Front Lawn Be Gone

This post is the fourth in a sequence of time lines of my garden from the very beginning until now. The bird & butterfly garden being the first, the potager (kitchen garden) the second, and my "nice driveway" being the third.

The front is an area I have worked on sporadically over the past three seasons. It has not been the main focus of my attention but I have made improvements. It wasn't until this winter I was inspired with a plan for this area that I will put into action next summer. Then, it will be my focus and my front lawn will be gone.

For now, I am pleased with the much larger beds and how the plants have interwoven with one another to form a sort of patchwork tapestry of textures and color.

Like most of the village homes in our neighborhood, we had a ridiculously small patch of front lawn – that is now even smaller, thank you. We would not be playing croquet or bocce ball on that small plot in the upper left of the picture collage above, and it was the first of the lawn to go. Clockwise from upper left: before in the spring of 2008, spring of 2009, now, spring of 2010.

Pictured above clockwise from upper left: before in the spring of 2008, summer of 2009, now, summer of 2010. I added a Black Lace, Sambucas nigra (a hybrid of elderberry), in the spring of 2009 next to the existing barberry which I kept even though it is invasive. Eventually I am going to rip it out so we can reside the curve of the porch to match our new yet-to-be-constructed back screened-in porch. I will replace it with something native that does not have thorns! I did remove the existing pygmy barberry right away.

The Black Lace is my "Japanese Maple" of the north. It has grown extremely fast and this year has many blooms. I love how its lacy leaves now veil the view from the porch.

Pictured above clockwise from upper left: spring of 2008, fall of 2009, now (both bottom photos). In the summer of 2009 I connected foundation bed to the two I had made up front near the sidewalk, and added a small stepping stone path. The plants have really filled in and have nearly covered the stepping stone path.

Pictured above clockwise from upper left: early spring of 2008, summer of 2009, now, fall of 2010. In 2009 I added a small Cornelian Cherry, Cornus mas, a tree I picked for its hardiness as the front of our house receives some brutal weather and has cement clay for soil. It didn't seem to be doing well and has since been moved to the back. (It still doesn't seem to be doing well. Either it takes awhile to become established or I received a dud.) In its place is now a volunteer cherry tree that seems to be making it. I made the entire bed along the foundation much wider and added some curves and an inukshuk for guidance.

This spring 2011 two crabapples, 'Purple Prince' were also added street side. I am hoping with time, their branches form a canopy over our walk way leading up to our front porch from the street.

Now we have a fantastic range of blooms from spring through fall. I have planted bulbs each fall: daffodils, alliums, iris, crocus. The foliage is also its own intermingling arrangement of blues, greens and burgundies. Something is always buzzing or fluttering among the display. Eventually the lawn from the house to the sidewalk will be entirely gone. I won't miss it.

Eye Popping Poppies

Last year my neighbor gave me some poppies. I stuck them in the ground where they withered up and disappeared. This spring, up they sprung! One morning, during days of rain, I happened upon their buds ...

Dewey wands waving in the wind.

A sneak peak.

One morning, after days of rain, I walked out my back door to discover their beautiful, ruffled blooms. It made me feel like a ball of sun had come down from the sky to float and shine right there in my flower bed ...

Bursting blooms.

Project: Planters

Getting everything done this month has been a project in between rain, but I have managed to plant most of the potager and put together some planters.

Every year I tell myself I'm going to cut back on containers, especially since I now have more garden. My goal is to incorporate perennials into my containers, or create containers that I can over winter. I haven't quite mastered container perennials yet. Last year I used lamium maculatum 'Orchid Frost' in my containers and planted it in the garden come fall. It survived the winter, in fact, it's blooming now. I should try herbs but I didn't think of that until after I snapped out of the annual flower spell. Herbs would do well out front in the full sun. Seas of flowers in all shapes and forms woo me and so, I have containers of annuals like these baskets on the columns leading to our front porch. Planted here are: geranium 'Indian Dunes,' coleus 'Dark Star,' Superbells 'Tequila Sunrise,' bacopa 'Gulliver Blue Sensation,' and verbena 'Obsession Apricot.'

I did manage to overwinter these begonias and a couple other plants that, and I apologize, I do not know the name of. I just moved this from inside to outside. How great! This is a fairly shaded area on our front porch so I am not worried about transitioning the plants to the outside light.

These rosemary pots also spend the winter indoors.

This cedar window box is filled with what I hope, are mostly nectar producing plants: verbena 'Obsession Apricot,' verbena 'Lanai Peach,' Superbena 'Large Lilac Blue' (a verbena hybrid), alyssum 'Alice,' lobelia 'Riviera Sky Blue,' and a geranium 'Americana Salmon.' I try to match or compliment the colors of my garden. I love how the Superbena floats above the Mt. Bluet, centaura.

This year, because we plan to construct a screened-in porch out back, I have moved some planters into my garden beds and I like this so much that I will be doing this every year from now on. I overwinter these fuschias in my cellar. It takes them a little time to come back so I have placed an annual beside them that really caught my eye but I cannot find the tag to share the name with you! I also placed a begonia 'Gryphon' in this pot which I will overwinter. I love how moss is beginning to grow on this pot.

This woodland basket contains white impatients, lobelia 'Riviera Sky Blue,' and violas 'Penny Orchid Frost' which should overwinter and perhaps even make more.

These metal baskets are waiting in the shed to be potted and will be placed in my woodland edge border. I have shpagnum moss soaking to make them plantable. I will be making these a permanent feature in this bed and will try to make these perennial in the future.

The shed window box is also newly planted with verbena 'Obsession Apricot,' verbena 'Lanai Peach,' Superbena 'Large Lilac Blue' (a verbena hybrid), alyssum 'Alice,' lobelia 'Riviera Sky Blue,' and gazania 'KissMix.'

Truthfully, "project planters" will be ongoing. I love sage and seem to lose it every year even though I grew it successfully in Maine – go figure. So, I foresee an herb planter once I become a little more organized with sage as its centerpiece that I will attempt to overwinter. And I have a big full sun pot that I overwinter every year in the cellar that will be getting a complete makeover including a new pot. And ... well, I'm going to stop myself. How about you? Do you plant containers each summer? What are your favorites?