Here are some pictures of my mom's garden in progress. As I mentioned in the other roll-call thread although always much loved, this garden has seen some neglect in the past few years. We have a lot of plans and a lot of work ahead. The biggest thing that happened this year so far is that we took down the aborvitae that were at the back of the yard, hopefully now we'll have some more light!

Here is a link that might be useful: garden pictures

Beautifulboy- Your garden looks wonderful.
Great thread. I'm so looking forward to seeing every one's pictures.

I have big plans for my gardens this year, with lots of new additions, combinations and expansions. Which I can't wait to share with all of you. But for now last years pictures will have to do.

Carrie B.

Here is a link that might be useful: album

Carrie - whereabouts in NS are you? Back in 1977 I graduated from NSAC - a lifetime ago :-)

Here are two pictures that I think best capture the feel we are aiming for in our garden. It took us about 10 years to get to this point and we're still refining it, but the garden on the ground now is pretty close to the one that lives in my head :-)

The back lawn:
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The front lawn (The narrow bed looks a bit sparse because it was just planted a week or so before that picture was taken.):
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Woodyoak - I grew up in Windsor (The gate way to the Annapolis Valley). I now live fifteen minutes away in Centre Burlington, a tinny village going toward the North Shore.

Last year:

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schoolhouse - ooh I like that!

Carrie - such a beautiful area there... The stone wall in one of your pictures really appealed to me - do you have lots of stone walls in the garden?

Beautiful photos!

Schoolhouse, how much property do you have? You have such a nice flair for garden design. It looks very English to me. What are those great gnarled trees in the background of your first picture?

Thank you thyme, I have 1.7 acres, but my garden does not cover that. I always say the photos make it appear much bigger than it is. It's my "mini English Tudor estate" garden. :)

You are probably seeing the trunks of the old Service Berry shrub in the first photo (the one that blows over at least once every summer).

schoolhouse - what is the low growing shrub/bush that borders the flowers? Is it a boxwood of some sort?

I would LOVE to border with something like that!

Wow, schoolhouse, what a beautiful landscape.
Woodyoak, your lawn is so green! The whole yard is so lush and tranquil.
Thanks for posting photos, everyone.
Renee

I can't show an overall view of my garden because although not big it's divided into sections, you have to wander the paths to see it all. There's a plaque on the garden gate "Welcome to Dancin' with Weeds" nothing like keeping it real ;)

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Annette

Schoolhouse- It is such an understatement for me to say that I absolutely love your gardens. But it the best I've got. Do you remember roughly how many boxwood you used to make that gorgeous hedge? I love it, I love it all!!!! I want one!!!

Woodyoak- I couldn't agree with Hosenemesis more. You have such a tranquil space. And yes I do have quite a few rock walls in my gardens. I have a near unlimited supply of rock and I believe you use what you have. Plus, I really like the natural look, nothing too manicured. Our home is nestled in the woods and it seems to suit the lot and house well.

Annette- Your last picture looks like it is right out of a magazine. Gorgeous. It is all so pretty.

Thanks to everyone for sharing. This was the perfect way to enjoy first cup of coffee this morning.

Carrie B.

Carrie, if I remember right I planted appx.40 very small boxwood shrubs close together (maybe 6" apart?)to form the crescent bed border, and it took six years to fill in and appear as it does now. I think six, I tried to find a photo of it shortly after it was planted but can't come up with it right now.

Here is a photo of a side bed that shows another boxwood border planted in a rectangle and enclosing my "doggie poo" topiary. ha. Awful name, but that's what it evolved into! This border suffered badly in that cold winter of 2008 but is slowly recovering. I'm letting it grow out and will only trim it a little this year.
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Here is the same bed in bloom:
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An area I don't photograph much but last year I tried to take pics of the entire garden,but like someone mentioned it's difficult to do in one photo. This is along the path in front of the small sunken gardens
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I took this picture this morning.
There are more in the gallery.

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plantmaven - can we trade? :) I need more blooms like that.

I meant trade gardens, I don't have much else to trade right now. Beautiful pics in the gallery by the way.

The most gorgeous gardens on the web. Carrie, Plantmaven, Annette- I will be back over and over again to look at all of these pictures.
Renee

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What a great idea for a thread! Looking at these pics is like taking a tour thru the most wonderful gardens. I can never get enough of that!

My garden doesn't compare but in zone 3 I do the best I can. Our garden will be undergoing a makeover this year as we're enlarging the house yard so there will be lots of changes. I'm planning to grow roses again after seeing so many lovely ones here. These are pics of my garden from last year - it's still barely spring here right now. In fact we had snow last night altho it's already gone but the earth is still cold and probably frozen below the top 12" or so. We'll start gardening soon but are still fencing the new yard.

Heres' one side of the front garden.

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The other side of the front.

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Our back yard has always only been pasture but the new fencing will change that and I plan to make some perennial beds there this year.

Here's a link to see more.

Here is a link that might be useful: my northern garden

I like the whites in your garden, during high summer I always need more white. This year I need to find a good perennial or plant some white annuals here and there.

Phlox 'David' is a good, long blooming white perennial for the garden. If you deadhead, it blooms into the fall. No mildew problems either.

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The Garden Fence Border:
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This is just a few of the beds but is very representative of how I garden. It is very country, informal style.

I apologize for the quality of the pictures. Photobucket's quality deteriorated badly last year.

glenda

I have the David phlox - love it. Unfortunately after many years it started to get mildew. I gave it more elbow room in the bed, but it still succumbs.

I hope my 'David' never develops that problem! Some of the other perennial whites in my sunny garden are gasplant, peonies, Persicaria polymorpha, white coneflowers, 'Becky' daisies and, in the woody category, heptacodium grown as a small tree. Somebody gave me a gift certificate for a pearlbush so I'll be adding one of those this year. There are other white things in the shade garden - lots of whites available for shade.

My all time favorite white annual is vinca (catharanthus). It is very easy from seed and has no disease problems, no bugs, no deadheading and is perfect size for the front of the border.
I can't get a good picture of the whites or I would post one.

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Lovely gardens, all of them... lavendrfem, what is that pink daisy-like flower with yellow centers in the last picture?

Thanks,

Lois in PA

Omg! Garden porn! There is so much I want to do! I planted my boxwood about 2 feet apart in my front yard, maybe I should do a double row so I can get it to fill in faster! Then I will plant a viburnum on the inside of that. My front yard is small, pretty soon I won't have to mow!

Gorgeous gardens, all. Mine will not compete, YET!!!

Here is my blank slate:
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Stage 2:
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Getting there:
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Front Porch:
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This is just the one area, the front. I don't have good pics of the others, yet.

Nancy.

I have tried for the last three(?) years to bring back the annual and perennial borders in the orchard, but I get so frustrated with trying to maintain them in order to look like yours Nancy. Every Spring I have good intentions after cleaning them up and sowing seed, but soon the weeds take over; and I look the other way! Lover your porch,too.

Schoolhouse - thanks for seeing the positive!! I too was please with the way the front worked out - lots of annuals to fill in!! I used cosmos - orange, pink and white, crackerjack marigolds, touted as hedge marigolds and am pleased with the way they made it look. It will look completely different this year, as the perennials take the stage (hopefully). I still have way too much grass, but that will change, slowly!

Nancy.

Nancy, I love your cottage and your garden bed out front, if this is just the start of things to come I'm really looking forward to seeing what else you do. I have to say I'm just a tad envious of your porch, let's be honest now, I'm dripping green with envy, what color did you paint the trim it's gorgeous, love it.

Annette

Wow, what a wonderful array of cottage gardens. They all have charm and color, each one unique. This thread makes me want to go on a garden tour of each of these gardens. More pictures please. :-)

FlowerLady

Annette - that colour was on it when I bought the place. Same as the back porch, which has been restained. My colour will be slightly darker, though I think this one has faded some. I use Home Hardware semi-transparent premix called Yew. It has the tinge of blue to it, as well.

Schoolhouse - these are brand new lasagna beds. The weeds are now trying to creep in, so I will need to be more vigilant!! lol. Right. Actually, I have started widening them by putting small eastern white cedar trunks, 4" to 6" or so in diameter at the edge and back filling with the leaves off of the back border. It is in the midst of renewal, so I know what you mean about trying to keep up. I ripped about 4' of it out last fall, and cleaned all the tree/weed roots out and amended with rotted leaves, the replanted the good stuff. I only have about 30' to go - lol.

Nancy.