Little House Hawthorn

 

 We were well rewarded!

Last September Miles took down two very large trees that were killing a smaller, much prettier, Hawthorn at the little house yard. Our little Hawthorn really bounced back! (I know that is an odd angle but it was the only way I could get it all in and still have it be relatively close.) We will have to wait a few years for it to straighten up but with regular trimming it will get there because not only is it alive, it is FULL of flowers. And even better? It smells FANTASTIC! It was a lot of work and we will be burning the wood forever but it was so worth it. The little house yard is so much prettier this year with the Hawthorn blooming at the same time as the iris. The Linden will be next and will bloom with peony. Then the columbine and cranesbill will take over for the summer. With the big trees gone you can actually see it all and the increase in sunlight hours, the flowering plants are looking so much bigger this year than last. It makes me want to go and find a tree to cut down. Oh happy day!!

My Little Backyard Oasis

In another month or so as the perennials grow, I won't be able to see much of the garden along the fence from the driveway. Unfortunately the neighbour's fence has been a gardening challenge. Nothing wants to do well on the north side of a 6 foot fence that's also shaded by big maples most of the day. The bonus is we have privacy, but it's nothing like Danielle's open spaces.

Curving Edges with Old Hose

If you've gardened for very long, you'll have a supply of old garden hoses that are past repairing. We always hang onto them because they're perfect for marking out new gardens.

Lay a hose on the ground randomly and it creates beautiful curves. Hammer a few long nails or stakes through it into the ground to hold it in place while you dig out the garden. Then pull it all up easily and store it for next time. Make sure to collect up all your nails.

For the centre garden in our backyard, I drew out a pattern on graph paper. We staked out a 2'x2' grid in the yard and translated my pattern onto the yard using pieces of old hose.

Tying it all Together

Our front yard was becoming a mishmash of gardens as we expanded to add new plants, so 3 years ago we decided to turn the whole thing into a garden, except for a 24' circle. We measured the circle using a metal stake and rope, then marked the whole thing with old hose hammered down with long nails.

front circle before

Kelly lugged in all the stones from back in the woods and lined them up along the hose. Then he dug out all the areas outside the circle to about 2' deep. Next came a big load of garden soil and, of course, plants. We preserve some larger sections at the front for dahlias and glads, which all have to be dug up and replanted yearly.

front circle after

Hostas in Dry Shade

Hostas work great in areas that are shady... under trees where not much else will thrive.  Even the less showy varieties add greenery where it's hard to get other things to grow.  This year we inherited several large hostas which were going to be dug up and thrown out by other gardeners.  What we have found though is that they don't really do well in the woods because it's so dry.  Here is what Kelly did to help keep moisture around the hostas in the woods:

So for a few days it looked rather odd in the woods with these sandy circles built up around all the hostas.  Then Kelly went and raked a bunch of mulch from the forest floor and hid the architecture:

Now it all looks more natural!  And I can tell the hostas like it too.

Mowing and Mulching

Last summer Kelly and I were trying to figure out what to do with the west side of our property along the other side of the driveway.  I knew it wouldn't be a good place for gardens because of the shade trees.  But it was a royal pain to mow around hostas and trees and I wanted a tidier look.  This year, Kelly cut out all the sod, we put down landscape fabric and mulched all around the bank edge and tree line.  Looks so much better now and easier to maintain.

Our Garden Rocks

Yes, we actually had more rocks delivered to us so we could complete the front garden.  The strip between the garden and the road has always been so unruly.

This project cost us quite a bit in money and in Kelly's sweat.  We bought the best landscape fabric we could find and even recycled an old carpet.  The load of river rock was close to $300.  Here it is from a different angle.