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hrjMy general principle is that new projects for the yard are to be started this winter, after the rest of the house is unpacked and set to rights, and will involve serious mapping and planning and systematic work. In the mean time, I've been putting several hours in on weekend mornings getting the front yard into top shape. Water is the big issue. The front yard (well, except for the parking strip and a triangle next to the house at the end) is on an automatic sprinkler system. To do anything reasonable with the back yard, I'll need similar automatic irrigation there. And to do that I need to know where everything will go, and need to haul out the unwanted concrete slab/pathway, and remove the unwanted non-edible trees, and so forth. So it's a lot of prep work and the only thing I can rationally do at the moment is the bit about drawing maps and playing with plans.
But I want to buy new plants!!!!!
So on the excuse that there were some gaps in the rose plantings in the watered part of the front yard, I popped down to Reagan Nursery this morning and, finding that roses were 30% off, picked up four. Three were on my old roses list Austrian Copper (Rosa foetida bicolor, 1593), a red rugosa (not sure if it's a true Rosa rugosa rubra, 1796, or a more recent hybrid), Souvenier de la Malmaison (Bourbon, 1843), and the fourth was a Double Delight, which is unusually strongly scented for a hybrid tea.
I was contemplating what I wanted to do for "really old roses" section of the garden (I know I can track down at least a dozen dating to before 1600) given that I want to save the sunniest parts of the back yard for sun-loving vegetables. And it occurred to me that the little triangle at the end of the house, back behind the part currently under irrigation but in front of the fence (although I'm going to change that bit of fence to a gate) would make a wonderful little medieval/renaissance flower garden. Not the formal bed-garden with the fountain that's going in the back yard -- that's going to be more of a kitchen-garden style. I've been musing on what area I wanted to design as my "private al fresco weekend brunch" location. And if I put in something to create a little privacy screening -- not an actual fence, just a visual barrier -- along the end of the current watered area, then the area behind it would be perfect for what I have in mind. I need to draw up some maps so I can explain this better, but the idea is for the path that extends along to the left from the front door to pass by some of the older Rosa species varieties, then turn right in between two of the current tree roses and pass under an arch in the "privacy screen" (whatever it is) with something climbing over it. Then there's a small circular clearing with my patio table and chairs surrounding by the medieval/renaissance flower plantings. And on the opposite side of the circular clearing is another arch-and-gate into the back yard.
So at any rate, the three older roses bought today went in along the "approach" section (that already has irrigation). The Double Delight went in one of the gaps along the fence, at the side of the driveway. (I wanted it somewhere that I'd smell it a lot.)
I also picked up a new Italian Laurel (Laurus nobilis). They had several that they claimed would have more of a "bush" grown habit, but I wanted something that would turn into a major tree like the last one. In fact, rather than trying to keep it trimmed like I did last time, I wanted to plant it somewhere that it would have space to turn into whatever tree it wanted to be. So it's centered in the lawn just to the left of the path going up to the front door -- more or less in mirror position to where the ornamental plum is. There used to be another tree in that general location (and I had to dodge its remaining roots when digging) but it's just a stump. (Memo to self: when I get an arborist into do the pruning this winter I need to get a few stumps drilled out too.)
The other purchases were mostly kitchen herbs (basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, parsley, cilantro, chives, tarragon) and a few lemon verbenas to tuck into the rose beds along the fence. Kitchen herbs will eventually go into the formal garden in back, but for now I put them in the watered bed next to the kitchen window. (Not that I can actually see them from the kitchen window, but it's a useful symbolic location.)
So in addition to sticking to my default resolution to get plants in the ground the day I bring them home, I did some reorganizing and unpacking in the garage. The large tool cabinet is in place along the back wall next to the water heater. Large garden tools are temporarily tucked into the space between it and the block of book boxes. Two of the three smaller tool/utility cabinets are now placed across the front of the book boxes and their contents have been installed (taking care of unpacking half a dozen more boxes). I also gathered up all the electronic equipment cartons that I want to save (in case of need to transport) and put them up in the garage attic. (I swear this is the only category of item that will ever go in either of the attics.)
Not much unpacking inside the house, although I did get one more box emptied in the master bedroom. I'd planned to get the patio grill set up and cleaned and had a game hen marinating in orange juice and fresh ginger as incentive, but that didn't happen so it got roasted in the over (along with a bunch of tiny Indian eggplants). Also: corn on the cob, sliced tomato, cucumber, and fresh mozzarella with truffle salt, a mixed berry slushie (some of the mixed berry granita I made to take over to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
thread_walker's yesterday plus the rest of the berry juice I used for it), and for dessert a palmier pastry from the Alpine Bakery topped with fresh raspberries macerated in some Finnish cloudberry liqueur.
And that was my weekend. Totally exhausted now.
But I want to buy new plants!!!!!
So on the excuse that there were some gaps in the rose plantings in the watered part of the front yard, I popped down to Reagan Nursery this morning and, finding that roses were 30% off, picked up four. Three were on my old roses list Austrian Copper (Rosa foetida bicolor, 1593), a red rugosa (not sure if it's a true Rosa rugosa rubra, 1796, or a more recent hybrid), Souvenier de la Malmaison (Bourbon, 1843), and the fourth was a Double Delight, which is unusually strongly scented for a hybrid tea.
I was contemplating what I wanted to do for "really old roses" section of the garden (I know I can track down at least a dozen dating to before 1600) given that I want to save the sunniest parts of the back yard for sun-loving vegetables. And it occurred to me that the little triangle at the end of the house, back behind the part currently under irrigation but in front of the fence (although I'm going to change that bit of fence to a gate) would make a wonderful little medieval/renaissance flower garden. Not the formal bed-garden with the fountain that's going in the back yard -- that's going to be more of a kitchen-garden style. I've been musing on what area I wanted to design as my "private al fresco weekend brunch" location. And if I put in something to create a little privacy screening -- not an actual fence, just a visual barrier -- along the end of the current watered area, then the area behind it would be perfect for what I have in mind. I need to draw up some maps so I can explain this better, but the idea is for the path that extends along to the left from the front door to pass by some of the older Rosa species varieties, then turn right in between two of the current tree roses and pass under an arch in the "privacy screen" (whatever it is) with something climbing over it. Then there's a small circular clearing with my patio table and chairs surrounding by the medieval/renaissance flower plantings. And on the opposite side of the circular clearing is another arch-and-gate into the back yard.
So at any rate, the three older roses bought today went in along the "approach" section (that already has irrigation). The Double Delight went in one of the gaps along the fence, at the side of the driveway. (I wanted it somewhere that I'd smell it a lot.)
I also picked up a new Italian Laurel (Laurus nobilis). They had several that they claimed would have more of a "bush" grown habit, but I wanted something that would turn into a major tree like the last one. In fact, rather than trying to keep it trimmed like I did last time, I wanted to plant it somewhere that it would have space to turn into whatever tree it wanted to be. So it's centered in the lawn just to the left of the path going up to the front door -- more or less in mirror position to where the ornamental plum is. There used to be another tree in that general location (and I had to dodge its remaining roots when digging) but it's just a stump. (Memo to self: when I get an arborist into do the pruning this winter I need to get a few stumps drilled out too.)
The other purchases were mostly kitchen herbs (basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, parsley, cilantro, chives, tarragon) and a few lemon verbenas to tuck into the rose beds along the fence. Kitchen herbs will eventually go into the formal garden in back, but for now I put them in the watered bed next to the kitchen window. (Not that I can actually see them from the kitchen window, but it's a useful symbolic location.)
So in addition to sticking to my default resolution to get plants in the ground the day I bring them home, I did some reorganizing and unpacking in the garage. The large tool cabinet is in place along the back wall next to the water heater. Large garden tools are temporarily tucked into the space between it and the block of book boxes. Two of the three smaller tool/utility cabinets are now placed across the front of the book boxes and their contents have been installed (taking care of unpacking half a dozen more boxes). I also gathered up all the electronic equipment cartons that I want to save (in case of need to transport) and put them up in the garage attic. (I swear this is the only category of item that will ever go in either of the attics.)
Not much unpacking inside the house, although I did get one more box emptied in the master bedroom. I'd planned to get the patio grill set up and cleaned and had a game hen marinating in orange juice and fresh ginger as incentive, but that didn't happen so it got roasted in the over (along with a bunch of tiny Indian eggplants). Also: corn on the cob, sliced tomato, cucumber, and fresh mozzarella with truffle salt, a mixed berry slushie (some of the mixed berry granita I made to take over to
thread_walker's yesterday plus the rest of the berry juice I used for it), and for dessert a palmier pastry from the Alpine Bakery topped with fresh raspberries macerated in some Finnish cloudberry liqueur.And that was my weekend. Totally exhausted now.
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no subject
Date: 2011-08-15 04:32 pm (UTC)In the fall, they have fruit trees on sale for $10-$20. If that is in your garden plan, I'd be happy to include you on my list of folks I notify.