Well, we finally completed the major redesign of our back yard. There are some finishing touches to put in place yet, and of course a lot of decisions regarding new plants, shrubs, etc. but mostly it is done. Here's a link to the photos:
http://davesgarden.com/community/blogs/t/ginnylynn/10028/
Enjoy!
--Ginny
New photos - Landscaping complete (more or less)
Ginny you and your husband have done a spectacular job landscaping your yard! I'm really looking forward to seeing the finishing touches!
What an incredible amount of work and it sure is paying off! Ü
Cheers, Pam
It's totally wonderful ginnylynn. I'm so greeeeen over your JMs. I'm glad someone is making progress. This weekend two of my smaller amended beds ended up covered with a foot of our lovely clayey soil as a result of digging post holes for the new deck. and then it rained before I could undo the damage sigh. I'm definitely going backwards.
Thanks Pam. At the risk of sounding full of myself, I have to admit that I'm pretty impressed with us right now too :-)
I know I spent all winter planning and refining the plans, and a lot of that time was visualizing for balance, but you (or at least I) tend to visualize in pieces or sections. I didn't have a clue what the overall impact would be when I finally walked out to the street on the day we finished, then turned around and looked back. I was actually shocked by it, it was so unexpected. The camera, unfortunately, can't capture it the way the eye truly sees it. LOL So now I'm a frustrated photographer as well!
Good to have you back posting :-)
--Ginny
I know, I just love my Japanese Maples. Could you possibly grow them in very large containers and move them into a garage or something to overwinter?
Oh no! Clay + rain = yuck! I hope you don't have to work twice as hard to get those areas back again.
--Ginny
ginnylynn I'm looking into JM in containers. As for my new clay beds I'm only thankful I didn't put in my fall bulb orders for them.
echoes
Aug 06, 2008
Looking wonderful, Ginny. You will enjoy that garden so much. What will be planted on the berm? I need the map back, I think I sorta got lost about half way through the tour. Just love it.
Thanks Brenda. The main purpose of the berm is to serve as the rail bed for the train coming over on the swing bridge (yet to be built) from the Split Rock Canyon Railroad octagon. This explanation will require a little imagination to picture it, and it doesn't appear on any of my garden design diagrams - it's all my husband's efforts:
The SRCRR's main function is to service the mine at the top of the "mountain". The mine train (he's new, and a cute little guy) will chug to the mine shaft area where it will be loaded with... I think DH has decided it's a salt mine as in Goderich, so... salt (small white stone mixed with sand no doubt). The train will then travel to the swing bridge (to be built) at the edge of the octagon and over the bridge onto a raised trestle line on top of the berm that terminates at the "lake" (the shiny new stock tank). This lake will have a freighter waiting on it to be loaded with the "salt". The train's ore cars will be emptied into the holds of the freighter, and the train will chug back to the mine for the next load.
The bridge will be a swing bridge so that it can be swung away from the path when it's not in use.
The ore cars will either have hoppers at the bottom or be of the side tipping variety to allow for real functionality in loading the freighter.
All this means I will need to keep the plantings restricted to items that are of the shorter variety so they don't interfere with either the view or the functionality of the trains. Since the berm will be well drained a rock garden effect is probably what I will go for. Any suggestions - besides rocks :-)
--Ginny
Ginny spending 4 hours every 2nd day watering the patch (we ended up with 20 x 180 feet) and work sure doesn't leave much time to play here unfortunately. :'(
Your pictures sure make me want to spend more time in my yard!
Nice to be back :) (well at least to take a peek now and then).
Wow, that finished up really well Ginny! Thanks for sharing it, and please post more pictures as the plants mature! I really liked the picture taken through the Crocosima :)
Steven
I know what you mean Pam. I'm having trouble right now balancing all the things I need to do as well. That's why I finally gave up on posting the "in-progress" photos and settled for just the finished product ones.
Thanks Steven. I'll definitely be posting more photos, especially as I'll no doubt be adding more plants throughout the rest of this season and into the beginning of next season. I thought you might like the Crocosmia pic. I now have the 'Walburton Yellow' Crocosmia planted next to 'Lucifer' as well. It's quite a bit shorter than 'Lucifer' right now but I expect it to catch up either next season or the one after that. It's just getting ready to bloom - I'll take pics for you when it does. Nice to see you back in action here again too :-)
--Ginny
Thanks Ginny :) I'm glad to hear your yellow Crocosima came up, I remember you mentioned a while back that they hadn't shown up yet.
And yes, please do post it when it flowers :) I'll be looking forward to your landscaping pics aswell!
Steven
Well, another fine tour! Congratulations, Ginny, it looks great. You've done a pile of work this year.
Sandy