Finally, here's some pictures of the garden taken outside, instead of through the window. Spring is on the way!
The Elf has been relocated to the "fairy flower" area with columbines and foxgloves.
The violet colored blooms are Vinca groundcover, the tall shrub / herb is Rosemary.
A big bag of compost spread in this area, after some diligent weeding was very rewarding.
I tagged "bulbs" here and must note this means the emergence of bulb activity. The Garden Elf has been repositioned for spring where soon, he will be surrounded by fairy like flowers and plants. Ah Spring!
While taking out the recycling and such I put the camera in a pocket and snapped these on the way back in. My hands were cold. But the weeds are growing and spreading and I know it's time to get back to the garden and set a clean foundation for the warmer weather.
Signs of early bulbs too. The grasses will get trimmed later in the month- President's Day was suggested to us - past the times we get the chance frigid stuff.
Hubs spread a nice blanket of brown leaves from our trees over this bedding area. Even this time of year there's a nice green mix and contrast with the fence. Yay!
...have to finish spreading the woodchips on this path
One of the corner lines of the lower rock wall, aka The Nook
Do you see the new element of garden whimsy along with the rays of lights? It's a "Whiligig" with a metal propeller blade and movable base with a Maine lighthouse, fisherman, boat and fish.
Another view where the lighting looks great on the ornamental grasses.
The foxgloves, or Digitalis are in full force now, with a harmonious blend of pink, purple and white flowers.
The blue tipped blade of the Whiligig is somewhat viewable through the fountain grass.
Garden elf, post arm surgery amongst Sedums, Bleeding Hearts and Columbines.
Low growing Hebe
Mounds of Scotish Moss ground cover
A ground cover that looks like little white parachutes
Another ground cover growing over a rubble wall with a mixture of other plants
The Pea Patch. They start with white flowers which turn to green pods.
Return of the Rhododendron.
Lupine, moved last year so it would have more room to sprawl. One of those plants with fantastic leaves and flowers.
Peony standing by to bloom (please please please!)
The triangle areas between the paths are really starting to take shape after 5 or so season. So much better than all the decking the dominated the yard when we moved in 17 years ago this weekend.
Tulips, Heuchera, Fox Gloves with a background of mixed Sedum and Ornamental Strawberry.
The glacial green area marks the area called "South Beach" to the left is the rejuvenated fern, trimmed down in February and now has interesting growth emerging. The rain barrel and then the small glacial green area which is nice for the cafe table set or hammock.
Then on the left is the new raised bed, now home to 2 dozen mixed color Gladiolus and 4 White Thyme ground covers. This is where the fence was replaced and it was about time go it planted. In the fall, tall but narrow shrubs are planned to give year round interest to the area.
This is the view from the window to my left as I type this entry. Hubs just cut back the Fern, as recommended by Garden Guru L for early February. Not very impressive right now but this area which faces the New South Beach lounging area is set for a spruce up.
I've been in the kitchen making clam chowder, but opened the window to take these as the drizzle dripped outside.
There's a nice view of the strech of fence that's on its last legs, and pending replacements. We already flipped over the boards so the pained brown side is not visible but the posts are failing and it's too high in some places, short in others and gotta go.
Hubs dismantles the former wheel barrow planter for proper disposal. This is from inside, the green rock is the New South Beach the nearby area has lots of early spring bulbs that will be rocking out by the end of the month.
The first of the Honey Bear sunflowers is in bloom here along with a gang of assorted varieties.
There are elements of "garden whimsy" in these two pictures. The first one is red, and was posted before. The other is orange, a vintage golf ball we found when the rotting deck was demolished. The glacial green pathways looks extra great after rain.
With the camera panned to the left the maroon mum "Helen" is visible above the rubble wall.
How handy to have a window that easily slides open to get photos like this.
Naturalized white Foxgloves, or Digitalis in the a large container on the north side.
Looking toward the south side, with start of yellow Tickseed, or Coreopsis and the pink and white foxglove "village" on the slope. Bottle brush like bloom in foreground is a Hebe shrublet.
Ornamental grass plumes in contrast to the rare blue sky. Have to look of variety name of grass.
Foxglove Village
Nice sunflower starts by the Glacial Green path.
Sun deprived tomatoes soak up the rays.
Looking up the lower rubble wall.
Here's a flower photo essay in honor of a wonderful woman who lost her valiant battle with the evil C. R.I.P. Mrs. P.
Free flowing ground cover
Foundation plant: Hebe
I have to poke around to find the names for these plants, most were part of the remodel in 2005:
Precious Pansy: survived the winter
A groundcover that is commonly blue
Soon enough the flowers will drop but for now it's a super bright and robust flowering season.
Euphorbia
The different shades of green which emerge in spring are too numerous to count. In these pictures alone the range of hues is immense. Light colored Hebe, chartreuse Euphorbia, mid range Poppies, mixed with red Sedum and Heuchera. They all make a fantastic backdrop for colorful flowers and plants, but the dark brown of decomposing leaves and gray of the broken concrete wall also brings out the fantastic array of texture and color.
Here garden whimsy is added with Ali, Frank and Annie on daytime guard duty of the Amaryllis. This will be its first outside bloom. Before, it was forced to bloom inside in a container. The red bulb was planted alongside the pathway to the top of the garden. Along the way sedums and ornamental strawberry surround the stones and ornamental grass mark the top. Raised beds with the vegetables are in the background along with a few soon to be blooming iris plants.
This captures the upward slope of our garden and nearby boundaries with surrounding neighbors.
The mask and thermometer were holdovers from the old garden and seem at home along the fence.
Visible along the bottom of the photo is the top of one of the rubble walls, a budding Hebe and 2 year old shrub.
Hubs captured the best of spring here, and the view will only get better as the season progresses, and the plants grow even more. Here are Heuchera, Foxgloves, Sedums and Grape Hyacinth backed by Cat Mint.
The third in a series of photos showing the changes on this shrub planted September 2006. Now appearing are little red berries for bird snacks!
October 19
I am looking for the plant ID tag; this was put in the ground last year at this time.
October 9
This byzantina variety of Stachys Lamiaceae (Labiatae) thrives on good drainage. Not fussy, very cute furry foliage.
Although it flowers, it is the mass of green cover which earns it a special place in the garden.
Lavatera oblia "Aurea" from the Blooming Advantage Nursery . This shurb has pink cup-shaped flowers against golden-chartreuse foliage. Full sun to part shade, June to September blooms; average mature size 36" tall x 30" wide.
Hubs captured this close up the bright and cheery Rhododendron in our front yard.
This pair of tulips is still standing after the April storms, because they are in a more protected area than the rest.
These naturalized to the larger planter on the north side of the house this year, mixing in nicely with the well established maroon Alicia Amherst Hebe .
Also called Nandina domestica or Sacred Bamboo. The Western Garden book say it "Belongs to the barberry family but is reminiscent of bamboo in its lightly branched, canelike stems and delicate, fine-textured, lacy looking foliage."
On the right is the ubiquitous Euphorbia (Characias), found almost everywhere in our garden. Proof that Red + Green does not = Holiday Inspired.
These are in raised beds at the curb and receive no water unless it rains,. It really has not rained here during the past 60 days, so yes, these very drought tolerant once established.
Blooms in May, here is the first flower!
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