Wednesday, June 26, 2013

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..

21 comments:

  1. You did so well changing red house, I think you'll do fine with the new one. Construction and moving always seem to take much longer than expected, but 10 years from now it won't seem like it took that long (big help i know) we had a huge hurry to get into our house and get it fixed up in time for thanksgiving so we could have our families over. Then, at the last minute everyone canceled so all of my work didn't matter as much as I thought it had. I think that taught me a little patience... though maybe not ;) good luck with your patience and have fun with your blank slate!

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    1. I have a bridal shower to host in a few weeks at our new house. Hopefully we'll be all settled in by then (and hopefully everyone won't cancel for that!) I'm sure the waiting will be worth it once we move in.

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  2. Oh, I love these before and after posts! Obviously, you know what you're doing and I'm sure the new house will be a gardener's delight in no time!

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    1. I sure hope so! I keep seeing plants in catalogues that I want for my new garden beds. The hardest part might be whittling down what plants I actually want to get and plant at first!

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  3. It is always wonderful to have before and after garden photos. I never can remember what things were like and if I've done anything to improve the garden after all the work. You have clearly made some wonderful changes and you'll do fine with the new place as well. Is the new house red?
    David/:0)

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    1. Sadly the new house is not red, but green instead. And since it's vinyl, it really doesn't make sense to paint it. I do like the green color, though, and it will have a red door!

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  4. How lovely to see the changes you did to your previous house, I am sure you will get your new garden looking at least as lovely and for every garden you make you learn a lot of new things - at least I have, and I have moved a lot of times...but I hope I am staying here I am now, no more moving for me!

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    1. I hope that there is no more moving for me, too! Though I don't think I've moved as many times as you. I'm ready to see a garden grow and have some time to mature!

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  5. Indie what a wonderful look back. We bought our lot and built the house 8 years ago. It was a blank slate, but I knew what I liked and had some ideas. It took a few years but we finally had the start to a wonderful outdoor paradise. Now I continue to revamp, redo and remake as all gardeners do...I continue to have to practice patience...I am not very good at it, but the garden has taught me well...I know those lovely ideas that made the Red House and gardens so wonderful will come streaming out and I know I can't wait to see them.

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    1. The hardest part might be deciding which garden idea to start with first! Our new house is green, so just about any color palette would look great in the garden. Limitless options makes things hard to choose!

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  6. You definitely spruced things up at the Red House in 3 short years. I've been here 8 years now and I am still not done... At least you can have some say in what to put in the new house. No more Sky Pencil hollies for you!

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    1. I don't know if it's possible to ever truly be done with a garden :) But that is true - no more Sky Pencils for me! Funnily enough, our future neighbor has planted some things in the middle of our shared cul-de-sac, and, of course, they have put a couple Sky Pencils in - right underneath a weeping willow tree. I just can't get away from them!

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  7. Your foundation plantings are unique & interesting and the curves soften the strong vertical lines of the house. Lovely!

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    1. Thank you! It will be fun to pick everything from scratch this time!

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  8. So much work and love put into it and then you had to leave. Sigh.

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    1. That is the sad part. There were several plants I planted that I never got to see bloom, which I was very sad about!

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  9. I couldn't bear the thought of leaving the Tidy Garden...such a beautiful house too.

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    1. If I could have had my house airlifted and moved, I would have! I did love it a lot. Oh well, on to the next great thing!

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  10. It is tantalising to wait, when you are raring to go!

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    1. I have several ideas, just waiting to start!

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  11. The birdhouse with the green roof is lovely. Did you take it with you to the new house?

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