The garden in mid July

I had a little bit of time yesterday to snap a few pictures of the garden, and some current bloomers.

'Navona' Lily and Veronica behind

In the same corner of the garden is Mallow 'Party Girl'

The first 'Crazy Love' Dahlia bloom of the season

A volunteer Poppy, this time a delicate ruffled pink

I've save the Mirabilis for several years now, and it is getting to be shrub size!

An interesting Nicotiana, an almost green plant

The Butterfly Weed, absent of Monarchs this year

I've thanked the birds for planting this sunflower for me this year

I put this chair here and planted a Moonflower Vine at its base. The vine is still only 6 inches tall!

Daisy and Monarda are a striking combination

The view from the back porch

I just wish I would learn to sit and enjoy it more!

The evolution of my garden

I've always had kind of a 'vision' of what my 'finished' garden might look like.

When I came here, there was only one garden, the one right behind the back deck, and it WASN'T pretty!

We moved into the house in August of 2003.

This first year I had an infant, so I didn't get much accomplished in the garden. 

I dug in the 7 small Hosta pieces from the old yard along the front of the garage.

The perennials in the back garden were split and replanted.

The other perennials I brought from the old yard were planted, and I managed to get some bulbs in.
The Hosta's behind the garage have been left untouched since then, and they are HUGE!

Since my Hosta addiction, I have decided to split these and make room for more in 2014.
The back garden 2013

 I dug up some Daylily's and made way for a garden under my bedroom window.

 The following spring (2004), I planted more perennials and some annuals for color.

In 2013

 I discovered the overgrown rocks at the foot of the driveway.

I decided it needed to become a garden!

2013 and I admit, it needs work!

 In 2005, we moved the location of the kids swimming pool.

That left a big circle of soil in the backyard, so I guess you know what happened.

 

  More on this in a minute

   I also extended the back garden around to the other side of the house

In 2013

 I didn't much like the area by the other door ... it looked NAKED!

 I dug in a small pond and made another new garden.

 2006 an 2007 the gardens were put on the back burner as we worked on the house.

They were still maintained and perennials added, but few photos.

In 2008, I purchased many perennials, roses and shrubs.

The back 'Pool' garden was planted with Roses, perennials, bulbs.

A birdbath appeared.

And the beginnings of the another garden was started with the planting of 3 Bridal Wreath Spiraeas.
The arbor was built.

 And those Spiraea's that started that other garden?

A new fence and Hosta garden!

  In 2013

In the fall of 2008 I also made the island garden behind the house - here it is in the spring of 2009

It really filled in! Here it is 2013

 2009 - 2011 I only made a few small gardens... along the side of the garage, garden shed and fort.
This year they looked like this

 2012 was the new back bed and the Hosta Bed extension

 This year

 Here it is mid first extension. I needed a place to plant those end of season bargains!

Another extension happened after this one, but that's another post!

I think the yard looks completely different, and I like to think much better, than when we came

Fertilizer Friday - September 20 - feeling like fall

It had definitely started to feel like fall around here.

The leaves have started to turn and drop, and we had our first frost warning the other night.

I went out to cover my basil and took what I thought would be the last nice photos of the garden for the year.

When I went to work the next morning, it was dark and I couldn't see the extent of the frost. But it was thick on the car and I had to scrape the ice from the windshield.

I had a very sad day at work thinking that I would come home to a garden full of black, frost bitten annuals that would need removing. This was the earliest I could ever remember getting frost.

I underestimated my tough plants!

Every thing in my gardens (with the exception of the green beans) was just fine!

There was some slight damage, as seen on this Zinnia, but after a little trimming it will be fine.

 I found plenty of beauties to share for Tootsie's Fertilizer Friday!

I wonder how longer Mother Nature will co-operate?