Summer garden 2012

We've been working hard in the yard and I wanted to take some photos and share with you how nice it's looking this year. Of course, today it's 100 degrees and I'm sure everything will be fried in a few more weeks. Planting it all is time consuming, but keeping it alive, that's the hard part.

Here's the view of the patio from the end of the house. We installed the pergola last year, and it is a huge help with shade. There is a sail shade in the center that helps make our seating area pleasant to sit in. Otherwise, it's too hot.

 Just down from the patio is a huge spruce tree and our magnolia tree, now growing into the spruce. It's kind of a dead area. The last to be weeded. Usually by the time I get over there I just can't handle anymore. Need to come up with a better solution!

 A view of the pond from the walkway into the yard. All of these ponytail grasses and gaura were volunteers. I have moved 3 gaura out from there but don't have a good place for the others. This is a favorite place for Lola to get tangled in.

 Front side of the pond. I'm doing something right, because the plants are very happy! The cattails are 7' tall, and the lily has sent up 25+ lilypads.

 To the left of the pond

 My birdhouse collection. They used to be scattered all over the place, but Bart grouped them and I think they look awesome.

 A few of them have plants in them. So far, so good.  Between these two posts is where the hammock hangs when we have it up. I took it down for pix.

 Even more to the left, we have a silver lace vine that we finally got to grow up this trellis and onto the pergola.

 I love the leaf man face in here.

 On the other side of the walk is a recently planted honeysuckle vine. The hope is that it will grow up and make an arbor of sorts with the silver lace. This is a new planting area, and we're not quite sure what to do with it. The spruce is dying, so we had it trimmed up last year. I've added in some perennials

 and some hostas and the squirrels were kind enough to plant a few sunflowers. Eventually the tree will have to go. My planting bench. Most of my pots live here. I planted far fewer than in previous years.

 The back door, and an ever present furry creature. They follow me everywhere.

 Close up of the bench and plants.

 We are still deciding what to do about patio furniture. I want something more couch like and Bart doesn't. We ordered some new chairs because these ones are rusting and we are sick of dealing with the cushions, but haven't done anything about the table. We may not do anything this year. There is a rumor of mulch being ordered, but I'm hoping it's not true :) I hate laying mulch.

Thanks for looking! Hope you saw something you liked.