Looking back: The balcony garden

I have the fortune of having a second floor porch that over looks my backyard from a new perspective.

 It's almost a secret garden that few people know of, I love the privacy of it. I take my morning cup of coffee here, and watch the sunset in the evenings.

This was my first year planting this garden, The Big Bad Cat knew of the space but never used it, it's the perfect place for a garden I convinced him,and so it came to be.

It is a container garden in fact, this is where I can experiment with different planting ideas. The color scheme for this planting was red, white, green, with variation's on each color.

 The containers are all brown, a request of the Big Bad Cat, the obelisk is copper colored, ya know I had to have my say here too.

The little kitty enjoys it as well

It's a great spot for squirrel watching

 The plants all grew large and lush, daily hand waterings were necessary, a roof top container garden dries out really fast, winds don't help.

The outdoor rugs and seating turned this into more of an outdoor room.

I really did enjoy this garden and plan to do it again next year.  

You so shady

Along with the new patio came the opportunity for a new shade garden. This area under the canopy of two large magnolia trees is in constant shade. Think you can't have a garden in the shade? think again.

There was already sort of a shade garden here, mostly hostas,ferns and a rhododendron from the previous gardeners.

There are several varieties of hostas to work with, like this blue/green puckered one. Lysmachia, carex and Japanese forest grass Hakonechloa will brighten the garden. A new path way will invite you in.

The shady side of a garden can be just as inviting as the sun. 

A new patio for Christine

Christine just got a new patio....blue stone, and boy is it nice! Much nicer than the patio I tried to install for her some years ago. This one is dry laid with mortar seams, it should last a lifetime with little maintenance, that we like.

 She doesn't have all the furniture cushions yet so that's why we just see the frames here.

The low walls can serve as extra seating or a safe place for candles or pots.

The patio consist of two sitting areas, perfect for a casual get together, did I mention its blue stone. This area is shady perfect for when the sun is just too much, or that morning coffee.

The new patio also gave us some new planting  areas, this is going to be a new shade garden because this is a shady part of the garden. The new patio gives the backyard a whole new look and purpose....enjoyment. This makes me happy, she loves her garden and the garden we're creating.

Labor day,2011, 65 degrees

What a turn the weather has taken, a few days ago it was hot, I mean really hot, fry an egg on the pavement hot. Then after some severe storms it cooled off, it really cooled down, turn on the furnace and put on a sweater cool down.

My pots are beginning to show the signs of fall approaching. I look forward to the new season, anew interpretation of the garden is underway

The lime Nicotiana is more often out of bloom than in now, and my petunias are showing signs of mildew, they are tired now their dance is coming to an end.

My papyrus is heavy and breaking in the cool strong winds, sending up fewer new stalks

Labor day , the unofficial end to summer, my pots are getting tired, and so am I. All the chores of summer are coming to an end, time to slow down a bit, reflect, and get ready for act three....Fall.



Sighns to watch : when you loose control of a garden.

How much garden is too much? When is it time to edit a garden? Ask yourself "do I really need that in my yard" There comes a time when all gardener's must ask themselves these questions.

I believe gardeners are somewhat greedy, not in a bad way, we see plants and think "oh I can't live here on Earth without that" I myself have fallen several times to this need to grow everything. It's not just the need for plants, but for pots,outdoor furniture,garden ornaments ect. It almost becomes a disease, and almost never looks good.

We see things in other gardens, and we think it will work in our own, sometimes this work out, and sometimes it does not, and we end up creating a mess



MY New backyard garden. phase one

Let me first say that of course Christopher hates this pot "It don't go with the house, it's too modern"

I love it. Besides I already owned it, I just brought it to my new house and planted it for this garden.

The new garden has a somewhat Formal feel with a hint of modern. Straight lines, Boxwood balls, Arborvite and Lime light hydrangeas are the bones for this garden. The Hosta's pick up the color of the Hydrangeas, and kinda ground the height of the Arbs. They may look a bit tattered this year because I just rescued them from my old garden. The white Begonia's were one of Christopher's Ideas, I HATE them.

As mentioned in a earlier post I needed to hide that garage door, though the Arborvite don't completely hide this view, they do make a statement "the garden is in here"

 This old pear tree has to go, what a mess it makes.

I like to think of pots as a sort of testing lab for future plantings. I've never  used this combination before, but i like it.

I planted my tomatoes in pots outside the kitchen door, my version of a kitchen garden.

This is what we're calling the Terra-cota garden. Actually these are the terra-cota pots that Christopher wouldn't let me have on the upper terrace.



A Birmingham garden

Welcome to one of my most favorite gardens. This year the Italian tera cota pots were planted with boxwood balls for a simple,clean entrance.

I've worked here for about seven years now,and have enjoyed  every minute of it. This client loves purple flowers,so I always make sure  to plant some for her.

The window boxes are planted diffrently with each season.

The front bed has huge drifts of pachysandra and mature evergreens, these were planted by the previous owners who were garden lovers too.

This seating area is about to be totally redone with a much nicer blue-stone patio and new plantings.

This garden is forever changing.....that's how I like it.

The new gravel garden is just beginning to come in to it's own

This is the driveway garden. Blue Hosta's and Endless summer Hydrageas