O Boy! I am soooo excited. We are having wonderful weather, sunny and in the 70's all week. And yesterday my landscaper guys arrived to help me whip this place into shape.
Here is a great before picture. Actually stuff has already been removed since we landed here in Sept. 2020, but we might as well look at what is current. A horrible 'lawn', but let's not be negative. It is going. But the good part is that the deck design has been fixed and we will have a deck that goes all the way from the left edge of the house to the garage, right over the sidewalk and will have those planters that I mentioned earlier this week. It will be made from Trex or some other brand name. Who knows, but what is important is NO maintenance. Since we have had decks like this previously, we are so happy about that. Once the deck is in, later this month, then real landscaping will be done. 
We have a bed on the southern side of the house which was full of the concrete-like clay and lots of climbing rose bushes, hydrangeas, day lilies and overgrown irises. I had the guys remove the climbers and a boat load of pavers, which in turn widened the bed, and then had 8 bags of composted manure dug in to lighten and nurish the bed. Then they transplanted 17 huge peonies from the front to this bed, spacing them a foot apart. Some have big buds on them so I expect to discover how many are red and how many are pink. I know I have at least one white one still in the ground, waiting for a space to be planted.
Peonies in place, ready to grow. Of course now that I have seen them here, and realize I have a place to put other things...I went shopping, but it is still too early to buy additional plants. This spot is in brutal sun most of the day so I am thinking coneflowers, and zinnia and of course my fave, nasturtiums. And if I can find a good bargain, lantana. Mulch comes next tho.
Those pavers under the porch had lined the edge of the bed and took up a lot of growing space. I suppose the previous gardener was sick of weeding and just shrunk the bed by placing them over the ground. The 'fence' is to keep the pups from escaping and as flimsy as it is, it works. They don't go under the porch anymore.
Remaining from my scorched earth plan is one pink rose, not a Knock Out, and really a nice bloomer which kept going til November last year. Then one big hydrangea, which Dave mistakenly cut down to the ground, but has big fat green buds coming up anyway, and one other hydrangea, maybe an Annabelle, we'll see. The clumps of daylilies are also up. I will add more, me thinks.
At the driveway end of the this bed is a crape myrtle, which the workers gave a good haircut. It is pink and was truly overgrown, and now managable. In that curvy bed, besides the weeds are some pitiful old tulips which will not bloom as they were deprived of fertilizer over the years. Out! But some Asiatic lilies have broken through, and one wonderful Agapanthus is looking vigorous. You will note on the upper left, a pile of bags which are composted manure, and when my guys return they will bring this planting bed over to the turn around part of the driveway and I will have more of a sun filled bed to plant. I 'need' Baptisia, Black and Blue Salvia, specimen daylilies, and Superbells petunias. Maybe a miscanthus and if I am really lucky, some more Agapanthus. O my!
On the back porch I have a planter for my basil, right outside the kitchen. I got this at Walmart and it holds a full 1 cu ft. of potting soil. I already have the seeds, but will wait...eeeeow. Waiting is killing me!
Peonies in place, ready to grow. Of course now that I have seen them here, and realize I have a place to put other things...I went shopping, but it is still too early to buy additional plants. This spot is in brutal sun most of the day so I am thinking coneflowers, and zinnia and of course my fave, nasturtiums. And if I can find a good bargain, lantana. Mulch comes next tho.
Remaining from my scorched earth plan is one pink rose, not a Knock Out, and really a nice bloomer which kept going til November last year. Then one big hydrangea, which Dave mistakenly cut down to the ground, but has big fat green buds coming up anyway, and one other hydrangea, maybe an Annabelle, we'll see. The clumps of daylilies are also up. I will add more, me thinks. 
At the driveway end of the this bed is a crape myrtle, which the workers gave a good haircut. It is pink and was truly overgrown, and now managable. In that curvy bed, besides the weeds are some pitiful old tulips which will not bloom as they were deprived of fertilizer over the years. Out! But some Asiatic lilies have broken through, and one wonderful Agapanthus is looking vigorous. You will note on the upper left, a pile of bags which are composted manure, and when my guys return they will bring this planting bed over to the turn around part of the driveway and I will have more of a sun filled bed to plant. I 'need' Baptisia, Black and Blue Salvia, specimen daylilies, and Superbells petunias. Maybe a miscanthus and if I am really lucky, some more Agapanthus. O my! |
| This is the Agapanthus |
On the back porch I have a planter for my basil, right outside the kitchen. I got this at Walmart and it holds a full 1 cu ft. of potting soil. I already have the seeds, but will wait...eeeeow. Waiting is killing me!Back to knitting.
I have Bermuda. I've been trying to kill it for 30 years. It was at least 50 years old when I moved in. The rhizomes go down at least 12 feet. A university did a study and stopped digging at 12 feet so they go further. I've covered most of my back yard with brick patios and pathways but it still manages to come up in places. The front is a rectangle surrounded by wide brick pathways with planting beds at the front and side. It finds a way to come through a crack in a brick or the mortar and then just widens the space. I'm putting four raised beds in the rectangle (one built) for vegetable gardening. I will put gravel and sow clover between with stepping stones but I expect I will be dealing with the Bermuda until I die. Then the next owner will continue the fight. But it will never leave.
ReplyDeleteNever voluntarily plant Bermuda.
Good luck getting rid of yours. The plans sound lovely. And so nice you inherited such a nice selection of plants. I had two when I moved into my house. A huge cactus at the corner of the back alley and a Bird of Paradise that rivaled Godzilla. Probably had never been divided. It was taller than I was, a mound of mostly dead ones. One of the first things I did was have both removed. I have plenty of roses now. Also geraniums and I am starting to get my fuchsias back. This year I am going to try planting annuals from seed rather than buying pony packs. I'm getting them from Baker Creek Heirloom rareseeds dot com (as well as vegetables and herbs) and so far the germination rate has been fantastic.
I am sooooo jealous you have peonies - 17 of them.... surely one will have fragrance. Let me know how you get rid of bermuda ... the two summers I was sick the bermuda moved into the flower beds and like mlaiuppa I can't seem to get rid of it. Look forward to your instalments on the garden.......
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your new garden space. I have really enjoyed seeing what you have done with your other homes. You inspire me to get out there & clean mine up!!!! Now if that inspiration would just last til Sat am!
ReplyDeleteLovely, what fun ahead for you : )
ReplyDeleteOh my, I hope you keep posting pictures of the progress. It is so much fun and inspiring to follow all that you do!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to see how your garden comes along. I've been following since the first house in Tennessee. Hope it all grows well.
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ReplyDelete