Monday, May 28, 2012

Flower Gardening in a Mature Yard

Sunday afternoon was planting day at the Hamilton house or should I say potting day.  Since we have lived in the same home for about 30 years, our landscape has changed many times through the years.  Our backyard consists of a very large locust tree, two large Bradford Pear trees, a large Burr Oak tree, two Aspen trees, a pond with a small stream, a small patio, a deck, and flagstone walkways.  Flower beds border the perimeter of the yard and the deck is also surrounded by flower beds.  As the trees have grown, the flower beds have become saturated with tree roots making planting in the beds nearly impossible. Not only are tree roots a problem, but now we have a yard that is mostly shaded throughout the day.  I must say that the trees provide a beautiful canape of appreciated shade with wisps of sunlight peaking through at different times of the day.

So now I must consider how to strategically place all sizes of flower pots throughout the beds to make it flow with the landscape rather than just pots sitting here and there.  I called on my resident landscaper for his design advice.  He gladly obliged me and used his "designer" eye to show me how the pots should be placed and the colors and sizes of plants that would look best in each pot.

The plan is to use an old discarded birdbath as the focal point and place colorfully planted pots mixed with a few in-ground planted perennials and grasses along with a couple of boulders.  And for a final touch, we will add some ground cover and a few trailing annuals to border the bed.

After a quick trip to the Nursery to pick out the perfect annuals and potting soil, it was time to grab the spade and dig in to transform the ugly barren bed into a lovely and aesthetically pleasing flower garden.  When I retrieved my garden tools from the garden shed, my resident landscaper retreated to the recliner to watch whatever is on TV on a Sunday afternoon.  So I was left to enjoy an afternoon of potting some beautiful flowers.  Even though there was a lot of plants to get into the pots, the sound of the water splashing down the waterfall into the pond, the birds chirping in the trees and the dogs playing in the grass made for a lovely afternoon.

As our yard has matured through the years we have had to change how we landscape as well.  Shrubs have been replaced or removed, trees have been pruned, walkways have been moved, but the addition of colorful plants each spring gives the yard the most inviting atmosphere.  Whether gardening in a sunny or shady yard, the color of flowers accent the natural beauty of any landscape.

I will soon post some pictures of this flower bed as soon as my photographer daughter returns from her vacation in Germany.  Happy planting to all.  -Jan

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

We Have Birdbaths!

Add a little color to your garden with a colorful, glass birdbath. Any bird would be thrilled to take a dip in one of these beautiful bowls. And, if you decide it is too beautiful for the birds then let it dress your table top as a decorative piece. We have two sizes of stands to choose from 3 foot or 1 foot. When you stop in be sure to ask us about our solar birdbaths so your bowl can shimmer throughout the day and well into the night.