3 Month Before & Afters

Back Garden (west fence) - April 2, 2012

Same Garden - May 6, 2012
* If you click to zoom in on the second photo, you will notice that's my son's BB gun target on the fence.  :) 


July 6, 2012 - Grass is looking a little sad due to the extreme temps (and the dog spots) but the plants have filled in nicely.

 
Another view of the same flower bed. . .

 
April 2012 - I hate seeing my neighbor's ugly yard over the 6' fence.  Sadly, we have a city ordinance that doesn't allow us to build the fence any higher.  I'm thinking about installing bamboo roller shades on the outside of our patio cover and letting them hang down just to the top of the fence line.  I've also contemplated attaching a few trellises with vines to the fence that reach maybe a foot above the top of the fence.  It's probably still against the ordinance but I'd be willing to bet that the neighbors wouldn't say anything about it since I'm sure all the junk in their yard is a fire hazard.

July 2012


View of the back garden around the pool.  I have to hand water this area (hence the hose across the pool in the second photo) because they broke/buried the automatic sprinklers in this area when we had the pool put in in 2004.

April 2012

July 2012

July 2012

May 23, 2012

I need to do LOTS of dead-heading of my roses in both the back and front gardens.  However, there is still lots of color just beginning to show from other plants. . .


Back garden:
My Endless Summer hydrangea is enjoying its new location.



'Mary Rose' - DA (1)


 'Mary Rose' - DA (2)

Butterfly Bush (pink verbena in front)


Daylily (by the pool) - I love the ruffly edges

Daylily (south fence)  Similar but different variety than the one by the pool.


Front garden (eastern exposure):

Pink Bower Vine


'Twist n Shout' Lacecap Hydrangea.  This should get pinker with time but it's only the second year so we'll see what the soil pH does with it.


May 4, 2012

Pansies

'Our Lady of Guadalupe' (floribunda) rose overlooking the pansies


 'Golden Celebration' - DA

'Huntington' - DA

 'Heritage' - DA

'Cottage Rose' - DA

 'Mary Rose' - DA

'Scepter'd Isle' - DA

Happy May Day!


What's blooming in the garden, May 1, 2012. . .

'Winchester Cathedral' - DA



'Mary Rose' - DA (back garden)




 
'Golden Celebration' - DA




'Huntington Rose' - DA




 
'Wise Portia' - DA, 'Julia Child' - floribunda, and 'Mary Rose' - DA (front garden) in perfect harmony.



 'Julia Child' exploded in a profusion of blooms this week.



 I enjoy pink and yellow together.



 
'Gertrude Jekyll' - DA climbing rose (she's my favorite in the garden right now)




'Cottage Rose' - DA



'Glamis Castle' - DA (cream/white) and 'Young Lycidas' - DA (deep magenta) are the final holdouts for the season.  They both have lots of buds but none of them look as if they're going to open anytime soon.  I feel like an expectant mama.

April 28, 2012

On my nearly daily walk through the garden, I found that 'Scepter'd Isle' (DA) had bloomed today.



April 25, 2012

We had a bit of a heat spike this past weekend (low 90's) and then a cool down (high 60's-70's) with some rain today.  Poor roses aren't sure what to make of the ever-changing weather.

Here are the roses that bloomed today in the back garden. . .

'Winchester Cathedral' - DA


'The Alnwick Rose' - DA
Several blooms just like this were on the bush today.  Love!


'Golden Celebration' - DA
Two gorgeous blooms on the bush and lots of buds waiting to open.




And in the front. . .

Just one gorgeous flower is open on this 'Gertrude Jekyll' - DA climbing rose.





'Julia Child' - floribunda


'Wise Portia' - DA 

 

'Our Lady of Guadalupe' - floribunda


'Sophy's Rose' - DA 


 
I do enjoy lots of other flowers besides roses.  Here's what's going on in the front garden. . .

Lots of camellias (done blooming), ferns and azaleas taking over the shady part of the front garden to the left of our front door. The Japanese Maple tree shades them from the afternoon sun.


Calla Lily to the right of the door.


 
 Our new welcome mat!



And let's see what's happening in the back garden. . .

 Bearded Iris


Lavender

Dutch Iris

Geranium

Salvia

Snapdragons

Verbena




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