End of the month views

I used to publish end of the month views of specific areas of the garden as I was designing and planting them. They were an effective record of what I had done and how well it was working. I've gotten out of the habit of taking garden photos with these kind of broad views and they are really important documentation. They help me remember in the dead of winter if I need to add or subtract anything when I am making plans and ordering plants.  

Obviously I missed the end of the month, so perhaps I will start an "almost mid-month" posting. This post includes photos taken from May 22 to June 6. They are all of the Tea House garden which has had a lot of attention in the last few years. I am standing on the west edge of our deck looking at the bottom edges of the Tea House garden.

Essentially the same view as above just closer in and taken two weeks later. The empty spot at the edge of the little stone border is where one of the dwarf Ginkgoes is growing. Its branches touch the ground so I don't let anything grow under it to obscure it.

I've just moved a few feet and am standing against the back of the house with the Tsukubai in front of me. I am standing behind the ferns and Hostas on the right side of the path in the first photo. The Hellebores in this area performed very poorly, leaving a number of holes that I expected to be filled with luscious big clumps of deep green Hellebore leaves. 

The big brown area below is where our bamboo died back. We are digging that out since it takes about 3 years to completely recover. In a spot that visible we need something more reliable which is why I'm replacing it with an evergreen ground cover: Juniperus 'Blueberry Delight'. There's a non-performing Hellebore in front of the blue Hosta which will fill that space eventually.

The area in front of the mica rock and the Cornus alternifolia 'Golden Shadows' is where the ivy I brought from my grandmother's garden died. I'm going to dig this out one of these days. I'm still deciding what to put in there. Maybe a Hosta with some yellow patterning. And I'd like a few Geums at the right front and side of the rock. More thinking needed here before plants are purchased or moved.

Even though I feel like some serious attention needs to be paid to this area where the ivy died and the dwarf Solomon's Seal is encroaching, I must admit this area has come a long way from this view of the same location in May, 2015 when the dominant plants were Sweet Woodruff, the dwarf Solomon's Seal and ivy.

What I think of as the back edge of this garden is the area that runs along the fence path. But as one walks there and looks back down at the Tea House slope it is a lovely view — if I do say so myself. This photo was taken on May 25th this year.

Here's what it looks like this week. 

And here's the view from 2015.

The Lilium martagon 'Mrs. R. O. Backhouse' will be opening any day now. They are a peachy pink that echoes the color of the Tea House's stucco walls. 

I'm standing on the steps that go up to the Tea House and looking back toward our house with the dead bamboo making that nice brown spot on the right. Hostas and Hellebores should fill the other open areas if they ever recover from the winter. 

This is a view toward the Tea House across the length of the pond. This is the area where we moved the bench that used to be on the deck. Now we can sit here and enjoy a different view of the pond than the one we see from the house and the deck. 

Comments

[Lisa at Greenbow]

It is good that your garden is finally recovering from the horrid winter. I like all your views but where you have moved the bench certainly gives you a splendid view. I like the way the bright dogwood stops the eye from going through to the neighbors. I love those big rocks clamoring for attention amongst the greenery. The pot stands out too.

I take overall photos of my garden at the first of the month. I have been doing that for some years. I used to just stick my head out the back and front door to do this. Then one winter I was trying to remember something out in the garden and I realized I need to walk around and picture everything so I do that now too. It is fun to see how the garden evolves through out the year and year to year.

[Barbara H.]

You and Mark have done such a fine job of creating texture and subtle, complementing colors in your restful garden. I imagine every time you walk the paths you see something new nodding hello and thanks to you.

[Peter/Outlaw]

Love these wider views of your garden! The last one is a new perspective for me of how your pond is situated. Sorry for so many winter losses.

[Rebecca]

Sometimes I'm really good at taking overall photos of the garden, other times, not so much. I never seem to want to document things when they are looking bad, but clearly I should reconsider that stance. there is definitely something to be said for using pictures as sort of a "to do list".

[Erin @ The Impatient Gardener]

I love these posts. Please keep doing them!