The last few days of this beautiful Spring weather , were spent in the garden using every muscle I have not used all winter .. so it is a HUGE ouch time for me .. but nothing serious .. and it is more than wonderful for a good cause .. my garden ! wink wink
First mission was to dig out old baptisia which I can state without reservation (holy shit !!!) .. it was one of the most stubborn plants I had ever come across .. and I really couldn't save any of it .. which is fine because there are new cultivars that are smaller and more suitable for limited space .. so on with some pictures ?
You can see the flattened area with the new arbour/bench laying on it's side because we had to figure out how to stabilize the darn thing ..rebars were too thick .. so off to Home Depot for thinner steel rods, that would fit through the side bracket holes .. they were pounded into the ground and then the upper part bent and pounded back in the ground again .. sounds like a lot of pounding but it really did seem to do the job !
Facing the opposite side is our older bench .. sat over where the old mock orange was .. that root mission was cut short and had a black garbage bag put over it in hope we can kill what is left of the massive root system .. another garden night mare !!
I know it looks massive .. totally out of proportion for the space .. but if you have not seen this garden in full lush plant mode ? that is what anyone would think !
But once the garden starts growing and the plants get happy .. this space will soften .. especially with the climbing roses .. fingers crossed !
I have a small dappled willow (Hakuro-Nishiki) planted behind the bench which will fill the back for green privacy .. there are cone flowers on either side for added interest .. and then the climbing roses on each side .. sounds like a lot but I am hoping it will work out the way I see it in my garden brain?
I was so glad to save my Autumn Brilliance service berry tree .. it is a delicate looking creature to the left with my curvy support (I have to find a proper collar for the poor thing yet .. but the support is pretty (I think one day I will paint it black though).
We are in for some rain these next few days .. which we really need for the garden .. to soften and wake up the ground and plants. I know plant orders will start to trickle in .. the roses for sure !
I will be out there prodding and poking the earth to squeeze my plant kids in !
16 comments:
oh Joy, glad to know I'm not the only one suffering from aching muscles these days. This time of year is always a bit difficult getting back into the swing of things. The new arbour looks wonderful, it will a great spot to sit and enjoy all those lovely new roses.
That's quite the project! Love the driftwood!
Looks good to me Joy! I can picture the garden all lush and full. Pour some vinegar on that root under the black bag.....I rinsed the girls hair with vinegar in the yard some years back, (head lice) and the vinegar killed everything it landed on!
Hello Marguerite girl !
Yes .. now is the time I wished I had been on the treadmill and doing strength training all winter .. BIG sigh!
It looks a bit awkward right now .. but as it fills in I am hoping for the affect I had in my garden brain ;-)
Karen girl we had a discussion about drift wood at one time I think .. we both love it and find it is scarce now,eh ? once I get things sorted I will have it placed in better locations so it will look nice !
Darla girl I am very grateful for the vinegar idea !!! I have to kill another plant in the cement midway between our neighbor's house and ours .. replacing the plant with an ornamental grass, I think !
I'd love to have a rose arbour like yours, but sadly my garden doesn't really lend itself to that kind of formal features. Still, I have 5 New Dawn roses arriving next week, so I will try to plant them by the two trees that hold our hammock in summer; it might not be an arbour, but it will be a hammock under the roses. That, too, has some merit, I think.
Don't you think the garden is worth all the aches and pains? I can wait to see the new look.
Joy I just love the new bench. I think it looks wonderful there. I wish I had your driftwood. I love it in the garden. When your garden grows in your new bench is going to be center stage. Hope you had a nice Easter.
Soren that has amazing merit !
It would be heavenly to lay in a hammock looking up at the tree and all those roses and smelling them ? Now that is a piece of heaven on earth indeed : )
Yes Sandy girl it is worth all the aches and pains and it is actually hard to get me to stop and finally come indoors on those days .. I just keep going and going ;-)
Lona girl did you have a nice weekend ? we had great weather and it was wonderful to have the arbour bench up and positioned .. because I know those roses are headed my way soon ! LOL
Everything is scattered every where in the back garden right now .. so it is a mess .. but yes!! I love my driftwood too .. wish I could mail you some girl !!
Hooray, you're making such progress, Joy Girl. I love it. The arbor doesn't look too big for that spot. I know because I've seen photos of your summer garden. It's going to look wonderful. Just be careful now, okay. Don't overdo it. :)
I can't wait to see this come summer.
Love it!!! I know it will all fill in and look beautiful!!!!
I have a mock orange that I torture with prunning every year...lol but I do enjoy it when it is blooming.(-:
Come see my new garden lady when you get a min.(-:
Doesn't it feel good to be out there digging, preparing, anticipating? Looks like fun to me.
Thank you Gracie girl ! .. it is difficult to get a picture that translates how this is set up in the garden compared to what is going to happen with large plants softening the structure out.
I am just so glad it is finally up and when the roses come I will be able to get them in the ground and start training them : )
Thank you Erin .. I am really excited to see how it will turn out too .. fingers crossed !!
Cindee girl !!! I am so excited for you with your beautiful lady head planter .. it was meant for you girl ! I love the sedum ? you have planted in her head ! you are going to get so much pleasure watching her all summer .. she is a fantastic center piece !
Lisa girl ... there is nothing like garden therapy is there ? .. I feel sorry for people that have no idea what it means to have a connection to the earth like we do .. I am so glad to have this absolute pleasure in my life : )
The bench looks fine, and I totally understand your saying that the plants will proportion it out at a later date.
What a lot of work you have done...I am finding muscles that I didn't know about too...don't like it, lol.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
Your new arbor looks great - it's going to be stunning covered with growth. I've been having fun doing too much digging too - have to rest up between jobs.
Thanks Jen girl .. as gardeners we can see further ahead to what the garden will look like in full growth .. so large accents will soften a great deal with greenery all about it .. it can be scary though .. I had a moment looking at the pictures of "OMG .. is this right ?" LOL
Good luck with those muscles girl : )
Rebecca girl I think there are a lot of us moaning and groaning with muscle strain .. we all think "I can get through this and just do maintenance soon ?" LOL
But is will all be worth it eh : )
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