Wandering around the yard.....

Geranium

Sweet Woodruff

Under Construction - Phase 1

Update

Well, today we started getting rid of all the white crushed rocks in front of the house. Old railway timbers along the driveway came out too. We'll probably finish getting rid of tomorrow and hopefully shape the two beds in front of the house, lay sod and maybe even get the shrubs in. I'll have to go get some weed mat and mulch of some sort tomorrow too. I have on order from my gardenerd buddy a pretty lophospermum which will hang somewhere either at the front entrance or by the garage! Looking forward to seeing that.

Maybe this rose???

'Tahitian Moon' Shrub Rose

Okay - so this seems like a pretty, hardy, beginner type rose for me. It's yellow (which I love) and fragrant. Zone 4 but I could winterize it. Can also be a climber but maybe not in our climate. There's a couple at the greenhouse close to here so I just might..........

Happy Mother's Day!

We had a wonderful Mother's Day today. No work, just play! My daughter brought home a sweet woodruff for me today and also made a pretty little painted rock at school. I'll have to post a picture ASAP! I had no idea the woodruff smelled so "sweet"!!

My Visitors ......

who may present a few challenges......

Amy - this is for you!

http://www.waltersgardens.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=gallery.images&catID=16&image=306

No Deeper than a Spade.....

I learned a valuable lesson tonight, over drinks with Amy. Never dig deeper than your spade when adding and amending the soil. So that's what I'll do!!

For the Birds.....

Sambucus canadensis 'Golden Elderberry'

I think that for my shady garden by the garden shed I'm going to plant some elderberrys. I think they'll grow to make a nice backdrop and transition between the lower growing plants and the treeline background. I like that they provide berries for the birds, that's a must! I've also read that if you plant more than one variety they will produce more berries. Sounds good to me! One variety that I will definately try to find is the 'red-berried elderberry'. It's importance lies in the fact that the berries ripen just in time for the baby birds to feed on. That's so awesome!!

A Rambling Rose....

Rosa x multiflora 'Ghislaine de Felighonde'

So one little visit (first of the season) to Landale and now I'm planning an area by the back deck for a rambling rose. Will have to consult Amy about this. Not sure about the colour, I really like this one but I also like the idea of a creamy flower as well. This particular one seems good for a beginner though. The plan is that we have to take down a large cedar at the end of the existing deck and we like the privacy that it creates but it just won't go with the garden I'm planning for this area of the new deck. It's ground level, no railing, just bench seating so what I thought was I could make a lattice privacy screen and hopefully (if there's enough sun) I can plant a climbing or rambling rose. If not, I can always plant a clematis.

Need Help Here Amy!!

This is the boardwalk - where I can't decide if I should line both sides with shrubs or a mounding perrenial. Shrubs would be boxwood or spirea of some kind. It gets mid day sun.


These two rock patches are going, probably just going to plant grass there. Now, the front existing bed to the left under the window - that whole area is where I want to build it out and shape it and plant the annabelle hydrangeas, yews and hostas. That area is full shade all day until evening.

This is the right side of the entrance. I plan to leave the cedars where they are for now, maybe just a few hostas in there so we don't obstruct the window. That path is coming out, the bed reshaped and out a bit further from where it is and maybe continue with the boardwalk. We've talked about some lockstone too.

Just a little footnote - the siding is going to be done soon and so is the windows. Siding is going to be a khaki colour and the window, door trim and garage will be sandstone. Very nice combo.

Old (side of the house) Garden

Out With the Old, In With the New.......

Well, this seems like a good place to start. My old flowerbeds, some of which I dug up and brought with me for the move......have been nestled in my new vegetable garden for the winter (almost all so far have sprouted since I last looked). Those will be spread out amongst the new beds waiting to be designed out of old ones. Then there are a couple completely new beds to dream up. I have one deep shade garden to design for the front of the house (faces north) and another part shade garden for the tool/garden shed out back. I'm really excited about that one, just have to wait for the shed to be sided before I can get started. The one in the front of the house gives me some anxiety as that is part of the entrance and I want it to be pretty, welcoming, not crowded. I'm thinking yews, annabelle hydrangeas and hostas. It's the layout mostly that gives me stress. Then there is also a boardwalk to the front entrance that will require some plantings and I want to tie that into the other. Right now I've just put some solar lights along the boardwalk but I'm thinking either two rows of very short compact boxwoods, or spireas well rounded and shaped or some kind of perrenial that mounds. hhhhmmmm, any ideas?