Off to the right of the patio, you can stroll into the side garden. The photo above (taken in June 2008) shows the shrub border on the left, which provides a visual barrier between the side garden and the big pond with the rest of the back yard. A split-rail fence runs through the shrub border, part of our pond security enclosure. The mixed border along the path is one of the cushiest parts of the garden, receiving morning sun and some shade in the afternoon, and supplemental water in periods of drought. This is where the prima donnas come to live!
The side garden, of course, wraps around the side of the house, and emerges into the "Lane" in front of the house, where it connects up with the front walkway. Paved with colonial wall stone (interplanted with various weeds), it is supposed to be our showcase garden for relatively well-behaved plants. Problem is, we really don't know up front which plants will be well-behaved, and we made a few wrong guesses. So this garden is still in a constant state of upheaval. One day, it will be just right (yeah, right...). The picture above, taken from atop the back yard island hill, shows a view of the side garden from the back. The weeping cherry has often been a home to nesting doves.
Early spring - the cherry, having been in blossom for about a week, is dropping its petals, carpeting the garden below in pink. Spring bulbs provide extra color, while most perennials have pushed up and are preparing for their own show.
Through the years, the side garden has become ever shadier – mostly courtesy of the large weeping cherry, but our variegated Japanese elm has grown quite big as well. So the area between those two trees is now mostly a shade garden, receiving only dappled sunshine during most of the year. The photo above shows a late-May snapshot, with hostas, Syneilesis, ligularia, hellebore, and cranesbills in dominant roles. A partial list of plants we used to grow in this garden area
Last modified:
November 05, 2017 |
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