Showing posts with label mock orange. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mock orange. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

a few more favorite plants



Always a favorite, the butterfly flower of French lavender is such a treat.




A spreader, but in a good way, golden hakone grass, was slow to establish, but very worth the wait.  The leaves are bright yellow in full sun and take on a more lime green tinge in part shade.




Once referred to as my ginkgo stick... this came home with me from a Canadian Tire garden center in the back of my car.  It is finally starting to look like a tree! 


The newest magnolia to join our collection... is very quickly becoming the favorite!


As always, mock orange shrub is a stress free plant that just gives and gives and takes nothing in return.


One of the most magnificent plants is also free in this area.  The Western sword fern grows wild in these parts.  We have relocated quite a few over the years and with some spring trimming of old leaves, some mulch and a bit of water, they grow to unbelievable proportions.  The CDs hanging from the tree are there to scare away the deer that love to eat my hostas!  Sometimes it works, sometimes not...

Another new addition to the garden this year is a giant solomons seal.  The flowers aren't as obvious as on the common variety but the height and the leaves are spectacular.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

97 photos later....


This time of year a 10 minute walkabout in the yard can result in 97 photos. Once I get snapping I loose all semblance of control.  

What I love about digital photos and the many editing tools out there is you can control exactly what is seen, and what is NOT seen.

With this photo I managed not to show you the grotesque messy area to the left that once housed a very nice deck. Over time, and yes, with some neglect, it just rotted away into nothingness. The nothingness actually came about after applying much muscle and sweat to many power tools. In the end we hauled away 6 pickup loads of rotten lumber.  My vision for the area is a lovely little rock/gravel garden with wrought iron stairs coming down from the french doors.  Right now it's just a big ugly space full of weeds and left over garden pots, French doors that badly need paint, and no stairs at all. And no, you can't see it!  Well, maybe if I do a before and after photo shoot. 

I guess I could have cropped out the fiberglass lampshade from the 70's (it's sitting in a lawn chair on the front deck) but then we wouldn't see the peek-a-boo view down the lane between the house and garage.  My plan was to power wash the lampshade, line it with moss and plant in it. We shall see...


At the moment a yellow bird magnolia tree,a mock orange shrub and an evergreen clematis are blocking the view of our front door.  Which is really okay by me as it badly needs a paint job. I just can't decide what color it should be.  I really need to weed around those lavenders!

























A mock orange shrub is now climbing all over the new roof (love the new roof).  Yes, it really is a shrub.  I guess I should try to curtail that a little for next season.