Winter 2017

Well, just as we thought we would escape any significant snow, we got slammed with a 17-inch blizzard.

The table on the deck.

Christmas lights under snow.

Mrs. Cardinal

This was February 9th, my sister's birthday.  We had a whopper of a blizzard on her birthday five years ago.  I believe she was born during a blizzard as well.  Then last Sunday we had an ice/sleet/rain/snow storm, but only got about three inches, thankfully.  We were sort of worried about ice dams with this much snow staying on the roof.  But this weekend it was in the 50's, with warm weather predicted for later in the week.

Come, Spring, come!

2016 Gardening Season

I went a little crazy buying plants, like maybe over 80?  I paid off the porch renovation so I had some extra dough.  It was a HOT and droughty summer.  I decided to renovate the back garden, which entailed much transplanting and new planting.  The watering was never-ending.

Back garden - bought four Green Mountain boxwood, Bagatelle Japanese barberry, baptisia, three Royal Candles veronica, Hansa rugosa rose, Jacob Cline echinacea; transplanted daisies to new patio garden; moved peach daylily, dark red peony, iris; threw out many irises and gave some to neighbors; moved Krossa Regal hosta from front border to in front of F. J. Grootendorst rose; moved plain hostas to woods or gave them to neighbors (can't remember).

Shade garden - bought a variegated Solomon's Seal, three Golden Japanese forest grasses, Jack Frost brunnera, three blue creeping phlox, Gold Heart bleeding heart; moved yellow hosta to woods; transplanted a portion of the mock orange from the front border (where it was crowding a white peony).

Love this garden!

New front extended garden

New patio garden

Various other changes include transplanting a seedling wisteria from the porch garden to atop the stone wall above the new patio garden, near the birdhouse.  I also transplanted a Russian sage from the back garden next to the wisteria.

My Latest New Garden

I decided the front yard look lopsided so I extended the garden all the way to the driveway.  I transplanted a plain hosta, daisies and phlox and bought an Orange Rocket barberry, Autumn Joy sedum, Hillside Black Beauty cimicifuga and Paul's Glory hosta.

Here's the beautiful barberry in her fall dress.

This garden was tough to finish due to the extreme heat, and sod removal.  I spread the composted leaf bags left over from the back, so I'm really excited to see this garden pop up in a few short months.