Monday, June 7, 2010

The Berm

The top picture is from 06/05/04, 3 years before I realized that picture taking, blogging and gardening all went together. Pat and I had already started on the berm. When we moved in, the berm was a wasteland of tree stumps, buried plastic sheeting and the dead garden dreams of previous owners. What made me think that wood chips were the answer to questions I did not have is now beyond me. We planted the grass and the day lilies in 03. I can’t remember what the rest of the stuff is. By the looks of the paths, we must have just finished them. Look at them so wide and weed free. And will you look at all that grass. I know my motto is that the grass should look good till the day I kill it, but that is a lot of grass. Ah! Beginning gardeners, such pleasant memories, I can’t remember how my back felt after 28 tons of #57 river rock.
The rest of the pictures are what the berm looks like today. This is Pat at her best. We populated our new front bed with plants we needed to thin out from the berm. We have chives, creeping geraniums, day lilies, evening primrose, obedient plant, goats beard, Russian sage and who knows what else. I think I did a pretty good job of naming plants. With me it’s usually a hosta or it’s not. This stuff's in the sun even. You may see ragweed in the berm. We do not consider it a weed. Butterflies and bees love it. I forgot the sedum. We have three kinds of sedum in the berm. I’ll remember the names for another post.
Our attempt at vegetable gardening is in the foreground. If the fence doesn’t keep the rabbits out, I’ll have to turn into Elmer Fudd and play Wagner.







16 comments:

Gatsbys Gardens said...

This looks a lot like the garden I visited today from my Garden CLub. It was very relaxed and not anxiety ridden with work.

Eileen

Anonymous said...

I love this time lapse view of your berm. The red Japanese maple? adds quite a bit to the scene. And that is my most favorite of the Bugsy cartoons. Be vewy quiet....

Frances

Unknown said...

oh I love this kind of garden. It looks peaceful and 'meant to be'. Not forced. I can appreciate the hard work though.....and I know what it means to haul river rock. its beautiful. You and Pat have done an awesome job!

Is the Wiz said...

Thanks Jim, this has given me hope for my own patch which is like the first photo but with weeds.

Bangchik and Kakdah said...

There is an element of leisure exhibited by the garden.... and It warms my heart to see vegetable garden as a feature within the space... Lovely! ~bangchik

Lona said...

It is always so good to look back on how far a garden comes over the years.Sometimes you forget all the work put into one. Your berm garden has come a long way and Pat has added some beautiful plants to it. It is just lovely. I hope the critters stay out of your veggie bed. I was chasing a buck out of the yard with a broom last night.Maybe not a smart move since he just stood there and looked at me like I was a pesky bug or something. I got to within fifteen feet of it smacking the broom onto the ground and it still stood there. Then I got scared LOL!Finally I screamed at it and it took off. Whee! If he would have came toward me I probably would have wet my pants LOL!

Laura Bloomsbury said...

Green with envy and aqauamarine with admiration. Beautiful - if Wagner does not work with the Bugs bunnies, try Faure's Requiem.

Laura

Meredith said...

Jim, that is just beautiful. So inspiring to realize how far one can come in just six years of backbreaking labor and skillful design. :)

Joyce said...

I love your "Berm". I love your gardens. Such a nice place to sit and visit a spell. I like sweet tea!!
I am newly retired and making some head-way on more gardens and hardscaping. Sometimes I wish I had a little more shade :)
Thanks for a great blog...

janie said...

Beautiful garden! I love to see the maturing gardens, too. It gives me hope for my own gardens.

Sylvana said...

Before and afters are always cool. I forget too many times to take the "befores".

Christine B. said...

Fred and Bob look as if they could be very able helpers for Elmer Fudd if the rabbit problem gets out of hand. No rabbits in my yard (thank goodness) but some areas of my town and state do have really naughty rabbits.

Christine in Alaska

Gloria Bonde said...

Jim, this is beautiful! I so glad you took some pre-blog pictures. Gloria

Priscilla @ Homegrown Delight said...

Beautiful garden! It looks so peaceful. I garden in the woods, I just moved to Idyllwild and I'm surrounded by nature :)

Jennifer said...

My garden is eight years old and like a child still has much growing up still to do.
Jennifer

Noelle Johnson said...

Oh wow, Jim! Your berm and the rest of your garden is just beautiful. I look forward to hearing how your vegetable garden fares. So far, mine is handling the heat of summer pretty well.