Bargins add interest in the garden

Here are some additional things around our garden. Actually these are the new items I purchased right before the Garden Tour.

I really love Hobby Lobby. They usually have something every week that is on sale 40 to 50% off. But the week before the tour they had some home decor items 66% off and all the garden related items 50% off. Needless to say I made several trips.

The shelves are to the left of the front door. I try and change it up according to the season.



Sorry, turn your head sideways. Andrea turn your computer on it's side! The metal work was the most expensive at $18 and the shelf below was $11. This is under the deck to the right of the windows. My original ideal was to have a mirror put in the bottom part to reflect light under the deck. When I checked on the price of a mirror it was going to be $36 plus cutting cost. Needless to say I changed my mind. Will keep my eye out at garage sales.

The next couple of pictures of small more or less flat things that I put between the rocks on the patio. I think it adds some interest. It is so hard to get any plants to grow due to the ground under the rocks is hard clay.

Garden Tour

The garden tour was yesterday, June 24th and it was a success. We had a sunny day with temperatures in the upper 80's. It was hot in the sun but very pleasant in the shade. About 120 gardeners toured our garden in 4 hours.
The most asked question was, where did you get all the rocks from. When I told them I carried them up the hill from behind the house they were all shocked. The next most asked question was how old the garden was. When I told them 4 years they couldn't believe how much I had done in 4 years. This is all a great boost for the ego. However, I had never thought about the number of rocks I have carried and how much they weigh. I just knew what I wanted to have in the end and set about doing it. I also hadn't thought about how much I did in 4 years. I was disappointed that I didn't get the upper path done in the woods so people could walk through the woods. I guess I am my own critic.
These are pictures of all the sitting areas around the garden. I have tried to create garden rooms, this is what all the experts say we should do. I just don’t have all the mature plants to create the wall etc. It is all coming along even though I don’t have a plan. I just fly by the seat of my pants.


The first picture is looking down on the patio from the deck.



This is a sitting area towards the back end of the wookds. I thought I would dress it up like you could sit down and have tea.















This seating are is towards the from of the house and faces the side of the house where I have a bed that is about 10 by 40.










This area is behind the rain garden and faces the woods and the impatient bed in front of the woods.












This is the dining area under the deck. I was happy with what I came up with to have on the table. I think it could be better but it was ok.

Rose - Princess Diana

Here is what the Princess Diana rose looks like from our rose tree. Only one of the rose trees bloomed so far. Something ate the buds off the other tree. We ended up getting about 6 blooms off this one. Now the problem is that the other has sprouted new buds and will bloom in a couple of days and this tree is done with its first blooms. So, for this year they will not bloom at the same time again. I guess I should look on the brighter side, it could be worse one of the trees could have died!!

What to do

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are some of the pictures from the garden just a week and a half from date of the garden tour. If you hadn't guessed a deer or deers came through and had a feast. What is a gardener to do? The Liquid Fence I have been using isn't working anymore. I guess the deer have gotten over the garlic rotten egg smell or maybe they use clothes pins on their noses?!?!?!?

Needless to say it was off to every garden center and nursery around to find replacements. It is a good thing this time of year they carry bigger plants in bigger pots. That made it easier to fill in the holes. But they bad side it that these places have you over a barrel knowing that you want/need the bigger plants so it doesn't look like you just planted your garden!! Oh well I will just go out to the woods and get a couple hundred dollars off that money tree!!!!!

Saturday Project/Rain Garden

As you can see we had a little rain last night so the rain garden got a workout. It must have came down pretty fast since the rain garden over flowed. That is the 2nd picture in case you were wondering. I guess I won't be doing any planting today!

This is one of the things I did on Saturday. Scoot says finally you got the downspout buried and the Azales planted, it's only been 2 months that you have been talking about it. My reply is kiss my a--!! But it does work we had a thunder storm this morning and I ran out side to see if the water was coming out of the end (that is the round green thing) in the yard and it was. I'm so happy!!

Before and After Terrace Garden

Don't look!!! Sorry they are in the wrong order! Go to the bottom first and view up!!
This is the after picture. Notice the garden fertilizer did his job(just kidding). Things are growing well. These were taken June 9, 2007.

Before picture of the terrace garden with the garden inspector and the garden fertilizer(just see the top of his head in the middle bottom). These were taken March 23, 2007.

Windy Day

Boy was it windy on Wednesday June 6th. We had 50 mph winds and the weather service had issued a wind advisory. I was afraid when I got home from work the garden would be a wreck. But surprising enough things didn't look too bad. Some of the taller plants had blown over but could be staked back up. I had imagined worse.

The thing that had to be fixed right away was my Laceleaf Staghorn Sumac. I have had this tree for about 5 years and have kept it in a pot on the deck. Why in a pot you might ask. Well Sumac tend to travel and send up shoots where you don't want them. But the main reason was when I bought it I didn't have anywhere prepared to plant it in the ground. You have to understand, the dirt is horrible and needs amended before even the weeds will grow. Well that is a little over stated. Now where was I. Oh, since it sits outside unprotected all winter I end up repotting it every few years because the pots get cracked from the freezing and thawing. I knew it needed a new pot this year but I kind of liked the cracked, chipping pot it was in. I thought the pot looked like it had character. In reality I was just too cheap to buy a new one. I could get several plants for what a new pot would cost.

When Scott called and said the tree blew over and the pot broke and we needed a new one. I asked if I couldn't glue it back together? That is when he started making the cheap, cheap sounds like he was a bird! I got the message. The pot that broke was from Sam's and cost $17. Sam's hadn't carried them for the last couple of years so I didn't know where I would find one. Anyway to make a long story short. I bought a fiberglass pot for about $30. I is light weight and has a life time warranty!! We will see about that. Here are some pics. before and after. Enjoy!! Sorry you will have to tilt your head for the one of them.

Stick Bean Trellis

This was my latest project. Here is a picture of the trellis I made for my pole bean plants. It is very crowded along the house but the plants were already about 3 feet tall so I think they will make it. If they don't grow, I'll just say it's a very expensive piece of art.

Things blooming 1st week of June

Here are a few of the flowers in bloom in the garden. Been busy getting ready for the garden tour among other things. The first is a Hardy Geranium in the Rain Garden, not sure the name of the Hosta in the shade garden. Then there is the cone flower that is native to the Midwest. I really like the way the petal curve down. And last is one of my lillies. Five years ago when I had built my first flower bed and was trying to fill it with plants one of the local nurseries had grab bags of lilies real cheap. Since they were cheap and I was trying to make the flower bed look fuller I snatched up a couple. So needless to say, I have no ideal what kind of lilies they might be.