In Three Years - Part 1

Patience is a virtue, right?

We have bought an unfinished house here in the Boston area, but, of course, complications have arisen and it's taking longer than expected to finish it.  I am eager to get started with garden planning, but I am having trouble even picturing where things should go as the lot is not even completely graded yet.

So while I wait I am taking a look back at my last Red House Garden to remind myself how much the garden grew in just those three short years, and what I have to look forward to for the next house...

Before:

I started gardening in the front yard first.  In the beginning there were a few basic shrubs, one tree, and that's pretty much it.

Front Right Garden

Somewhat Before:
Three Abelias, a Nandina, and a 'Sky Pencil' Holly were put in by the builder here.  By this picture, taken early in the first summer after we moved in, I had already added in some stepping stones and other plants.

After:

Late Winter

The front yard is where I have all of my early bulbs.  Daffodils start blooming in February here, followed in spring by Dutch Irises.

Spring

The crown jewel of this part of the garden in spring is my abundantly flowering Clematis 'Guernsey Cream'.

Then in summer comes the Lilies, Black-eyed Susan, yellow Gladioli and a couple other Clematis vines.  The Abelia shrubs also start blooming their little white flowers. 

Summer

Front Left Garden

Before:

More Nandinas, Abelias, and a Sky Pencil Holly were spaced around the front.  The builder's landscaper did pick very hardy plants - one can find these same plants around every parking lot in this area of NC.  (Mr. Red House thinks I'm subtle in my opinions of these plants..)

After:
I left the basic shrubs, but we added stepping stones, a fence, and an arbor, along with other plants.  I must have planted hundreds of daffodil bulbs of various kinds and bloom times throughout the front yard.

Spring

I squeezed lots of plants in this corner of the garden - along with the daffodils, Black-eyed Susans, Gladioli, Salvia, Irises, Dahlias, Clematis vines, Inkberry Holly bushes, and one incredible 'Incrediball' Hydrangea were added.  Among others.

Summer

 In fall, the one tree the builder planted, an 'Autumn Blaze' Maple, turns a lovely shade of scarlet. I also planted Coreopsis and Gaillardia, which usually extend their blooms into fall. 

Fall

Mailbox Garden:
Mailboxes just beg to be surrounded by plants, don't they?  Initially the mailbox was surrounded by weeds hard-to-grow grass and sidewalk.  I eventually ripped that out (grass, not sidewalk), and put in a teeny-tiny garden.

After:
More daffodils!  For summer, Salvia and Lantana take up the slack.

Spring

Summer

Not bad for just three years, right? 

After:

Next post: before and after pics of the backyard..