Side Garden Phase 1 - COMPLETED!!

The work is completed! And the sun finally came out!! So, I'm extremely happy (and proud) to present to you "My Side Garden"!!!



The first 3 pics are "aerial" overviews taken from my 2nd storey bathroom window. It gives a nice overall look at what I've been working at over the last couple of months (and you can also see a little of the yet-to-be-developed "forest" behind!) What a lot of work it was! But what fun and satisfaction I've had! I haven't been this creative since I gave birth!

Starting on the left, we see a small bed planted by the shed; go past the compost bin (& the bag of cedar chips) to the beautiful naturally-occurring ferns (that have flourished with the food & the care shown to them lately). They border a 3-tier bed in the centre; divided from the front centre bed by the gravel path; and on to the swing next to the brook.

We pick up again by the swing and travel down towards the house and driveway. The path is bordered on the left by the front centre garden and on the right by the shaded bed which borders the brook. (Can you see the clothesline pulley at the bottom of the photo?)

Okay - let's get a little closer.

Here we are by the shed. This plot holds Wild Geranium, Spurge, Bellflowers, Lemon Balm, Lamium and white Violets. I stuck up this piece of lattice just to break up the stark white wall of the metal shed. I'm hoping that when my artist friend comes home this summer, she'll agree to paint something on that wall and let me pay her with a gourmet dinner, complete with chocolate and wine and the most scintilating of company!

We turn to the right and look towards the brook. On the left-hand side of the picture are all those wonderful ferns that are growing so prolifically!

And who's that in the swing? Isn't it magical under there? I wonder if their parents know where they are?

You can see the Liatris next to our little swingers. As well, this bed has some Himalayan Jewelweed in the back, Globethistle & a couple of as-yet unknown plants; the edge is bordered by lots of different sedums, Lamium, Johnny Jump-ups and Snow in Summer.

Just to the right of ferns is what I call the 3-tier bed. I don't think you can see this very well; but because of the gentle slope in the land, I broke it up into 3 tiers separated by a small wall of rocks. These beds have a hodge-podge of flowers which will probably have to be moved and rearranged as things start to grow and develop. I just wasn't sure what would grow well in these woodland conditions -- and some things are coming up in leaps and bounds!

The tiers contain a boxwood shrub, Cotoneaster, Beauty Bush, Candy Tuft, a couple of hostas, Brown Eyed Susan, lilies (of unknown color & species), Aconite, Ajuga, Columbine, Lamium, and several groundcovers. I even threw in the Cana Lilies to see what they would do here. (They're growing!)

As we turn towards the right, we see in the next 2 pics what I call my front centre bed. In this pic, framed by the 2 trees, are several hostas, Solomon's Seal, a Silver Mound, Brown-eyed Susan, some bulbs (past their prime), a primrose and a couple more unknowns. (Don't you love surprises!)

Pic 2 shows the front part of this bed; it was planted a year ago, so it's a little more developed. It has a wonderful False Sunflower, Astilbe, Heuchera, Lamb's ears, Globe Thistle and Columbine (as well as lots of bulbs). The planter sitting on the tree stump holds a grass of some sort and different colored coleus. You can also see my yet-to-be-planted Forsythia and cedar-type plants.

Here's a front view of this bed.

The two blooming white Columbines stand on either side of the bird bath. The front of this bed slopes gently toward the house and is planted with Periwinkle, Creeping Thyme, some mini Petunias and a Begonia (which was a gift from my electrician boss during Admin Assist's Week).

Looking a little further right in this bed, we can see Foxgloves planted along the side and front of this tree and one of 2 black planters filled with Dusty Miller and Marigolds. On the right side of the path is the bed next to the brook. That bed has a lovely tall sedum, yellow Tickseed, a Hydrangea bush, Wild Gernanium, Lamium, Bugleweed, and still more unknown plants (which will hopefully reveal their identity this year).

And looking back towards the left again, I wanted to show you this pretty little twig bench which I salvaged from the side of the road during our annual clean-up week last spring. It holds one of my window boxes of Marigolds and English Ivy.

*******************************

There you have it! Phase 1 of my Side Garden! I know there are lots of plants that I've forgotten to mention. I'll introduce you later this summer as the garden grows. And I'll share some more pictures with you on another day of my back garden, front garden and the driveway beds. But for now, I think it's bedtime!

Goodnight! Pleasant dreams to us all.