Pre-Season Garden Tour

These days I'm all about keeping my blog posts real. My home is as perfectly imperfect as yours. Some areas I love and some areas need attention.  When it comes to my garden, I never know what I will find at the beginning of Spring.
Let's do an evaluation together.
This is the vegetable garden that needs renovating.

The wood raised beds have decomposed.

The weeds are out of control.

This side needs more plants.

This is the back of my property. There is a chain link fence that surrounds the yard. I want to plant more evergreens against the fence. This area could look more lush.

Here you can really see how unattractive the fence is.

I would like to find something that will help keep the deer out of the yard.

The window boxes on the shed need fresh plants.

I have dug this weed out so many times....it's time for some weed killer.

This nasty weed has spread like crazy. I am not sure what I am going use on it....any suggestions?

Looks like Snowplow Jim's plow was set a little bit low. 

I need to rake this back into place.

It's a bit early, but I think the lavender that I planted may have survived the winter.

The white hydrangeas always look dead, but come back strong.

The Daffodil's look beautiful, and the Iris's need a clean up.

 I have tried to love these grasses over here....but I still don't think they work in this spot. I think I'll move them somewhere else.

This area needs a groundcover.

That's what my garden looks like when I start a new season. Have you made any gardening plans for your yard?

Garden Planning

January and February are the perfect time for me (and the rest of the world) to make ambitious gardening plans. I am far enough away form the grueling summer heat to not remember how hot and sticky it can be working outside. A poor memory and a cold winter are definitely dangerous for summer project planning.... not to mention the endless garden catalogs that continue to arrive on a weekly basis. 
Since I am determined to to transform my current vegetable garden into the Kitchen Garden of my dreams

via Pinterest

I just purchased this book, American Grown - The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden.
American Grown 

I continue to be impressed by the design and beauty of this garden.

I don't think I need my lettuce this decorative, but then again....the President isn't coming over to my house.

My dog loves to be in my garden, too. In fact he loves to eat vegetables :-/

Do you have any ambitious garden plans? Any garden plans at all?

A Pea Gravel Path

What is it about a pea gravel path? I find myself drawn to them....loving them...wanting one. It is March, so I though I would check in on my Home Goals for 2012.....I've accomplished one. On the list is a Potager Garden, the French word for a kitchen garden. The reason I keep calling mine "Potager", is because I am trying to remind myself that it needs some loveliness in it. Like a beautiful pea gravel path

Velvet & Linen

One that says...come walk on me

Source

Come sit down

Country Living

Or....just look at me!

Coastal Living

Have you ever installed a pea gravel path? I tried...sort of...big failure. Do you have any tips?

Sarah Raven

I love gardening. I have been planning a Potager Garden for quite some time. I was certain that this Fall, I would be able to revamp my garden.  Sadly, the weather and time did not agree. So, I am back to planning for next Spring. About 12 years ago, I discovered this book

The Bold & Brilliant Garden, by Sarah Raven. To this day, it is one of my very favorite and inspiring garden references. Sarah approaches her floral arrangements and gardening like a designer. Her designs are focused on scale, textue, colors and scent. I'm sure your local library has this!


Next came this book

The Cutting Garden, by Sarah Raven. This book tells you how to organize your garden so that you will always have beautiful flowers to bring inside.


...now, with the internet....you can just go to Sarah's page. She lives in England, so zoning for growth will be different. However, if you love to look at images like these

It is worth the click over. If you garden, where do you get your inspiration?

Fall Gardening Projects

Fall is the perfect time to plant and transplant. Since I did not get enough gardening time in this season, I want to make sure I maximize Fall. Some of the things I would like to get accomplished...


Transform this....

into this

A Potager garden!


In the Fall, I also like to plant or transplant roses. Many people write that roses don't like to be transplanted...well, it can be tricky. Here's how I look at it; If I can't live with the current location of a plant, try transplanting. Either way, that plant will no longer be in the wrong location....and hopefully, success will be achieved.

This is my rose selection

 White carpet roses. 

The other plant on my Fall planting list is this

2 white hydrangea trees.


Do you have a Fall gardening project?

A New Movie House to Dream of

Don't you just day dream over some of those homes in the movies? I know I do. In fact, this one

from Something's Gotta Give, is still in my dreams!

Then, there was this one

From It's Complicated. I want that garden....even if it's not real

What about The Lake House

It looks like a life-size terrarium!

Well, now there is a new movie house to dream about

The house from Jumping The Broom....I think it's my new favorite!

Happy Monday