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...

Achieving Harmony with Simplicity

Our local Garden Center was running a special offering $50 Landscape Design Consultations, and so I took this as an opportunity to get some personalized professional advice to help me achieve more harmony in my garden. It was a worthwhile endeavor, and I received a gem of wisdom. There is always a tendency for many gardeners to plant one of this, one of that, but the Designer reinforced the principle of choosing fewer plants, and then mass planting them. She suggested that I use Liriope 'Big Blue' as edging for my woodland garden, rather than the rocks that I had lined up to define the bed. Brilliant! I am now incorporating this idea and will get all these plants in the ground over the next days.

I've planted several Peony Trees beneath the Cherry Tree, and will continue to build the collection in this space. The cultural conditions are a near perfect part-shade/part-sun, and so in a matter of time I think this segment of the garden will look great.

The Rock Garden will receive a mild makeover next Spring. My plan is to divide and transplant the Carex 'Evergold' to beneath the Serviceberry 'Autumn Brilliance' tree, and then to populate the deck-side bed with a row of Hosta 'Patriot', or some other sun-tolerant Hosta cultivar.

Woodland Waterfall and Stream

I've longed to add the movement and sound of water to my garden, but with young children in the household, adding a pond is simply out of the question. While searching for alternatives, the idea of installing a Pondless Waterfall began to take hold, and now I am gathering ideas for inspiration. It would look so natural in my Woodland Garden, viewable from the deck and serving as an enticing shady retreat for both the birds and my family. I'm not sure how feasible (or costly) the project would be, as it would require adding a power source and perhaps lighting, but definitely this is a path worth exploring.

Probable Site for Water Feature:



Design Ideas (Google Images):

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.

Sensational Shade Shrubs

Thankfully there are a great many shrubs that will thrive (and flower) in the shade, and just a few days ago my Aesculus parviflora ('Bottlebrush Buckeye') came into full bloom. This is really an outstanding shrub, and the large wispy flowers are mildly fragrant and last a long time. The Aesculus is definitely happy in its home and has produced double the flowers compared to last year.



I planted a grouping of three Hydrangea 'Blushing Bride' shrubs next to the floating deck earlier this Spring, and they have really taken off in only a short period of time. They wilt on hot sunny days, but otherwise this is a wonderful shrub and Hydrangeas are always a great edition to any shady space.

Then (April 2011):


Now:



During the 2011 Spring, I have added installed several additional shrubs to my garden, including Viburnum 'Carlesii' and the supremely elegant Hydrangea 'Twist-n-Shout'. Hydrangeas are so hard to resist, and I'm sure to add more of them as soon as I find a place to put them.



My most ambitious project to date in the garden, has been the creation of the Woodland Side Border. I installed a mixed evergreen hedge to the back along the property line last month, using 3 Skip Laurels, 2 Sasanqua Camellias which I transplanted, and 2 Azalea 'Delaware Valley'. These shrubs will provide much needed winter structure. I also put in one more tree, Cornus Kousa 'Samaritan'.





I love my trees, but it's the shrubs that get me most excited each season.

Fantastic Fall Foliage

After a summer of unrelenting heat, it's rather nice to have the cool days of Autumn finally here. The trees and shrubs are really getting down to business with splendid displays of color, but alas several (Dogwood 'Cherokee Brave', Clethra Summersweet) had suffered during the drought and had little healthy foliage left by summer's end. My garden took a beating through both my neglect and Mother Nature's refusal to let up on the 95F+ days, but as the garden becomes more established and requires less maintenance, I know that better days are ahead. The older trees are looking as gorgeous as ever, and the Redbuds which were only planted last year have done just great. Trees are such workhorses in the garden, and it's nice to simply sit back and watch them work their magic.

Japanese Maple




Forest Pansy Redbuds




Assorted Woodland

Tree Planting Season

My Woodland Garden just got a little more varied, as 2 new trees were added in mid-October. I added a touch of Southern Majesty to the side border, with the addition of Southern Magnolia 'Little Gem', and the invasive Bush Honeysuckle in my Deck-side Rock Garden has now been replaced with a lovely Serviceberry 'Autumn Brilliance'. There is room in my heart for so many trees, and I just hope there is still room in my garden for at least a few more too.

Shrub Love

For a solid two weeks, I absolutely could not get my mind off a new shrub I had stumbled across...Aesculus parviflora, aka Bottlebrush Buckeye. It was while researching small trees and shrubs for which to replace the Bush Honeysuckle that I became in awe of the majestic Bottlebrush, and I just had to have it.



The shrub will eventually reach a height of 8-12 feet with a spread of 8-15 feet, and it's a summer bloomer that thrives in shade. It took some effort, but I was able to locate one of these rare woody plants at Merrifield Garden Center, and for $99 it was mine. I planted it over the weekend, in a spot where it can reach its full potential and provide privacy for us when we are dining out on the deck. I can already visualize how spectacular it will look in its full glory.



I am so addicted to shrubs, and currently I am trying to resist the temptation to purchase a set of 3 DEUTZIA gracilis Chardonnay Pearls. Bluestone Perennials has listed this shrub for a mere $4.97, a price cut of 50%, during their Annual Clearance Sale. I do not have a place for more shrubs, yet I crave more shrubs like Chardonnay Pearls. Perhaps I can cram a few more varieties into my Woodland Border, which is really starting to come together. So far I have 3 Clethra Summersweet and 2 Viburnum shrubs set amongst the Redbuds.

Woodland Side Border

River of Light

Light flows like a stream,
navigating between trees,
spilling golden rays.

Daffodil Central

Last November, I dug A-L-O-T of holes to plant 300+ bulbs, and now this March my hard work is being rewarded. Daffodils are such a sunny cheerful flower, and once they bloom, you know Spring has truly arrived. I would like to plant a wider variety of Daffodils for next year, including more whites and ruffled ones, and I am excited to see what this area on my side border will look like in a few more years.

OUTDOORS:
INDOORS:

Spring Awakening

We were greeted with the lovliest weather imaginable to kick off the Spring gardening season, and I spent my entire weekend taking advantage of it by edging and prepping my borders. I sprinkled Columbine seeds around the large Oak tree on the right-side of the deck...



...and I also dug up a patch of grass next to the deck to make way for a salad garden. I planted bunching onions, sugar snap peas, and a lettuce blend to get it started.



The exquisite Pieris Japonica is now completely covered in creamy pearl-like buds (the bees love it)...



...and the Forsythia has become the 2nd shrub in my garden to bloom.



The newly created woodland border, centered with 3 'Forest Pansy' Redbuds and containing multiple shrubs, is underplanted with Daffodils. The early bloomers have already opened, and in a few more weeks this area should be filled with flowers.