Some New Updates...

Some views of the front beds. Everything that I've purchased, begged, borrowed, or stole so far. Also no mulch yet. That always makes such a difference.

Full front 2 beds looking from north to south.


Full front 2 beds looking from south to north.


A few detail photos:

Front:
Cercis Canadensis 'Forest Pansy'. The leaves will stay red and not turn green with growth.


Picea Orientalis, Oriental Spruce showing lots of new growth. The needles will always have those yellow tips. Very showy.


Acer griseum, Paperbark Maple with baby leaves. It will have more and more peeling bark as it grows.


And sadly, Betula niger, River Birch, top half is dead.


In the back yard:
Cercis Canadensis, Eastern Redbud


And a close-up.


I've also been busy planting and (with help from Hubby D) hauling dirt to fill one of the raised beds in the back yard. Time to be thinking about planting early crop veggies.

I've actually started this part of the project already with cool season plants.

Here's a few updates from the back veggie yard. One bed done and planting begun with Walla Walla onion sets (wonder what they'll do in Ohio?) and cabbage plants that I grew from seed myself. Several rows of seeds, Peas Blondie (light yellowish leaves and yellow peas), Sugar Snap Peas, cilantro, lettuce, and dill. I figure by the time they surface, it will be far enough into May to be safe.


Here's another showing a second prepped but unfilled and unfinished bed.

Lots of Fun!

Hello Friends, I'm way behind in my updates, AGAIN, but here goes. These will not be in chronological order but it all happened in the last week and a half.

BACK YARD BEDS (veggie)
We had 2 cu yds of garden bed soil delivered plus the cement half blocks.


We staked, stringed and otherwise marked the three raised veggie beds in the back yard. David mowed the areas VERY short and then we laid the weed barrier cloth. We will start (as soon as it stops raining) to pile 6" of soil on top of the barrier cloth. That should stop weeds and grass coming through. You can sort of get an idea of how I'm using the cement blocks as edging to hold the soil in place.

I know it looks as though the blocks may tip over with the soil pushing on them, but we've had a talk (the blocks and me) and they understand they need to stay upright.

By the way, the backyard redbud is ready to burst into bloom.


FRONT YARD BEDS
I've been shopping for and finding a lot of my old perennial friends: Heuchera, lavendar, Acanthus-Spiney Bear's Britches, Coreopsis, Scotch Broom-Moonlight, Lupine-blue and red, Purple Fountain Grass, Geum and Artemesia-Silver Mound. Also you can see how big my tomato seedlings have gotten. (proud mother....) :-)


I've begun to place them and plant some of them. Here's the north bed. Notice the tulips planted last fall? They're in bud. Yippee!


And the south bed...


Notice the fence is much shorter now. It had been too tall to see the flowers from the sidewalk which is down a small grade. Also too overpowering. I will probably change it again. LOL

My second batch of daffodils are white with golden centers.


The Artemesia Silver Mound should do well here. It likes really bad soil and if fertilized will flop apart losing its mounded shape.

I love the new Heucheras. The hybridizers have been going crazy to develop new leaf colors. I hear they are not as hardy as the original few.


I usually don't have very good luck with Geum so haven't haven't tried any for maybe 15 years. But I saw this salmon colored one and couldn't resist.


Oh, yes, remember our little squirrel friend? Well, he/she has decided it likes sugar water. It's been feeding from the hummingbird feeders!! The water has been in there for over a week. No hummers. I hope the little furry guy doesn't get drunk on the old sugar water....


And so, that's my story so far. I am having so much fun it must be illegal. The mystery of plants from dried seeds, of plants and bulbs dying in the fall and coming alive in the spring again and the power in plants to grow and grow and develop leaves me in utter joy and with a great feeling of humility.

First Flower

The first flower from my front yard garden, just for you.

More News----TREES!!!

I guess our biggest news is that our totally treeless, shrubless, flowerless yard now has bulbs about to bloom and TREES !!!

We now have 5 trees! A couple weeks ago I bought a Picea orientalis 'Sunlands'. The tips of the needles are yellow (properly so) so it's a bright spot in the north front garden.


Also an Acer griseum, Paperbark Maple, with peeling bark and cinnamon under color. Small tree with awesome autumn color.


#3 In the back yard we planted a Cercis canadensis, Eastern Redbud. We have always been very fond of this small understory tree which puts out flowers all over the branches and trunk...not only on the tips. It has green heart-shaped leaves.


Yesterday, they delivered two more trees for us.
#4 Another Redbud. This one is Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'. The blooms are similar but the heart-shaped leaves are maroon color.


And finally #5. Betula nigra, River Birch. It is a three stem (in this case) with peeling bark that is slightly cinnamony. It's not so susceptible to birch borrer as the Paper Birch is. It grows rapidly and is absolutely lovely.


All are now planted except the birch, we'll do it tomorrow. I have a friend who says no gardener is worth his/her salt who doesn't move plants around. Well, today we moved the little spruce into the north front lawn and put the Forest Pansy inside the fency near the deck.

Can't wait to drink an iced tea in the shade they'll cast. LOL