Friday, May 14, 2004

This is What it Looks Like

Who wants to see a picture?  Okay, okay, don't everyone raise your hands all at once.  This is part of what I've been working my little fingers to the bone to create:

Imagine a very tall, very blank face of a two story house, containing only one window (which belongs to the laundry room, of all places.)  The kind of architectural lack of detail that only a tract house can provide.  Then recall all I have been writing about the total intractability of the "soil" (and I use the term loosely) on my property.  The previous owners created the large expanses of gravel paths as their contribution to the solution.  Can't plant anything in the ground; but, left to its own devices, it does grow an amazing variety of native plantlife (read weeds).  So dig it out and cover it with gravel in a more or less eye-pleasing way.  It works.  And you don't have to mow it.

But there was still a complete lack of anything resembling a tree in the yard when we moved in, four years after the house was built.  And after we planted our first tree, we understood why.  So, this bed on the north side of the house is my solution, or the beginnings of it, anyway.  My "travelling acers" (the Japanese maples that lived in five-gallon buckets for several years in several back yards) received permanent homes in raised planter boxes that we built with our own little hands.  Mr. Husband built the arbor, at my request.  Did a damn fine job, if I may say so.  Some day, we plan on actually installing a French door to the dining room under the arbor.  (Don't know how hard this will be with the arbor already in place...) 

Every year, I've been adding a few more plants and/or trees to the space.  This year, I added a bunch of heucheras (coral bells) and some astilbes.  Also another little acer in the box to the right of the arbor.  The table and chairs just migrated there from the back deck...got a bigger table and four new chairs for the back.

Anyway, in case you wanted to know what I've been griping about, here is some of the fruit of my labor.

8 comments:

  1. You've done an awesome  job.

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  2. If you have the patience to wait and see, this area ought to be just lovely in a few more springs when the fruit of your labor really starts paying some pretty dividends.  It is definitely off to a good start.  Kristi

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  3. You are very creative. I need to do something to our yard . I want a lot of flowers but I haven't a clue where to start or what to plant!  Someday I guess.

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  4. Are you available in June?  You are truly gifted.  And your husband did a great job too.

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  5. Lisa, it's so beautiful.  It's looks like such a peaceful place just to sit and relax!  You've done a wonderful job!  No wonder you like to garden so much -- you're great at it!!!

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  6. My compliments to your Hubs on the arbor!  You've both done quite a job.  It looks so serene and inviting; a great place for breakfast or tea...  :)

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  7. It's lovely, just like the woman who planted it. :-)  I think often gardens reflect the personalities of the nurturers that grow them, just like pets often look like their owners.
    My garden is a wild abundance of untrimmed plants and odd little weird plants that I collect( like Jack in the Pulpits), and places to hide. Now what does that say about me?

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  8. That's gorgeous, Lisa!  I only wish I could post a picture of such success with plants, lol.  Unfortunately, I gave up on them a few years back when I kept wasting my money.  Nothing pretty about a bunch of dead plants. :-X

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