Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Bird & Butterfly Garden

This was the first section, or bed, of my garden I created. I still call it the bird and butterfly garden although most of the beds I have added on my property are planted with wildlife in mind. Here is a time line from beginning to date of this section of my garden in the making.


We moved into our house in October of 2007. Directly above is a "before" photo in the early Spring of 2008 followed by the early stages of this bed in the making. The middle and top view show the plantings around mid-to-late Summer of 2008.


Directly above is the same bed in the early Spring of 2009. The views above that, showing the bed in June and July of 2009.


And here, above, is the bed in the late Spring of 2010. It is really filling in and now there is sprouting, unfurling, stretching, growing, and colors blooming each month of the summer from early spring into fall.



Summer of 2010 (above). The mason bee house hanging on the garage wall is finally active. The plants have outgrown the original bird bath I had in place. I have added a tall driftwood "sculpture" that I interpret to be a Blue Heron as they are common here along the river.


Late Summer/Fall 2010 (above). The joe-pye and perennial sunflowers are as tall as the top of the window. Now we have strong skeletons to stand through the winter and add interest, many seeds to feed the winter birds, many stalks to house and protect insects.


This is the first section of my garden I have featured in a time line. I will be featuring my entire garden. I hope to have these posts remain in my sidebar for visitors to view my garden at a glance. I also plan to keep them updated as my garden grows. You may remember my older slide show "In the Making," but I've found as my garden continues to expand, the slide show to be too long and not load fast enough. Thank you for joining me in my garden in the making!

11 comments:

  1. What a wonderful transformation you have made in this bed. Truly a bed for all the seasons.

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  2. I much prefer this version to a slide show. Now I can pause, and wander.

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  3. Amazing transformation Violet Fern! Just stunning! How the imagination wed to nature shows through.

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  4. Wow..such a super gorgeous post..full of eye-candy and nature's beauty...awesome!!
    Shine on!
    Kiki

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  5. Isn't it amazing what a difference a mature flower bed can make? The contrast between 2007 and 2010 is so dramatic. I'll look forward to seeing the transformations in other parts of your garden. -Jean

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  6. It is fun to see the development of your garden beds and to watch the borders go from spare in spring to lush in summer.I love the cute little birdhouse that hangs from a hook at the side of the house.
    And I envy all the sunshine that you seem to have in your yard (judging from these photos)! We have mature trees in our yard and so it is not possible to grow sun loving varieties anywhere, but the small front garden. I wish I had more sunny flowers borders. Enjoy the rest of the week. Jennifer

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  7. Just beautiful, and it smells great too!

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  8. Thank you all for your encouragement! I am so happy you can wander and enjoy the transformation. Thank you for taking the time. I really would love some mature trees! I guess that is why gardens continuously evolve.

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  9. I love your flower border! The transformation is incredible. It sure gives me momentum to keep going on a couple of my beds that are just starting out. Yours is so cheery and playful, I love it!

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  10. I'm late, but I'm glad I didn't miss this post! You have made a wonderful transformation to your yard, adding value and beauty for humans as well as sustenance for wildlife. Congratulations on a job very well done!

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Thank you for joining me in my garden in the making!

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