grow a beautiful garden

I cordoned off the back corner of my yard..coincidentally the one with the most sunlight, and began digging in compost, lime and peat moss. I was 8 months preggo at the time, so it were no easy task..lol
Long story short: campanulas wouldn’t even start from seed, grew a beautiful catmint that was DEVOURED by the neighborhood Tom, grew a lovely lavender from seed that is still thriving and lovely smelling, grew some cosmos, asters and cockscomb that went absolutely crazy happy in my garden, killed the false flax, my ajuga weed went berserko and is STILL spreading, lambs ears look happy, predicting the death of the heuchera this winter but the columbines are flourishing…oh yeah..and my climbing Don Juan rosebush looks great!! Also expecting some pretty foxgloves next year by the look of the rosettes…
Ya gotta take the good with the bad when gardening…and I’m listing this as a successful year!!

March is the month for beginning those tough to grow perennials indoors…I’ve started researching a few that I’d like to incorporate in the garden this coming year: gaura, astilbe, campanula….
Looking at pictures of flowers in full bloom helps chase the winter blahs away!! The snow and ice won’t be here forever!! Yay!

I need to start with some fencing this winter/spring. Then I plan to work on the front yard first. I received a newletter from the county that includes an order form for some native species of trees and shrubs. I need to get it completed and sent out. I would love to plant some native dogwoods, spirea, Port Orford Cedar, and find a vine maple to transplant into the front yard. My native/japanese garden may actually happen!

What I envision is a japanese style garden in front, using native plants. Instead of a japanese maple I will use a vine maple, native azaleas, etc. The back of the house will be a cottage garden with herbs, vegetables and flowers (some for cutting and bringing in to the house). The problem has been the lack of fencing and a very overcrowded deer population. I had the front yard planted at one time, and decided to share it with the critters. The only things left are the lavenders and the bulbs, neither of which deer will eat. I’ll look in my book collection (japanese gardening, native plants, etc) and design this winter. If I don’t complete the goal this year due to nursing school and lack of fencing, I will carry it over to next year when I should have more time.