Restoration is continual but worth it. Good luck. Please share pictures of your progress. See our garden link below for some of our restoration during the past 18 years. Thanks for all your work for us. EP

Here is a link that might be useful: restoring gardens

Thanks, Spike. We will be here to help you!
Ginger

Thanks for your willingness to try this. I think it should be quite interesting.

Ginger:

Congratulations on this getting this forum on...I know how hard you worked at it.

So I guess now the popcorn and soda ads are over and it's time for our feature presentation!

spectre

Enchantedplace-
I viewed your garden slideshow. Lovely. What was it like when you started the renovation work 18 years ago? What is the beautiful groundcover that you say blooms every few years? A portulaca? You have a good eye for garden photography as well.

I especially liked the poem that starts the slides and the picture of your daughter. All in all a spiritual and calm feeling comes across, even over the internet. Beautiful.

Spectre-
Thanks for starting the show!

Ginger

Ginger, very reinforcing to recieve evaluation from a professional. The original garden began in 1962. The original gardener had been a dutch gardener who had constructed some of the retaining walls and had planted many bulbs, iris, day lilies, and garden phlox which still exist although some have been moved and divided. Some of the areas were still in grass and difficult to mow so we have transformed those into more gardens and have built more retaining walls, steps, and switchback paths. We have been given many plants by people in our community. We have also incorporated hardy herbs into the gardens and fill in with annuals where needed. The ground cover you mentioned is a hardy purslane that we got from a sidewalk vendor soon after we took possession of the property in 1986. It dies down in winter but has returned year after year. There were also hardy sedums here when we took possession and we have added others. We are continually making improvements and are hoping to add more photos during the summer. We have rock sub surface, so have built the newer gardens as shown in the construction photos. The poem was composed by our grand daughter, with her mother in the photo. Thank You. EP

Enchantedplace, pros can build and design all day long; what we long for is someone to love our gardens for decades, for that is the only way to get what you have, and it is apparent in every picture. The roses really got my attention. Not a newbie in the bunch and nary a hybrid tea in sight. The red gallica was wonderful and you started it yourself. Lots of designers; few dirt gardeners who can propagate their own roses. Hats off, milady...

Thanks for the gallery, too, Spike. Very useful and practical.
Ginger

Thank you Spike!!! And thanks to Ginger for 'pushing' just a little :) I've hoped for a forum like this for years ~

Enchantedplace--I am DROOLING over that Zephrine Drouhin. Gotta make me a place for one of those...they smell so good and are sucha FABULOUS color.

Color me green!

melanie

Hey, how come you're working on the house first?! Humph. Landscape always takes a backseat! heh heh

Seriously, this forum will be a great place for ideas and advice. I'm doing some garden restoration/renovation too, this year, and am certain that I'll have a lot of questions to bounce off everyone.

Thanks for the forum.

Enchanted

Got to tell you...Loved the look of the container area. Great to see that you have a variety of colors going on. You have a great eye for coordination.

Neil

congradulations ginger and thank you Spike. This should be an interesting place. I am hoping to make a contribution here in late spring when I travel back east and revisit some workplace haunts and post pics of age old coldframes,pit-houses and bulb/root cellars.

Thank you, Spike, for getting this forum. We haven't been in our "old" home quite a year yet. I hope I will be able to find help/ideas on getting plans in the works for our gardens. We do inside work in cold months and outside work when weather is warmer then back inside when temps soar.

Spike, we are looking forward to more about your garden restoration. What is there now and what are your plans for restoration procendures? Will you have any specific plan or theme? Thanks everyone for your comments. EP

to landman41...In reference to color we have made effort to compliment but not to compete with the choices of the original gardener which we appreciate and care for. We have added to or have improved but have not destroyed anything of original garden structure. We have shared many divisions of the pre existing flowers. The 'spirit of the Dutchman' is still very much in evidence and we respect that prescence. EP

What a thrill to find this forum! I am a landscape historian (and avid gardener) and it will be so great to have others to talk to about my favorite subject. Thanks so much, Spike.