Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Then and now, the front yard

It was definitely a yard not a garden when we bought the house (above – May 2005). All that grass!

May 2006. The grass is gone and the baby plants are in place. But look at the HUGE ALUMINUM mail box. I don’t think we could have found a bigger one if we tried.
Another one of those ideas that seemed like a good one at the time, the concrete planting circles (above and below). I desperately wanted to pour round concrete planters of various heights around the front garden. I still love the idea and think it would be fabulous! However the reality of budget stepped in and squashed my vision. In a misguided attempt to cheaply replicate the idea I purchased those round scalloped circles that come in 3 sections and buried the scalloped edge in the ground. The circles contained Canna lilies and Kniphofia. I grew to hate the circles.

April 2007, the plants are getting bigger. 2008 would have been a lovely picture if I had one, just imagine it…

And early this September 2009, on a sunny day, notice the planting circles are gone! I got rid of those earlier in the spring. Good riddance! September 2009, on a cloudy day. I’ve removed the eye-sore buried terra-cotta pots (in the center of the above picture) and torn out the huge Miscanthus in the far right corner. Here’s a little teaser picture of what you don’t see above, and why I tore out the floppy misbehaving Miscanthus …Tetrapanax! I planted a new grouping in the corner of the garden with Tetrapanax, Yucca A. Purpurea from Tsugawa, and a borderline hardy purple Cordyline (which I promise not to cry about if it doesn’t make it through the winter). I can’t wait to have passers bye stopping to stare at the Tetrapanax next year!

6 comments:

  1. Love the transition of your home to a gardened place.

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  2. Look at the baby plants way back when! I love the progression of a garden. It's one of my favorite things about this whole business of taking pictures of the garden - knowing that one day I'll be able to look back and see how different everything looks. I can't wait to see your new tetrapanax next year in all it's hugeness.

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  3. More marvelous changes over the years. I like that poured-concrete circle idea too, Loree. I've actually seen it done with differing heights of stock tanks!

    I'm wondering--do you have a path from the street to the front door, or do you get there from the driveway?

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  4. Your neighbors must be thrilled. Are they following your lead?
    The house itself looks better and better as the garden matures. Talk about raising property value!

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  5. DG~~ And as you know, your teensy little Tetrapanax, [not all that small really] will morph into a giant in no time. What a sight that will be. It looks like your phormiums made it through last winter. My 'Sundowner' was a real downer after that crud. This year if cold threatens I'm putting a bucket over it. ... I dug out my Miscanthus too. I love them but they grow too fast and get too big. They need a huge space to look their best. And digging them is no small feat either.

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  6. Ilona, well put! I love the way you said that!

    Megan, isn't it fun? I wish I hadn't lost a whole year of pictures though (2008) because that was when it was looking REALLY good. Before winter 2008/9 knocked everything back a couple of notches.

    Pam, no path from the street but there is a smaller sidewalk from the driveway, actually it is odd but none of the houses in our neighborhood connect to the main sidewalk/street they are all entered via the driveway.

    ricki, actually the one thing that almost kept me from doing this series of posts was looking at the house. It's ugly! I wanted a ranch style home but when we were house hunting every single one we saw was on a corner lot with no backyard at all...not acceptable! Someone once told me that I actually lowered the property value by tearing out the grass. I so don't care! And unfortunately the neighbors are not gardeners, except one...and he has a fabulous palm!

    Grace, actually what you see in the last picture are new phormiums. I replaced them early in the spring. So sad! This year I vow to protect them with insulation, should we face another arctic event (please god no!)

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