Dreaming of Summer

It feels like it has been an unusually long winter here. With temperatures resting well below freezing for so long, (and who can overlook all this white stuff!) this weekend's lift in temperature was much appreciated and had me longing for the days where I can spend time in my garden instead of the house.

I've already started drawing up some changes for the garden, which includes moving these coneflowers to a different location and filling in the entire space between my two river clump birch trees with blue hydrangeas. There is so much shade in that area now that they've grown to be so large that hydrangeas will thrive there, and I won't have so much work to do maintaining full sun plants in partial shade gardens.



Some things didn't weather the winter very well, like this banana palm basket. I didn't really think about it when I decided to leave it outside ... but I suppose I should have put it away. It will be interesting to see what I can find to put in its place, since I loved the texture so much ... and it made for a great focal point when entering the pergola.

I've got the most to do in the pergola ... including paint, stain, fixing some of the patio furniture, planting behind the retaining wall and putting some of the wives tales for my wisteria to work!

The hydrangeas between the trees, above with a view of the fountain and the gardens beyond. I'm planning to have a pebble or stone path in the round garden this year. Who knows when I'll find the time ... 

Perhaps between picnics ...

Or potting ...

Or parties ...

Ah, thank goodness for the blog and the catalog of photos to remind me of what summer is like ... hope you found these pictures of the CDLV gardens as calming and beautiful as I did ... I can't wait to get started on it all over again, the sooner - the better!