Hi all. Tess, so nice to have you drop in regularly now! All this grass talk has given me the blues, lol. Our backyard faces north and we have these huge trees and clay soil. For 8 years now we have done all sorts of things to make the lawn green, spent hundreds on reseeding, top soil, mulch, you name it. Finally I decided that it was all in vain as it is now, as usual for spring, a big muddy mess soon to be a barren brown disgrace. Time for something different. Any ideas? I'm sure that a landscaper would have all sorts of solutions that would set us back thousands, and that's not the plan this year as I blew the budget for the gardens already when I had the east side redone last summer. Gah.
I'm car-less today again. Ted is so busy at work that I took pity on him and sent him off with the only decent vehicle we have. That damn van is still in the driveway but no way will I drive it and he's finally come around to not liking it either, lol.
Mike and Maya found a replacement apartment for the one they lost when the landlord absent-mindedly let it out to someone else. This new one is better, bigger and has a garage space, a rare find around here. They'll be back in here for a few days between the country cabin and the apartment, same time that Nick comes home. So we'll go from a peaceful two of us to the noise of five people clamouring for hot water and kitchen space.
So what's up today? Shelly, how was your first day of moderating? Any crises?
KaeEll, I would go nuts without a car. I don't know how you keep from going crazy.
As for the grass, I think you need some kind of spreading ground cover. Periwinkle is very pretty, and you have the advantage of having those pretty blue flowers in the spring. Pachysandra is also very nice, but much slower spreading.
You could plant very low-growing juniper under the trees, azalias which love shade, or the old standby ivy, although it likes to take over the world!
Really, just about any low-growing, shade-loving shrub or ground cover would be beautiful, and mixing them would look lovely. Makes for less mowing too, and they would prevent the mud problem.
Send me a picture of the back. I've seen some pictures before, but if you can take some of the area you particularly dislike, it may trigger some other ideas.
PS -- KaeEll, there are also some nice spreading roses now, although they would need to be in an area with more sun.
-- Edited by Moore ideas on Tuesday 21st of April 2009 10:33:25 AM
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"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"
(Dumbledore to Harry Potter)
You guys are making me envious. I have so many plans for my garden but just can't do it. I am hoping by the time my MIL gets here it won't be too late to put some flowers in the ground. My daff's are just starting to bloom. So that is good. Kae I hope you find something to make that part of your yard prettier.
Moderating yesterday was pretty ho-hum. Not a lot going on.
Shelly, I'm glad that you got to start on a slow day!
I don't think it will be too late to plant some things up there in Connecticut. It's been such a strange winter/early spring this year, and of course you want to be sure that the possibility of frost is completely gone. Have you thought about getting a whole bunch of large pots, and planting those? It's easier than trying to dig holes in the ground, and you can move them around. Well, YOU can't move them around right now, but you can after the babies arrive. But, you could plant them now without having to get down on your hands and knees. Jolene could help put the potting soil in them; kids love to get all dirty! You could also plant some ivy in large pots. Eventually it will begin to trail over the sides, and look pretty. If you stick a bent clothes hanger in the center, you can train the ivy to grow up too. In the winter, you can bring it inside...
__________________
"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"
(Dumbledore to Harry Potter)
I am weary with buying pots because they tend to be heavy. And we are looking to move south by the end of the year. At the moment I am praying that at least my tulips are still in bloom when my mom gets here. She would love to see them. They haven't even started blooming yet so hopefully. Only have 3 more weeks left. I can't believe I am almost 35 weeks. And still working full time.
Oh yeah, and my mom has a straight flight to Providence from Phoenix..something like an 8 hour flight and they are only going to give her one of those snack box things. That is a long time to be on a plane. She is diabetic so I am hoping she finds a way to get real food onto the plane with her.
Shelly, once your mom gets through the security check, she'll be able to buy some food in one of the shops by the gate. Not that it's all that great, but they allow it on the plane. She might be able to get some energy bars too. Also, we've found that the direct flights from Phoenix, headed east, tend to pick up a tail wind, and get here more quickly than the flights back out there. Arizona-daughter is usually here in about five hours, so if your mom is on a direct flight, eight hours seems long...
AZ-D wants us to go out there in early May, but I'm not sure yet. You KNOW how much I "love" to travel, and it's also expensive. We'd stay at a nearby hotel, so that adds to the cost. I don't know what we'll do yet.
__________________
"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"
(Dumbledore to Harry Potter)
Wonderful sugestions, Moore. Thanks a million. I love the periwinkle idea and I think they're hardy enough to withstand poodle pounding. And BTW, I think I am already a little crazy, car or no car, lol.
Okay, so here are some photos. Two are my pitiful back yard complete with doggie pee patches of white. Then the cabin that Mike and Maya rented out in the boonies, one taken last week with snow, then one this week, no snow. The resident Labradoodle's name is (no typo) Doood.
I'll contemplate the pictures, and see what other landscaping suggestions I can come up with! I'll try to keep in mind that we're in different zones...
And KaeEll, we're all allowed to be a little bit crazy sometimes!
__________________
"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"
(Dumbledore to Harry Potter)
KaeEll, it looks like you're in hardiness zone 6. Is that right?
How do azalias do up there? From what I can tell, they ought to do okay, especially with a little winter protection. Also, do you like daylilies?
You have those three nice curved patio areas, and I'm thinking that their shape could be echoed with plantings around them, allowing for access of course. Also, if you could plant shrubs under the tree (such as azalias), that would remove some grass area, although from the pictures it looks like the grass is going okay there!
For example, you could plant daylilies in front of the patio in the left corner, with pachysandra in front of them, sweeping in a curve (leaving a small open area for walking). You could then plant azalias or some other flowering shrubs in front of the fence, in between the two back patios. You already have some shrubs in front of the right patio, but you could still repeat the daylilies and pachysandra there. Then, we need to plant under the tree, and do something dramatic by your deck and main patio. Do you have any pictures looking toward the deck, that patio, and the back of your house so that I can get an idea of what's already there?
I'm still working on where to put the periwinkle, but I need all perspectives.
__________________
"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"
(Dumbledore to Harry Potter)
I adore azaleas but we can't grow them here. We had hundreds in Hilton Head and I fell in love with them every spring. Some rhododendrons survive the snow here but must be wrapped and fussed over, not my cuppa tea. Day lilies grow like weeds here and I had dozens of them but Chloe trampled them to death chasing squirrels to the hedges, ditto all the foxgloves (she bit the beautiful flower spikes off every single one), trilliums, tulips, hostas, evergreen ivies, poppies and begonias. I had an amazing garden for all of about half a summer in 2002. No longer a puppy, the poodle will likely not be as rambunctious as she used to be and with no little playmate to chase, is more subdued. I can try again.
Tomorrow is supposed to be lovely so I'll venture into the back and take pictures. It's too muddy today. I really appreciate the advice on design. I have hit a wall when it comes to that damn back yard. Grrr.
AZ-D was rather horrified when she was in Las Vegas. The elegant gated community where she and her brother stayed was "planted" in astroturf! I'm sure that they must have water restrictions in Las Vegas, and plastic grass certainly cuts down on that. If you get REALLY desperate, KaeEll, there's always THAT option. LOL...
__________________
"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"
(Dumbledore to Harry Potter)
KaeEll, how about pachysandra? My mom had that in some areas like yours and it looked wonderful, and the great thing is that it really spreads and fills in as the years pass. I can remember going with her to Kmart, and her picking up trays of it, at a really reasonable price. I also have an area that is very shady like that, which I have given up on, and have it mulched, with hostas in the area. They are another great plant that really gets much larger over the years, and can be easily spread out.
Would impatiens grow there? They love the shade, with minimal sunshine, so they may do well, inside of a mulched area. Just put miracle grow on them every three weeks, and they will be large and lush. One trick I have with impatiens is that when I plant them, I put two together in a hole, and they really fill in, looking like flower bouquets.
Can you tell that I have a slight shade issue going on in parts of my front yard? My first few years in the house, I tried everything, and spent a fortune, on different annuals and perennials before I realized that there was very little that would work there. One thing that worked as a perennial called bugle weed. I hate it, and I am now forever out there, pulling it out of areas that it shows up in. It is really weedish, and the name should have said it all.
Your doggy is adorable!!!
Shelly, up in our area, I have always found that most people don't even plant their flowers until Memorial Day. I wait until the weekend after. I have found that the plants at the nursery seem to be twice the size, if you wait until the weekend after.
Anyway, I'm going to feed the dogs, and catch-up on what I dvr'ed last night.
