A Front Yard Creek

My yard plans change frequently with new ideas and pictures I find. It's a good thing my plans get put into place so slowly, then when I change, it only happens in my mind and on paper.

My latest plan includes a stream in my front yard! Okay, that might only happen in 15 years when I have a little more time, but I'm filing it away as awesome.

Check out this one in LA seen here on Studio G.


Wouldn't it be great to sit on your porch and listen to the stream gurgle, or watch while your grand kids splash around in it (see I really mean like 20 years from now!).

Sightseeing Around St. Louis

We had a few days to check out St. Louis. Of course we went downtown to see the Arch, Gateway to the West.

And saw the mighty Mississippi, very high from spring rain and runoff? (that's a very mountain thing and there weren't many mountains out there).

We went to the zoo which was beautiful, but where I took no pictures. We went to the Botanical gardens which were also beautiful and I DID take pictures. Here are just a few.




The koi were something else. They were huge and their big vacuum like mouths just sucked up anything. Honestly, they kind of grossed me out, so I took a break elsewhere while they were well fed.

Garden Dreams in January

It's starting already. Every winter, after the glow of Christmas is past, and the long haul of coldness stretches out before me, I start dreaming of gardening. That is really where I excel, the dreaming part. Round about June or July, I am all out of dreams and not an ounce of work ethic left. So, I enjoy the dreaming.

Well, I already got my first plant catalog in the mail and today I opened it up during lunch. Oh, there were some pretty ones, day lilies, hostas, campanulas and of course the echinaceas and rudbeckias that I love. Anyway. . .

I've already started dreaming of a few projects I want to try this spring. First is a new big flower bed around the crab apple tree we planted last fall. That has been in the works for some time, so I'm pretty sure I can get that one done.

Second is a terrarium. I saw this pretty one on Midwest Living.

However, owing to the fact that I don't own anything like that, I may have to try something like one of these.


Third, I want to make fairy or mini-gardens with my girls this spring. I prefer them without fairies showing.
BHG.com
Odeedoh.com
Odeedoh.com (Isn't the tire swing totally cute)
How About Orange had a link to directions at The Herb Companion.

Forth, I have been thinking of trying a tabletop water garden, where you just put water in a pot, a few water plants, and presto! But I can't find the picture I have of one, so you'll just have to imagine.

Harvesting carrots

I planted my own carrots this year. They are looking quite lovely. We ate our first one last week. Just so you know, it is hard to know when to harvest carrots. You look at the top of the orange peeking out of the dirt to see if they are big enough. Besides that, you just have to pull one to see.

The good side is that they don't go bad if you leave them in the ground after they are ready. So, clear until frost threatens, you can just go pick one whenever you are in the mood.

Happy beta-carotene-ing.

P.S. Do you think carrot cake with home grown carrots would be especially good?

MaLM - Happiness on a Monday

Make a List Monday -- Happiness

1. giggling baby
2. sleeping through the night
3. dancing
4. finishing our service chain
5. waking to a clean kitchen
6. eating M&M cookies
7. FHE
8. a call from my hubby
9. watching children learn and progress (piano, gymnastics, running, interacting all today)
10. crocuses
11. outside, no jacket needed

Dreaming of Spring

I'm daydreaming of spring today, flowers, pergolas, playing outside, warm feet. Oh, spring, please come soon!

Wood stack art

Amazing, isn't it.


Via Studio G

Front yard landscaping

I've been trying to plan a front yard landscape for a long time. I just can't decide what to do. Matt wants to be clear that if I make a bunch of big flower beds (against his better judgement) that I'll be weeding them. (Truthfully, he'll help if I ask I think, but I do most of that.)

I drove around and snapped some pictures to study. I decided to go to a more expensive neighborhood after driving around mine and seeing that there wasn't much creative, well, nice-looking creative going on. I figured maybe there were more professionally designed yards in the higher end market.

So here they are. If you wouldn't mind, leave a comment about which one you like best and why. I'm curious to see which ones you like. Thanks. Keep in mind that some of these are obviosly new lanscapes and will grow in some day (the main drawback of newer areas).
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Our own bean stalk

This spring a magic bean stalk grew in our front yard. My grumpily sceptic husband didn't believe and wanted to pull it up. But I insisted, and so up it grew.

The week before we were planning our trip up to find our own golden-egg laying goose, we came home to find it knocked over by some evil spell or perhaps a strong wind. Either way, our dreams of an early retirement are dashed.

MaLM - Going right in the garden

Make-a-list Monday -- Things that are going right in my garden today.
1. Third time's a charm with the squash (bugs are staying away kind of) 2. tomatoes are getting red 3. Bleeding heart resurfaces after an almost death and sweet woodruff takes off 4. Cosmos from seed survived the transplant outside

5. Peaches are growing (at least on one tree) 6. Late planted columbine bloom and will hopefully survive till next year 7. the beanstalk is growing, he he he 8. Black-eyed Susans are blooming this year

9. Russian sage is huge 10. Delphiniums blooming

11. Lamb's ear, maybe doing a little too well 12. Hollyhocks survived the bugs, as did the daisies (small, very small) 13. last year's cosmos reseeded 14. Happy Returns daylillies finally established and blooming : )

How does your garden grow?

Yellow house of mine

I wish my little yellow house looked this cute. I need big trees I think.


Via Porchlight Interiors

My little Idaho trip

Last week I spent a few days with my mom and sisters in Idaho Falls. Besides the chatting, laughing, games and fun, we were rather productive. We planted a big flower bed for my mom. Here are a few pictures. This is all we could get done. We (or at least I) am planning on putting in a slate/blue stone patio in front of the screen and extending the bed around the little sidewalk up to the front door. It could use some compost or bark to spruce it up and a good edging job, but that can come later.

I think it will be great, just give it a few months (or years) to grow in.




I tried to get her to plant some purples or pinks, but she'd have non of that, strictly yellow, orange and red for her. Figures.

A spot of sun

Our first raspberries of the season.

Mail order nurseries

My front flower bed, July 2007

I've ordered plants from a few nurseries. I have been less than pleased and less than successful in growing some of these specimens. So when I found this list in a magazine, I saved it. Maybe you'd like to see it too.

The top five nurseries:
Bluestone Perennials
Forestfarm
Lazy S'S Farm Nursery
High Country Gardens
Garden Crossings

The Bottom Five:
Michigan Bulb Co
Wayside Gardens
Gardener's Choice
Direct Gardening
Four Seasons Nursery

Do you have any experience with these? I've used Michigan Bulb (not good) and Wayside Gardens (okay).

Also check out www.GardenWatchdog.com for a VERY comprehensive list of nurseries.

Make-a-list-Monday: Shrubs for shade

Top: red twig dogwood, boxwood
Bottom: mountain lover, ninebark

Just for you Kevin. I found this list of shrubs for shade at www.LarrySagers.com right here. It also lists all other kinds of shade loving (or tolerating) plants. Just beware, many of these grow way too big for comfort.

Shrubs for shady areas
"Flourish in filtered light"
1. Red twig and yellow twig dogwood
2. ninebark
3. thimbleberry
4. mountain lover
5. snowberry

"Tried and true"
6. barberry (these are thorny)
7. boxwood
8. euonymus (like burning bush, but I think that specific one needs light to get its nice red color)
9. laurels
10. yews

"Tolerate some shade"
11. Kolkwitzia
12. Oregon grape
13. mock orange
14. honeysuckle
15. viburnums

"for something a little more unusual"
16. hydrangeas
17. Japanese maples
18. a few azaleas and rhododendrons.

P.S. Here are a few good hostas.