Monday, April 1, 2013

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! 


10 comments:

  1. hi Artie! I'm dreaming of spring and summer too! Your garden plans sound exciting and will look wonderful. Did you learn to garden from your mother? I'm always so surprise how many similar plants here as in Texas, though some are annuals here;) Sorry you lost the basket. I had a mishap with a vintage concrete urn (one of a pair) and am SO mad at myself for not covering it (don't know why I didn't) and now have to figure out what to do there. But alas, the garden is always changing, yes?! Whether through mother nature or our mistakes;)
    Enjoy the rising temperatures!!
    xxojoan

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  2. Beautiful photos. Like you, I am anxious for warmer days, green grass, and blooming flowers. I'm ready to get out there and get my hands dirty, a little more to do this year than I would really like, but excited about it.

    Just looking at past pictures of my back yard last night and wondering if I was up to so much work to get it back that way again.

    Thanks for the beauty and inspiration on your blog today.

    Wishing you a beautiful week ahead.

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  3. Oh Joan, no - I mean my mother is wonderful with plants, especially house plants, but in dry and desolate West Texas we don't grow anything beyond sawgrass and cactus. I didn't know anything at all about gardening, until we moved here and Scott told me what he knew. We sorta just figured it all out together. I've made a ton of rather expensive mistakes - but they were beautiful mistakes, and I learned from them.
    I've lucked out with my concrete statuary on the porch, but too, lost one that I left outside under the pergola. So sad.
    Can't wait to see your gardens, as I know you did a lot last year!

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  4. I enjoyed this post so much Artie. The images are gorgeous!

    I went through archives of BPM,for flowery photos, today.

    J was digging around in the gardens this afternoon. We are both so ready for Spring and Summer,after this crazy winter!

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  5. Belíssimas imagens, amei tudo.
    Tenha uma ótima semana.

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  6. We had 6 " of snow this morning and I can't wait for warm sunshine and flowers! Tell me what you mean about the "wives tales" on your wisteria??? My sister in law is going on year 4 with no wisteria flowers, but very thick stems and lots of greenery - she has no idea why!

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  7. I hope you're out gardening soon.
    But here in SE TX I'll be hibernating in the ac as I withdraw from the heat.

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  8. Artie, I don't have 'a green thumb' so your garden is always a feast for my eyes. Last year our Summer was beautiful and do not know about you, but I had plants that blossomed that I didn't even know that did. (We completely landscaped five years ago.) Also we have some sort of an ivy on the house that was here when we moved in twenty-three years ago, and it too produced a type of berry that surprised me.

    With that said, re the current weather I am waiting anxiously for Spring as it has been more like Fall here. We still have ice on our inground swimming pool and there is very little signs of Spring.
    -Brenda-

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  9. omg!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 that looks like a magazine = the pergola!! you did that? amazing

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