Front Garden
Part Shade, Shade
This area had good bones from the beginning, so when we bough, we just fixed up the sidewalk and added new path lights. Over time I’ve added several perrenials, groundcovers and two Japanese maples. Although I’m never really done, I’d say this is the most finished garden on our property. If the weeds and slugs would magically go away I’d never need to touch it.
Creek
Part Sun, Part Shade, Dry Shade, Wet Shade, Bog Garden
Technically called a seasonal stream, this creek flows almost 10 months out of the year. At one point it would flow toward our house when the rain got heavy – yikes! We decided to fix this (good idea) so we removed the big dead trees, rolled back the ivy and poured concrete to extend an existing ditch we uncovered in the process, connecting it with the north fence where the water enters our yard. The following year I mortared river rock over the concrete to help it look a little more natural. This area is a weird mix of super-dry-under-Douglas-Fir and almost-always-soggy-with-sun. I’m still trying to figure it out.
North Side Yard
Part Sun, Part Shade, Shade
Probably the most transformed area in the garden, I’ve been working to fix this up since we had a row of giant holly trees removed 8 or so years ago. Though it’s always a work in progress, I feel like it’s about 80% done. Or 70%. Ok maybe 60%. I have too many ideas and not enough summer. (I’m a wimp and refuse to garden in 40˚ rain)
Back Deck
Part Sun
The second sunniest spot on the property. I walk a fine line between having enough potted plants and worrying if the combined weight of those pots is a danger to the structural integrity of the deck.
Indoor
The inside of our house is pretty dark, but I’ve managed to keep a few plants happy in a few spots – like the family room window that faces the deck, shown here. See them leaning toward the light? Actually the window sill is just cattywampus, much like the rest of our old house.
South Easement
Shade
Blech, I wish I this looked better already! I’ve only recently made efforts toward this neglected strip of sad weediness. Shaded by dense hollies and cedars, the area is pretty inhospitable, with extremely dry and very poor soil. It’s a melting pot of weed species, and was a dumping ground for construction debris at one point. Last year I planted some hosta divisions to get a head start on renewing this area in 2017. There’s nothing like hardy hostas to make a desperate patch of soil start to look legit.
Sunroom
This doesn’t look like much, but trust me – it’s AMAZING. Recently renovated and a blank slate. So excited for plants! Stay tuned…
