Driveway Garden

 Our driveway garden has been here since we bought this property back in 1978. (Yes we are getting a bit long in the tooth, LOL) Anyway, originally it was a line of fairly common bearded iris on the property line and filled in with vinca, violets and various other invasive plants. Over time I've planted lots of perennials, had battles with the voles (I now have to cage the hostas and some perennials) decided I wanted more of a mixed border so edited out some perennials and planted shrubs and a columnar beech tree. It's turned into a nice combination of plants that doesn't require a lot of maintenance. 

I've had this urn here for years and plant with annuals. I keep the area under the urn planted with ground covers and low growing perennials and annuals so it remains a focal point in the garden

This Hosta Sum and Substance is a star

Very happy to find this Symphytum Axminster Gold last year and it wintered over well

I'm going to edit out that Miscanthus Morning Light this fall and replace with a variegated Rose of Sharon. We are getting to old to deal with digging and dividing this every few years

I love the color echo of the chartreuse throats of the Pastel Classic with the Hakonechloa aurea grass next to it

You can probably tell I like chartreuse plants

Loving the Dipadenia in this urn this year. I'm thinking I'm going to winter it over

 Well it's been a very long while since I've shared here. Busy family times and not enough garden time but I'm back it.  The front gardens are looking their July best so I thought I'd share a few pics.

The daylilies in the east garden are popping with color this year

Lilies in the foreground are Purple Prince and the background are Sild Road

A billow of Nepeta in the lower front and Persicaria Polymorpha behind the fountain

Daylily Space Coast Color Scheme

Bloom Day - October 2014

It's difficult to believe that we are now in the middle of October and the garden season is essentially  done for 2014 except for some cleanup and planting a few bulbs. I still have to clean a few more bromeliads and get them in the house under lights but the bulk of the tender plants are now indoors for the winter.

It's been a busy month since I last posted. We've had the tree fellows removing the fallen trees and the contractors rebuilding the back corner of the house and of course the insurance adjustor has been here a few times but the good news is that all the exterior damage to the house is repaired and looks just as good as new. We still have to have the ceilings painted where we got water damage but that's not critical.  

I wandered about with camera in hand looking for a few late season flowers and there was more than I thought there would be. There's still plenty of pretty stuff out there so without further ado, some October blossoms for Bloom Day.  Thanks to Carol from May Dreams Gardens for hosting our monthly bloom fest.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - September 2014

Well here we are at the very end of the summer and it seems to me that someone put this year on fast forward.  We've had a heck of a summer here with lots of challenges including a microburst from a severe thunderstorm on Sept. 9 that blew down a hundred plus foot white pine tree that smashed across my gardens, patio and onto the roof of the house. We've been dealing with two different tree services, a contractor for the house repairs, the roofer and siding person as well as the insurance adjuster and on and on.... I'll do a post with every gardener's worst nightmare pictures later. 

So again it is bloom day and this is the first 'normal' thing I've done in the gardens since the tree hit the house. It really was therapeutic to get outside with my camera and look for the beauty still here in the late summer gardens.  Lots of annuals, and my shrub border on the street has lots of interest for September. I'm loving it!  As always, thanks to Carol from May Dreams Gardens for hosting our monthly bloom fest.