What does your garden look like ... Today?

[JBtheExplorer]

Excited to share that my main native garden has its first bloom of 2019!

Rue Anemone.

 

[FountainMan]

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Prairie Smoke

Common Blue Violet

Rue Anemone

 

[JBtheExplorer]

It's hard to believe that tomorrow night, these violets will be hidden beneath 6"-8" of snow.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

 

[Esther Knapicius]

awesome shot, the bumble bee --upside down. @JBtheExplorer . WOW.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

My humble efforts shown below; two years ago the garden was more moss than grass. A lot of heavy digging to turn the grass over then a huge struggle on the steep slope going over with the rotavator a number of times before planting and here's the result so far.

Kind regards, Colin.

The ajuga is stunning and has taken well in such a short time.

A picture up the garden; the cerastium is excellent ground cover and will grow anywhere.

Across the garden to the new hut; our previous neighbour built a big four bedroomed house at the top of their garden and created a new much smaller level garden ; an indication of the slope in our garden can be seen by the neighbours towering hut above ours. Bron and I prefer our big garden for privacy rather than sell a plot off for building; there's more in life than money sitting in a bank.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I love Common Blue Violets. They're Wisconsin's state flower. They've grown in my lawn forever, so I started digging them up a couple years ago and putting them in my native garden so they'd have a place to grow where they wouldn't get mowed. Fritillary caterpillars use them as a host plant, so I wanted to try to attract them. Saw my first caterpillar last year. The violets been spreading fantastically over those two years, as I hoped they would. They fill in all the open areas, as well as spread into the lawn, which is exactly why I love them. A normal lawn is too plain, too useless. Native violets bloom just before the mowing season begins, and it's amazing to see all that color. To be honest, I'm not sure why it isn't normal for lawn mixes to include native violets. It's so much better for the planet, and better to look at. Here's a few shots of the largest patch in my native garden.

My ferns are popping up quickly. pretty sure this is an Ostrich fern, but I can't remember. I have a few species of native ferns.

Marsh Marigolds have hit their peak. Over the next two or three weeks, they'll wind down. I hate seeing them go, but I'm glad I have them each spring. They add early color around my pond.

Meanwhile, another early bloomer, Prairie Smoke, may still go another month or more.

 

[Sean Regan]

I've re-felted the roof of this little bird feeder.

Weeded the rockery of grass.

The ground cover either side of the new fountain is recovering.

Brushed a bit more sand into the gaps of the new paving over the old koi pool.

And mowed the lawn.

The azaleas next to the patio are nearly all out.

as are another two rhodos.

These three azaleas make a nice contrast. One is now well over seven feet tall.

Two more are nearly out.

Some of our several clematis are starting to flower.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Thank you for those pics @Sean Regan. I enjoy "walking" around your garden. The way you train your acer never fails to amaze me.

 

[Sean Regan]

Thank you for those pics @Sean Regan. I enjoy "walking" around your garden. The way you train your acer never fails to amaze me.

Thanks for that, i've just put my "annual" video on YouTube.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Very nice @Sean Regan . love your Chinese style structure. and you have some nice bird noises.

 

[Sean Regan]

Very nice @Sean Regan . love your Chinese style structure. and you have some nice bird noises.

Thanks for the kind words. But it's actually supposed to be Japanese, to complement the koi pool I had at the time. The inspiration came from vintage books of Victorian country house garden architecture I found in Manchester Central library.

The Victorian aristocracy went "a bit Japanese" and brought over workmen from Japan to build these things.

I adapted what I saw, so I could buld something cheaply, just using basic hand tools, some rough sawn timber I planed down, some planed 2" X 1", rooofing ply, some Victorian style skirting boards and some discarded light difusers. After all it's just a florified shed.

The tea-house, pagoda and the lanterns I made are now thirty-two years old and still in perfect condition.

I made a video of the build.

And one of the lanterns.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

But it's actually supposed to be Japanese, to complement the koi pool I had at the time.

you could tell me otherwise, to me it simply looks oriental .

 

[Esther Knapicius]

my rare Epaulet tree is blooming today.