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Saturday 4 April 2009

Shared space project ... would you ?

Thankfully I have projects on my mind that divert attention to the utter disaster facing me in the back garden .. OK .. not a permanent disaster but darn well an eye sore right now ?
This shot was early June last year and you can see why I tried to "picture" my side only.
My neighbor has a lot on her hands, so I never expected her to garden the way I do.
I have tried to work out a plan that will unify our spaces together in a pretty, but subtle way .. that is where the Halcyon hostas from Costco and a few of my baby Ostrich ferns will come in.
We both have gas meters .. mine is usually hidden by ornamental grass. So I will be asking if I can do the same for Connie's as well. I am concentrating on low plantings because Connie has the wood stove pipe jutting out quite a bit. I don't want her to worry about plants getting in the way.
After I show her what I want to do .. and if she gives me the green light .. I will be finishing it off with black mulch to keep things neat and tidy.
Would you let me have my way with your wasted space ???? : )
I have day lilies, foxglove, blue lobelia, clumping bamboo .. ornamental kiwi vine, Henrii and Niobe clematis in this area .. and a few more tricks up my sleeve to come !
I'm hoping to have one heck of an "after" picture this year with both sides looking gorgeous !
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31 comments:

Laura said...

I wouldn't see why your neighbor would object especially if you are on good terms!

Cathy S. said...

I'm sure after you are done it will look stunning.

RURAL said...

I have a feeling that it is going to look beeeeeeutiful after you are done. I hope that she goes for it.

Jen

Anonymous said...

Your side of the shared space looks great Joy, I hope your neighbor lets you spruce hers up with some plants & mulch. Can't wait to see the after photos, cause I'm sure you can be pretty persuasive. ;)

Tessa said...

Sounds like a plan to me! And yes! I would let you do whatever you wanted with my wasted space, if I were her- your beds are gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

Of course I'd let you use my space, your amazing!
We have some disused land near us where a train track used to be and I've been wishing for a community garden to start up there, not sure if it would ever happen, but it sure would be great if it did.

Kathleen said...

Hey Joy! If you wanted to come plan, plant, weed, etc., my dead space, I'd absolutely, hands down let you! :-) and be 100% happy about it. I bet she goes for it with very little convincing! Can't wait to see the pictures.

Sunita Mohan said...

I really wish I had a neighbour like you. Imagine taking the trouble to do all this so both of you benefit.
Has Spring started her magic for you?

CanadianGardenJoy said...

HI Laura .. We are on good terms, no problem there .. we are both rather private people, I'm fairly sure she would not object to what I would like to do : )

Hi Cathy .. I'm hoping it will have a flow to it as if it were always there ? .. fingers crossed !

Jen .. I'm rather excited about it all .. I have considered it for a couple of years now .. especially with the arbor gate put in last year.

Hi Racquel .. girl you know me pretty well now ? LOL .. I'm happy to have another place to experiment with plants for sure : )

Tessa .. if I could help you out girl I would be there in a flash ! LOL .. this can be a nice little piece of eye candy hopefully !

Hey ! knittnkitten : ) Thank you !
How are ya' girl? Maybe you should try and start the ball rolling by talking to some of your neighbors about the possibility of a community garden ? especially during these times .. victory gardens are coming back with a vengeance !

Hi Kathleen : ) Thank you girl !
This has teased my garden brain for some time and I just have to try and follow through this year to see what can be done !

Hello there Sunita .. Spring is still such a TEASE ! this year is one long dragged out cold spot .. but it will come eventually ..
I had been thinking about this a long time .. this is the year for ACTION : )

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

Wow I bet your neighbor loves your beautiful plants growing as she looks out her window. I am sure she will be thrilled to have her side added to the beauty!! I wish you were my neighbor!!!!

F Cameron said...

Joy,

While you're at it, want to come beautify some space in my yard, too? :-) You're generous and I hope your neighborhood will take your offer in good spirit.

Why not say that you have some extra plants and is it okay to plant them there? I worry that sometimes good deeds aren't taken well if the approach is to hide something. Of course, I'm a southerner and we tip-toe around delicate matters such as telling a lady that her slip is showing! LOL

Cameron

tina said...

If I were not a gardener and had wasted space, you bet I'd let my neighbor beautify it! A very good neighbor indeed.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Cindee you are sweet girl, thanks ! I just want to make things look great in most places ? If I had a garden wand I'd be waving it every where ? LOL

Cameron .. you crack me up girl ! But I do understand about the delicacy ? in approach .. I guess you haven't heard Canadians are famous for their over the top politeness at times .. talk about diplomatic we say sorry to people that are THE ones who should say it, haha. BUT YES ! that saying "no good deed goes unpunished" is very true .. so I will be gentle ? : )

Tina .. being gardeners we look at space a lot differently than non-gardeners ? is it our vivid imaginations that go full time ? LOL .. I have such a "to do" list when the back renos are done it could be overwhelming .. but I take each one at a time ?

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

You are such a good neighbor, Joy!

bjb said...

I am sure the end result will be wonderful! It is nice that you are on good terms with your neighbor. I am hoping that this year will bring...hmmm...shall I say a turn about with mine. I love trees, hedges, fish ponds and flowers. My neighbors like bug/weed chemical killers and cement! LOL. It takes all kinds to make the world I guess!

Carrie said...

If you really want to tackle our garden's less lovely areas please feel free!!! x

Love what you've done with your side border.

Pat said...

Wish you were my neighbor !
Can't wait to see it in a few months.

Brenda Pruitt said...

Can't wait to see it, Joy! We have meters sticking up here and there in our garden homes. I've been trying to figure out ways to cover them. Some in the yard and some against the brick walls of the houses.
Brenda

Gail said...

I would trust you completely! But you would have to feed me chocolate to keep out of your way! Gail

Anonymous said...

I'm much improved although not up to full strength, my lungs are clear and I don't feel like I'm getting heart strain any more.
If my neighbors spoke to us that might be an option, but most folks here are kinda reserved, possibly because the don't speak English as their primary language, I'm not sure, but maybe I'll talk to a few folks who have obvious gardens.
(run on sentence of the year award)

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Tatyana : ) Thank you girl ! I have selfish motives to though ; )

Oh my bjb ! .. Now that would be a heck of a challenge for me to deal with .. mine is careful because she has a little grandson who visits a lot : )

Hi Carrie ! .. I think the flight over would stall me a bit (hate flying) .. but seeing your place would be great fun and I would help out if I could girl !!

Patsi .. I can't wait to see EVERYTHING in a few months girl .. the weather is turning bad again in a couple of days and guess what the deck guys can't tear down if the ground underneath the old deck gets too wet .. the NEVER ending project ?

Hi Brenda .. we are lucky enough for these meters to be near soil .. I have Karl Foerster and a Japanese Silver grass hiding mine .. I have purple flame grass in mind for Connie's side. Tall ornamental grasses do the trick for us : )

Gail .. no problem because I would be snacking on it anyway , so you could have the job of holding the chocolate stash as I work .. as long as you leave me some too ?

knittnkitten ! girl ! that was not a good time for you .. I think most of us push ourselves too far in the garden .. we want to always "just finish this bit .." ?
It would be wonderful if you could get your neighbors (the garden ones) to see the benefit of using that waste of space land. Hey .. if I had an award for the one sentence thing .. you would get it girl !!

Town Mouse said...

I'm impressed! It's hard to say what your neighbor will think, I'm often surprised by the different aesthetics of different people.

Unknown said...

If only everyone could have a neighbour like you!

Jan said...

Joy, if a gardener like you lived next door and wanted to add color to unused space, I'd jump at the chance! I hope she says 'yes'!!

PS you are entered in my giveaway 6 times, and I'll post the winner later today;-)

VW said...

I think your neighbor should be happy to have your talents go to work on her yard!
When you posted a picture of your Costco bleeding hearts, I noticed that the white cultivar was 'Aurora', which is on my wish list. So I made an extra trip to my local Costco to see if they had any. Sadly, they only had the pink ones. So I'm left debating whether to pay shipping to order it someplace. Hmmm. Enjoy your great find!

Nola said...

I wish you were my neighbor; you could do anything your little heart desired. I like the idea of unifying your yards, makes for a lovely, seamless transition from one yard to another!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi Town Mouse .. you are so right ! it is very hard to know how people react or what they envision themselves in terms of gardening .. fingers crossed !

Hello there Nat .. thank you so much girl ! hope what I see in my mind's eye really comes to be ? LOL

Hi Jan .. I had fun posting a link to you and your generous gift to the lucky gardener whoever wins !
I have yet to talk to Connie about what I would like to do .. the weather has been so nasty and will be for a while yet .. and .. we are still waiting about the permit issue for the deck .. aarrgghh !

Hello there VW .. darn ! I'm sorry they didn't have them at your Costco girl : (
Yes ! I have an Aurora in one of the borders already .. and an Ivory Hearts .. do you have that one ? .. the Aurora is really pretty especially with King of Hearts in the same area .. Burning Hearts is the new one I am looking for now .. intense pink/reddish coloured flowers ..it must look gorgeous too .. go ahead and order some Aurora girl !!

Nola !! You worded it the way my brain was trying to get my idea out in the post .. "seamless transition" !! thank you for waking up a few dozy brain cells here girl ! haha .. perfect !

Jim/ArtofGardening said...

Yes! I'd let you have your way with me, well, my space. Your time, expertise and expense? No way someone should say no!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Jim .. You are too sweet to me .. I think you feel guilty about that remark with the garden lights and the screaming red pajamas ? LOL
It has snowed here .. so I am in a major slump at the moment .. gardening seems very far away right now .. BIG sigh !

Jim/ArtofGardening said...

Guilt? I don't feel guilt. Snowed here too. All but gone now. I may get out there this weekend to putter around. It's still too early to do too much.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Jim .. well there you are again .. and a typical man ( no guilt over the lighting and pajama conversation issue ... BIG sigh !)
Remember around the 17th of March we had gorgeous weather (I don't know if you got any there ) but it was amazing here .. I was out cleaning up the garden .. even cutting back dead foliage .. I shot off on a false start and paid the price for it another BIG sigh !
The deck crew has NO excuse for next week .. I will be on such a warpath !!!!!