I told some of you that I'd post pics of my new home and the gardens so you can see what I have to work with. Here's the start of a series of photos. I tried to find a way to put them together for a better view, but I'm photographically challenged I guess. So what you'll see is a pan of the back yard.
This is standing on the SW corner of the back of the house.....
That concrete wall is a retaining wall. This next shot is looking just North over the wall.
The big square in the backyard is where the previous owners had playground equipment for their little ones. I've got an arbor with a seat under it coming and will put it in the far upper right corner. We plan to get Leah one of those wood/cedar swing set/slide things and put it in there where you see the sand.
All the tiny green things you see sticking up are my plastic plant markers that I put in temporarily until I get my metal markers made. Most are for lily bulbs.
This is panning still a bit further North so you can see the lovely azaleas in bloom. There are 3 huge rhododendrons up against the house in that same bed as well and the tree is a flowering crabapple.
A bit further to the north showing the deck and the patio under neath (excuse the mess - I've been busy). There are 3 large roses (don't know color or name) that are at the corner of the bed (right in front of the black & white rat terrier about center of the photo).
This is standing at the bottom of the stairs in the previous photo and pointing straight back in to the yard. 3 lilacs along the back of the square and 2 river birches on the left and 1 river birch on the right. I've already planted daylilies and lily bulbs in those side beds. Also put in some phlox, liatris, and asters on the left side bed.
This one is the bed that you can barely see in the first photo above that's at the bottom of the hill I'm standing on. Our property goes out about 25 yards outside the fence on both sides and to the tree line in the back.
This is along the retaining wall and I've put in clematis by the trellis and hope I can get it to go along the wall, but it may not have enough to grab on to. I've also planted lily bulbs along the back of the wall and daylilies throughout this bed among the azaleas. There are also balloon flowers I put in at the front of the border.
This is about the center of the house and just beyond the patio with stairs you saw in an earlier photo. The grass will get huge so I've planted a bit aways from it. Lily bulbs in the back, daylilies in the middle portion and some daisies just in front of those. I also put in two peonies in the center of this bed on either side of the garden art.
Moving down a bit further to the other end of the house is this little bed which borders a second patio. It has red-twig dogwoods and azaleas in here. I planted some lily bubs against the foundation there but not sure they will get enough light. This does face west so they should get strong afternoon sun.
This is the other side of that little patio with yet another retaining wall. This wall isn't nearly as tall and has holly which run the length of it's backside. I plan on planting daylilies and lily bulbs along it as well.
This a shot along the back of the house standing near the stairs off the big patio/deck. You can see the other little retaining wall in this picture better. The patio is just under those support beams. Again our property runs about 20 yds outside the fence.
I'll show the front yard later. I'm off to get a haircut.
Wow, Brenda! It is so lovely!
i don't mean to brag but i have ALOT more weeds than you do. LOL. the pictures are beautiful as well as the grounds themselves. nice going.
LOL, Herbie! Actually the lawn service came and spread the mulch before I could get them all pulled so they will definitely be coming the the housewarming!
We moved in a couple of months ago and I've been so busy with unpacking and doing work on the old house in preparation for selling it, plus digging plants at the old house that we decided to pay to have the mulch put down.
Beautiful lot, Brenda - I'm kind of jealous :-) What's the big building next to yours with the big lawn?
Gorgeous property! When all the daylillies and other plantings start blooming it's going to look spectacular. Congratulations!
SteveFtWorth: that's my house .... in my dreams! LOL
Looks wonderful, Brenda! : )
Very pretty...can't wait to see more. Congrats on your new home.
Gosh...thanks everyone! I am very happy with our new house. Now....time to make it a home. :-D
Steve - actually that's my neighbor's house. LOL
Brenda it is realy charming and almost a blank cavavas to( plant ) your beautful picture on .
I know this is a garden site honey, but where is the house? LOL It looks lovely!
*snicker* *snicker* Here's the realtor's photos.....I think these were taken last summer.
And from an angle......
it all looks wonderful Brenda!!!!
boy, its amazing what can be done to a "fixer upper" hee hee
Envy here!
Check out the size of that lot!!!! Woohoo for you, Brenda!! :)
Brenda,
Looks like you have a great start on that garden! Do your neighbors know a crazy gardener ---ooops "dedicated gardener" moved into their area yet?
Beautiful! I was a little concerned that you'd have to live in a tent after you paid for that lovely yard. LOL
ROFL @ 'Chele!!
Thanks, Jacci. At least I don't have the work you do on your new home. It would take me years to do what you've already done.
Wanda - actually I'm quite lucky because my son's friend's mom just a few houses down is a crazy gardener. I don't know her well but am hoping to get to know her better. My son says, "You and Ross' mom are exactly alike. You're either outside gardening or cooking." LOL sounds like a friendship in the making to me. I MAY be a bit more crazy than she though. I've not seen her out there in ear muffs and a coat like I was a couple of days ago.
Beautiful!!
(Hey is that a terrier I saw in the first photo?)
Earmuffs & a coat to garden? Are you sure you didn't move to Iowa???
cold 50 degress today & freeze tonight--but we are saving the 70s for your Iowa Round Up visit at the end of the week....
Sue - yep! I have 2 rat terriers. The 1st pic shows Patch in it and the 4th photo has Blaze (bottom of the stairs behind the rose bushes. I also have the black lab, Shadow, who is getting on in years. We lost her lifelong companion, Sunshine (a yellow lab) a year ago this past winter.
Wanda - well I hope to bring some of the warm weather back home this weekend.
Oh, wow! How beautiful, Brenda! So much room to garden... plus a house, too!
Heck, I hope the warm weather makes it to Iowa as promised , but holds off on the storms coming.
Iowa Round up is so close i can taste it!
BEAUTIFUL!!!!!
Judy
hmmm. Brenda needed a U-Haul after the Iowa plant swap. Bet she's busy digging today! Me? I'm at home recovering from all the fun & excitement.
Ain't that the truth, Wanda. I think I had 4 flats/boxes of plants plus a few bags of your iris!! I feel a bit guilty as I brought 2 flats. I'll come loaded down next year though.
My knees are killing me tonight but I've not made a dent in my plants yet. Still have a laundry tub of daylilies to plant (and I got another box today), the Bluestone plants are still not planted (that run of freezing nights put me behind on those) and now all the RU plants! I'll be planting clean through til MO Round Up!!! Oh....almost forgot Tazzy's big ole box of iris too!
Tazzy's iris are to die for. I'm waiting for one of her special seedlings to bloom right now....
