My happy place!
Oh Man... I sure wish you could smell this Lilac! Spring in Maine, the way life should be!Lilacs bring me a sense of peace and belonging. They remind me of the horse farm I grew up on. There was one planted next to the farmhouse porch. And my Grandmother, who lived up the road, would bring bouquets of them for us to put on the kitchen table. She had white and purple.
The images here, of Lilac, came from my other Grandmother's farm. I dug them up, before the property went on the market. I do have a twig of a white Lilac; I purchased from a local plant sale a few years ago. It has been growing nicely, but I'm not sure I'll still be around to see it large enough to produce flowers! haha. I guess time will tell.
One of the Lilacs in the background, in the photo above. I also have a gorgeous yellow prickly bush, there, that also came from my grandmother's garden. It makes little red berries in the Fall. I did know what it is called, but for the life of me, I haven't been able to remember. Thanks a lot, aging brain...ha-ha. And I love my Mugo Pines! Planted about 30 years ago!
Here are my Phlox! They are coming along just nicely! I created this bed area, next to my garden shed a year or so ago. I love the Phlox! And I love rocks! I had a truck load of rocks, actually two, brought in, and I pick away at the piles, adding them here and there in the gardens. In the background, I'd had a cedar type tree, my husband had bought me. The deer destroyed it this past Winter. Just a week ago, I dug it up, and planted a Japanese Holly Bush, and I have a Dwarf Alberta Spruce ready to go in the ground there too. In the foreground is some Crimson Clover! It showed up on its own! I love it!
Crimson Clover.
Allium
I also have a bulb garden in the same area as the Phlox. This is Allium. Smells so good...like grape! There are also Daffodils there, but they have gone by.
The Iris is just starting to open. My grandmother had dug up some Iris, (Years ago) and had them in her garden, waiting to go somewhere else. One day I was visiting and she said to me "Here! Take these! before they rot!). Well, I couldn't say no to grammy! I'm glad I couldn't, because every Spring and Summer, she is here with me, through these Iris, and the gazillion Hosta...LOL.
This Azalea is quite old! I can't even remember when I bought it. But it loves it here and is starting to open its fuchsia flowers! Every Spring it is loaded! The deer got at it this Winter, so I'll have to cut some of the leafless branches.
Just recently I purchased a Wine and Roses Weigela. I think it is happy there.
And a newly planted Dwarf Alberta Spruce. I had to dig up an Arborvitae, that the deer destroyed. In the background is a Birds Nest, that my Mom gave me! This area is newly developed also...work in progress!
You can see what the deer did here! This one will be dug up and a Mugo Pine will take its place.
Rock steps that my husband made, 35 years ago!
This old bird house, hung on a huge pine tree for well over 35 years, when we first built our house. This Spring, it finally let loose. It now sits nearby, where a new Shade Garden will be created!
The start of the new Shade Garden. I had a dump truck load of dirt brought in, to fill in the area. It used to be a place for our boys to play on a swing many years ago. Now, it will hold Hosta, Astilbe, Blue Star Juniper and whatever else I come across to put in there!
So, as you can see, I'm pretty well occupied during the Spring and Summer months. It has become a renewed passion of mine! I love the gardens!
Deborah
