Summer Garden Tour

If you haven’t already done so, hop on over to A Cottage Industry to see the list of blogs offering “garden tours” on this lovely June day! I’m not sure I’m even on the list since I just sent in my info yesterday… but just in case, I strolled around the yard today and took some new photos of our “work in progress” garden!


Here’s the view from out front… Remember the whiskey barrels that were so popular in the 1980’s? My mom was with me when I bought this – such a long time ago. Being the non-gardener that I am, I just planted a few vinca vines and plunked down a hanging basket of petunias on top…


These little guys will greet you by the front door. I got them at Target in with the Christmas decorations last year (I love that place, but I still haven't quite figured out the connection between these guys and Christmas!). In any case, they enjoy sitting on the front stoop under the shade of the old bench and flowers.


Mr. & Mrs. Wren are busy raising their babies because they chatter at me constantly now that the eggs have hatched. They live right beside the garden gate that I wrote about in yesterday’s blog post; therefore, we try to come and go through the house as much as possible so as not to disturb them.


I’ve been trying my beautiful vintage Mary out in a few different spots in the yard. Right now she’s under the baker’s rack (the free one from curbside)… I planted a foxglove on either side of her and a Mandevilla vine behind her, to grow up the baker’s rack. I’m not quite sure about this yet. It could change before end of summer…


"Patience" has been moving around a bit as well.. Right now I have her sitting on an old bench that hubby built around the same time as the gate (it desperately needs to be powerwashed and cleaned up, but we've been so busy with our 'Roswell Crater' work the past year or two!). I used her old hat in another flower grouping so I bought her a new one of coral impatiens. From the serene expression on her face, I think she's digging it!


Here is the outer edge of Roswell Crater, finally starting to look something like a garden (not bad when you consider that it looked like this a few months ago!). I've been planting some butterfly bushes, crocosmia, monarda/bee balm, penstemon, phlox, red hot poker, etc. – anything that will attract hummers and butterflies into the garden!! And this week we finally put up the birdhouse I bought back around March. I've always loved the look of a birdhouse on a post in the center of a garden.


And here, Foxy Loxy stands guard over the Chip(s)’ favorite birdbath. A little green table with bright impatiens gives some color to this corner of the patio.


Why don’t we sit, have some iced tea, and watch for the hummingbird at the feeder hanging from the cherry tree behind us.


Earlier this evening I took my camera over to the feeder and waited for Mr. or Mrs. Hummingbird. I didn’t have to wait long before Mrs. Hummingbird came zooming in for a drink…


… She was being shy tonight though, and insisted on hiding behind the hanger while she sipped her sugar water…


I’m so glad you could stop by for my little garden tour… Let’s go out through the garden gate (we'll hurry so we don't disturb the Wren family). This is the gate from inside the backyard. You saw it from the outside on last night’s post… Years and years ago I planted ivy to grow up the fireplace. I’ve always loved the look of ivy on brick…


It’s amazing how many more clematis have bloomed since yesterday’s photo! And look – even the clematis seems to be growing in a ‘heart’ shape to match the heart cutout on the gate!

I had the nicest time.. I hope you enjoyed your visit to my garden. If you're new to my blog and would like to see more of our "garden in progress" (or the furry and feathered friends that visit us!), just scroll down... It's intermingled with lots of "inside the house" goings on! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Update: If you are looking for the "butterflies and blooms" that Tracey mentioned on her blog, they're on my June 14th post.

Donna

Today's song: Home is Where the Heart Is - Elvis Presley