Project progress.

The week off, despite the heat, was used as intended. To get on the proper side of the garden’s to-do list.

Not an easy task it turns out!

We finally got the main garden properly edged. Gone are the ratty old decking boards held in place with stakes. Now a lovely line of charcoal brick. I’m please with how it turned out, how affordable it was, and how quickly it came together.

We finished moving the fire pit down into what we call the Cee Garden and finished planting it up. We also refinished the outdoor chairs with a good sanding and a couple coats of Teak Oil. They are lovely now and, with this being the only sunken area in the garden, make for a really nice place to sit and enjoy the flowers.

The Potager/Herb Garden got its top dressing of pea gravel and a few extra dahlias for good measure. This is going to be a work in progress as far as the planting, but it is fun to tinker with a small space like this. The herbs, so far, are happy. I need to fill in with some more flowers, but alas, time has gotten a bit away from us. Perhaps I can throw in a few Nasturtium seeds and hope for the best?

The rock stream got planted up with Burgundy Bunny Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Burgundy Bunny’) and the husband is out searching for the perfect field stone to fill in the last gap. I’m excited to see how this matures and how the Hen and Chicks do in the cracks. Another experiment that will surely evolve over time. But for now, it is close enough to done now that it has a dressing of pea gravel.

The four yews in the corners of this centerpiece finally go their companions. 8 Hedge Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster lucidus) have been added and will eventually form dense, strong walls of green that I can clip and prune into shape. Its all a bit ragged right now, but in my mind I can see what it is going to look like and I’m excited.

Two more, very utilitarian, projects got underway as well. On the left is the path that will finally (FINALLY) connect the Dry Garden and house area properly to the Greenhouse. The wide edging will make it easy to run the riding mower over and should help keep the quack grass at bay. The path on the right is a shortcut from the Potager and Greenhouse area into the Main Garden. There had been leftover pavers crammed into this space, but these three generous ones make for easier travels, less tripping hazard, and a more streamlined look.

Of course there was weeding and planting, pruning, digging, mowing, watering. But it feels like we are more ‘in control’ of the garden (whatever that actually means) than we’ve ever been and it is such a relief to be able to potter around and enjoy it more.

I’m off to deadhead more irises, the next post will have more flowers and less hardscaping. I promise!