Oh, Steve...... why don’t you just take that grass out and plant it all !!! :-D

debra

Wow, some really great stuff. Going to be coming back often for inspiration, and the soothing views. Everyone's hard work is paying off, we all should get a pat on the back!

Lots more to come, I hope.

Peren, love the big rocks.

no grand scheme for me. ....no mulch ...just alot of seedlings shoved close together.

Really liking all the full garden and bed shots. I actually did a few this year.

I've been absent here for a while. Had some emergency surgery and in the hospital for a week. Home on the mend now. hoping to be fully recovered by the growing season.

My latest bed

My first bed, changes a little every year

Back bed, the first for the deer

Center area, i call my 'sunshine bed'

A few more

A panoramic from a couple years ago

Need to dig out most of the day lilies here and put in more hostas but lots of work

Kind of an entry to the main garden area

Lovely gardens, everyone! It's nice to see more of the big picture.

Underneath the deck in the shade of a big Cottonwood

A path along the rock wall with hostas and friends on both sides

Looking up the west hill

Lower part of west hill

If things go well I'll be able to add some east hill shots next year.

old_dirt, you must be so glad to be home. Get well soon!

More gorgeous gardens!!!

old_dirt so glad you are on the mend and back with us!

Old_dirt, take the time to heal and hoping you a speedy recovery.

Wowzers. Your gardens are beautiful.

This is by most my preferred thread. It is very nice to see the gardens to where all the pictures have been coming from.

I hope someday my beds will be as full and varied as the gardens above. They are all beautiful.

Yes, old_dirt, take your time and heal well. You don’t want to set yourself back.

debra

Wow..what a wonderful thread..I love ALL of these gardens..it's impossible to process everything in one look..I asked my husband to turn the TV down 3 times..I couldn't think..Lol

old_dirt..get well soon!..April's coming..there's work to do..Lol

#1,2..the front..faces northeast..
#3..west side..
#4..the west side in back looking east..
#5,6..east side..

should've moved my debris pile before taking this pic Lol..

the best wide screen backyard pics I could find..

this is a high traffic area..at the moment there's some leaf litter..which is better than the dirt in this pic..

I'd love to know how all of you have such decent grass..last fall we left as much leaf litter as possible in the paths..my husband was "overcleaning" and you can see in my pictures we were down to bare earth..tips?..I was considering clover..read about it and most say it wouldn't work here..

off topic..has anyone noticed that recently the Gardenweb link doesn't offer an Edit or Delete on your comments?..is it just mine?..I can edit/delete on Houzz on the browser..unavailable on the Houzz app and now Gardenweb..🙁

Sunnywood, love all those beds of large mature hostas, but I also like how you used smaller hostas repetitively along the edge of some of beds.

nicholsworth, you have so many trees.....perfect for shady plants! You have done a great job edging along all your pathways.

Sandyslopes, your garden is so full everywhere I look my eye is led on to something else in the garden. Wish I had a more artistic eye for my own yard.

mikegag, the yellows in your garden just pop and the the blues really show well too. Also love your rock edging, really looks neat!

I also agree with others about how much I like this category......it’s wonderful to see the whole now rather than just the plant, as shadow commented.

btw, nicholsworth, I am in houzz.com which I open through garden forum and I was able to edit a post I made yesterday. Does that help?

debra

debra..thanks!..I made an edit from the same connection you use yesterday..but until recently I had 2 edit options..one had 2 buttons..a "delete" and an "edit" that were already present on the screen..the other one has 3 dots that bring up "delete" and "edit"..I'm glad that I can still edit but my Gardenweb connection has changed..this site is so confusing..

I like your ajuga!..but I understand why you want to control it..you do have an artistic eye..🙂

thanks for the compliment on the edging!..it's getting there..it really helps to organize the place..

my goal was to have Sunnywood's beds in my eastern woods..he told me once he probably has more sun than I think he does..I might need a reality check and need to plant groundcovers and other shade plants in those log edged beds to fill them in..

Nicholsworth maybe you should thin some of the smaller trees!

sunnywood..would you believe we've taken out a few? Lol..apparently not enough..I'm torn..I love the trees but I want the hostas too..

I enjoyed the hosta "walk" through all you beautiful gardens. So nice seeing all this green.

Nicholsworth, we overseed with clover in our lawn, it grows well in the sun and in the shade it is a little thin.

Part 2

Beth..your grass looks nice..and environmentally friendly with the clover..what I read gave me the impression that clover wouldn't grow in my shade..I should try it..thank you..

Your gardens are amazing, planned, and quite tidy.

You have seen by over-photographed garden many times. I do most of my gardening in a dry creek bed/delta roughly contained by the liriope border. The paths are natural, carved and refreshed by flash floods whenever it rains. I found that pond pebble was heavy enough not to wash away in the floods. Pea gravel and river rock washed away. The oak trees are impossibly tall, likely from excess water and their low location. I started gardening to prevent or at least delay erosion. Hostas were cheap from Lowes and loved to suck water out of the boggy clay soil in the creek delta. The first photo was taken from my deck late summer. I do not do grass; grass is not my job. The view from the deck is not for aesthetics, but to show the lay of the land.

The bench is 6 feet long and about 18 inches wide, cypress. The stumps are from an oak tree that fell during heavy rains during hurricane Matthew 4.5 years ago. The stumps are everywhere.

Beth, in part 2, the middle picture....what are those little pink flowers and are the sun lovers?

debra

Some front yard views. I have only recently been granted creative license for the front yard. There is no flooding, but it makes up for that with intense critter damage and neighbors’ dog waste problems.

Near the driveway, in nearly full sun. Afterglow, Worldly Treasure, and Silk Kimono with azaleas and camellias.

The dead maple garden. This was my husband's garden, but I have been granted full access since his maple tree died from chipmunks eating all of the roots. You can see the dead stump in the middle. It was a beautiful tree. Hydrangeas, azaleas, Bletilla, sweet olive, some hellebores, maple seedlings from the dead tree and oh-so-many hostas.

I know that I have over-planted. We shall see what survives. I try to have a year-round garden with something blooming or interesting every day of the year.

Debra, the middle picture is my perennial garden. The shade is starting to take over so I am planting hostas there too. The flower you were wondering about is Penstemon, Red Husker. It does self seed so I am not sure if it is still true to its original variety. It grows well in partial shade but better in full sun.

beth, I like that delicate flower......does it “take over” so to speak? My delphinium self seeds, but it hasn’t spread out all over.

debra

Debra that was an incredibly sweet comment, you can come visit any time - no payment lol!

The Penstemon seeds here but I like it so much I let it. If I were quicker to deadhead it would not be an issue.

I was going to show you my Denver garden, but I guess I’ll have to wait awhile. We are having a major blizzard. My get two feet or more.

sunnywood..wow!..😥😮😫..if you can't see the emojis..tears..shock..anguish..I couldn't handle it..

Yikes, sunny!! We are supposed to get snow tonight and tomorrow but only a few inches. I’m with nicholsworth, I definitely could not handle it!!!!

debra

The sunny side yard where I have grown berries, grapes, and tomatoes, but have neglected. Usually this area is overgrown with passionflower vines and teeming with bees. I just cleared it out today in preparation for spring. NW side of house with new garden around gutter pipe. Entry to my backyard from the driveway. Photobomb from my son on his swing this summer.

Debra, I would still recommend Penstemon. It does self seed but just a few each year and they can be easily pulled if not wanted. I like the color, flowers and seed heads.

I love seeing all your gardens! I’m really inspired and ready to make some changes this year.

I’ll try to post a few pics... and I’ll definitely try to take some better ones/more this year. Not sure if videos work here, but I’ll try. I was taking some videos last summer, mostly because I thought it would be therapeutic to look at them in the dead of winter... and it was!

oh darn... when I was selecting from my garden folder the videos didn’t even show up in the grid. Still photos it is...
Bottom of the path, which leads down to the garden

Part 2

top of the path

Lucy would NOT look my way... note to self- get the peony rings out early.

Part 3

Other side of the bottom of the path- edited to explain- there’s nothing right behind the linden because there’s a sewer manhole there (I covered it with some mulch).

Along the long stretch of the back property line

And from the far end of that long line

Part 4

At the far end we made a large planting area of the entire corner, which was an otherwise awkward space, and made a little path going through it.

Part 5

Looking out from that corner

The very back part of the corner

My sunniest bed

Sorry for all the posts... it would have been a lot easier and made more sense with the videos, but alas!

I wish I had more space and more shade, as many of you all have, but maybe over time the trees will grow and shade things a little more. In the meantime, a lot of my hostas will just have to tough it out. Our lot is sloped and has some funny angles, and as you know- water runs downhill- so there are limits to the way I can shape/expand the beds. Gotta bloom where we’re planted, right?

Also- where it looks like empty places that should be planted with hostas... I did that late last summer. Not sure where I put them all, so I guess I’ll just be surprised when they come up. 😁

Nice landscaping, I do get a feel for your garden layout and I'm always impressed with anyone who can grow grass. I suppose I'm behind the grass curve due to slopes, hard clay, dogs and a lack of caring. Ever thought of putting a potted Hosta on that manhole cover?

windymess..l loved your garden tour 🙂..you're so tidy!..come and help me Lol!..

I've tried and can't post videos..I heard that you need a YouTube account???..

Utog, I am trying to figure out if that leg with the ugg on the swing is yours or your young son’s???? lol lol

windymess, I love seeing your landscaping around your home.......and just like Steve said, I was going to also suggest putting some hostas in pots On the man cover?

debra

debra, thank you for your kind comment. You don't know how much that means to me. I sometimes wonder if my gardens are too full and confusing looking, but I can't help but squeeze more in, lol.

sunnywood, we got lucky and the storm missed us in Utah, but I see it dipped down and got you in Colorado. I hope it melts fast!

This is a great thread. I'm enjoying seeing all of your gardens so much!

Debra, it is my son. He loves the swing and the garden. :)
Windy, your garden is fabulous! The colors and transitions are serene. I love the scalloped, gentle borders.

Well, I could think about the potted hosta idea... but I'm not sure it would get enough water directly behind the tree. I have some shrubs planted at the very back of the bed in places that avoid the underground structures and they get water from a couple of different sprinkler heads. I'll look at it this summer and see if it would work.

Nicholsworth - interesting, but a YouTube account is not going to happen, so I guess I won't be posting videos... I've been backing away from social media. This forum is the only one I participate in at this point.

Old_dirt, take it easy and don't get too impatient. Your lovely garden will wait until you are ready to get out there!

We only have a half-acre here, but it keeps me busy. This was last June-all back yard upper level (we have three levels and this is the one I worked on last year-behind garage, patio area. I need to fill in blank spots, but will wait until last year's plants show themselves.

In pic below, our Sam and way too many unattended-to-yet weeds. I worked on it , but hadn't started yet. Looking back toward patio.

Note to self: divide Carex this year! Anyone near us is welcome to some-should have divided long ago.

Moving to right around patio w/Sam again.

Below, I interplanted the hosta with Chelone, heucherella, heuchera, astilbe, ferns and Gentiana, and other typical companion plants. The old bench in the background is all that is left of a square redwood picnic table set from my childhood which makes it at least 69 years old!

New front side yard (driveway to right) looking back toward upper back yard. Will be filling in this year.

Nothing is popping up yet other than daffodils which started blooking this past week. Warm weather expected in the coming week (actually getting up to 70 degrees F.!), so I expect to see some of the spring perennials to start showing. The hosta pips won't show themselves for at least a while-end of April?

Sam is my favorite!

Ours, too, oursteelers!

Lovely, cyn... what are the pink flowered plants in the 7th picture, with the birdbath? Heuchera? Heucherella? It’s so pretty!

Re: carex... it does increase quickly. I bought one Ice Dance a few years ago and now I have it in different places all over the yard, and I’ve given some away. A couple of weeks ago I thinned out some of it again and had to throw some away... no worries, I’ll have more to give away later this summer. At least it’s easy to control and divide.

Windymess, that is indeed a Heucherella. I really like it and will try to add more this year! I think (not sure) it is 'Pink Revolution.'