en masse

For the fifteenth or sixteenth time, I've lost count, I just re-landscaped the bed around my mailbox. I have tried everything from bulbs, annuals, perennials, shrubs, ground cover, you name it. Baring a tree, I've worked with every possible combination. The area is precarious due to my neighbor's Maple which loves it every time I amend the soil. With very dappled light and soil filled with tree roots, I am perpetually in search of the perfect plant to serve as one of the first introductions to our property. This week inspiration smacked me right in the face. I did my first installation this week for a friend. It was a small bed that enveloped two trees and was to serve as a sort of "natural area." While there I started to look around her property. She had a lot of mature plantings as they had lived there the better part of 30 years. It was an eclectic mix but reflected her personality beautifully. What I found most striking was a bed roughly 10' x 2' running beside her driveway that was nothing but liriope punctuated by a large sculptural boulder. Liriope. Monkey grass used in an innovative way. When I first moved here it became apparent that one of the staples of southern landscaping along with azaleas and pine needles for mulch, was using monkey grass to outline beds, or trees, or anything. A neat winding row of monkey grass instead of edging. But to use this very tolerant ground cover, en masse, and intentionally blew me away. I began running through my own landscape on the ride home and it hit me-the mailbox. With a little care the first few years, this will soon fill in. The beauty of this plant is that it is a spreader and requires little more than a haircut in early spring. It will produce purple flower spikes in summer which turn to black berries in the fall. So remember to look around you, inspiration can come from anywhere. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery I always say! Thank you Mieke.

re-purpose

As some of you may know, after a short hiatus, I am again pursuing my passion. With that said, I will now have more time to blog, garden, and design-hopefully in that order. Last week on a day off, I began my fall clean up. I pulled some weeds, spread some mulch, removed some spent annuals, and started to look around with a fresh eye. My begonias and geraniums, while still producing flowers had started to look a little leggy. My ferns that I had containerized still looked good but were ready to move to a new location with a little more room. Ivy-enough said. The half barrel that had grown lettuce and other vegetables sat empty as well as my window boxes. By combining, ivy, ajuga, an autumn fern and an Encore azalea that didn't yet have a home, I have a new container worthy of mentioning. I think one of the principles of gardening I most practice and enjoy is moving things around. It's okay to adjust a plan-sometimes the most aesthetically pleasing results from "happy accidents."

planning makes perfect

Since we moved into this house I have envisioned our front circular bed as a haven and retreat for hummingbirds and butterflies. I have perused countless plans and have the list of attracting plants committed to memory. I began with a dwarf butterfly bush and have, without rhyme or reason added plants, but realized this summer that I am unhappy with the overall effect. So with my time as Nursery Specialist nearing an end, I decided to finally practice what I preach. Armed with pencil and paper I began sketching at work and tonight finalized my plan. Utilizing some existing perennials and a host of new plants that will thrive in my half shade/half full-sun conditions-I am ready to make a planned change. Remember to plan your work and work your plan.

living fence

When we bought our house it came with two driveways...one on each side of the house. The lower driveway empties into a large concrete pad which I use as a courtyard. This area is also fenced-with a very old picket fence. We made due until this year when the back panel literally was rotting out and falling down. With our house being Tudor, we are somewhat limited with what fencing options to use, not to mention budget. Stone is the only traditional element that our house is missing, but an entire stone fence would have been thousands-not where I want to spend my money. One night last week I had the idea to introduce plants as a more eco-friendly alternative to traditional fencing. I also could allow for an arbor or gate to provide access to the backyard-something we hadn't had before. Believe you me, it's not so much fun to lug two 2 gallon watering cans from my rain barrel all the way around the house to water in the backyard. We ripped out the old fence and I planted 4 Howardii Ligustrum (8'x6') and got a great deal on a metal arbor with gate. I then set out to replace the rotted landscape timbers. I'm happy with the results so far. The other two fencing runs will also be replaced. The jury is out on the long run as I want to plant Fragrant Tea Olive (10'x6') while my husband wants to replace with new wood fencing. We are in agreement that the front panel will be faced with stone and we will add a metal drive fence to tie it all together. I know this much, I will definitely be waiting until fall to do any more planting!

front landscape update

Here's some updated pictures I took today with my blackberry while home for lunch...always a work in progress. Yard of the Month here I come!

privacy screen revisited

Back in January I had had enough of my neighbors and set out to create some sort of visual boundary. I planted three Formosa azaleas in large containers and promised pictures when they began to bloom. Yesterday I looked out my kitchen window and saw some vibrant purple blooms some 100 feet away. Today I trekked back there and took some pictures.

I also have been promising pictures so here are some various shots from around my property. The second picture is to the right of my front door. I found this amazing japanese maple with a braided trunk and have decided to leave it containerized and added a breckman arborvitae and some gold mound spirea along with some annuals and perennials. The next picture is near the lower driveway and its a collection of shade lovers-ferns, heuchera, spirea, hydrangea, daylilies, and confederate jasmine on a trellis. Below that is the view of our creek bed from the street- oh so pretty in the spring! And the last picture is a view of the lower creek bed that I am "naturalizing." This piece of wood washed up the last time it flooded and I am slowly adding plants to improve its appearance while maintaining my Backyard Wildlife Habitat standing.

landscape plants

I spent the better part of my day in the yard-surprise! I finished (kind of) the right front bed. All that is left is a mix of white perennials and annuals to fill in as my shrubs and tree mature. Currently it consists of a weeping Japanese Maple, two chartreuse False Cypress, five Gardenias (one August Beauty, two Radicans, and two Variegated), two globe Arborvitae, two Azaleas, three Carissa Hollies, one Manhattan Euyonomous, one Pieris, one Ligustrum, three Heuchera, three ferns (one Autumn), three Spirea, one Confederate Jasmine on a trellis, and assorted Hydrangea and daylilies which have yet to sprout. It may sound like a lot of plants, but this spans from my front door to the right all the way to our lower driveway and courtyard. I promise to provide pictures, but today I was a little tired.

evolving landscape

I decided to share with you some before and after pictures of my various landscape projects. I will continue to take pictures as the seasons change to highlight different plants. Please note that the top picture was taken in winter while the bottom was taken in spring. The Redbud tree has been removed due to its size and proximity to the house. I have taken the Japanese privet at the corner of the house from a shrub to a "standard" or tree form. The ivy that was choking the light pole is now gone and has been replaced by grasses and sedum. The circular bed in the front yard has been turned into a hummingbird/butterfly garden and the scalloped edging is much improved. Finally, the 30 year old half blooming azaleas have been replaced by euonymous, barberry, nandina and loropetulum. I did keep the clematis as when in bloom it has the most spectacular white flowers. I have also have almost finished the other side of the front and pictures will soon follow.

privacy screen

I love my house with the exception of some annoying neighbors way behind me. They seem more interested in what is going on in my back yard then minding their own business. Oh the joys of urban living! I originally thought about doing a bamboo forest-but upon further research and speaking to someone who was trying to contain 15 foot tall stalks-I've shifted to some Formosa azaleas. They explode with tiny lavender blooms in the spring, are evergreen, thrive in dappled light, and the best part is that they mature to 8x6. That's just large enough to help me forget the neighbors behind me and also help to add some color to the other side of the creek. I'm going to containerize the shrubs this year for ease of movement and placement. I can't wait for my 8x18 living screen. When they burst with color in a couple of months, I'll add pictures.