Tammy - gosh, thanks.

Which garden? I'm assuming you mean the cottage garden? There is a manmade stream that runs from our east patio waterfall (outside the fence) and under the cottage garden fence where it flows between two paths (an oval).

I don't have a sketch of the cottage garden. Since it's directly against the house, my overhead shots don't show it completely --of shots in the fall (when plants were mostly out of bloom).

There are two footbridges in the cottage garden. In the first photo, it is paved with flagstones (look in lower right corner).

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In the second photo, the wooden bridge connects the front path to the side and back paths. The gravel path leads to the garden gate that is in the gable wing of our house. There is also a stepping stone path on the house side of the stream that connects the gravel back to the flagstone so that there is an oval circuit of paths. The paths are three different styles.

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Gotta run right now -- meeting a friend for brunch.

Later.

I love it! That is what my former garden was supposed to resemble.
Once, I worked for months, in thin soil and limestone,to dig a man made stream. I hauled stones to line the sides.
That fall my next door/up the hill neighbor had soil spread for sod. That night it started raining and we had the 100 year flood of 1998. All their soil washed down hill and filled my stream bed.

Since we're being 'nosy', I am curious - why does the HOA require an open meadow? It always amazes me what HOAs require - but I assume there are reasons behind the regulations. With your talent, I could see that area being covered with lush blooms also. Do you wish you could garden there? Or are you happy to be more 'contained'?

Cameron that is just stunning! I love those views and didn't imagine quite that in my head. With almost everyone's gardens I picture snippits here and there of what I see in photos but I can never put everything all together in my mind.

Thanks Cameron.Those shots are very nice. it helps to visualize more how your gardens are arranged around your house.
I am planning on putting in more beds etc in the back yard. In the first shot it shows how the back is terraced with a raised bed. the walls of the raised bed vary from 2'-3' high. The back is fairly level with a lsight uphill grade as you go back. To the right there is a steep drop over the hill which backs up to woods (just to the right of the trampoline), woods about 30 ft behind the sliding board.The left borders our neighbors (shown straight up along the back of the first pic)with a deep ditch between for runoff. What I am thinking of doing is adding a new long bed to the right of the trampoline up along this whole right side. Then If I get my way, I want a small potager that will sit just to the right of the slide and in center.
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This is a very rough sketch of my backyard using paint. One of these days the toys will go, but not for now. My kids are grown, but I have a dgd living with me for awhile. The sketch shows the upper portion of the stone retaining wall, and the flower beds I plan on putting in along the right.Also an arbor and swing. The small potager I would like to put in towards the center. I will have to figure out some sort of fence due to deer. I was considering a 3-4 ft wood one, and hope that by it being a small area they wont jump in. I would love ideas. My plans change constantly,lol
{{gwi:637728}}The first shot is the courtyard area right off the back of the house.
tammy

girlgroupgril, thats the same problem I was having.
tammy

Kathy - we had a lot of soil wash from above the deer resistant garden and into the dry stream (not shown in the photos) this winter. We've had to dig out a deep French drain at the top of the deer gardens where the meadow meets. We laid edging, a perforated pipe in a sock, drainage gravel and will top dress with pretty gravel after the drain settles some more.

As for the stream - sometimes I think of how many more flowers i could grow if it wasn't there! LOL

Holleygarden - this land was originally a 200 year-old dairy farm. So, the covenants require pasture grass, but they make us keep it mowed below 9 inches -- sort of a contradiction to me! I would love to plant the entire meadow in lavender!

GGG - I have the same problem visualizing the layout of everyone's gardens, too -- like time you posted your thyme walk! (it was yours, right?) I went nuts over that one! :-)

Tammy - your plans sound great! You've got a lot of room to create your gardens. I'd love to have a potager, too. The wall was a great idea. I'm gardening on a slope without a retaining wall and have had to deal with runoff in creative ways. That said, a retaining wall, right outside our cottage garden fence seemed too much, so we use rain gardens, dry stream bed, French drain, etc. to manage.

I was ready to create an herb bed (deer proof), but then I read how the Monarch butterflies were hit hard while overwintering in Mexico, so I'm going to use the space to increase my milkweed supply.

The HOA probably requires the open meadow to limit the extent to which Cameron can really put her neighbors to shame! LOL.

Needless to say, I love, love, love seeing pictures of your gardens. Gorgeous.

Lisa

Thanks Cameron, before we dozed the back yard away from the house, that ground came up on the house about a foot, and was rotting some of the wood siding. As you can tell, we dozed the area about 60 feet long, down about 5-6 ft deep, and terraced the wall. it made this area usable, as before it was all fairly steep slope. All of these stones were layed by my husband. I think he said they weighed about 80 lb each. We really didnt have a problem with run off tho. The yard at the upper wall is about 150 feet wide, narrowing to about 100 feet wide at the far back.
Your place looks beautiful Cameron.
The Thyme walk sounds interesting. I would love to see a photo if anyone finds it.
tammy

A lavender meadow would be fantastic! They are certainly missing out not letting you extend the garden! Beautiful pictures.

Heaven!

Cameron, I loved those shots. I think it really shows very nicely the layout. The gardens are beautiful.

I think the mowing is to keep weeds under control. I am sure you would have some neighbors that would let that meadow run amuck! I am thinking of the field across the road from us where they let thistles grow each year.The seeds blow across the road into my yard and fields......makes me crazy and mad.

Just beautiful!

Sigh.... Perfection.

Annette

Oh, my. I am so envious of that stream! Gorgeous!

Lisa - the neighbor who told me that I have "too many flowers" moved away! :-)

Tammy - your hard work has really paid off.

Gldno1 - yes, it's about the weeds, I think. If a person out here isn't capable of doing their own mowing, then it would be very expensive to hire out. My husband uses a J. Deere riding mower.

Molly, Annette, Scully - thanks! It looks like crap right now! LOL Waiting for spring.

Cameron, your gardens are beautiful. I love looking at your pics. Especially the stream. We live on almost 2 acres with a huge downward sloping front yard.We love being able to do what we want to it when we want. i couldnt imagine having to get approval from the HOA.
Tammy