A Welcome Spring

Winter has finally loosened its grip, and the air of a new season has blown in.  The garden has at last awakened, albeit much later than typical, and the fresh blooms of springtime could not be more welcome.  I've been a busy bee, doing all the clean-up and garden chores and tasks that in a normal year would have commenced in March, but I find it totally invigorating being outdoors again after this long harsh winter.  Tomato & Pepper seeds have now been started, and this past weekend I made my first forays to the local Garden Nurseries to check out new plantings which have hit the scene.  As the garden season gets underway in earnest, its wonderful seeing browns and whites being replaced with pastel pinks, vibrant purples, cheerful yellows and other colorful shades of the rainbow.  Birds are happily chirping and rummaging about, building their nests, and fragrant hyacinths are again perfuming my garden.  Sounds (and smells) like a slice of heaven to me...

November Joy

The crisp cool days of November have arrived, which means no more pesky mosquitoes, and time to plant bulbs and rake leaves. While basking in the joy of this sunny sweet day, I accomplished many chores and got all my tulips and lilys in the ground. My husband was also productive, both mowing and fertilizing the front lawn. We worked hard, but also (literally) took time to smell the roses. I also did not forget to grab my camera. Here's a snapshot of what's happening in the garden:

Rock Garden
The Serviceberry has hit its peak color, showing off fire orange foliage. The ornamental birdhouses are really set off nicely along this backdrop, and I'm convinced that the way to add more charm to a garden, is to incorporate more Garden Accents.



Wooded Back
The Tulip Trees and assorted woodland at the back of our property line are thrilling to watch at this time of year. They are majestic and gorgeous and honestly, they are the main reason why we fell in love with this property when searching for our first home.



Woodland Garden
This border was only installed 2yrs ago, yet it looks as if it's always been there. I will keep adding to this area until it's completely filled in, but already I'm feeling that it is 90% done, and that is a really good feeling (and a relief).



Shade Perennial Border
Hostas are just such great plants, and several have turned golden yellow which is an added joy. This border area is like night-and-day compared to what we started with, and I'm terribly proud of what it has become.



My Family
The greatest joy of all, is the family that I am so blessed to share my life and these great November days with. The children are growing as fast as the trees, and we are always building wonderful memories as we work together, in our garden.

Autumn Glory

Today was another wonderfully sweet Autumn weekend, and I went apple-picking with my family at Stribling Orchard which was quite the fun adventure. Upon arriving home, we all headed back outside and spent the afternoon puttering around the deck and working on yard projects, and I managed to do a walk-around the property to take some snapshots of the garden in its Fall Glory.

Front Entry Garden
The Japanese Maple is now blazing red, and I've set up a Fall Harvest Scene in front. The Sedum 'Autumn Joy' has now turned brick red, perfectly complementing the Maple.





Sun Perennial Border
Last year, I planted Garden Mums as annuals, but they overwintered so well that I went ahead and kept them, and now this year they've come back bigger and badder than I could have expected. I wish I had more sunny spots in my garden for more Mums.




Kousa Dogwood
The bright orange leaves of the Kousa make a real impact, and this is one of the most high performing trees in my garden. I adore this tree.



Rock Garden
The Serviceberry 'Autumn Brilliance' has officially been in my garden for one year. It was a perfect addition and the leaves are coloring up nicely, and I couldn't be more pleased with this all-star understory tree.



Assorted Woodland
The trees at the back of my property are lit up with color, and the birdhouse that my husband built fits in so perfectly among this backdrop. The Redbud 'Forest Pansy' trio is golden yellow now, and a favorite shrub of mine, Bottlebrush Buckeye is also aglow with golden leaves.




I am so grateful to be the caretaker of this great garden, and I look forward to watching it continue to grow and thrive and flourish.

Wordless Wednesday: Works in Progress

Mosaic Stepping Stones

My crafty side has reared its head, and I'm on a mission to create a collection of mosaic stepping stones for my garden. I started about a week ago, and with my sweet little boy helping out, we crafted our very first creation.


The project was supremely easy, and for someone like me who generally lacks patience, super quick as well. I designed the pattern in my head as the cement was being poured into the mold.


After 2 days of drying, I was so very pleased with the finished product. It's totally perfect, and I can't wait to do it again.

Wordless Wednesday: Wood Chimes

Wordless Wednesday: Late Red Azalea

Wordless Wednesday: Sloppy Birds

Accessories for the Garden

Like a beautifully dressed woman, a great garden should be well-accessorized. I have decked out my garden with a variety of items, and just like a sprinkling of jewelry that lends a special flair to an outfit, these garden accents really light up my landscape making it all the more unique and magical.

Bird Houses
Made by my very talented wonderful husband, based off designs he found in the book Designer Birdhouses: 20 Upscale Homes for Sophisticated Birds", I am so enchanted by these gorgeous nesting boxes. Both are in my backyard, and the orange-yellow one already has its first set of tenants!

Aluminum Birds

I picked these up at the Philadelphia Flower Show that I attended in March. Cute and adorable, my little boy just can't keep his hands off them. The 2 are sited in the Woodland Side Border, which should be bird-paradise come late-Summer when the Cleathra Summersweets bloom and the Viburnums produce their berries.

Frog and Turtle

I really like the mosaic inlay and glassy gemstone eyes. The frog resides in the Woodland Side Border, and the turtle is out front in my perennial/shrub border next to the Pennisetum Little Bunny.

Bird Bath

This was the very first garden accent I purchased, a lovely item that I found at Kmart of all places. The birds are really using it, and this year I will see to it that the water is changed every other day, to avoid having it become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Wind Chimes

What would a backyard sanctuary be without the gentle chiming of wind chimes? I have the metal froggy-chime hanging in the Honeysuckle Shrub, and the mellow woodsy-chime now dangles from the Witchhazel.

日本庭園, Japanese Garden Design

As my woodland garden begins to take shape during this second year since we bought our home, I feel a pull to incorporate elements of Japanese Garden Design into the landscape. If the land could talk, I feel it would be whispering "make me into a Japanese Woodland Garden", and already much of the shrubbery present (Pieris Japonica, Euonymus Alata, Camellias, Peony Tree, Satsuki Azaleas) originate in the Orient. The Japanese Garden aesthetic emphasizes being in harmony with nature, and features may include:

* Water, real or symbolic.
* Rocks or stone arrangements (or settings).
* A teahouse or pavilion.
* An enclosure device such as a hedge, fence, or wall of traditional character.
* A bridge to the island, or stepping stones.
* A Stone lantern of some sort.

My garden already contains rocks and stone, there is a "bridge" to connect the deck closest to the house to the outlying floating deck, and I was already planning to install a Bubbling Urn water feature to be a focal point of the garden. I found a seedling Japanese Maple 'Bloodgood' at Home Depot last weekend for $12.97, and my plan is to transplant the Honeysuckle to the corner of the back of the deck, replacing it with the Bloodgood. The current Rock Garden is overrun with weeds & vines, and so I will dig those out and replace with a few pockets of shimmering Lamium 'White Nancy'. To bring it all together, I will add in smooth silver/gray river rock.

Rock Garden

Back Border
I would like to add a stone lantern somewhere, and so most likely I will move the bird bath that is under the Pink Dogwood and put the lantern in its place.

Garden Art

All Spring and Summer, I longed to liven up my Garden with some tasteful Art & Sculptures, but affordable non-kitsch options alluded me. And now, while out shopping on "Black Friday", I came across these at Marshalls/HomeGoods for an irresistible price! They were $29.99 a piece, and well worth it as they are sturdy and unique with good craftsmanship. I'll be excited to see these out in the Garden come Spring!