Just a girl with a hammer

Checking in on the front yard

Written by

Heather

in

We’re having an unusually sunny spring and the front garden is really appreciating it. Even though the cannas are just starting to poke up and the zauschneria is still pretty tiny, everything looks so much fuller than it did last spring.

2013

2012

2011

My Verbascum bombyciferum is going to bloom, which makes me a bit sad, since the rosette it formed is so, so nice.

I can’t wait to see what it will look like when it’s actually filled in at the height of summer. If we’re being honest, I’m a little fearful too. I have crammed so many plants into this area that I think it’s going to be a little nuts. I’m going to be moving some plants in the fall, I think.

Comments

  1. Picardy Project Avatar
    Picardy Project

    Holy crap the comparison is AWESOME!

    Reply
  2. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Thanks, lady!

    Reply
  3. Scott Weber Avatar
    Scott Weber

    It is so amazing what a year's worth of settling in and growing can make…fabulous! Your Camassia are so pretty!

    Reply
  4. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Thank you! I'm so glad I planted the Camassia–I almost forgot to order them last fall. That would have been a tragedy!

    Reply
  5. Linda Avatar
    Linda

    It looks fantastic, it's changed so much form the last spring plant swap,

    Reply
  6. Jane / MulchMaid Avatar
    Jane / MulchMaid

    It's so exciting to see things filling in. I was visiting Anna Kullgren today: she lives about four blocks north of you. I told her if she wanted to drive by, she wouldn't even need your address – the garden will make it abundantly clear which is your house!

    Reply
  7. Jennifer Dennis Avatar
    Jennifer Dennis

    Very inspiring! Makes me feel like there is hope for the gardens I am starting from scratch this year. I love the rock bed / rain garden in the middle!

    Reply
  8. Holleygarden Avatar
    Holleygarden

    Fabulous before and after shots! I, too, find it incredible how fast things can grow and fill out. I love that you took out all the grass. The front is so much more interesting and beautiful now.

    Reply
  9. Loree Avatar
    Loree

    Wow the befores don't look like it was even the same garden as in the after! Nice work (and your agaves are HUGE!)

    I need to try and remember to buy a Verbasum 'arctic summer' every year, that way I'll (theoretically) always have one blooming and one in that perfect rosette stage.

    Reply
  10. Mom Avatar
    Mom

    Absolutely beautiful!

    Reply
  11. Jason Avatar
    Jason

    Very dramatic and positive changes from year to year. Part of the difference from 2012 is the weather, but a big part is also that the plants have matured, no? That verbascum is truly stupendous! Can't wait to see it in flower.

    Reply
  12. Laurrie Avatar
    Laurrie

    Looking so, so good. Classic before and after shots over three years. Even though you may have to move things to keep from being overwhelmed now, isn't it rewarding?

    Reply
  13. Peter Herpst Avatar
    Peter Herpst

    Wow Heather! The transformation is fabulous! About your previous post, I've found that the customer reviews on Dave's Garden about mail order nurseries to be very helpful.

    Reply
  14. Ricki Grady Avatar
    Ricki Grady

    Looking back gives you every right to feel smug. Your vision is coming into being.

    Reply
  15. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Oh no, I hope I don't sound smug! Mistakes and missteps abound!

    Reply
  16. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Thank you! I think it was just bare dirt when you visited, right?

    Reply
  17. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    We're neighbors? No way! I'll have to go looking for her garden . . .

    Reply
  18. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Thanks! I'm feeling your pain (from your post this morning) with the warm weather. It makes it so hard to keep new plants alive.

    Reply
  19. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Thank you! I think anything is more interesting than lawn, too.

    Reply
  20. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    I think I have an Arctic Summer seedling from Ryan planted, so I can have a rosette every year. He said they don't always seed true, I think? It's a bummer that we might not be able to have a free perpetual supply.

    Reply
  21. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Thank you, Mama! I love it when you comment. 🙂

    Reply
  22. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Thank you, sir! I think the flowers should start soon on the verbascum. Probably just in time for the rains to start up again and make everything soggy and sad looking.

    Reply
  23. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Absolutely!

    Reply
  24. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Thanks so much, Peter. That's good to know that the Dave's Garden reviews are helpful–I'm going to look up some right now!

    Reply
  25. Tammi@1914house Avatar
    Tammi@1914house

    I love it! And it gives me hope that ours will fill in over the next year, too.

    Reply
  26. casacaudill Avatar
    casacaudill

    Your front garden looks so, so good. I always have a hard time with instant gratification, but it's clear that the time you took to do it properly was well worth the two year wait.

    Reply

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