While the micro-views are useful to plant enthusiasts, myself included, the sense of how the plants fit together frequently gets lost. Heather of Xericstyle is introducing a new meme featuring wide shots of the garden at the beginning of each month. I thought the exercise would provide me a good opportunity to chronicle the evolution of my garden so I'm joining in with the widest view I could manage of my backyard border. At this time of the year this feels a little like posting pictures of my dirty laundry but here we go.
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| Photo taken from the back door |
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| Side view of the back border taken from the left |
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| Side view of the border taken from the right |
In addition to brown spots in the lawn, you may notice that there are a lot of holes in the border. Some of this is attributable to summer die-back but the immaturity of the plants is a bigger factor. Most of what you see here was added within the last 12-15 months when I pushed the width of the border out by 6 feet. I also continue to change my plant selections as I make determinations as to which plants do well here and which don't. Many revisions are already planned for the fall planting season.
The good news with respect to the state of my back border is that, when it looks shabby, one only has to lift one's eyes to the horizon for a better view.
Please go to Heather's blog, Xericstyle, to see the great wide view of her front garden, and to find links to wide views offered by other gardeners. Thanks for pushing me to document a broader view of my garden, Heather!
After all your talk about how bad your garden is looking I was expecting something ugly, but it's not! Everything looks great and just needs a little time to grow up and fill in.
ReplyDeleteAs for that view, wow!
To stifle my impatience with the garden's progress, I have to keep reminding myself of the adage "the first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap." However, the adage doesn't take into consideration raccoons, unexplained causes of sudden death or decline, or questionable choices on the part of the gardener.
DeleteWow, what a view! The gardens look great too. It's always hard incorporating added space in the borders. Things either looks sparse or if you plant to fill they'll be crowded in a few years.
ReplyDeleteThat's true. To complicate things further, I keep tearing out more and more lawn too, expanding other beds. If time - and money - permitted, I'd tackle everything at once but that's not possible...
DeleteYes indeed, I keep removing more lawn every garden season. And like yourself I'd rather do it all at once but I just don't have the time or $$$ to do it that way so a little garden creep at a time is how things go here
DeleteIt's beautiful Kris. Posting these will give us a chance to follow along as your plants fill in and grow.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sending me to Heather's site, Shirley!
DeleteEverything looks AMAZING! Now those are some borders!!!! Thanks so much for joining in, I love your planting style.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sponsoring this meme, Heather! I needed something like this to force me to pull back and consider the big picture.
DeleteWonderful view! I knew you had one but seeing the back door view was very helpful. You are making great progress.
ReplyDeleteBarbara H.
The view was one of the biggest factors in our decision to buy the house (in addition to the amount of garden space it provided me and the garage workshop it gave my husband). It's one of the smallest houses in the vicinity but I think it has one of the best views.
DeleteOh my, with that view, who needs a garden? Well, okay, besides plant lovers. Just needs some time to grow. What are the trees?
ReplyDeleteThey're California peppers (Schinus molle). There are half a dozen scattered around the property, along with several Arbutus marina, a Magnolia, and the troublesome Mimosa.
DeleteIt must be intimidating to garden with such a view on the horizon. But your garden is a lovely foreground to the view. Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteActually, Pam, the biggest issue posed by the view is the need to keep plants in the border low enough not to obscure it (which would risk my husband's annoyance if not wrath).
ReplyDelete