What Is It About the 1st Snow ????

I have lived in northern regions of the US all my life... but even after many years, there is just something about the first snowfall of the season that makes me feel like a 5 year old?!  Today was that day...

High contrast of black and white

While 4-5 inches of snow is not earth-shattering by far, it transformed the 'everyday' to something special, almost sculptural.  Here are a few quick pics.....

PJM Rhododendron - snugged in, protected from the NW wind

Persian Shield - once prolific, is now ready for composting

Karl Foerster
(note to self:  plant more in 2011)

Berri-Magic Holly with Emerald Green Arborvitae in the back ground
(all 'bunny food' has been fenced in for the Winter - hopefully protected)

In all this crystal white wonder, I do love the contrast of one .. little .. item - my Sonic Sweet Purple New Guinea Impatiens.  Brought in before the first frost, it continues to bloom and reminds me of the summer past.  It's getting a little 'leggy', but I selfishly refuse to cut it back - since it is full of flower buds.  (Maybe I'll trim it back after the Holidays?)

Happy garden thoughts..... whether your garden is currently fallow in Winter or blooming in beauty.

I'm Walking on Sunshine....

First:  A quick shout out to Carol at: May Dreams Gardens  She hosts a monthly meme:  Garden Bloggers Bloom Day on the 15th of the month.   Many fellow garden bloggers participate from near & far.

Check out this month's contributors:  Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - August 2010

Sometimes, a picture is worth 1,000 words.  So I'm just going to share the 'effects' of the sun (and other atmospheric conditions) while I've been out and about recently....

Coppery 'Garden Art' at Sunset  

(Another shout out:  For fun about "garden art" - check out the post from garden blog: Dung Hoe: Tasteless Yard Art - Too Close for Comfort )

Sunset in the 'Front Garden' - it stopped me in my tracks!

The Subtleties of Sunset

Oxalis - reaching for the Sun

Pink Double Knock Out Rose - in the morning glow (and a foggy lense!)

An evening view after a storm blew through - on a recent vacation

Garden Ramblings on a Rainy Sunday Afternoon....

It's a windy rainy Sunday afternoon which seems perfect to appreciate the gardens from the 'inside out'.  One of my OCD garden habits has been to make sure my gardens look just as interesting when standing inside the house - looking out a window.  Even my son, a 19 year old, appreciates his new window view - and sent me this shot this summer (while I was at work):

"Nice view out my window, huh?"  (his quote!)

My daughter's view ... she hasn't provided any feedback!  ;-)

In my travels of late - I have seen great residential landscaping and I've seen homes with *no* landscaping.  Of course I can appreciate two things:  (1) "interest" in gardening, and (2) "financial resources" for gardening.  I remember our yard, in the beginning - when there was a small cement stoop at the sliding glass door and the Sugar Maple was a sapling.

I've captured a few photos in "drive-by's" and visits....  they inspire me:

I appreciate the clean lines of this front yard...

This yard stopped me in my tracks.  What fantastic boldness in gardening - not afraid to make a statement!

Your eyes aren't fuzzy - just the picture!  But I love how the stepping stones lead a person around..

I also like 'blank space'... it has a big impact, while you are being led around outside space.

...and I am forever looking for patio ideas - though this scale is too big for my future seating...(unless I win the Lotto!)

So, I continue to dream big and remember that 'Rome wasn't built in a day.'

Geez........ it sure felt more like LABOR Day!

OK, maybe it WAS the 4th of July, but it sure felt more like Labor Day!  I was a woman on a mission to get at least ONE garden I could call "complete".  After 2 summers of looking at clay, dandelions, and bunnies with an attitude - I wanted to say, "Here!  I really DID have a plan! ... for real !!"

A reminder...... "The Before":

Then, (reminder #2) there was... "The Plan":

Then ("Ta Da!") there was the 'execution of the plan' -- the "After":

The 'key' ingredients are my "anchors", as I've mentioned before.  The Royal Purple Smoke Tree (Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple') has doubled in size since last year.  I just LOVE that baby!  It will be a cornerstone and top out at 15 ft tall (and 12 ft wide - according to specifications, give or take).  The Emerald Green Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd') will be another 15 footer, and if I can keep it alive - the Berri-Magic Royalty Holly ("Blue Prince"/"Blue Princess" Ilex x meserveae) will mature to an 8 ft tall/6 ft wide evergreen just west of the front stoop.  (I'm trying to stay patient as they grow - as I normally look for instant gratification.  Not something I'm proud of!)

Here are a few close-ups, for a detailed peek of what's growing...

I snuck the New Guinea Impatiens ('Painted Paradise Red Improved') behind the Hostas for a "pop" hit.  The Purple Fountain Grass is a 'must have' annual in my gardens.  I usually cave and buy many in any given year.  I also like how it complimented the color of the Smoke Tree next to it.  Always a guppy for Cosmos - this year I planted them in the front, to have your eye travel around the shape of the garden - following a white/pink theme, ultimately landing on the front stoop where the New Guinea Impatiens ("Sonic Sweet Purple") (...looked like hot pink to me?!!) is perched.

Look at the new growth on the Purple Smoke Bush and the 'clouds'  of pink!  This is the 2nd growth spurt, the first came in late spring.  Let it grow, let it grow, let it grow!

So my mission was to do one final weeding, then mulch like crazy - so the garden looked finished, not just a work-in-progress.  There was not a shred of daylight by the time I finished, but even my patient neighbors across the street stopped by to say how nice it looked!  These are the folks I apologize to all the time, because they have looked at our 'clay & weeds' all last year from their front picture window!  (It had to be one 'butt ugly' view!! ... and let's not go down that road.)

If getting one garden finished felt so good - getting two done would be 'Nirvana', wouldn't it?!! ......

So after a day of "Independence" revelry, I engaged the services of my dear betrothed to help me in the back gardens.  I heard mumbling ..something about him being "just the laborer"... and "when was he going to get to plant 'pansies'", or did he say he felt like a Pansie?  I get confused after a full day in the heat, wind and sunshine!
  

What started off 2 summers ago, looking like.... 

Ended up yesterday, looking like....

  

Believe me, I know I have a long, long way to go!  Some of you have been gardening for years and have gardens that look more like an Arboretum.  I envy you.  I covet your gardens.  But in the end, I'm a simple 'girl' with big aspirations.... so some day 'when I grow up', I'll have a 'big girl' gardens too!  (and as little grass as possible!)  Happy gardening my mentors and fellow enthusiasts....