Canadian Explorer series of roses...they are hardy and drought tolerant. You might try a climber on your deck...our Royal Sunset is a non stop performer...and is very fragrant.
Yes I am excited to meet her...not going too far from home just in case!
I borrowed a fabulous book from the library that really inspired me...Bunny Williams' Garden book...it's a gem.
Oh but you can grow cacti and succulents and agaves and so many interesting plants that we cannot...I suppose we need to embrace our growing zones!
We have snails in our garden! I have yet to figure out what they eat but they seem to be pretty happy.
I like the bricks around the rose, and all your flagstones. And, of course, your plants:). Love the mondo grass, gets lots of play in my neighborhood. I wonder, are you trying to reduce the numbers of kinds of plants, for a more architectural look? Or focusing more on keeping the cottage garden level of variety, but putting in vegetation that works better?
I've used diatomaceous earth, which seems to help. On the other hand, I don't have any real slug-attractors planted...
You have a lovely yard already and I'm sure it will be even more fabulous by next spring after you've made the changes you've outlined.
If you're going to over-winter those plastic covered areas you might consider a layer of very fresh manure. 'Hot' manure will burn away pretty much anything in the ground and by next spring the soil will be enriched &ready for planting.
All the best!
Thank you for the look into your garden. It is lovely. I live in Michigan and also have problems with deer eating our plants. Have you ever sprayed to deter them? I use Plantskydd and it works well. It comes highly recommended by a nearby nursery and according to their website is non-toxic.http://www.plantskydd.com/prodfaq.html
Wow Leslie, you do a lot of gardening! I admire your energy. Your hydrangeas are so blue. Mine always turn more pink.
I left a comment on another post before I realized I was signed on my other gmail account.
Can't wait to hear about your new granddaughter!
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