This is looking toward the back of our property.
Spring blooms
Across the front yard.
Potting shed was an old hen house.
Abandoned alley.
There's a lot packed in a little space.
There's a lot of texture too.
The leaf colors in spring are really bright.
I'm pretty jealous as not only is your garden (or gardens) so inviting, but they are so neat also. I can never seem to get ahead of storm debris and weeds in all the gardens at once.
These look like happy gardens. I love your plant combinations. I hope you get to enjoy them for many months to come.
Just beautiful, Maozamom.
Lovely gardens - I especially like the old hen house with the hen and the tree peony in front.
Here's my border garden (taken 5/5/10). The iris are just starting to bloom. I also like your potting shed, and I commend you on the tree peony - I've tried them twice and have never been able to keep one alive. Seeing yours makes me want to give them one more try.
maozamom-Your gardens are beautiful! You should be Very Proud!
Judy and Leawood, to me these are the epitome of cottage gardens: something is always in bloom or has lively foliage.
Thank you everyone. Be sure and share your pictures too. We all love to look for inspiration.
Cathy- My husband helps me every spring with clean-up, otherwise it might feel a bit overwhelming doing so much in such a short time. Then it's up to me keeping the weeds out. I actually enjoy a certain amount of weeding and deadheading. I think of it as a chance to get up front and personal with my plants. When it starts to feel like work, I stop until another time.
Leawood- Your picture is gorgeous. Your gardens use lots of texture and plenty of chartreuse. I think our tastes in gardens have many similarities. Wouldn't it be wonderful to visit each others gardens and exchange idea and maybe even some plants.
I can't take much credit for the tree peony. When we moved here I had to plant it in July. I put it in dappled shade so it would have a chance to survive the transplant shock and it was so happy there that I never moved it. I throw a little compost in the bed every couple of years but otherwise it's ignored.
Here's a picture I had left out because the top of the pond is being worked on and it's a bit of a mess. Since gardens are a work always in progress I'm sure everyone has spots like this sometimes, so I might as well share.
mao
I absolutely LOVE your greenhouse! What a great way to use old windows! It looks so at home in a cottage garden, very shabby chic!
I know I'd enjoy a tour of your garden, Mao! You're right about the chartreuse - I have a lot of it - I like to bring the contrast in with a bit of bright color.
I have to agree on the greenhouse. What a creative idea! Absolutely perfect in a cottage garden. Mess or no (and you should see some of my mess!), that is a lovely photo!
Gorgeous tended profusion, both of you. The pictures are just lovely.
Leawood - I don't ever get tired of pictures of that bed. The Hosta and Allium combination is a fav of mine.
Great pictures, everyone. I too am loving the chartreuse. I used to be more partial to silver foliage, but I've added quite a bit of chartreuse to my gardens recently, and I really like it - especially with shady areas and with pinks, blues and purples (also partial to these color flowers). That greenhouse is outstanding! I LOVE it! Did you build that?
Judy, your property is wonderful. Very picturesque and just what I would imagine an Ohio farmstead to look like!
Leawood, your photos are lovely as well. I love the aliums and all the colorful foliage.
I'd love to see more of both of your gardens!
Four years ago I planted a 'Coral Charm' peony given to me by a friend who was taking all blooming plants from his garden (it's now a study in green with leaf color and texture adding all the interest). He said it was a slow grower, so I didn't think much about the fact that it didn't bloom the first two years in my garden.
Finally, last year it had three blooms - I was ecstatic because the color and form were so unusual. This year it looks like it will only have two blooms, but the first one is almost four feet tall!
It opened yesterday and I was surprised to see it was much fuller than the blossoms it had last year (they had a single row of petals). The color in this photo does not reflect the gorgeous coral color my eye registered when I saw it open, but I still think it's pretty.
Here's what the blooms looked like last year. I guess I was mistaken - it was nearly as full last year as it is this year (but much shorter!).
Leawood - I bought a coral charm this last fall too. It only had one bloom on it's first year, but I agree with you that it is a lovely color and shape. Can't wait for it to get bigger and have more blooms. Sadly, the red charm that I bought at the same time had no blooms this year.
I've been told that the reason my peonies aren't blooming may be because they're buried too deep. I have them in pots so I can put them where they'll get the most sun. Should I remove them and put them in the ground? What should I feed them? Should I adjust the depth at which they're buried?