{Garden} It’s official…rose’s first spring bloom wins!

02 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by Karen B. in Flowers, Gardening, Gardens

Tags

Most of us are in agreement that there’s nothing quite as showy as the first blooms of spring, right? The roses in particular seem to stand out in my little garden. Spring, whenever she decides to arrive, never ceases to astonish me.

How quickly it can look like this one winter day…

and seemingly overnight, the garden announces Spring’s arrival…{full disclosure: the two pictures of our formal garden are from my files, but you get the idea}

The wooden fence shares space with a ‘Sally Holmes’ climbing rose; the quadrant to the right (rear) of the sun dial has a ‘Guy de Maupassant ®’, a Romantica rose bred by Alain Meilland (France, 1995); in front of that is another Romantica, Eden Rose®. I have an Eden climber as well and they both perform well in my garden and seem relatively pest free. {I know pests vary from region to region but we had a huge problem with a particular caterpillar that caused pin holes in each leaf.}

‘Sally Holmes’

‘Guy de Maupassant’

Left of the sundial in back is a new Romantica by the name of ‘bolero’, a white multi-petaled beauty that was only planted last spring. I like to give newly planted roses 3 seasons before they get their first report card. In front is St. Patrick, a hybrid tea rose that has been in since I first planted the garden many years ago.

St. Patrick

One of the most beautiful romantic roses ever created is the Meilland rose; Pierre De Ronsard also known as Eden rose. It belongs to a class of roses known as Romanticas. Fully double roses with a romantic old fashioned look. It is the French Rose company’s response to the popularity of the English Austin Roses. Modern roses with an old fashioned look. Many of the Romanticas are Hybrid Teas to the core, but not Eden Rose, that is more like climber —Niels Plougmann, Roses in Gardens blog

‘Eden Rose’

Eden Climber™ is one of my favorites, I cannot believe how well it, and the shrub version in the formal garden, performs. Eden was a little shy this past weekend while I was taking pictures. She’s not in full bloom yet, but I wanted you to see the color of Eden (above).

Because my yard has very few sunny locations, ideal for rose growing, I’ve filled in sun/shade areas with Iceberg roses. Here in California there are a few rose snobs that consider the Iceberg too common for the serious gardener…to this I say, “nonsense”. It’s a foolproof shrub rose that gives consistent snowy-white blooms from March through October (sometimes even longer) and it demands nothing other than fertilizer and water. For new readers, I live in Southern California, Zone 9, we barely have seasons. It’s a mixed blessing. I long for chilly mornings with the burst of fall colors in October and wish for a smattering of snow in the winter. That’s the “downside” of living in a mild climate—another post for another time.

Iceberg rose

A couple of years ago I helped design our youngest son and his sweet wife’s front yard. We placed an espaliered apple tree on the front of their house. It has performed so well, but being a cheapskate on my own yard, I thought I’d give espaliering a try with this humble ‘rosa banks’. It’s done very well, but there will be NO apples. 🙂 I may have to break down and buy an apple in the near future.

This picture (below) doesn’t do the apple tree justice, but it really has performed well and even had some apple blossoms early this year.

White Lady Banks, rosa banks

A close-up of Lady Banks…

The final two roses I’d like to share are the reliable Cecile Brunner, probably one of the oldest roses in my yard. We have cut him to within 6 feet off the ground for painters to paint the patio posts, and each time he returns with new canes and more blooms than the year before.

Cecil Brunner –don’t mind the hose that I failed to roll up before taking the picture and notice the leaves on the picture below, that is the pest that used to be on nearly every leaf of most of my roses!

~ and ~

the Burgandy Iceberg, which like it’s white cousin, blooms from early March until late October.

Burgandy Iceberg Rose

Do you have roses in your garden? Do you have a favorite variety, I’d love to hear from you.

{Garden} Arbor Day, for the love of trees

12 Wednesday Mar 2014

Posted by Karen B. in Gardens, House and Home

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

Arbor Day, trees

{I realize I’ve been on a bit of a flora and fauna kick of late…I get this way when spring is upon us, I’m antsy for Spring’s arrival, how about you?.}

It’s Arbor Day {week} in California, March 7-12. Does it seem odd to anyone besides me that Arbor Day {week} is held on different days, depending on the state you reside in?

Bottom line, I’m a huge fan of trees, always have been. I grew up living on a 4 lane street lined with Maple trees. It would have been ideal had it been a 2 lane road but I do recall loving the trees and the seasonal change to the landscape they brought.

When my landscape partner and I started our Blooming Borders business some years ago, we found ourselves waging battle (always subtle and subdued) with our clients to keep the trees they had. More than once we lost the fight and we were sad to supervise the removal of old Sycamore or Alder trees—taken out to allow more light into the yard or to avoid the “messy leaf cleanup” in autumn. Many in our community keep their trees trimmed to roof height to comply with the community Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs). This rule usually stems from view issues of one kind or another.

Our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter recently moved into a home in Austin that enjoys a tree-house feel thanks to the many trees on their lot…

{via}

~Austin, Texas~

*Note: these pictures were taken in the heat of summer just after the kids bought the home. The seller had decided to skip watering the yard while the house was listed…really?! Fortunately, the yard is so much prettier now that the kids have done some yard clean-up, and Austin has had some beneficial rain this past winter.

…the Hotel Saint Cecilia in Austin value the historic trees on the grounds of this lovely hotel located in Austin’s South Congress District…

I have kept all of the trees on our postage sized lot and they provide shade in the summer and a pleasant back drop for our suburban tract house…

My favorite communities have an abundance of trees. Palos Verdes, California, parts of Marin County, California, Bainbridge Island, Washington and my own community here in Irvine, all seem more inviting and lovely for their abundance of mature trees.

There is a park across the street from our home and the mature trees there break up the monotony of house after cookie-cutter house, not to mention the birthday parties, soccer practices, and sand lot playground they shade.

About a mile down the road is a community park that offers a stream and plenty of trees. There’s even a Nature Center offering programs on the local flora and fauna.

Aside from the aesthetic, trees benefit a community by cleansing the air, even pollutants are partially controlled by trees. In one study of an urban park, tree cover was found to remove 48 lbs of particulates, 9 lbs of nitrogen dioxide, 6 lbs of sulfur dioxide and 1/2 lb. carbon monoxide.

Mostly, I just love the beauty trees provide around a house. To make my point on this Arbor Day {week}, here are a few lovely examples…

{via}

In California our official tree is the Redwood…

Happy Arbor Day, or week. I hope you’ll take a moment to enjoy the trees in your neck of the woods.

{Home} The magic of flowers and Ikebana

05 Wednesday Mar 2014

Posted by Karen B. in Flowers, House and Home, Uncategorized

≈ 21 Comments

Tags

ikebana

Flowers are a welcome mood and room brightener and maybe never as coveted as on these last few days/weeks(?!) of winter. I am always on the lookout for new ideas and inspiration for a display of flowers, whether they are store bought or home grown or a combination thereof. Bouquets (below) with unexpected elements are such a nice surprise.

Garden, Home and Party: Ikebana {source}

Flowers – they transport us, romance us, amaze us. They make us smile and swoon. Who could live without them?

—Charlotte Moss, designer

{source}

So I was excited to receive an invitation from Tuttle Publishing to read their new book, Japanese Ikebana for Every Season, by Rie Imai and Yuji Ueno, and asked to post my thoughts.

I really enjoyed this book as my recollection of ikebana was of a far different style than the arrangements shared herein. The classic ikebana arrangement should look natural, something I lean towards where flower arrangements are concerned. But I used to think of ikebana arrangements as stark and possibly a little too modern for my tastes. Clearly, this doesn’t have to be the case, for this pair of talented artists (the authors) have introduced a new view of ikebana.

Author Rie Imai is an accomplished “lifestyle coordinator” in Japan, with a focus on interior design and flowers. During her time in the United State Ms. Imai completed floral design course work at Parsons New School for Design, New York and at City College in San Francisco. She has traveled extensively and has mastered blending the cultural aesthetics of modern and traditional, as well as Eastern and Western influences into her floral designs.

Her co-author, Yuji Ueno, is an independent floral artist. The book’s introduction to Mr. Ueno says it best, “…Yuji has created a style not linked to any recognized Japanese ikebana school…he has found the freedom to chart his own course.” He has a personal website where you will find further inspiration.

In addition to some spectacular examples of the new ikebana, the book offers detailed words and illustrations on water absorption, cutting and maintenance techniques; there are helpful tips on stabilizing, shaping and trimming which can assure your success as you embark on creating your own flower arrangements.

There are great ideas for each season, using items from the yard as well as what you can buy. As with any floral arrangement, it’s the unexpected that catches my eye and presents a need to study exactly what has been included.

The photography for the book was done by Noboru Murata, one of Japan’s most accomplished photographers.

{source}

The book will be a welcome reference to anyone who enjoys flowers in the home, and who doesn’t?

{Thanks to Tuttle Publishing for contacting me and providing me with Japanese Ikebana for Every Season}

Spring officially arrives on March 20th. Happy Spring, just a little early!

{Garden} Recipe for growing moss in the garden, and a winner

29 Wednesday Jan 2014

Posted by Karen B. in Gardens, Misc

≈ 21 Comments

Tags

growing moss

The winner of the Carolyn Westbrook book is:

Sheila of Our Bungalow’s 2nd Century:

Happy birthday, Karen! My favorite mirrors are also those whose silvering is losing its luster! When I was a little kid, we didn’t have a lot, and my parents started making use of cast-off family antiques (which now fill my house). I remember them not wanting a mirror because the silver was going bad, but even as a child I thought it had such character. To this day I love old, beat-up mirrors!

Congratulations, Sheila. Send me your shipping information via email and I’ll send the book.

I love to work in the garden and living in Southern California I can do this without concern for weather most of the year. This is something that has great benefit and at the same time leaves me longing for the occasional snow storm or an abundance of rain found in so many other places.

{1}

One of the many things I admire in a garden is the moss-laden stone where weather encourages this growth. England comes to mind, but I’ve seen beautiful moss growing on stone benches and planters in Washington state and other regions of the world. Where I live I have to work at it if I want something to have the patina that comes with moss and rust and such.

On my visit to the Bloedel, Bainbridge Island, Washington last fall I found plenty of beautiful moss, including a moss garden they created.

{2}

…and then there’s this…England {sigh}

{3}

{4}

{5 ~ Bruges, Belgium}

Recently one of my favorite sites, Design Chic, featured “Marvelous Moss” in the garden, and in the same week I stumbled upon a recipe, in fact 2 recipes, for growing moss on stone or terra cotta (I have searched in vain for the source, but here are the recipes I had copied and pasted for future reference).

{6}

The moss on this bench is the goal, I love it, especially the rich green in contrast with the white hydrangea.

{7}

{8}

I’d guess that moss grows in abundance in the shade of these willow trees.

{9}

I love this fountain in part because it looks antique and for it’s pond-like basin, so soothing to listen to water dripping gently into water.

{10}

I’ve seen man-made water features such as this, isn’t it pretty?

{11}

{12}

{13}

I would love a stone wall, maybe one with a better gate, in the back yard.

{14}

I confess, my sundial is starting to look a bit aged, like this one, but it’s in too much sun to truly grow the emerald stuff.

{15}

{16}

{17}

{Newton Winery, St. Helena, California}

{As an avid fan of blog-reading and general online ~~fanatic~~ enthusiast, I’m forever wondering how I survived without all of this information at my fingertips before.} First of all, did you know you can buy actual live moss spores? I was very surprised. {What doesn’t Amazon sell}

If you decide to try the recipe, the first one suggests you can use moss from the garden as a starter, or obtain moss spores.

Adding Moss Works Best On
Terra Cotta Stone or Concrete Containers ~ Stone or Concrete Sculptures
There are 2 ways to go about doing this. Both ways work really well, so choose one that best suits your tastes.

Moss requires an acidic environment to grow, which can be developed by painting a pot with buttermilk or yogurt, that’s why both recipes below have one or the other.
Recipe 1:

Collect mosses either from around your yard or a friends or neighbors (you can also buy moss spores at a garden store)
Finely chop the moss up (or sprinkle in the moss spores into the mix below if you purchased them)
Allow the moss bits to dry up for a couple of days (if you collected them yourself)

Then mix together in a large bucket or bowl:

1 cup flour
2 cups buttermilk
2 packages active dry yeast
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1-1 1/2 cups dried, crumbled moss

Once the above is mixed together, put the bucket in full sun for three days.

When the mixture is good and smelly, brush it generously with a paintbrush on the outsides of your clay pots. Then wrap the pots in plastic wrap and put them in partial sun.

In two weeks the pots will start to grow mold, and by eight weeks the pots will be nice and furry with moss, and looking very antique and old.
Recipe 2:

Blend pieces of dried moss or purchased moss spores into
2 cups yogurt or buttermilk
Paint onto your pot with a paintbrush
Put your pot into a plastic bag to create a humid environment for the moss to develop
Set the pot and bag in a cool, shady spot until the moss begins to form, which will be about 10 days
Make sure to plant the container so you will be watering it regularly, which will keep the moss alive and growing.

I know moss growth isn’t for everyone, in fact we had a door to door salesman stop by one day selling some “special” cleaning product. Before I could stop him, to demonstrate his wonder product he sprayed a part of the brick at our entry and was so proud that it instantly removed the bit of moss that had grown there!

So would you actually apply one of these recipes to a planter in your garden? I think I may try it…I’ll let you know if it works.

{1} tumblr Connoisseur, Oxford :: {2} Garden, Home and Party :: {2 England, 3 England, Yorkshire Dales, 4 Bruges, Belgium} source unknown :: {5} Design Chic via Cheryl Rowe :: {6} Design Chic via la maison gray garden :: {7} Design Chic via Mother Earth Living :: {9} Irene Suchocki Photography :: {10} Haus Design,sadly Barbara has stopped her blog posts :: {11, 12} Pinterest :: {13} Providence Ltd. Design :: {14, 15} source unknown :: {16} tumblr, Connoisseur :: {17} Wasping through the Countryside :: {18} Pinterest

{Garden} Topiary and beyond

14 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by Karen B. in Gardening, Gardens, House and Home

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

topiary

The definition of the word topiary, as described by Wikipedia, encompasses a good deal more than the topiary I typically think of when someone says the word. I picture various shapes of spheres, wreathes and cones our local nursery grows when the word is mentioned. They are often made from English ivy or other readily available green plants, including rosemary. When our Trader Joe’s sells rosemary topiary I usually buy one because they are fragrant and pretty and last for months. When a topiary grows too large for the kitchen window, I place it somewhere outdoors.

Loi, over at Tone on Tone, has been growing myrtle topiary for his home for over 10 years. Visit HERE if you want to be inspired to grow a few of these beauties for your own home.

Topiary is the horticultural practice of training live perennial plants by clipping the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs and subshrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes,^[1] perhaps geometric or fanciful; the term also refers to plants which have been shaped in this way. As an art form it is a type of living sculpture.

But the “practice of training live perennial plants by clipping the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes…” encompasses one of my favorite landscape tools. The boxwood hedge.

Carla’s secret garden (above) before her redo—look away, Carla.

Yes, there are fanciful shapes that can bring whimsy and beauty into the garden, but the use of the boxwood when it’s trimmed to provide a bit of structure where structure is needed, is something I use in my own garden and clearly the master gardeners of the globe have historically used this to great effect.

Missouri Botanical Gardens

{Pinterest}

Do you have any topiary growing in your yard or a plant in your home?

{Home and Party} Flower Arrangement Ideas

31 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by Karen B. in Entertaining, Flowers

≈ 20 Comments

Tags

Flower Arranging Ideas

For me, flowers are one of life’s little treasures. Whether they’re growing in your garden or purchased at the farmer’s market/grocery store, they seem to brighten a room, not to mention the mood.

That’s why I’m sure it will come as no surprise to my blog friends that I enjoy entertaining almost as much as time spent in the garden. Flower arrangements are the best way to satisfy that creative interest with the simple grouping of a bouquet.

{via}

With internet access, there are endless flower arranging ideas for the sharing. I recently did tour of the topic over at Home Talk. This site is relatively new to me {thanks, Victoria} but like Pinterest and others, you can zero in on specifics and gain a host of inspiration in a short span of time.

{via}

Using a garden urn as a table centerpiece adds a bit of drama and elegance to the table.

{via}

I invite you to visit my clipboard of Flower Arrangement Ideas over at Home Talk. I think you’ll see lots of great ideas on the subject and possibly get lost in the vast array creative inspiration.

{Home Talk ~ Flower Arrangements}

What are you flowers are you arranging this summer?

Join me at Favorites on the First at The Polohouse.

{GHP} No words…that is so you.

24 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by Karen B. in Entertaining, Gardening, House and Home, Personal Information

≈ 20 Comments

Tags

dreams, interests

If you had to select images to describe who you are, what you’re all about, your dreams, your style, your passions, how would they look? What would be on the canvas? I was pondering this notion and decided it would be fun to pull together a host of images that I believe reflect my style, hobbies, interests, and dreams (big, big dreams). Vicki Archer of the always entertaining French Essence recently posted about ‘signature style’ where fashion is concerned.

Since I tend to obsess over homes and their surroundings, more than pencil skirts, {although I do love clothes and especially pencil skirts} these are images that inspire me, reflect my “favorite” design style, or at the very least make me sigh.

No words…

{source}

No Words/GHP {source}

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No Words/Garden, Home and Party {source}

No Words/Garden, Home and Party

{source}

No Words/GHP {source}

{photograph::Kim Christie}

Garden, Home and Party {source}

{source}

Share with me…what would some of the images that your friends would look at and say, “that looks like you” look like.

{Garden, Home and Party} Celebrating the season with a party!

15 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, Entertaining, Flowers, House and Home

≈ 23 Comments

Tags

Spring

Garden: Spring is truly magical, with the seemingly overnight transformation of our outdoor surroundings from austere to vibrant. I marvel at how quickly the yard can burst with color, including large doses of every shade of green. I’ve shared with you how work in my garden always makes me happy. I understand not everyone shares my enthusiasm, but those of you that delight in planting summer flowers or bulbs, understand the joy the warmer, longer days can bring the avid gardener.

I planted hydrangea in the urn to the left of the door, it’s the softest pink. Most of the flowers in the front yard are white or blue. Pink was my nod to the fresh innocence of spring. I’m such a dare devil with color, lol.

When the warm weather visits we spend a lot of time in our backyard. {Sorry about the glare on this image below, even though it was overcast, it was still very bright, one of the things I like best about spring}.

I know this spring has had issues…like snow in late April in some parts of the U.S., but when it’s perfect weather-wise, do you enjoy the great outdoors?

Home: Some of the steps I take around the house to seasonalize for spring:This time of year, with the addition of a few extra hours of daylight, the windows are open more often, the woolen throws are carefully stored and I put out some birds nests I’ve collected over the years. {I only take the ones that are vacated by the family of wren, sparrows and hummingbirds}. I’ve found most of them in our yard, and I love the intricate construction of each one.

I have a lot of roses in my garden, but surprisingly the ones that provide a constant source of flowers for cutting are the hardy, shrub Iceberg roses and my Eden climbing rose. I love bringing fresh flowers into our home all spring and summer.

I love the color of these orchids (above), a gift from a friend. They look like spring to me, along with the twig planter, it almost reminds me of a nest.

Fresh fruit is another way to give a room a touch of spring.

…and finally, I bring out my little bronze birds to remind me spring is in the air.

Party: I like to cook, I find it to be a creative outlet. Mr. B and I don’t usually eat large meals during the week. My work schedule facilitates simple menus for the weekday meal. By entertaining friends and family, I’m able to try new recipes with the added bonus of trying out new table settings (another passion). Spring swings the door wide open with possibilities and options for mixing things up in the table setting department.

I use this white planter (which you can barely see in this picture) outdoors when it’s not providing me with plenty of maiden- hair fern and ivy for a table arrangement. I buy small pots of seasonal flowers and plug them in where needed. It’s an inexpensive way to dress the table with natures best work.

So are you ready? Share some of your favorite ways to enjoy the season…

I’ll be eager to see what you’ve been up to.

Note: Due to my blog being hosted by WordPress.com, Inlinkz has you click on the icon below to insert your link. Sorry for the extra step. ~and~ a huge thank you to my friend Victoria “Restoring our 1890 Victorian” for helping me with this.

I’ll be linking up with Tracie at a Fishtail Cottage, stop by and say hi.

{Garden} Made with love – link party at Victoria’s

14 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by Karen B. in Family, Flowers, Gardening, Gardens, House and Home, Renovating

≈ 22 Comments

Tags

Gardening

Victoria, over at Restoring our 1890 Victorian, really stumped with her Linky party theme, “Made with Love”. This isn’t because I haven’t put love into nearly everything I do, especially where family and friends are concerned, it’s that I wasn’t sure I had photographs that I could use to document this project “made with love”.

So at the risk of seeming to be in a landscape/garden rut, the most recent project that seemed viable to the topic, one that I knew I gave a lot of thought, energy and love to, was planning and planting the front yard of our youngest son, Kevin and his wife, Sarah.

I apologize for not taking “before” pictures of the jumble of ivy and juniper…the landscape was so grim it never occurred to me. This is the yard prior to the final removal of the odd shaped bushes and a struggling ornamental plum (the tree in this picture).

(above & below) the left side of the steps are a garden I planted late last year, we mirrored the style for the larger portion of the front yard. The Iceberg roses and Santa Barbara Daisies have doubled in size

The newlyweds recently purchased an older home. This older home had been owned by an elderly gentleman, whose wife had passed away some time before. When he passed, his children put the house on the market. The yard had been “maintained” by a mow, blow and go kind of guy. Salvageable shrubs had been hedged into misshapen boxes and other odd shapes not natural to the plant world. Many of the plants were overgrown beyond trimming to any effect.

(above) The plants with the white flowers are the Iceberg roses…they will put on a couple of feet of height over the summer. There will not be very much ground exposed once the grasses and other plants fill in.

(above) the green on the front of the house is the espaliered apple…it should be very happy in its new home.

The majority of the front yard is a slope that meets the sidewalk. It was covered in runaway ivy and low growing juniper and because the slope was neglected the two varieties married and intermingled into a mess, complete with spider webs and weeds.

(above) Sarah and her mom bought some slate stepping stones and we planted Thyme ground cover. Once that fills in she can cut thyme for cooking and enjoy a lush, green lawn of an herb that has a small purple flower, when in bloom.

Just before the wedding in December, Sarah’s mom paid her gardener to rip out the entire mess. I began planning for the new yard in February and with the help of Jose (my gardener extraordinaire) we installed the finished plant list in April.

Planning took some time since Sarah and Kevin wanted a California/Santa Barbara look. Translation: Olive trees, grasses, lavender, white Iceberg shrub roses, Penstemon and other perennials. The space at the front of the house was begging for something showy and structured. We selected an espaliered apple. We asked Jose to make sure the sprinklers were in good working order, since we didn’t want the hundreds of dollars in plant material to shrivel up in the upcoming warm weather. That ended up involving hours of work! He amended the soil and planted.

Next will be some work in the back yard, although we have worked on some areas already…Sarah recently re-planted the herb/vegetable garden we installed last year and the space under the trees has been an inviting respite from hot sun since they first moved in.

Any and all involvement has been made with love. ♥ Check out the linky party at Restoring our 1890 Victorian

I can guarantee, you will be entertained!

~and~ because this garden makes me happy I’m joining Ricki Jill at Art @ Home for her linky party ~and~ Fishtail Cottage for her Garden Party

{Garden} Progress update on New Year’s goals

01 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by Karen B. in Flowers, Gardening, Gardens, Maintenance

≈ 31 Comments

Tags

Gardening

HAPPY MAY DAY!

Sometime in early January I posted about my “goals” for the year. I used this word to avoid the utter sense of failure I experience when I’ve set the usual “resolutions” and then dropped the ball within the first month of the new year. This year I was determined to set realistic “goals” for myself and keep them in my thoughts to achieve some measure of success. How did that work out, you ask? Well, it’s only May 1st, but I would give myself a solid B for achieving 2 of the 3 goals so far.

If you’re interested in reading the post visit me HERE, otherwise, here is a bit of proof of my work towards accomplishing at least 1 of the 3 goals. Goal #2. Plans for the Garden :: As I explained in my previous post, I have regularly worked in my garden, but in recent years, only to maintain it. I had really dropped the ball where adding new “bones” to the space was concerned. The pictures I had taken for blog purposes revealed lots of bare spots and some much needed updating. {You really can see your yard, or rooms in your home, more objectively by taking a picture and looking at it}

Our house is stucco on all sides, except for the front where we had stone applied some years ago. I’m sure there are stucco walls that are smooth and somewhat attractive, that is not what we have in our 1968 Southern California tract house. Which is why I’ve have ivy growing on many of the walls. In our side yard there is a particularly large expanse of stucco and the wall happens to get full sun. I had always thought about planting something that could be espaliered. My trusty nursery suggested White Lady Banks rose so I’m giving it a go. Don’t judge Lady Banks just yet. I’ve only planted her this past weekend. But with time, I’ve been promised she’ll grow and will at least break up (figuratively) some of the stucco wall.

I’ve got a David Austin ‘Heritage’ and an Iceberg rose growing in front of Lady Banks, she should enjoy their company while she puts on growth.

Iceberg are so easy and provide the best white blooms nearly 9 months of the year around here.

The other roses in this area of the yard are French Lace

~and~

a Burgundy Simplicity rose. They both put their best face forward in spring, but perform well all summer long.

Last year I discovered that by planting my herbs in pots I could avoid the little slug holes that plagued all of my basil and flat leaf parsley.

The patio bed was revamped a couple of years ago, but even with the Iceberg roses and climbers, Cecile Brunner and Eden, the rest of the bed needed some interest. This spring I was able to buy foxglove in color packs (a smaller, 6-pack of starts). The ‘foxy’ variety will last most of the summer and could be coaxed into blooming again next spring if I could tolerate the stage where they look so sad. They are up and strong and about to burst into a full riot of beauty. (Please pardon the boxwood, they are transplants and have been over hedged. I’m hoping this summer they will recover and be lush and green once again).

The back corner of our yard is deep shade most of the time so in 2011 we decided to throw in the towel on trying to grow grass and instead had our gardener create a pea gravel patio. The corner plants never did much since the trees that create the shade sucked the nutrients from the soil and water was a problem since the soil was filled with roots and little else. We have moved 3 sizable concrete pots to that corner and my hope is to plant them with a Japanese maple, Annabelle hydrangea (Thanks, Keri! Ivy Clad posted the best information on this hydrangea) and possibly a Camellia japonica in white. This is a work in progress so I’ll have to follow up with a future post on my progress.

Under the kitchen bay window, on our patio, we have had 2 large concrete oval pots. Last year I planted white azalea ‘Alaska’ and white ivy geranium…

and this year, the ivy geranium won. The white azalea have been moved to a more suitable spot in the garden and the white ivy geranium are having a party.

The formal garden is still under renovation. It needs plants that can tolerate massive roots from our neighbor’s beautiful Alder tree. I love their tree but it does wreak havoc with the planting beds. I continue to amend the soil and hope for the best. The Sally Holmes climbing rose is happy on the fence and the roses in each of the boxwood framed openings seem fairly happy. I had to replace one of the hybrid teas with a Romantica ‘Bolero’ this past spring. I’m have frequent chats with the rose, encouraging it to grow up big and strong.

The last addition so far is a favorite for Mr. B. I bought and hung a bird feeder. We get a lot of really interesting birds in our yard and Mr. B loves to watch their antics. I hung it outside of our kitchen window and I must confess, it’s been fun to watch the variety of hungry birds.

Have you begun to work in your garden yet? Spring has sure taken its time arriving here in California.

I’m linked to: The Polohouse {Favorites on the First}~and~

Savvy Southern Style {Wow us Wednesdays}

~and~ Stone Gable {Tutorials Tips and Tidbits}

~and~ Ricki Jill at Art @ Home: My Happy List

In two weeks, May 15th, I’m hosting my very first Linky party. I’m celebrating all things SPRING! I hope you’ll join me with your favorite things about this season…your gardening tips and projects, the touches you add to your home as the weather warms and your favorite recipes, table settings and entertaining ideas for SPRING, or really just anything you’d like to post. I hope you’ll join me, I think we’ll have fun.