Here's My Yard Tour

12 years ago

Got around to taking some photos of my yard. Here's a quick intro if you don't know or recall about me...

I'm Gayle. I'm 42. I've got a 5yr old daughter. I bought this house and 2nd vacant lot in 2008. The lot was left to mother nature for 55 years. There was an okay front lawn...enough to justify buying a lawn mower the first year.

There was a small patch of grass in the back, but I ended up killing most of it and starting over due to garlic mustard and other weeds being the primary source of green.

I dug all the beds, planted 90% of the grass, and did all the plants.

First, a couple of hosta groupings:

L-R: Guacamole (bought as a clump), Dream Queen, Abiqua Drinking Gourd, Heatwave.

L-R: Dick Ward, Abiqua Moonbeam, Heuchera Marmalade, Liberty

Here's a spot I just re-vamped outside my front door. I re-sculpted the grass line and finally got to planting this area less than a month ago. Front center: Blue Mammoth (2nd year). All the rest are brand-new...L-R: Sleeping Beauty, Orange Marmalade, Kiwi Full Monty. Back Row: Bressingham Blue, Sum and Substance (planted there in 2008).

On "this" side of the walking stones...it's nothing. I killed that grass last year with plastic sheeting. It's a planting bed for me to work on. Maybe I'll have something to show you next year.

Here's the front area when I bought the house:

Here is the west side of my house...the vacant lot in 2008, the first summer I lived here:

And here is what it looks like after 3 seasons of clearing out. Raw land. As you can imagine, I don't date. I don't have any other hobbies besides gardening. All done by me...by hand. It's dappled sun/shade all day. Can you see the hosta possibilities????

And, the latest acquisition...a playhouse for my daughter (garden shed/storage for me in winter). I got that corner cleared out last summer and have been planning that playhouse for way too long. I get to LANDSCAPE that!!!! Woo Hoo!

Thanks for looking.

Gayle

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Comments (23)

TheHostaCottage
12 years ago
It looks fantastic! Your work is definitely paying off!
mjjones453
12 years ago
Gayle, it looks great! I can't wait to see what it looks like as you plant your gardens. Your hard work is showing! Mary
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Well, Denise, when gas gets cheaper, come ahead! Mari, for some unknown reason I don't have much problem with weeds except for one particular one that has tiny leaves and grows flat on the ground out like the spokes of a wheel, kind of burgundy/green colored. Hate those things. I had milkweed plants until the catapillars devoured them, and they have reseeded everywhere, but I'm pulling them while they're tiny. Most of my beds are bare dirt, too. I can only figure the horse manure compost has something to do with it. The green arbor came from KMart and was originally white. I painted it with my house paint. Maman Cochet's trellis is made of 2x4 and 1x2 pressure treated lumber. I regret using the 2x4s for posts because one of them warped but hasn't caused any problems yet. My roses have had a leafless summer. I'm too new at this to know why. Grasshoppers? Heat? I've been feeding monthly. Finally, Fay came and gave them some cool temps and lots of rain for a week, and they have perked up & greened up. But, my goodness, if roses in Florida need 8+" of rain in a week to keep them green, I'm in trouble. We had a good rain a couple of days ago, and I took the opportunity to give every one of them a gallon of alfalfa tea. Hope they like it. I'm even going to give them an occasional dose of MiracleGro. Probably should get a soil test, because I think I don't have enough phosphorus in the soil. I didn't use any when planting because I read that it was bad for the mycchorizae. My circle of grass is dying and has been a bear to keep in bounds, so I'm going to replace it with dwarf Mondo grass. We're required to have a lawn here, so that'll be it. I considered synthetic grass for a while, but I'm not rich. I could show you my ugly roses but I'll spare you and me the depressing images, but I will show you the side of the house where the tunnel is going. Labor Day weekend I laid the timbers to terrace the side yard which had a big slope to it and put down most of the mulch. And I planted E Veyrat Hermanos that will be my "tunnel" rose. We bought the six 4x4x10s last weekend. Waiting for cooler weather for construction. Then in went Gen Schablikine and Maman Cochet (bush). I left Iceberg where it was. Didn't have the heart to dig it up, but it may be in the way. I'm about to start planting roses on top of each other, cuz I still have 18 in pots. My, my. Come to think of it, I could give Iceberg to my neighbor which would free up a spot! Sherry
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Teeka, if you are referring to the fertilizer, Home Depot has a contract to carry Lesco products. I compared prices last year and it was $6 cheeper at HD than Lesco's store off 62 Ave. Katkin, this is my first Stemmadenia taken 6 years ago. I bought it at Mounts Spring Plant Sale in May. This picture was in Sept. It was about 4 foot tall judgeing by the purple post beside it. Look at all the blooms! As for blooming time, it is in bloom by Easter and it stops blooming when the weater changes - now. But it is in bloom the whole time. I think all plants need a certain amout of nutriants - a good balanced fertilizer like a 12-12-12 or 13-13-13, to perform their best along with a good ground medium. And I only use bark for mulch. The good old saying - $5 dollar plant and a $10 hole holds true for me. Katkin, don't fertilize it now, but come the first of March, and every 2 months afterwards, give it a handful of fertilizer. It should start blooming for you. Here's my oldest tree at when it was 4' tall. Look at all the blooms!...........cheryl
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Thanks, Mitch! I did the video for my mother, since she does not travel and wanted to see what our yard looked like. I should have cleaned it up before I took the video, but I thought most of the dirt would not show on video, although all of the clutter does! The white planter does have some of the best succulents, and the plant with large silvery leaves makes the best flowers, which bloom in August in a huge display and are a bright fluorescent vermillion color that is quite striking. That plant needs to be divided soon. It's not a plant I see very often either. I think I'll ask on the succulent forum for an ID, as I have lost the tag. The succulents bloom at all different times of the year, and so there are always some blooming. I have more orchids blooming, but I keep those in the house while in bloom - I'll try to post photos of those as well. I do not think of my yard as large, but I really could not manage anything much larger, unless it had a swimming pool! I haven't planted much in the flower beds because I don't like having to weed, but I might get some more ginger, and I might start putting some succulents there. I'm probably going to get one or two more trees. I'm looking for a dwarf Haas avocado - I had one in Venice - and also a blood orange. I'll plant the avocado in the ground but probably put the blood orange in another wine barrel planter. Thanks for dropping by! Lars
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"Thank you for the kind words folks. When I go out to outside with my critical eye, I can see lots of mistakes and/or problems. But for me gardening is one part creative oulet, two parts mental therapy and two parts physical therapy. If I start stressing about how each bed looks, I lose the mental therapy part." Michael, I think most of us here feel the same way about gardening. It is all about creating and nurturing something and losing yourself in the process. For me, it is a spiritual thing also. Love the wild petunia. It is really looking pretty. Silvia, thanks for your comments. You are too kind. I got out of the habit of coming here. I'm going to try to stick around more. I miss your posts and have learned sooooooo much from you. I still have a small veggie garden and always think of you when I have questions or when something is doing well. You are an incredible and generous teacher. Thanks for loving to give your knowledge!
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on_greenthumb
12 years ago
The possibilities!!!!! Love the birdbath in that first pic (I've been searching for one....HA so it's the first thing I see) What a great extension to have that extra lot.....looks like you keep yourself busy in the summers :)
just1morehosta
12 years ago
You go girl,what a lot of work,you can feel pround,it all looks great, you are teaching your little girl quite a lot.
Have fun landscaping the playhouse, I am sure it will look BEAUTIFUL.
I have a LOT of hosta,that have come up on their own from self seeding,no names, you are welcome to them for postage,they are good size,and free from hvx.
E amile me if your interested ok.
cAROL
danimal77
12 years ago
Looks great! Don't you love it when hard work pays off. Can't wait to see future pics.
Cher
12 years ago
You have done a fantastic job. Lots of hard work but well worth the effort. The gardens you've completed look lovely and I can just imagine the woodland area on that second lot. A lot more work but it will be beautiful when you are done.
Cher
janroze
12 years ago
Wow! Hosta Heaven!
jkayd_il5
12 years ago
Beautiful area. Lots of hard work but well worth it. Could I ask, how long does it take to kill off the grass with plastic sheeting? We are in the process of doing that now. I was hoping to get it planted later this year. Thanks, Judy
frostynyc
12 years ago
It looks wonderful. I envy all of that land! You can add another huge hosta/heuchera garden, and some understory trees like dogwoods and japanese maples, and a water feature, and a rock garden... :)

Are you going to try to grow grass on the area with bare dirt after you decide whats going to be a garden?
hosta_freak
12 years ago
You have the perfect blank slate in your woodland setting! Flat ground,and not a lot of underbrush,or is that after you cleaned it up? I envy you your youth. If I was as young as you,I would be out doing more in my garden,but alas,I discovered hostas late in life! I know you think 42 isn't young,but believe me,you are many years younger than me! I do what I can,but I have no help,because my DW is not into hostas. Keep up the good work! Phil
kskaren
12 years ago
Very nice, Gayle! I see beautiful hosta beds there, someday. And that playhouse is gonna be adorable!!
Karen
mary52zn8tx
12 years ago
Nice, nice, nice!!! It is already pretty and will only get better in time.!! Thanks for sharing!
Janice
12 years ago
A hard-working woman after my own heart! You're doing great! I can't wait to see how it progresses with your
willingness to do the hard stuff!!

Congratulations on making a wonderful setting for you, your daughter, your hosta and many more plants in your future!!
socks
12 years ago
That looks like a little bit of heaven, for sure! Just lovely. Does your dear little girl help?
bkay2000
12 years ago
Great yard. You've done wonders. Your plants are beautiful.

A random thought that occured when I read your post. What if you landscaped the playhouse with small hosta? I've not had much experience with them, but it just struck my fancy.

bkay
gayle0000
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks everyone!

Judy, killing grass with plastic sheeting takes a couple months minimum in the hottest part of the summer, and needs the fall/winter/spring for the grass to decompose. That's my opinion. It works.

I have a ton of pics...I will post a tutorial for you.

Frostnyc...I will definitely fill in with some grass, but it will be to break up the planting beds.

Socks...yes, my kid helps out some. Her attention span is enough where she gardens with me & helps, but wanders to her swing in time.

bkay...definitely hostas will be incorporated into that playhouse landscape.

Here's a before and "current" of my back door. It was the first area I worked on. Not heavy on hostas here, but it's one of my favorite transformations. Definitely documents the fact that I started with nothing.

2008 Right when I closed on the house. Spring, but nothing leafed out yet.

2011 Taken just the other day. Sorry about that dumb yellow hose again. I only get that thing out when I'm growing grass seed far away from the house.

Gayle
Cindy Johnston
12 years ago
Wow! That last before and after really shows the great progress you're making! Great implementation of your vision.
Cj
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
12 years ago
What a fine example of the rewards of hard work. You did very well for yourself.

"...that dumb yellow hose again. I only get that thing out when I'm growing grass seed..."

And when your taking pictures. ;-)

tj
Cricket_Love
12 years ago
Beautiful! I wish I could start with a blank canvas. I've acquired overgrown gardens, which is ok, because I like the plants that are here, but the gardens are so neglected. A masterpiece in the works! :)
luvtosharedivs
12 years ago
Magnificent transformation of your back door garden area.

You have an artistic gift for landscaping.

It will be fun filling in the woodsy area with Hostas and companion plants. Please keep posting your progress.

I too, am slowly filling a previously cleared woods area, but it's not picture-worthy yet, as I still need to add tons of mulch.

Oh, I noticed you have Blue Mammoth outside your front door.
You may want to move it to an area where it can spread out to a good five feet, or it will overtake its neighbors.

Thanks for posting!

Julie
kimcoco
12 years ago
Sweat equity. We know it all too well. LOL. Pays off in the long run, and nice to start with a blank slate and make it your own.

I like what you did with that walkway.

Keep taking lots of pics as your work progresses - my garden pics get me through the harsh winters. And, they'll come in handy someday if and when you sell the house.

Your neighbors must love you.
buyorsell888
12 years ago
Wonderful~
gardenfanatic2003
12 years ago
What a beautiful setting! You've transformed it beautifully. Enjoy filling it up with hostas. :-)

Deanna

Here's My Yard Tour

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TheHostaCottage

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