Here is what that same area looks like today.  The photos are in the same sequence as last week’s.

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We have everything we wanted in this area.  It seats 6 people.  It’s right off the enclosed deck, so it’s not far from the kitchen – we sometimes have our meals out here.  It blocks the view of the cars in the driveway.  There is plenty of shade from both the carport and the trees.  Believe it or not, there are lots of plants in this area – a dozen kinds of hosta, half a dozen types of ferns, soloman’s seal, cross vine, moss between the stones, ivy on the fence and much more.  There’s a water feature (the blue urn in the corner) and even outdoor speakers (which we rarely use – the sound of the birds and the water is usually enough).

We drew all of this out on graph paper.  We marked where the border garden should be, how far apart to put the trees, where we wanted to sit and so forth.  Lots of measuring.   Lots of soil improving for the border hosta garden.  A little wiring (for the water feature AND – I forgot to mention- the indirect lighting that runs near the top of the fence behind the ivy).   I love it when a plan comes together.

This last photo doesn’t correspond to any of last week’s photos.  It’s still in the upper patio, but it’s of the house.  I wanted you to see several things we did.  There are the outdoor speakers I mentioned.  We also installed an awning over the windows.  That’s our bedroom, by the way.   It’s great to look out and see this patio, especially when the cherry trees are blooming.  The trees also give us privacy.  Also notice that the lower windows (to the basement) have mirrors inside them.  It was just nicer to see a reflection of the garden than to peek into the basement (probably safer too).

And of course the artwork, just for fun.

Filed under: Planning a Garden