Growing Year 2006

When I first moved in I thought the front looked like the nice beginning to a woodland garden. There were a number of mature trees and bushes, but an unsightly rock lawn, that needs weekly weeding. Many of the plants in the front yard are voracious propagators, either through suckers or seeds. See the mugshots below, and keep them on your list of foes.

Little news on the front yard. With the cost of roof repairs, the $1200 needed for Rocks to build the stack stone wall is delayed. I have removed a stump that had been an unsightly part of the side yard since the demise of the old chain sasaw. With a new chain saw, and Mike's bravery we have a flat stump, that I can now cover with mulch.

I planted a ground cover sedum, phlox, and 2 oriental poppies in the area in front of the aborvoritae. They were all quite small when I purchased them, so I do not expect they will flower this year. That is if they survive.

I have spent a good part of the summer cleaning up the backyard. The seedlings planted inside in spring this year were duds, and have managed to have only 1 daisy, 1 petunia, and 1 sweet william survive. Outdoors, I planted morning glories, and moon flowers. Both have suffered from a bad hail storm on the 24th of June.

New in the backyard this year are,

• 2 hydrangeas I suspect they are the Geoffrey Chadburn variety due to their color, but not sure. Purchased from Home Depot.
• 3 white columbine - Aquilegia carerulea v. ochroleuca Purchased from High Country Gardens, the link shows the exact variety.
• 3 plumbago - Ceratostigma plumbaginoides Purchased from High Country Gardens

I first saw the storm from the north, and as my friend Brenda and I went to dinner, I thought nothing of it, as storms do not normally travel directly from the north during summer.

But as we were sitting on the patio of one of my favorite restaurants, I could see the storm head directly south.
The winds were tremendous, and the hail came in sheets. Luckily most of my flowers needed dead-heading anyway. But leaves were everywhere when we got home, and the hail was an inch thick in places. Click here for more images.

As you enter the yard from the sidewalk, two planter urns filled with architectural, xeric plants flank stone steps. The steps lead to a curved, stamped concrete pathway.

Near the sidewalk a foot high stack stone retaining wall meanders around the large silver maple enclosing the length of the yard. Walking up the path, a large bed of sunny perennials and low growing ground cover welcomes you to the site.

Beyond, a swath of turf grass mimicks the flow of a stream, emerging from the side yard and around rasied banks filled with flowers and small bushes. At the north end of the yard, the grass abruptly ends at the wall, and below, grass extends to the neighboring yard, creating the visual affect of a waterfall.

An ornamental tree visually guides you towards the front door. As you near the entrance, a small fountain of the same style as the urns below, bubbles creating a pleasant sound. Next to the entryway, a stamped concrete patio sits below the front window, where you can sit and watch the world go by.
See the new plan details.