Sneak Peek of My Gardens

Good Evening, Everyone!  I thought I'd share a few of my garden photos with you so you can get an idea of what I've been so busy with lately.  When my husband and I purchased this property, the back yard was (and to a lesser degree, still is) a mess. The privet shrubs have literally taken over most of the acreage on the back side of our property.   Many of them have been cut back, but many remain. It's going to take a while to get this place in the condition we want it to be.  

Our property slopes from front to back and there are several areas which hold water. It was so bad during all of the rain in March that I thought I might need a boat!  The first photo below shows one of the low lying areas- a muddy mess during wet periods.  After removing the piles of pine straw and leaves around it, I tilled it, then placed several layers of purchased garden soil, cow manure, top soil and compost. The new plants went in next, then they were topped with a layer of pine straw/leaf mulch.

I would guess that the length around this circle of trees is about 75 to 80 feet and the width is about 4 feet at the narrow end and 7 to 8 feet at the wide end.  One side of the trees receive morning sun while the other side receives afternoon/evening sun.  On the morning sun side, I planted gardenia bushes, hawthorne, hostas, a few lilies and white caladiums.  On the afternoon sun side, I planted agapanthus, foxgloves, calla lilies, day lilies, bulbine, blue salvia, candytuft and alstroemeria. There are some empty spots which need small plants, but I'll add them intermittently throughout the remainder of spring and summer.  My sister promised she would bring her heavy duty wire cutters to cut the barbed wire that is embedded in the trees (apparently at one time the trees served as posts for a fenced in area).  

In another area of the back yard, which receives a good bit of afternoon sun, I placed a raised bed and planted my 2nd-year bee balms, gerbera daisies, shasta daisies, milkweed and liatris.  I saved a spot to the back for coneflowers.  

In a corner of the back yard is yet another area where I've planted some red and pink caladiums.  A few hostas will be planted between the caladiums.  

I hope you enjoyed a peek into my back yard gardens.  There's still so much to do...but in time it will all come together.  I'm not as fast as I used to be.  

Have a great weekend, Everyone!  Many thanks for visiting and leaving your kind, supportive comments- you're awesome!