At least, that's the big plan. The patio that was creating chaos at our house last week is finished, the new sod is settling in (thank goodness for all that lovely rain we had), and we're about to get serious about making the pergolas that have been in our heads for the last year and a half or so into reality. This afternoon we're going to attempt to get the posts up - it should be interesting as they're about 12' high.
Meanwhile, our back/side yard has gone from this:
to this:
All along the back of the new patio will be garden (as well as at the sides, eventually) - we'd like to plant some vines along the existing retaining wall to give us and our neighbours some privacy - and those holes will be where the posts for the pergolas go. The pipe sticking up in the middle is for the electrical that my husband's going to run from the house. It's kind of hard to tell, but the big stones at the right form a retaining wall that is about 3' high.
The cherry tree will go in at the top of the hill (to the right of the wall), and I think we've agreed on a Freemanii maple for the left side of the yard. Not really my preference, but it was definitely my husband's turn to pick a tree.
Have I mentioned that my husband built a new garden bed for raspberries as well? It matches the ones he built last spring. It's sitting empty for now, but once we get a truckload of dirt in for all these new gardens, I'm planting. Can't wait.
Some of my must-haves for the new garden beds:
Cimicfuga simplex 'Brunette' or 'Black Negligee' (pretty, tall, unusual and amazingly scented)
blueberries
irises
hostas
white bleeding heart (or Dutchman's bloomers :) )
white climbing roses - maybe on the pergola posts? up the deck posts, or on the fence? not sure.
lavender
Siberian bugloss (beautiful foliage, little pink to blue flowers)
Heuchera (love them all)
tall ornamental grasses (mainly to block the view of the dog's 'area')
Artemisia 'silver mound'
alliums
Cerastium Tomentosum (Snow in Summer)
Japanese Kerria (a shrub with pretty yellow flowers)
rhubarb
... and about a million more. I may add to this list just to keep track for myself! As you can probably tell, I have a penchant for white, silver and purple. I'll probably throw some more chives in - they're pretty, work with my purple craving, and yummy too. (The kerria will be from a slip my mum's planted for me - I'll have to find the perfect spot where it will accent and not clash :) )
That's what's up at our house these days. What are your garden/yard plans for the summer? Any gorgeous plants you are lusting after that I should know about?
I like lily of the valley to fill in between, my mom had it when we were kids and I used to like when she'd bring it in the house. We also had a lilac tree, loved bringing that in too. There is another one I forget the name now, but we'd call it the ant flower because it was always covered in ants but it was pretty otherwise (lol). This looks like it's going to be very nice, good luck!
ReplyDeleteSounds like an exciting project! The patio is looking pretty spiffy already!
ReplyDeleteI've started my gardening early this year. I was pleasantly surprised to see that most of my perennials from last year are coming back in full force, but my husband and I are addicted to plant shopping, so we have been adding various goodies to our garden every weekend. My favourites include lilac (got 4 of them :D), artemisia (so soft I can't keep my hands off of it :)), day lilies, tiger lilies, oriental lilies (they smell so awesome!), astilbes, hostas, primulas, dahliettas, violas, English daisies.. and something I had never heard of before - aquilegia - which we planted last year, at which point it didn't do much, but now it is blooming and is so pretty and intriguing!