Backyard Garden Tour

I still have a long row to hoe when it comes to sprucing up my backyard after our construction projects during the winter and early spring. I could keep myself busy for weeks and weeks by just driving to the local nursery and packing my car with as many plants as I can fit, and then running home to plant them. And because I love working in the garden, it really isn't a chore for me. I get so much joy from watching it all come together -- one plant at a time. 

Since some of the perennials are giving their all as we speak, I thought I'd take a few photos before they close up shop for the year. I never can get enough of yellows and purples together... or bright greens and purples. So striking!

And when I walk past my peonies (many of which were carefully transplanted during the construction), I think they are the most beautiful flowers to ever be created. Every time I walk past them I have to stop and admire and smell... and sigh.

As you can see, there are still some barren spots here and there. It is definitely a work in progress. And I'm still figuring out where the drier spots are (to plant succulents and Artemesia, and such), as well as the spots that might stay wet for longer periods. It takes some time to work out all of those situations.

I LOVE the potted plants that I get from a nursery down south. My mom and I make our annual trip in late winter to take our pots and containers up to be filled and planted with beautiful plants. And then in May, we drive down again and pick up those same pots and containers, which by that time, are overflowing with beautiful blooms and greenery.

That rose bush below is so heavy with blooms that its branches flop over. I don't have enough stakes to prop it up. Instead, I just admire how bountiful her display is this year!

Another potted plant that I stuck in my old blue chair this year. It's a petunia with obvious purple blooms that are ringed with green. Very pretty, clamoring along over the chair.

The climbing rose going up the stairway is in full bloom and very healthy this year. There was some construction going on around it's roots and base that made me wonder what it might do this year, but it has come through it like a champ!

And on the lower part of the stairs is this striated rose. So, so pretty!

The old cart doesn't have great drainage, so I'm trying some things that seem to like wet soil. We'll see how it goes this year.

How much do you love hardy geranium? It is lovely. It doesn't spread out of control, and this year it has put on such a nice show. I don't think I've ever seen it bloom like this year. It's like it knew it had to give a little extra to compensate for our garden's bare spots.

This is one of the entrances to the "Grand kids Play Area", also know as "Limberlost". It used to be our dog run, but since we don't have dogs anymore, it is a perfect play place. We haven't done much back there, except for ringing the entire thing with a three foot walkway in cement. It is a nice track for the kiddos to take wagon rides on, etc. We're still formulating plans for Limberlost, but we're hoping that next year we can add to it a bit. And if you don't know what Limberlost is, you should read "A Girl From Limberlost" by Gene Stratton Porter. It was my grandpa's favorite book, and my mom also loved it and introduced it to me. I read it and loved it. After we were married, Bob started telling me about a book he loved that his fourth grade teacher read from every day after lunch. As he described it, I realized it was A Girl From Limberlost. So, although our play area doesn't resemble Limberlost in the book, we love the name, and it has stuck. The only things growing in it so far are four of our Asian apple-pear trees from the old orchard.

The latest on the bird family occupying the decrepit old mansion, is that the father (sitting up top) and the mother (down in front of the bottom opening) are kept busy all day long feeding the little babies. The babies are bold enough now to sit right in front of the opening, just waiting to be fed. As I was working in the yard yesterday, one of the babies had its whole head out and was watching me the whole time. I think in just a few days they will be gone and on their own.

This photo below is from April 19th, just after our Easter-egg hung festivities. We had literally (the night before) just finished the paver patio, so obviously our garden area hadn't had time to be addressed yet.

And this is that same area now. Looks a little better. In the photo above, Bob is in the same spot as the planter is below (to give you perspective). Anyway, it's amazing what some green and flowers can do!