On the recommendation of one of my wonderful readers I am sharing some photos of our yard and what we plan on adding/improving.
Here is a pic of the beginings of my perennial garden. I finally realized that I didn't want to plant annuals every year as there are other ways I'd like to spend my time! So I decided on the border around one of our flagstone patios. I picked my favorite flowers and spread the seeds at the end of the Summer in the hopes that they will spread and fill out the next Summer. So far so good. This pic was at the beginning of the Summer and by the end there was beautiful Russian Sage taking up most of the garden. The flowers and shrubs I chose are Russian Sage, French lavender, lillies and coneflowers. I planted a border on the patio side of boxwood.
Here is the sage and coneflower
I also have an obsession with roses. I'm not sure how old this bush is but it was here when we moved in eleven years ago and it has really flourished which I'm so proud of!
I hae no idea why that lounge chair is thrown in the bushes but I blame it on my boys!
This is not a pic of the actual arbor in my yard as I don't have one yet. Hubby made me one similar to this pic. It is covered in grapes and raspberries!
A favorite pic of mine of some flowers hubby planted near the backporch (the name escapes me).
According to my father in law we must have great soil because our Clematis really flourishes and blooms well into the late Autumn. We have made some trellises and are growing the vines up the side of the house in the hopes that they will frame the patio.
A greenhouse is on my wish list and hubby says he will build one so hopefully in the near future!
We plan on tearing down the backporch and expanding it. The pillars are small and square and I don't think they fit the scale of the house. The new ones we add will be larger and round, like the ones we have on the front porch as pictured below. As you can see they are in need of a paint job!
We love our front porch as it overlooks a large rolling hill and a terraced lawn. I plan on adding a porch swing this Spring.
Here's a view of the side yard where we have another small flagstone patio and a birdbath that is built into the ground. I'm not sure of its' age but I think it's from about the 1940's.
We also have a large firepit that hubby built and a play area with a little playhouse, again built by my husband.
Here's a view of my perennial garden before I relandscaped last Summer. It was a mess from the Winter before. This area faces our neighbors' house.
A view of the front yard and the terraced garden leading to the front porch. I love how the ivy grows up
the trees. Hubby wants to add a Japanese garden in the terraced area.
Here is a view of our opposite side yard and our huge, old oak tree with the tire swing. A favorite place of the boys.
The front of the house where I plan on planting rhododendrens in the hopes that they will grow as tall as the windows.
The oak tree with the kiddos favorite place to play in the leaves.
We are very grateful to have such a large yard (one acre) which is unheard of in our suburban area.
Hubby laid a huge brick driveway a few Summers ago but I'm having trouble accessing those pics. I will take some when the weather improves.
I hope you enjoyed our little tour. I will keep you updated as we make more improvements.
Blessings~melissa
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