I'm in my 2nd summer/growing season at my house now. My outside has been neglected for 20-30 years, so I've been working hard clearing land, chainsawing, and bringing the yard back into a pretty and useful condition. The house is 67 years old.

My current loves aside from hosta are:
Pulmonaria...i'm afraid as time goes by I'll end up collecting more than really necessary. I have a LOT of shade.

Old bricks. Since I'm starting from scratch and there was no hardscaping to work with on both my lots, I collect old bricks and use them to establish paths to connect portions of my yard before I get serious about putting in new plants in many areas.

Boxwood shrubs. I have this crazy adoration for boxwoods. I constantly take pics of boxwoods everywhere I go...from official garden walks, neighborhood strolls, and my travels while working. I'm fascinated at growth patterns in sun & shade. I love the slight differences in the different kinds. I love using boxwood groupings to separate "garden rooms" and break up larger planting areas. I really need to start using some other evergreen shrubs to mix it up a little & not get into boxwood overload.

That's off the top of my head. Since I bought this place and don't have a controlling spouse to dictate my life and how I tend to the gardening, I am so happy to have the opportunity to try out plants and gardening ideas I've only got to read and dream about before.

At my last house, I had about 120 named hosta. I left them all & try not to think about the babies I left behind. I've only got 14 hosta at the moment...but they are goodies to me and most all are new this year.

If anyone cares to get an idea of my house & what I'm up to, you can look at my blog. Go to the "Gardening" tag to filter out the junk. You may also want to try the "House" tag...I've been trying hard to keep the tags organized. There may be a few gardening topics straggling in the house category.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gayle's Blog

Iris would probably be mine...

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Beautiful pictures. My other love is sedums. For some reason they fascinate me. There are tons of different kinds and are so easy to grow. I only have 8 different ones, but I always check them out, both online and at garden centers.

I don't have any pictures to share but my second love is lilies of all kinds. I would have them everywhere if I had the sun they need in my garden beds.

Connie

Hmmm-what DON'T I love in the garden!! I won't post pix because I think I've already inundated the
forum enough with my photos, but I LOVE fern, pulmonaria, heuchera, and some of the sedum groundcovers,
and even Creeping Jenny--I know--it can easily get out of hand!

I was mowing yesterday, and thought about how I really don't want to give up summer--because unlike many areas
of the country, right now--we are having a great end of the season!

And, then I was reminded of how we are usually very gently and graciously led into the winter by the progression of hot
and dry to sleepy trees, cascading leaves and gentle rains that usher in the dormancy of a colder, sometimes snowey winter!

How awful it would be, if one day it is beautiful, balmy and bright to the next day being a foot of snow, unrelenting
for the 6 months it usually entails, before the 'Summer heat' begins all over again, just as suddenly, minus the much
needed Spring rains!! It just wouldn't work very well, now would it!

I am so thankful, that by the time Fall gets here, I am SO READY! Seems like 'a plan', to me!

Love the pictures posted above but we need more! As usual I've overdone it. I'm with Janice, what don't I have? The only thing I can think of that I don't have and don't want is Juniper.

I love Yellow, Orange and Red for color with some Blue

I love things anything red and anything in excess.

The photos are all so beautiful! Just love them!

you guys left out dirt monkeys ... or today.. mud monkeys ....

ken

AWESOME pix!!!! Love it!!!

Yeah, ken--your mud monkeys are adorable--you ought to get them in the mud and take a pic.!
All muddy, they'd be hard to identify! LOL

I'll bite. What are mud monkeys? Does Ken have DECORATIONS in his garden?

I'm glad you two (Janice and Ken) know I'm teasing you with respect and affection.

Hmmm-guess ken's not coming back on this one--it's his two adorable kids! He has made them a mud-pit,
very elaborate and when the hose is running, it's got to be the slimiest pit in the world. They have
filled the large area with all kinds of fun stuff, added to what he has come up with for them to slide down,
through, around and the like!

I hope he comes back and gives a more indepth description than I have! His daughter, even has planted
her own seedling right next to the slide into the pit! So cute!!!

With ken's soil it would be more like a sand pit!!! The kids probably don't even get dirty when they play in it. Now our Illinois dirt is another story. LOL

Connie