My Victorian Garden Update 2007...

Hello, Friends...

It's time for my first update on the progress of the new garden for this season. I have started a new thread and linked you here through last years thread found here:

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/607499/

This first update will be quite lengthy, I apologize in advance....I have about 30 photos to upload and it will take me an hour or so to do it...things are really progressing in the garden so I'll think it will be worth the wait..

We'll start with the antique iron fencing John finished securing to the top of the west wall of the garden during the fall and winter of last year. I absolutely LOVE it...It gives a really old English feel to the garden and sets off the entire garden beautifully. For details on how he did this...check out the last posts I made in last years thread mentioned above.

Now..remember this fountain? We bought it 2 summers ago and this was the year we were going to install it along the back wall of the new garden. However, I have grown so attached to the way it looks against the back of the house here...I told John it just has to stay here and we have to get another one for the garden...So we went shopping in May ..back to the Brimfield antique show where we bought this one...to pick out a new one...

Now we found the perfect fountain...and here it is...gorgeous isn't it?

Now this fountain is made of cast cement, in 5 molded pieces weighing a total of a little more than 1200 lbs. It took 4 brawny men to load it on the back of John's pickup with a forklift to help and only John to unload it and figure out a way to put it together. This is John unloading the pcs and wondering what in the world he has gotton himself into

easing down the biggest piece...

He put small metal pipes under the pieces to help it roll easier down the wooden planks and onto the dolly.

He rolled all the pieces onto the brick patio area in garden here ...

See the bed behind him with the birdbath? That is where we are going to assemble the new fountain. First thing I had to do was dig up all the plants I had just planted and get them out of the way so we could move the birdbath and get ready for the big assembly project....

Next we had to prepare a foundation for this monster fountain. John dug this hole the height of two cinderblocks and packed the bottom level with sand...

The finished foundation...Those are two pieces of bluestone topping the cinderblocks at ground level....

Now...the next challenge was figuring out a way to get those HEAVY pieces from the brickpatio, across the walkway, over the stone edge of the bed and up on top of one another for assembly with no one but John and I to do it. Well...John came up with this plan...he tied this rope to the large tree outside the garden...over the wall, over the top of LARGE sawhorses and using a come-a-long, he pulled each piece up inclined planks into place..

Here is a pic of the large bowl going up into place....things got real tricky when we had to pull up the top two pieces to a height of 5.5 ft...

How fortunate to have such a willing "helper". I can't wait to see how it all turns out.

come on now...put your back into it! LOL

The process took us 5 nights...one piece each night after work....

Here's the assembled fountain while the rigging was still around it....

and a view of the back.....

this is the bed when it had the birdbath it in it...

This message was edited Jun 15, 2007 9:46 PM

this is how it looks now with the new fountain and replanted...

The birdbath has a new home in an adjacent bed...

This is a view looking south from the garden steps down the west side of the garden...

Now that the fountain project is complete..John has moved on and is currently working on completing the potting shed we began constructing last summer. Most of the windows are in and the interior siding is done. Now he has begun the brickwork on the outside. This is a few from the back of the shed...

My "mason" bee hard at work....

A few looking back from outside the west wall of the garden....

Love this view...through the red gates....there will eventually be a rose arch trellis spanning the walkway a little more than halfway down..

This is my large URN bed...I planted dahlias and cannas here last year. This year it's dahlias and profusion zinnias in the beds. The nana plant is back in the urn with wave petunias this year....

a close up of the nana in the urn...sure hope she fruits this year....

I've also been very, very, busy getting all the rest of the yard planted out along with my 125 brugmansia! These are just a few of the baby seedlings...the rest are scattered everywhere around the yard... LOL

Tried my hand at tipsy pots this year.... Love the way my wave tunias look here...

Well, I'm tired and gotta get to bed...got a long weekend planned out repotting more brugs!! Hope you enjoyed the update...I'll be back at the end of summer when the garden matures some more...

Fabulous place and I can not imagine all the work that you two put into this wonderful estate. It would be a great place to get married in. Methinks that maybe you should renew your vows by the fountain. Oops, I presumed that you two were married. Anyway, I love your gardens. Sheverne

thank you for taking the time to show pictures and comments - your garden and yard are awesome!

I'll 2nd that. Amazing. : )

I can't describe to you how much I've enjoyed watching your gardens from creation..this is truly a labor of Love and your John is really dedicated and something else..ingenious ideas and plans...don't we all wish our husbands were like John..LOL..thanks for allowing us to be voyeurs ....both of you should be commended for creating something that is so wonderful and whimsical...keep posting those pics..your gardens are so loverly!!...Jeanne

Just BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

Thanks so much for sharing your dream. I have been looking forward to seeing how your Victorian Garden was coming along.
Your fountain is incredibly beautiful. Brilliant work by John.
Could you give us an update when the Potting shed is finished, please..so unique.
What a way to start my day. It all just takes my breath away.
Cheers,
Carol

Diane, your garden is unbelievable. The fountains, fence and all your beautiful plants belong on the pages of a magazine. I can't imagine all the hard work that went into this project.

The new fountain went perfectly in the new spot. Very Victorian! I love everything you and your husband have done also loving the tipsy pots with the wave petunias. Great color.

Thanks so much for the update. I, along with everyone else, will be looking forward to the next installment. Enjoy your summer.

I was wondering if you were going to add roses to that great garden, Diane. They would go so naturally in there. And then I got to your arbor post. That will look so incredible. I am so glad I stopped by and saw this thread. Your progress is amazing. I bet you 2 never sit and just relax.

You and your hubby are amazing!!
Thanks for the update!
Tonight, I hope I dream of living in such a special place as you have!
Bonnie

Wow...so how hard was it to get the entire Chinese Army in to help you do all of this????

I feel humble...thank you for sharing!!

It is really coming along. Love the fountain, it is perfect. The entire layout is fabulous and getting better all the time.