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mary_lu_gw

Should I continue to update my web site?

mary_lu_gw
14 years ago

As many of you know I had created a web page back when we first started our gardens in 2002. Each year I have added a new page documenting the changes/additions to the gardens.

Both last year and again this year I have put off adding a new page. Not quite sure I can explain why. I think perhaps it is because the gardens are mostly complete. Yes, we do make a few changes, but for the most part it remains the same.

Tonight as I was finally updating a page for 2009, I asked myself if I should continue or not? Perhaps it has "outlived" it's intention, which was to document the creation of our gardens.

What does everyone think? Should I say "done" and no longer update after this year and perhaps next year remove my web site?

Marylu

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden web site

Comments (25)

  • gldno1
    14 years ago

    I don't know how I have missed that you had this website! Please don't remove it until I have finished seeing it all. I got up to 2008 and Centurytel froze up on me. I will be returning. I want to see it all.

    What a project and how wonderful it turned out. It should be an inspiration to anyone wanting to begin a garden. I love how you did it the 'right' way and put in all the hard scape first or that you have hard scape at all. Something my country garden lacks completely.

    I don't know what to tell you about keeping it going. I think that will have to be a personal decision. You might just consider morphing it into a blog. I don't even know if that is possible. I do know I have several I visit daily that I do enjoy very much. It could be a daily or weekly or even monthly journal of what you are adding or removing or even the maintenance required.

    The first thing I want to know when I see these beautiful gardens is: What are the plants and next what you do to keep them looking so great.

    As I get older, I always wonder how much time is required in the maintenance end of the thing.

    As I kept watching, I began wondering if you had a background in horticulture or landscape design. It all looks so professional.

    I hope you are enjoying being finished!

    Glenda

  • little_dani
    14 years ago

    Please don't take it down, at least not yet. I had this site bookmarked, and lost it when my computer crashed. I had no idea it was yours. Now that I have 'found' it again, I would like to take some time to look at all of it, too.]

    Janie

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  • tammyinwv
    14 years ago

    Pleeeeaase dont take it down. Your garden is absolutely breathtaking. I just got started on it, and will be back. I would love to know the plants you have and how you put this together.
    Tammy

  • PRO
    Nell Jean
    14 years ago

    Never take it down, it's such an inspiring site. Too much time and effort went into it to destroy it.

    If you enjoy the documentation, you might consider making a blog using Wordpress or Blogger. You can put a link to your current site(s). Contrary to what some seem to believe, you do not have to post daily or even weekly if you choose. It's your blog and there are no fast rules.

    Nell

  • token28001
    14 years ago

    I agree with Nell. I use a blog to record the happenings in my yard. It's more useful to me than a handwritten journal since I can photograph it as well. I'm sure you'll still want to look back from time to time on your experience. It's a great record of all the work you put into it.

  • schoolhouse_gw
    14 years ago

    This is the first I've known of your garden web site and I feel as though I've sat through a beautiful movie. What a transformation and how quickly your plantings grew. Yes, losing the tree and the roses on the trellis is sad, I know how those type of changes in the garden can hurt. It's all a part of a gardener's life isn't it?

    I guess I don't have an answer to your question but as others have said, thanks for the inspiration!

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    14 years ago

    OMG don't take it down, you have a beautiful web site. Not only is it beautiful it's inspirational. Even if you don't feel like updating it this will be a great help to those who don't quite know how to plan out similar areas. Besides that it's a wonderful place to visit again and again for a dose of eye candy :o).

    Annette

  • dawiff
    14 years ago

    Thanks so much for posting the link to your website. Please please do NOT take it down! Being kinda new here, I didn't realize when I clicked on it and started looking that you are the one who posted a picture a few weeks ago of the view from the window/some day porch on your garage. I just loved those pictures! I hope you don't mind, but I saved one of those pictures from that post as inspiration. I had no idea that there was a website documenting how your courtyard-type garden was put together. I just wish there was text to go with the pictures, but they are very inspirational as they are. I haven't had time to look through the entire site yet, so please leave it up. It IS very inspirational, especially for me as I am about to move into a new house and I need inspirational pictures to give me some good ideas for what I want to accomplish with my new garden.

    Did you do the hardscape yourselves or did you hire a landscape company to do it for you?

  • natal
    14 years ago

    Can't imagine removing the site! It's a wonderful testament to all your hard work.

    When I looked at 2002 all I could think of was your incredible vision to take that to 2009! And your neighbors must have been thrilled with the transformation that took place before their eyes. I would have been!

  • natal
    14 years ago

    Meant to ask ... the partially pink painted brick? What's the story behind that?

  • mary_lu_gw
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks everyone for your votes. I really had no idea if the site was getting "boring" or not. Especially as now in the later years there are not that many changes. Especially not like in the first few years.

    Glenda, nevery really finished. With building the garage this spring we now will be tearing out a garden in back and adding a driveway and will need to landscape that as well as find places to put the "evicted" plants. No not professionals, just us. No background either. Just lots of research on the internet and forums like this. Also a great DH who doesn't mind building things! :-)

    Janie, I won't take it down this year. Am considering ending with this year and taking it down next year.

    Tammy, it was just "something" my DH and I did. No real plans. It just "happened" as we went along.

    Nell, I had thought about blogging, but just didn't know if I had the time or inclination to update as regularly as it seemed one should on a blog.

    token28001 and schoolhouse...I guess as I have been around a "long" time I thought most everyone here at CG knew about my web site.

    Annette, what I thought was perhaps the "eye candy" was getting old. You know...same old...same old...?

    dawiff, no I don't mind at all. That is what gardening and this forum are all about...sharing our experiences. We did all of the work ourselves. No landscape design or horticulture background. If we can do it, so can anyone else!

  • hosenemesis
    14 years ago

    Are you out of your mind? What exceptional talent you have! I only got through part of the site late last night, and I'm saving the rest for later today. Many of us did not know about your site, so this is our first opportunity to see your handiwork.

    If you have any time at all, please consider adding new photos every year so we can see how the garden matures. Especially the long shots that show your garden design. You and your husband have created such beauty, and it is a public service for you to share it with us. And by the way, not just anyone can do something like that.
    Renee

  • mary_lu_gw
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    hosenemesis, thank you. Not sure about the public service part :-) but we do enjoy sharing what we have learned as well as the beauty of it. I know what you mean about the long shots. People seldom take the long shots and it can be so frustrating trying to see what the garden actually looks like. That is why I always try to include some every year. Photography is another hobby of mine, so that explains my closeup shots.

    natal, yes the neighbors have appreciated the garden. At first it was almost ridiculous. Cars would slam on their brakes and back up to see what we were doing when we built the fence. Now however it blends in so well that few people realize the extent of the garden behind it. Sort of a secret garden.

    The pink blob...well I wish I knew the story too! Our home is 140 years old. Somewhere along the line someone decided to start painting that wall the pink you see. For some reason, thankfully, they never finished. We have thought about trying to remove it, but our brick is such a soft brick that we fear we would do too much damage to it. At one time our home was in such disrepair both inside and outside that there was a possibility it would be torn down.
    Before...


    We are in the process of re-painting the house additions and trim. Eventually, hopefully by fall, the house and trim will be a completely different color scheme.
    after...

    So as you can see many, many hours of work has gone into our home.

  • gldno1
    14 years ago

    You are really to be congratulated. I didn't realize the home was in such bad shape when you bought it. You have done a wonderful job with everything. I love seeing that happen rather than the normal way of tearing it all down. Those are my favorite kind of houses; they seem to have a charm so many newer homes lack. New is great for lots of reasons but the older ones just seem to call out to me.

  • tammyinwv
    14 years ago

    gldno1, Im with you. I love the charm of an older home. I have fond memories of hearing squeeking wood screen doors. Several times I have tried to talk my hubby into one, but he doesnt get it,lol.
    Marylu, you have done lots of hard work, and it has certainly paid off. Your place is beautiful. My daughter is an amateur photographer as well. She enjoyed looking at your shots too, especially the playful anctic of the cardinal in your water fountain.
    Tammy

  • natal
    14 years ago

    Mary, I'm even more impressed! So what's on tap for the "pink blob" with the new color scheme?

  • oceanna
    14 years ago

    Wow! The picture on the left on 2008 literally made me inhale audibly. Your garden is spectacular!

    Please don't take your web site down. Instead, enlarge some of those pictures and include more text to tell us how you achieved such a miracle, please?

  • janroze
    14 years ago

    lu lu, it sounds unanimous. I didn't know about it and intend to be perusing it on our next trip this month. I need to ask, "do you still enjoy it in any way? Does it cost you-time, effort, money?" If the first answer is yes, there's not a decision to he made except if the cost is greater than the enjoyment. Only you know that. Thanks for warning us, so we can all scramble to it this month. If you decide to remove it, please let us know ahead, so we can take one more peek.
    gramma jan

  • janroze
    14 years ago

    I just read it and love your quotes--there are many good garden quotes out there. Your garden and your photos are gorgeous. Everything is beautiful, but the dls are so edu too. How do you add the names like that?
    gramma jan

  • mary_lu_gw
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Glenda, lots of work, but I too love older homes. This one is really special to us and yes it did call out to us. We can't take credit for much of the renovation as the PO did much of the interior work. However, we picked up where he left off when he moved to another old house (in much better repair). When we purchased it there was not one perennial flower in the yard!

    Tammy, we have 4 "squeaking" wood screen doors! :-) One on each of the porches on the house. I am lucky in that both DH and I are lovers of old homes.

    natal, doubt there is anything in store for the pink "blob". Maybe, sometime down the road, we may try to remove it but it will be a very tedious job. We did think of painting just the brick on that side of the house as it is not visible from the road, but decided we did not want to do that. Guess we just consider it part of the character of the old house. My only concern with the new color scheme is that it won't blend as nicely with the garden room colors of pink,blue,red and whites. The new colors are an olive green, yellowish gold and rust, historical colors. With the green being the primary color.

    oceanna, thank you. miracle? nope, just hard work, if we can do it so can others. I am playing around with the idea of blogging, but not sure if I want to commit to the time involved with doing that, or if anyone would want to read it. I have seen many of your "eye candy" posts and have thoroughly enjoyed them. You are a very caring person to spend the amount of time it must take to share all those beautiful pictures!

    gramma jan, yes, so far it does look like it is unanimous. That surprises me as I thought for sure some would say it was done, and it was time for me to move on. If I would remove it, it would not be until next year. I will finish the 2009 page for this year.

    Others with opinions? Any "nay" sayers?

  • natal
    14 years ago

    What about getting color matches for the brick and mortar and paint the blob? I realize you'd need a number of "brick" colors to try and mimic the original brick, but it might work.

  • judyinnewnanga
    14 years ago

    Well, everyone has already said what I was going to say, especially dawiff who commented about the photo you posted a few weeks ago showing the "bird's eye" view of the courtyard. That literally took my breath away. So, so beautiful!! I do hope you decide to leave the site up there so that others can draw inspiration from it ... especially newbies like me. Before, during and after slideshows are so helpful and inspirational. I think natal's idea about painting the brick back to "brick" might work. In any case, this is one of the most beautiful gardens I've ever seen.

    Judy

  • trailrunner
    14 years ago

    ML your gardens are such a beautiful addition to this world we live in. If it is not too much trouble to keep the Blog going then I too vote for you to add to the wonder of our lives by sharing your space. Thank you , c

  • trailrunner
    14 years ago

    ML your gardens are such a beautiful addition to this world we live in. If it is not too much trouble to keep the Blog going then I too vote for you to add to the wonder of our lives by sharing your space. Thank you , c

  • alisande
    14 years ago

    Omigosh, how beautiful!! Even if you don't add to the site regularly, why take it down? It should be shared.

    If you need something to do, you could always add names to the roses, for instance....... :-)

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