Spring Garden Tour

Ok y'all,

grab your favorite beverage and put your feet up for a few minutes,
because we'll be taking a tour of our Spring Garden.

Our Spring mulching is finished...

all 322 bags

(23.85 yards)

(We usually get mulch in bulk, but both big box stores had a great sale on bags, which made it less expensive)

So glad it's done!

We finished mulching the flower beds late this year.

A few years ago we started too early and were finished in March. You'd think we'd know by now that April is the best month to get this job done.  The weather is still cool and the perennials haven't popped up yet so it's easier to spread the mulch.

It was near 90 degrees (with a lot of  humidity) a couple of days that we were working in the yard. 

On to the tour:

Let's start in the front yard. Our youngest daughter's boyfriend got us off to a great start and spread the mulch in the front flower beds.
Thank you Blake!

It was a big help. 

I trimmed all 25 of the shrubs in the front by hand the day before and cut out 3 shrubs with my new pole saw.

I tell ya, I was ready to cut all of the shrubs down when I was about half way through trimming them. 

This photo shows what is seen from the front yard, looking into the back.

Our "North" garden raised beds are just beyond the Bradford Pear tree hiding behind two Cleyera shrubs.

This year I expanded my herb garden.

A few years ago I planted mint in a container in the ground to contain the roots. The oregano is doing really well and both the mint and oregano are perennials pretty enough to put in a flower bed.

This year thyme, cilantro and two kinds of parsley were planted. I plant basil ever year, as well.

Oregano...

 Mint

These are our North garden raised beds and the wood planters  Mr. DIY made for me  last year.

We've already been harvesting broccoli and snow peas. Potatoes and garlic should be ready next month.

Cucumbers and squash are about 8" high.

Turning around toward the house you can see a long line of hostas. They are the first plant to come alive in the Spring.

Now we are back up "topside" on the side of the garage looking down into the backyard.

Our "South garden" veggie beds are to the left along side of the house.

Walking down the hill into the backyard...this is one of the easiest photos to take in the morning because the light is perfect. Photos taken from this part of the yard show the true color of the yard and need no editing at all.

Everything from this part of the yard looks so green, even the lawn which is at least 50% weeds.

We've had a few difficult summers and the grass has had a hard time.

Ok, seriously, this is the last one.

Back up on the deck looking down into the yard...

you can see the garden path leading down to the patio in the woods and my childhood playhouse.

Looking a bit to the left...

...a bit to the right...

...and a little more to the right.  

If you'd like to see how the garden before we did any work, you can click HERE. 
It wasn't always a backyard oasis. It was REALLY rough!

When I look back at those before pics, it's hard to believe. 

My parents gave me the little blue playhouse for my 5th birthday. It's painted just like our first home back in SoCal. We brought it with us when we moved to North Carolina.

We've changed things up over the years. When our girls were little, their swing set was where the paver patio was and the playhouse was farther back. The path used to wind around to the right and then continue almost to the creek. 

We use a yard of cypress chips on the path. The chips last a long while and we only have to freshen it up every other year.

When the weather is nice, we love having friends over to have a fire in the fire pit. Just wish we could get rid of the mosquitoes in the summertime!

Mr. DIY installed the patio in the woods pretty much all by himself. I think I helped a little. I remember we had a pretty big pile of sand and our girls played in it. I vaguely remember a pretty cool photo looking through a tunnel in the sand and I'm going to have to dig that up. (I think it was before digital photography)

This stone frog sits in the ajuga growing near the edge of the paver patio.

Begonias and a trailing vine do well in a shady spot beside the patio.

I love this spot....

Stepping back into the mulched area...

Looking back up the path toward the house...

My favorite outdoor space is under the deck. I'll have to show you that space another time.

Do you love hostas as much as I do? They are easy to grow from rhizomes. I think I bought 3 bags of 8 hosta rhizomes and planted them in the Fall about 12 years ago. When the plants got bigger, I just divided them until the back of the house and the North side along the house had a long line of hostas.

They are so pretty.

Deer don't seem to bother the hostas planted near the house.

...another hosta near the  patio under the deck.

Well, you made it to the end of our Spring Garden Tour. I hope you enjoyed it. 

Thanks for stopping by and visiting our garden!

Pam

'Tis The Season For Flowers And Mulch

It's Spring and flowers are popping up everywhere!

Our youngest daughter gave me these beautiful white Hydrangeas for Mother's Day last week. 

They are still looking fresh.

I learned something new about hydrangeas last week. 

I didn't know that sometimes if they are kept out of water too long...such as a car ride home... that they can wilt. 

I don't ever think I've bought hydrangeas; I've always cut them out of my neighbor's yard (with her permission of course). 

You can see more of my neighbor's hydrangeas  in one of my tablescapes HERE

A quick search on Mr. Google told me how to fix that....just cut off about an inch of the stems under water and immediately dip the newly cut stems  in 2-3" of hot (just boiled) water for about 30 seconds.

Seems that if they are out of water for awhile, a sticky substance forms and clogs up the stem so that they can't soak up  water. 

After putting  put them in hot water, put the hydrangeas in some fresh water in a vase. 

They perk up in about 30 minutes.

Mr. DIY gave me 3 blue hydrangea plants for Mother's Day.

We planted them and they look great. I can't wait to cut flowers from these beauties!

The black tubing is the irrigation and will be buried underneath the mulch.

Speaking of beautiful hydrangeas, I propagated a new plant from  a cutting of this gorgeous hydrangea outside my doctors office. 

I sure hope I can keep it alive during the hot summer!

My peonies are currently blooming in the garden and I had to cut a few and bring them in. 

I love cutting fresh flowers in the garden. 

If you've been following me on Instagram, you know that I've been working hard in the garden spreading mulch. We had 300 bags of dyed mulch delivered and we bought 19 bags of regular hardwood mulch to spread around our raised beds. 

These were 4 full pallets of 75 bags. Our daughter's boyfriend spread the mulch in the front yard. 

I'm so glad he could help us out. 

Fresh mulch each Spring makes the whole yard look pretty.

I took this photo late yesterday  of the backyard garden path as some clouds were coming in. Mr. DIY was able to stop at the landscaping supply  before they closed and picked up a yard of Cypress chips for the garden path. 

We still have about 114 bags to spread this weekend. It's going to be gorgeous and perfect weather here ~ sunny and warm, but cool enough to work in the garden.

Will you be spending some time in your garden this weekend to plant your favorite flowers?

Pam

If you'd like to follow me on Instagram, click HERE

Spring Porch

Spring arrived here in the Carolinas last month and has  quickly warmed up to summer temps.

The mornings are still cool and enjoyable and the humidity is low,

which makes it perfect for sitting outside on our front because the mosquitoes aren't out yet.

Gotta love that!

Wherever you are, now is the time to make a pretty little space outdoors to sit and take a break..

and drink your favorite refreshment

and listen to the birds

and look at the flowers blooming

and maybe even read a book.

I always pick up a few ferns and a few flowers and put them in pots around the porch.

 ...nothing fancy or expensive.

Just remember to water the flowers occasionally. 

(note to self)

I got out my Spring bouquet and hung it on the door.

It could use a big bow, don't you think?

Make it a habit today and take a break outside in a pretty spot, however short.

As the Nike slogan goes, just do it!

Where is your favorite spot to take a break?

Pam

Joining:
Savvy Southern Style

Bring The Beauty In

 

I often go out to the garden and cut whatever looks interesting and bring it inside and put it in a vase. There aren't always flowers blooming in the yard, but there are a few in the Spring. 

Sitting outside yesterday looking out onto the woods I noticed how the leaves of the once little Japanese Maple on the edge of the patio were looking so red and vibrant. 

 Then I noticed the tree was looking a little overgrown and droopy. A few branches had grown and were drooping right over several of the nandina in front of it. 

Took me about a minute to go get some sheers to cut those vibrant red Japanese Maple branches.

Several of the  peonies had grown large too and some of the big heavy flowers were practically on the ground. 

I cut the droopy peonies and brought them inside and put them in a vase with some water with the branches.

They look perfect on the table in the Breakfast Room.

Think I'll go outside and cut a few blooms off one of the Knockout Rose bushes like my daughter did the other day.

What beauties do you have growing in your backyard that you could bring in?

wishing you a beautiful day

Pam