Projects 16

We're taking some out because when they don't have enough sun they get very lopsided. Next baby spruce to plant here is Walnut Glenn which has a yellow frosting in the early spring growth. With a rate of about 6" per year to grow it won't be tall for a long time.

DH gets all the credit for the wood pile project! course I'm proud of his work.

He did a great job! Called my son at 8:45 last night....pitch dark....he was on the top of a ladder scraping paint & no one was home! Sense? Not much!

Home landscape projects can be slow. This weekend I moved several plants from the back yard to a patch in the front. It's to rescue them in advance of next year's stone and water feature project. Is it just me? It was pleasurable to see the sun set over them.

And the planting area of the back yard has lots of new good dirt now and the plants are starting to go in. I thought I'd guide DH with a curved hosta bed for where the trench has to go for our water line into the higher part of the back yard. Once these things are done, it will be only a matter of time and money to build the patio and waterfall and walls. At this point I can clearly see it in my minds eye.

You are a worker, Rosemary! Things are taking shape.....the water feature will be the star of the yard!

Thanks, I really hope so. Like anything, the anticipation and planning are all part of the result.

I am watching my baby conifers in pots to see which are likely inhabitants for a small section on the edge of the future patio, which would work as terraced trees and so on.

By moving the azaleas all around, new planting areas are appearing in the front and back yards. Northern star blooms the same time as oyama magnolia 'colossus' so it will move over there, Hillside creeper scotch pine is already moved to the new digging project as background to Vib. Shasta, leaving the base of my one and only JM to sponsor a few very cute Alberta spruce seedlings, and other miniatures that can go in now.

Wow! I have enough work with weeding & planting & moving irises.

What a huge project. I know it will be worth it...

Fingers crossed. Weeding and getting enough mulch in is still hard to get done.

That hill started as a sand dune, well also an ancient dump for cement steps, rebar, bricks, glass.... so that is one reason why it's been a four year project so far. The burning bush and mulberry trees didn't seem to mind, and did add a little material--ie roots. I thought it was almost done last year. Ha! The azaleas never looked good there before--I think I know now what grows in sand.

Anyone know if gardens and special features have any practical benefit for property value? Since so many people are oblivious to green things, I suspect it's not too much unless you find the right buyer, but many people must like to pay someone to do what they want. I've heard that too deep a pond becomes as risky as a swimming pool for property value.

Landscaping surely adds value to any property, but only another plant lover will appreciate the gems you are growing.....

Right, people have told me that realtors tell them to cut back on the garden if they want to sell the house.

Figures. A new buyer might be afraid they couldn't maintain a garden. Still, I bet mature trees and stonework may count.

I bet I would have a tough time selling with all my gardens - still I would not sell unless I had time to move everything I could and that includes the stone. could be a 1-2 year project just to move :)

I would definitely take some of my fav plants with me....iris, DLs, hostas......

The thought alone is daunting... I have moved plants in the past, still have a couple of faves from the '80's. But I wouldn't know where to start here. There's way too much, I'd really have to pick and choose... The saving grace is that my DD has lots of plants from me, so I could just take bits back from her ;-)

I would also take the dwarf aruncus. Irises are easy to move. We already have the Sarah Bernhardt peony from my childhood home. I would add peony Do Tell.

The way to really go would be to start moving to a second home. Not saying I could ever do that, though. Some of the really famous plantsmen apparently have auctions when they move to assisted living, but they have the connections to tell people there is something of rare value there.

DH has 2 rain barrels set up for me.

That should reduce the water bill. Good work, DH

They are handy!

You should see the compost bins which he built.

yes he is! (very handy)

here is some of my latest stone work

- several years ago celeste sent be a picture of the first one in a catalog and thought I could make it - well turn out i could - not sure I would have the squiggle lines again if I made another - have it along the stream - it is about 3' tall

- another stone bird bath this one sitting on quartz base - has green, blue, pink and a deep black band running through it

- another stone balance

- cool little stone that looks like a leaf set on a small base.

Awesome, wha!!! LOVE the first one!!!!

did you chisel out the opening yourself? I like the water collector for birds & small mammals to get a drink.

I cut the hole with a combination of hammer drilling 1/2" holes, chiseling, stone cutting saw, and more chiseling. back was pretty sore from bending over for a couple hours a day over three weekends. it is close to 6" thick so it took some time.

I am sure there is an easier way if you had the right tools. just used what I had.

my wife liked it when she finally saw what all the noise in the backyard was about. The racket she could do without:)

They are wonderful, Bill! I do like the squiggly lines.....gives it a prehistoric feel......

Perhaps you can get better stone cutting tools for Christmas. That was a lot of tough work.

Your sculptures get more and more interesting... I love how they're evolving. So special :-)

Our stone guy is gone now- became an adult, moved away and has a real job. Too bad,

The stone sculptures are real works of art!

From now on I will call you Michelango . When do you start working in marble?

I'm sure Bill is up to it! Hope things are good on Nantucket, Patti!

no marble - unless if find some.........

Looking forward to Bill's marble sculptures.

I'm proud of achieving a bit of garden work with help from my DH. First, about 30 pots of conifers and hollys got the start of their winter home last weekend. Then today we planted Gentsch's white, a reputedly disease resistant dwarf hemlock, and finally I got 'Big Wave' Norway Spruce into what I hope is its permanent home. First you see it with a clear background (the neighbor plans to build a fence). We think it'll get some sun (we hope) through the fences and through overhead sky.

How cute the baby plants are....should be snug for the winter!

Great idea for winter!!!

Thanks. My garage would be too crowded and then it would require us to keep things watered every single week. We'll see how well it works come May. Last winter the baby Ilex opacas were devastated by the arctic vortex so now there's a new crop to nurture.

No polar vortex this winter according to NOAA....let's hope they're right!

Hope NOAA knows!

Tonight in the twilight, we planted a picea omorika 'Bruns' far in the back where a short narrow screening tree is needed. It's not a fancy one, just from HD. I said it's now or never, considering the rain predicted this week and because we didn't get around to installing the faucet that we intended.

According to the garden show I listen to on the radio, now is the perfect time to plant shrubs.......

We are too busy cutting thing down like buckthorn. Some nice burning bush around, but new ones are banned in MA. I wonder if garden centers know.