Happy Holidays!!

Lucky that I took a picture of this - After 16 inches of snow last weekend, it is now buried!!

New deck

This deck is twice the size of our old deck and made of composite, so it is maintenance free.  A pergola will be added over half of it in the spring.

It was built by The Remodeler Shop, Forest Lake, MN.  They did a great job. 

I'm already thinking about how to connect the deck with the yard with plantings! 

Completed path

I used small bark mulch to fill in this path rather than pea gravel. I like the contrast of the dark mulch with the bricks.

Paths need a destination.  Right now, this one just ends at the edge of the house.  My plan is to add a small patio on the west side of the house that this path will lead to.  Then it really will be "complete"! 

Thinking about adding a bridge over the dry stream bed.

Blue bird aster blooming!

I added two of these asters to the front border last year.  They are late blooming, and I have to admit that I got a bit impatient just waiting for them to bloom.  But I think they were worth the wait!

One maple tree moved!

Two more to go!  I'm not sure if this one will make it - when I dug it up, the roots were still pot-shaped.  Some of them were growing in a circle, so I cut them.  The large oak behind this new maple lost a large branch last summer.  Hopefully, this maple will grow and fill in the space. 

Front path progress

I've laid 125 bricks on the edges of this path and am about half done.  I've decided to use pea gravel for the fill. Need to buy more bricks!!

New garden planted!

In the back, there are some dark Bugbanes (Cimcifuga or Actaea), and a Guacamole hosta (which is a big hosta!).  There are three Taunton yews, more hostas, including Paradigm, which has a gold leaf edged in blue green, a Color Flash astible, and some Pinot Gris coral bells. On the front edge, there are King of Hearts bleeding heart and two kinds of lamium. 

I hope to continue adding to this bed by building more small layers of rock edging until I get to the bottom of the slope - like mini-terraces.  That will make it much easier to mow.      

Lilac is moved....

To a new home where it will get more sun. Now I have a new shade garden area! Moved in a pagoda dogwood shrub. Now, what else can I add?

Golden Shadows Pagoda

This is a beautiful little tree, with creamy margins on the leaves and wonderful fall color, as you can see.  I love the horizontal branching form of these trees.  The dogwood that was here before is being moved to the opposite corner of the house. 

Trellises

I added these trellises to the east wall of the garage.  Next spring, I'll plant clematis to grow up them.  I added some shrub roses (Sunrise Sunset and Fairy) and a Carol Macke Daphne to this area.  I have always wanted a Carol Macke Daphne, but after doing some research, I know that they don't transplant well.  So I am thinking good thoughts that this one will be happy in its new home!

Additions to the tree line -

Bought lots of trees and shrubs on sale - and have been adding them to the tree line at the back of our lot.

It is a challenge because there are big mature oaks, a line of 10 year old Austrian pines and these newly planted trees look so small!  I tried to add some taller shrubs - a Wentworth and Arrowwood viburnums, and three Wichita Blue junipers.  Also added were cotoneasters, a blue shag pine, and varigated dogwoods. Oh, and three Techny arborvitae and hazelnuts.  I have to remember that this is a work in progress -

What's left on my list?

Here is my list from April.


1. Finish mulching around the vegetable garden.

2. Build a retaining wall on the east side of the garage.

3. Lay fabric and mulch on my path to get rid of the grass, finish edging with rock, and create a seating area as a destination.

4. Move trees!!!

5. Find permanent homes for the techny arborvitae and cottoneasters on the east side of the garage.

6. Shade garden on north side of garage.

7. Plant cutting garden!!!

8. Put down corn gluten on lawn to help cut down on weeds.

9. Move lilac.

10. Add lights to front walkway.

11. Add new water feature to front garden.

Most of my to-do list has gotten done.  I still need to work on number three - I know I won't get the patio for the seating area done this year.  But I hope to get the path in good shape with a brick border.
I still need to move the maple trees and the lilac.  I am also working on a path next to the retaining wall and have purchase a beautiful arbor to place at the end of that path.  I'd like to get that in.  There are also bulbs and some more shrubs to plant.  I am hoping for a nice fall!!

New trees

We are adding some Black Hills spruce trees to the tree line.  They are about 6 feet tall.  They look so small compared to the Austrian pines, but they'll grow! 

The holes are dug, but we didn't have time to get them in place. We'll get that done tonight.  In our zone, evergreens need to be planted by early October. They'll need to be watered until the ground freezes to ensure they have enough moisture to get through the winter. 

Roses and catmint - still going strong!

These are Sven shrub roses - just planted this year. And look how nicely they combine with Walkers Low Nepeta (catmint).  The puple continues on the corner with some nice russian sage.

Mums!

This hardy mum just started blooming!  Doesn't it look great?

Tiger Eye Sumac

Another shrub for fall interest (although it looks good all summer, too!) is the Tiger Eye Sumac.  These were so tiny when I planted them, I wasn't sure they would make it through the winter.  They have grown and are looking good!

Winterberry Shrub

I planted three winterberry (ilex) shrubs in the front garden for fall and winter interest.  They are still pretty small, but look at the nice orange berries!

Retaining wall - one last section

This is the east side of the new planting area.  It is pretty empty now, but it will get filled!  I plan to add trellises on the wall and some clematis. 

Retaining wall - more pictures

The back section of this garden includes a pagoda dogwood on the corner and lots of hostas!  There are also three upright Japanese yews. When they are mature, they will  get to be about 15 feet tall.  There are also some goatsbeard, bleeding heart, ferns, ligularia, coral bells, varigated jacob's ladder,
and astilbes. 

Retaining wall - done!!

This corner includes a new rain barrell, some Blue Mammoth, and Honeybell hostas, a few columbines, a Jack Frost Brunnera, and some Roy Davidson pulmonarias.

Redshift coreopsis

I wasn't sure this coreopsis would change color like it was supposed to. It has - the petals are becoming more red. The coloration is interesting - I like it!

Just about done ....

With this retaining wall. It stretches all the way around the back of the garage and is about 100 feet long.

Retaining wall

Finally, some cooler weather so I can work out in the yard!  I've started working on the retaining wall on the northeast corner of the garage.  There will be a path next to the wall. It will be a long wall - from the front corner of the garage all the way around to the back. 

In this large area on the east side of the garage, I hope to plant some clematis vines on trellises.  There is a doublefile viburnum that will stay and I will add more plants and shrubs. 

Silver Feather Miscanthus

This grass is just starting to bloom.  It is in the front of the house and it has gotten tall!  I am thinking that I might move it next spring to a place where it will show up better.  I would replace it with a Karl Forester grass - its nice brown color would contrast nicely with the light color of the house and brick in front.

Froggy visitor

We have lots of toads, salamanders, and tree frogs that are regular visitors to our garden, but we don't usually see regular frogs.  This guy was enjoying the water feature in the front garden. 

Shrub rose

 





















This rose is in full bloom and looking so beautiful! I love the faint pink blush to this pure white rose.

Here is the same rose, with its neighbor, a russian sage.

Tiny Rudbeckia

This tiny rudbeckia self-seeded from an annual rudbeckia.  It didn't pick the best spot to grow - in a bed of irises - but it is too cute to pull out!

New Coreopsis

This is a Redshift coreopsis.  It is supposed to turn redder as it ages, but even if it doesn't, it still looks nice!

Hydrangeas

The hydrangeas in my front border are blooming.  They include a Tardiva, Pink Diamond and Pinky Winky. 

Stargazers

Love these lilies - I just wish they lasted longer!

Cutting Garden - with lilies in bloom

The yellow and white and Stargazer lilies are blooming in the cutting garden.  Other flowers that are blooming are cosmos, zinnias, and bachelor buttons.

 Here's a closer look at some of the lilies.

Sven shrub rose

I planted 7 of these Sven shrub roses at the front of a border.  As you can see, they add a lot of color!

Blanching green beans

Yes, we picked our first batch of beans and I just finished blanching them.  I also picked some small tomatoes today and we have been enjoying zucchini and  banana peppers.  My potatoes are growing - I "planted" them in big black nursery pots and am using straw to cover them rather than dirt.  As the plants grow taller, I add more straw. 

We did have some wind damage - my tomatoes were blown all over and I had to tie them up.  Our peas were pretty much destroyed, so I am going to replant them - I figure that we might have enough time to harvest a few in September if I get them planted now.

Through the arbor

This is the view through the arbor of the front garden.  The arbor got blown over again in the last storm, so I am thinking that I need to replace the wisteria with a climbing rose.  That might be a bit sturdier and not so easy to blow over.

White balloon flowers and a pink Volcano phlox!

View

This is the view from where my hose is - so I see it often when I am watering.  In the upper left corner, there is a new birdhouse - it is surrounded by grapevines.

Cutting Garden

It is mulched!  After I planted this garden, I realized that it might have been more effective to plant in drifts.  So I might be re-arranging it next spring.

Waiting for the lilies in this garden to bloom!

Russian sage

Can you see my new gazing ball hiding in the Russian Sage?  It is nestled in begind the Moonbeam coreopsis.  It looks like a big bubble - and it's pink!

Border - Mulched!!!!

This big border that wraps around my vegetable garden is all mulched.  What a great feeling to have it done!  I laid cardboard and thick layers of newspaper (10 pages or more) under the mulch.  The front border that I mulched last fall has had some grass that has come through the newspapers - I think we laid about 6 layers of newspaper under the mulch.  I'm hoping that the extra layers will keep the weeds out! 

Tree rose

This rose has blooms that change color as they age - orange, pink, and yellow!

Twist and Shout hydrangea

It is a bit hard to see, but the Twist and Shout hydrangea just behond this planter is starting to bloom!  There are three of them in this border and they are all getting ready to put on a show!  I'll post more pictues when they are showing more blooms.

(The Twist and Shout is a zone 4 plant - but you never know if they will work in your part of zone 4 until they survive a winter or two!)

Purple Smoke bush

I planted two Royal Purple smoke bushes last summer.  This one is beautiful!  The other one - well, it's blooming, but it isn't as nice looking as this one.  I plan to cut these back to a foot or so high every two years, as they tend to get tall and spindly looking as they age if they are not cut back. 

This one is combined with Goldmound spireas and the other one is combined with Gold Lace junipers.

Eldorado grass

Love the way this eldorado grass looks in the border!  I especially like the movement as it sways in the wind.  Next to the grass is some Joe Pye weed, which I am sure will be much larger next year!  There is another eldorado grass on the other side of the Joe Pye weed. 

I like this grass so much that I am going to add more on the adjacent side of the fencing.  You can't see it  here, but there is a wild indigo planted in the area and I think the grass will compliment it very nicely.

Surprise garden -

Last fall, I scrambled to get some plants that a friend had given me in the ground.  I didn't know what color the daylilies or the phlox were, I just put them in and hoped for the best!  They are finally blooming - and while I need to do a bit of moving, they are looking quite nice at the entrance to the vegetable garden.  I need to add some plants that bloom in spring and early summer. There are some spring bulbs in this garden, but it needs a bit more color, especially in early summer.