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Saturday Morning Garden Blog Vol. 19.24 - Garden Remodel! [1]

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Date: 2023-06-17

Last year I wasn’t able to get out in the gardens until July, and they definitely show it this year. I had plans to replant an entire garden in the back yard by moving some perennials around and building some terraces with some nice rocks. I’m also adding some plants I’d inherited from the nursery when they dug up a garden. Those plants are still in the pots! Alive, and doing well of course, but I’d sure like to get it done.

First, though, the front garden on the corner needed attention.

Needs attention for sure

I had thrown a few things in there years ago thinking I would replant them somewhere else. I think I am the only one who does that, right? Anyway, long story short, I am overcome with asters in this particular space. Asters were taking over the few things I’d put in there over the last few years. The arbor has been swallowed up along with the back of the garden. I am happy it’s a very wet year, because it made it easy to pull them up. Some will come back but I’ll try other methods. For now, I’ve beaten back the asters and dug up the biggest dandelions.

Not quite so many asters, although still a jungle.

I am also mitigating wildfire risk so the evergreen trees and bushes at the front of the house, (aka little green torches), need to go. I cut the big Alberta spruce down last year and took a section of fence out for a gate. This year the little Alberta went. It was small and easy to behead. I did this in April after the snow finally melted.

Gone to spruce heaven

This is a tough area for plants because it gets shade in the morning, hot midday sun, then shade in the afternoon. I can see some things reaching for the light and some things needing to be watered and getting sunburned. Some really like it. It’s an unhappy medium for sure! So far the salvia and dianthus are happy. I will add a few annuals for color; I’ve already planted marigolds and I have more dianthus. I’m planting dahlias, bedding plants not the bulbs. I didn’t want to be bothered with the bulbs. I’ve got some gladiolus and amaryllis, it’s enough to fuss with already! When the perfect smaller house comes along, which we are looking for and is elusive, I will take some perennials with me. I’m trying not to add any new ones.

Now that the spruce is gone, I decided to put a pot there with flowers, and maybe a vine of some kind just to cover the cement wall. I may put a honeysuckle there.

A new pot sits on the outside corner waiting to be planted. The original cement one will end up under the arbor.

The rock wall is fairly new. I’ve still got pieces of the old wall, so I used them to rebuild a terrace for the pot of annuals.

The big piece is a capstone from the original rock wall

Here's a photo with the original rock wall. A section is held up by old lilacs, which is all that keeps the whole garden from tumbling down.

Money shot for GUG

Almost done — I added the dahlias sitting on the porch steps to the front of the terrace where the pot sits. It will be pretty when they are blooming more. Charlie has been supervising.

Looks a lot better to me

I got done with all this just in time for it to start raining Thursday night and we ended up with 3/4” of rain. It rained all night, perfect! I have a few more things to do, such as pull/dig up more asters!

A longer view of the garden:

Done for now, other projects await.

Another reason I was working hard to get the front garden in shape is because we have our yearly fair this weekend, Strawberry Days. It's at the park down the street from us and people will be parking in our neighborhood today. Gotta look good! I'll be going to the parade downtown later but will check in with everyone after that.

I ran across this at one of the nurseries I visited a few weeks ago in Gypsum, CO.

His-n-hers potting sink

Some flowers from the gardens:

Cranesbill & catmint

Austrian copper and yellow roses

Anemone blanda

We’re dog sitting for my younger sister. She and my older sister are on a road trip to California so she dropped off Lacey and left O’Brien at our local boarding kennel. Lacey has already learned the jobs and she and Charlie are Team Deer after only one day. Apparently Mr. Light and the two dogs went up to Aspen yesterday and visited the John Denver Sanctuary while I was slaving away for the family dollar. LOL. She was very tired last night. She’s super sweet and gets along with Charlie very well. He is a little jealous but we give him extra attention.

A little nap to recharge.

Now I can turn my attention to the weed pit in the back yard. It's way overdue.

What's going on with your gardens? We love to hear about them, whether they're 300 acres big or windowsill small.

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