I had to add my contribution for the "grape side of things" .. I admire fer's dedication to trying out new methods for his grape vine !
We added a long arbor for privacy and since my husband grew up in his teens on a vine yard in British Columbia he is the "grape-master" in my garden .. I planted hardy kiwi vines on either end to help fill it in more quickly .. so there is a lot of fruit going on that the birds usually beat us to! : )
Spring 2011 renovations in the garden !
Two among many are lined up yet again .. who doesn't have projects they have mulled over during the winter ?
My two for this post are
# 1 .. the arbor gate has to be SUNK into the ground and anchored properly .. so the gates close and it won't be out of kilter by the weight of the vines I have on it.
This is early April .. and you can see the gates are out of whack already.
April
May
June
September .. my neighbor is fine with having Sweet Autumn clematis scramble over on her fence, sharing how pretty it looks with that fragrance too.
Alas you can see it is tilting to one side .. so I have to cut back the vines and have it sunk in .. stabilized and finally the vines can do their thing!September and Sweet Autumn takes over all the other vines.
The second project is not so obvious .. I sunk in a large flat stone in front of the shed door but ....
The second project is not so obvious .. I sunk in a large flat stone in front of the shed door but ....even though the ferns hide the "pimple on my garden's face" here .....
This is July ..
... the river stone is just too wobbly to step on so more flat surfaced stones have to take their place to make it safe for us to access the shed .. I wanted a random flagstone path from the front garden to the back so maybe some day it will all coordinate ? I can dream right ?? ;-)
... the river stone is just too wobbly to step on so more flat surfaced stones have to take their place to make it safe for us to access the shed .. I wanted a random flagstone path from the front garden to the back so maybe some day it will all coordinate ? I can dream right ?? ;-)This was April ..
Thank you to" fer" of "My Little Garden in Japan" for hosting this fun carnival and bringing us all together to share our 2011 garden projects!
Thank you to" fer" of "My Little Garden in Japan" for hosting this fun carnival and bringing us all together to share our 2011 garden projects!
21 comments:
Interesting project.. I should try out one on a mini scale.. :)
I love that gate, but it really does need to be secured and set in concrete if you want the vines to grow so full again. I would keep the vines as they are, they are so pretty on this gate.
I love the clematis. I need one of those to brighten up the garden here in the fall(-: By then everything is burned to a crisp...(-:
I have some fake cement stones that I got at Lowes. They look really natural but are flat to walk on. I like them and they were cheap too. Although a flagstone pathway would be awesome!!!!
OMG I finished the rock walkway this weekend and I am telling you I am dying! LOL Everything hurts but I got a ton of cool rocks with Lichen/moss etc. Not that it will all be pretty in July here but it will be pretty for sure in the cooler months! Now all I need is pea gravel to fill it all in and it will be done! Thats next on my list(-:
Hi Joy. Your Autumn Clematis looks so pretty on the arbor. It was just loaded with blooms.My garden project list is always bigger than my can get done list. But I guess gardeners are always changing up things and always see something to improve on. So if I never get it all done that will be fine. Have a wonderful week.
Joy, even though you have some projects to do, your garden looks so inviting, paths, arbors, vines, etc. I hear you about Autumn Clematis, it kind of takes over but I hate to cut mine down as it creates shade over an open part of my pergola.
Eileen
Joy I don't think I've ever seen a clematis so lovely! Wow. Fer has inspired me to make a list of projects too! Amazing what he gets done isn't it?!
Joy, I am totally in love with your Autumn Joy vine! I lost mine a few years ago and must replant!! Lovely . . . I see you are geared up for another holiday! ;>)
Hello again Visio : )
Thank you ! .. it is always interesting even just trying something out to see if it will work .. you accomplish a learning curve no matter what happens in the end ;-)
Hi Donna and a BIG YES ! to that one : ) .. we need a hired hand this Spring to help us set this arbor gate straight and have a more stable home for these vines ! LOL
Cindee girl I just wrote an e-mail to you to tell you to be CAREFUL!!
Don't let your enthusiasm cripple you (especially with the pea stone which was my last straw for that naughty disc compression) I have to go visit you and see all this wonderful stone work but whoa woman! don't do what I did to my back !! ;-)
P.S. My friend and I are SO looking forward to seeing what our new Lowes store will have for gardening .. we are like kids at Christmas: )
Lona girl thank you ! and I wouldn't trust a gardener who said they don't have a project on the go or on their mind ? LOL we will always be in flux with our gardens .. there is ALWAYS something next to accomplish !
Eileen thank you : ) it is a constant project but for this carnival I had to actually nail them in writing even though the brain has them filed away ? Yes ! I find the Sweet Autumn that has some shade went full force compared to the one that has more sun .. and they are lovely .. I don't blame you for not wanting to cut it back much since it provides shade for you under your pergola : )
Hello there Whimsy and that was its first real garden year ! The flowers are small but you get tons of them ! .. yes, fer has so much on the go with his tiny garden .. he is very creative isn't he !
Carol girl you have to plant another one, or two ! that is what I did .. but this one that has some shade became much bigger and flowered so crazy .. I was in awe of it ! LOL .. so YES !! You have to have at least one too !!
Great ideas! It was sure nice to see your spring/summer garden again. LOVE the clematis! I think I could smell it! :)
That garden gate covered in Sweet Autumn Clematis is to die for girl! Wow, what a stunner. I have an arbor to cover, and I'm struggling to decide on what to grow. I really want roses, but which ones?
Thanks Linda girl : ) I am happy to have these pictures to get me through the blah winter months .. and this was a fun carnival to join ! If you don't have one of these clematis ? you should try one out .. they are GREAT !!
Robin girl you could mix this with a climbing rose and the combo would look great .. as for a climbing rose .. Zephirine Drouhin ( nearly thornless and wonderful, I have one!)or Ballerina (which I am lusting after ! : )
Hi joy! your garden looks beautiful!
And your gate looks amazing all covered with flowers. It must smell so good every time you cross it.
I am sure you will be able to complete your projects and make your garden more like you want it to be.
Wish you the best for this starting year!
Thank you so much fer : ) I hope so too ! We seem to demand so much of our gardens and ourselves each year and that is what got me into trouble with this injury since last July .. I have to be more careful for my body's sake and my husband's sanity or he will be worried I'll be laying in the garden some where when he comes back from golfing ! haha
Your carnival was great fun : )
Thank you !
Hardy kiwi... If you have it in your zone, I should try it here...
Hello Tatyana !
I have two vines .. the ornamental one called "Artic Beauty" is on that arbor gate I posted for the carnival .. but the fruit producing one is with the grapes on this larger arbor .. it is Actinidia arguta 'Issai'
hardy to zone 4 in Canada .. the fruit aren't "hairy" and they are smaller but you can eat the whole thing .. no need to peel !! AND .. the leaves are an amazing yellow gold in the Autumn ! Bonus !! LOL
Info here : http://search.shelmerdine.com/NetPS-Engine.asp?CCID=11050002&page=pdp&PID=1691
I love your garden gate arbor with the clematis merging your garden with your neighbor's.
Thank you very much Carolyn ! .. it is nice when you can merge with your neighbor's garden too isn't it ! : )
I didn't know birds would eat kiwi (but I did know they liked grapes). I'm envious that you have room for the kiwi -- I still haven't figured out how to squeeze it into my garden plan (it isn't exactly a plant that wants to be "squeezed" anywhere).
I'd like to invite you to submit a post for this month's issue of How to Find Great Plants. Here's how to participate:
http://www.appalachianfeet.com/how-to-find-great-plants/
If you don't have time to write a new post you can use one you've already written (such as your echinacea post). :)
Hello AP and thank you : )
The kiwi fruit I have is a little larger than the grapes and smoothed skin .. you eat the whole thing .. ergo the birds and squirrels help themselves to them too ! I did find the leaves turned an amazing rich deep yellow for the Autumn this year .. must be the maturity of the vines now.
Thank you for the invitation .. I'll try and get to it : )
Fabulous clematis. I have sweet autumn too but it does not look nearly that great. Get that gate secured and you will feel so much better. BTW the garden looks lovely.
Hello Patty and thank you very much ! I think the secret to how great Sweet Autumn looks is the shade factor because I have another one in much more sun and it isn't as nice as this one either .. and a BIG YES to having this arbor gate secured properly .. I really like it but it needs to be RIGHT ! ;-)
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