You've come a long way! It really looks nice! What are your plans for the pergola and arbors?

Love the blue bottles! A take-off on our infamous southern bottle trees?

The arbors will be white to match the gates and pickets and the pergolas will be the house trim color to blend with them as they are attached to the structures.

I have so much to plant that I have been nursing along since I got the idea to have this done after I had ordered...sigh. We'll see how it does as we are HOT HOT HOT and dry here.

Yep the bottles are a fixture in my gardens to trap evil spirits...they are not doing such a good job of late...I keep hoping though.

Thank you for the kind words. It has been a real learning experience for me. I am finally at the point where it is more fun than arduous so that is great. c

Busy busy busy! It takes me years to get things done, not weeks.

Looks great and you've got some nice planting done around that little house. Just love all those arbors and pergolas - soon to be vine city!

It looks wonderfully inviting. I can't wait to see your arbors covered in vines.

C -- looks so great! I just love the "Little House" and the gate so much!

Cameron

Thank you !! If it wasn't for M it would never have happened as there are no people that construct garden decor anywhere in this area. I have a lot of plants already but also plan to get some vines for shade from Brushwood. I have had great luck with them so far.

Thanks again cameron,a2z and gottagarden. All I did was design. M did all the work ! c

That looks completely amazing and welcoming - congrats!

Thank you Janet...I am trying for a lush quiet retreat. We'll see how I do. c

Everything looks wonderful. And yes, I do love before and after shots.
Not only have I coveted your beautiful house, you now taunt me with your little house.

K

Love before and after shots, you have really done a fantastic job Caroline, everything is coming together in such a charming way. You should be very proud of yourself, what you have accomplished in such a short time (as gardening goes) would take me years.

Annette

Caroline, what kind of stakes did you use for the bottles? Rebar?

Wow!

You took something lovely, and brought it to a new level. I thought the little house was cute before, now with the porch, roof and pergola, it's fantastic! And I love how the side gate arbor frames the second one.

I have some blue bottles I plan to use for a tree, but I haven't built the tree yet. Perhaps I will copy you and make a "bottle shrubbery" in the meantime! (My sister lives in the south, so I think I can get a permit to put one up ;) )

stagerat: I don't think they 'low the bottle trees any place above the Mason-Dixon Line LOL !! We had the porch put on 2 years ago and in my minds eye ( which is admittedly NOT 20/20) I could see the potential for a garden all around the building. I had a lot of trees removed and the stumps ground to get this far. I am glad that you see the framing too. I borrowed the "staring" that is popular on this forum to come up with the idea. Thank you for the vote of confidence...and I was kidding about the bottles !

natal I sure did use rebar. There is a place on the web that makes the trees and ships to you already to go. We are not handy or we would have made our own, so this is what I came up with instead.

Oh Annette. thank you. I am sure trying. I hope all the plants I have buried along the way will forgive my ineptness :)

Kathy thank you...I am so admiring of your new home and the luscious garden you have created in such a short time. I look forward to your pics of the picket fence when you get it ready.

If it wasn't for all I have learned and cont. to learn on this and other forums I would not have gotten this far...thank you from the bottom of my gardening soul. c

Wonderful progress! I always love seeing your pictures because they give me ideas. Everything looks great! Thanks so much for posting these.

Susie

Oh my gosh that is wonderful! I agree, the little house looked cute before, but now it is spectacular! Those arbors are great. What are you going to plant on them?

My favorite pic is that fourth one from today. Look at all the plants you have put in! It really looks amazing now. I doubt I would know many/any of them, but what are some of the things you planted?
Wonderful Caroline!
CMK

Susie thank you . If it has helped anyone with a vision for their garden then that is really a nice thing. You are very kind to notice and comment. Thanks again :)

CMK thank you !! I have a wine grape that says it is for the south and a Z D rose and a dwarf wisteria I have 2 different climbing hydrangeas but they are going on the 2 trees you see. In the 4th pic...oh my..well there are a lot of roses...in the ground and in pots. There is a really big grass and a bunch of small ones that you probably can't see. There are a lot of sedums of various kinds...phlox in bloom now... lots and lots of different salvias and sages. 3 euphorbias. a lot of geraniums and thymes crawling on the ground and rocks. 2 really big baptisias...one yellow and one blue. several cape honeysuckles that the hummers love. Tons of agastaches in pots...ditto the hummers . Echinacea and Penstemons. I am going to plant grasses behind the little house on the sunny wall ( it gets hot hot late afternoon sun and some of the KO's that are in pots are going there too. It will be a maze to get through. There are already clemmie on the picket fence as you enter the area...on the left and will be more there as I get them in...it also gets AM sun then shade and then late sun. I need to make a map and a list of what I have...you are challenging me to remember all of this :). Thank you for looking...your gardens are an inspiration as are many others on this forum. I can only aspire to do half as well. c

Caroline, I remember when you started working on your yard, little house, paths, picket fence and rock wall. You have come so far and every thing is really looking good. It definitely says "retreat" to me. The hardscaping is always the "hard"-est to get then the planting is fun.

Thank you mary_lu ! It seems like you really have to have the whole hardscape 1st so the eye can rest in certain places and you then have shape. I wish I had been able to do it that way 1st as I now have things that I had to dig up and set aside to keep them from being trampled in the building of the structures. But as you say,,,now the fun can begin. I have a better idea also of what I can grow so that should help . I am planning a large climbing rose for over the carport so need to get to looking for one...any suggestions for a carport "eating" rose ? :) c

If I were to grow a climber my choice would be Pinkie.

When you mentioned ready made bottle trees I Googled and couldn't believe the prices! I know dh has a few pieces of rebar behind the shed. I need to go take a look and see if I could use a few.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pinkie

You and your carpenter did a great job, and in all this heat and humidity! Just doing routine chores and dribbling water around to a few plants is oppressive.

Take it easy in the heat.

Nell

Oh I like her natal...only limiting factor is I need a BIG one to cover as this is a big area. Can I do 2 different ones do you think? Need something to 20 ft and repeat and fragrant...no thorns ?? what do you think ??

See annette's great thread...there are so many fab ideas for bottles.

Nell it is so dry here and the breezes are so good that we still have not turned on our a/c. We got screens for our windows this week and we close and open depending on time of day. So far we are doing well and saving lots of money...for the GARDEN lol. Thank you for your compliments. c

Wow, everything looks wonderful! I love all your details, they really add a special touch. The little house is fantastic. I so wish I had a place for one. Ok, I think I'm whining now. LOL

Thank you blue. My DH has his keyboards and recording equipment etc out there. He loves to sit and think...I am mkaing it into his special place . He retires in May 2010 so will be spending even more time out there. He calls it his "dog house" but he is rarely in trouble..LOL. c

I found Felder's site yesterday, but it never opened properly. Can't get it to open today either.

I can't believe you're not getting any of this heat & humidity!

trailrunner,
What a wonderful, welcoming and person garden area you have! I love it. The hardscaping is wonderful. I've always said I need more "climbing places" for plants. Enjoy!

natal...the HUMIDITY is here LOL. Just arrived with a small shower. Hope we get lots more rain as we are so dry that it is just killing everything. Are you getting lots of rain ? Your garden is still one of my all time favorites...I just love the layout w/the metal fence.

Not sure about Felder's site I don't have a problem opening it . Lots of beautiful ideas.

pf you are so sweet thank you !! I am trying to add as many climbing places as I have so little sq footage to work with...vertical gardening :) c

I could live in the 'little house'! I love all the arbors and pergolas. I could use one of those structure over the back door/patio area. we have lost so many trees because of storms that it is now in full morning sun and you can fry an egg on the concrete step!

It might look out of place with an old farm house but I am to the point I don't care.

Be sure to post pictures when you get things growing up the wonderful vertical spaces.

You all did a super job designing the structures.

Check out the climbers at Antique Rose Emporium. The have quite a few repeat bloomers.

Reve dÂOr is my favorite. This in my front yard, but will be moved to the back this fall. I have to keep cutting the long canes back so as not to snag anyone walking by. Diane did not realize it was a climber when she planted it.

I have seen arbors where they grew two or three roses together.

Ghislaine de Feligonde is a rambler, but I trained it up a tree at my previous house.

Here is a link that might be useful: Reve d' Or

you have done a fantastic job as you continue with your plantings. Cant wait to see it in a couple years. I copied your brick edgings for my front flower beds and constantly get compliments on it. My neighbor asked me if I minded if she copied the idea for her beds. I was thrilled that she like it so much. Anyway, thanks for the idea.
Barb

Looks fabulous! And your gardens are really coming along, too. I remember when you first started planting things and how you didn't think you could grow anything. Ha! Look at you now! Great job! : )

Diana

WOW ,Kathy that Reve de'Or is gorgeous. The area over the carport gets late afternoon sun only so will look and see what else they have. I have purchased all but 2 of my roses from them and have had wonderful luck. All are thriving but one...Le Marque and I believe that was all my fault that it passed on . Thank you for the suggestions. How long has that been in the ground?? Please don't tell me only a year...:)

Glenda...I have lots of folks that say they would love to live out there. It is fixed up very nicely inside but no bathroom ...you could always hike into the house...:) You are such a sweet one. I think you should go under the Google images and look to see what others have done...try farmhouse / pergola and also go to Lowes etc and look at pics in their books. I bet you can get a design that will look great.

Thank you Barb...I never got the seeds you sent planted...sigh...I am the worst sometimes with procrastination. I am so glad you used the brick edging and that your neighbor is planning it too. I redid some as it was not as good as it had been. Planning on adding some along the brick path in the back to control the mulch that the rain pushes out.

Diana...you are so kind. I love your gardens and have always aspired to roses such as you have...I can dream can't I ??? You watch and see what I get growing...you can bet I will be asking for help.

THANK YOU ALL !! It is such a joy to post to you. c

Oh, it's been in the ground longer than a year, about 15 months. LOL!