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June 22, 2015

My Backyard Updated

Anyone that follows me knows I have a slight devotion to my backyard garden and patio area.  Each spring it's literally a miracle to watch everything come alive especially after the long winters we have here.
I trotted outside barefoot on the cool dew laden ground carrying my iPad and snapped a few photos this morning. 

I made some changes this weekend and it started here at the pathway.  This picture below here is from earlier this spring showing the arbor.
I decided I wanted the arbor moved to the end of the garden path where it enters the patio.  Unfortunately it was not to be as the width and slight curve of the path proved to be a very poor choice for it but I had another spot in mind.

Before we get to where the arbor is located now I'll show you a few things.  My planter full of impatiens is doing well.  I created this by filling it with dirt and setting my metal sphere on top and easing it into the dirt.   I reached in through the openings and planted the individual flowers.  

I have a second blog devoted to my gardening that you are welcome to visit.  The link is always on the right side of this blog.

These are a new pair of lanterns we recently installed.  I saw the idea on my blog designer and friend Linda's blog on her post about their yard as seen "here"
She had a pair of lanterns on a shepherds hook that gave me the idea to do this.  My lanterns were all white but I had Dan paint them so they'd blend into the area a bit more.

An evening shot.

Just to the right is my cement garden bench and planters.  Over the years I've planted a lot of hostas and ferns which fill in nicely each year.

This is the fountain area we created several years ago.  I surrounded the border with hostas I already had by splitting them up as shown "here" which is about how this all got started.  Each year I select a color for my annuals as a main color and this year I chose orange.  

Just to the left of the fountain is what I call my hosta hill.  The sun was rising which I love to witness.

It's hard to make out in this picture but this is where the arbor landed.

I lifted the leaves of the hosta as I set the arbor into place so it looks like it was already there a while.  I moved several plants to the left to help open this pathway up and weeded out a lot of ground cover that migrated over here from the hosta hill.


It comes apart in sections so I was able to put it in place more easily.  This top area is actually two pieces held together with the center finial.

Here's a shot I took when the sun was out the other evening.  The black object in the background is a post we set up a few years back with wind chimes hung from it.  

We're going to highlight it with a couple of small flood lights that we'll add to our low voltage light system already in place.  There are a couple of different ground covers that have been migrating over from the hosta hill that I'll have to keep groomed back. 

Looking back at the patio towards the house is a small grouping of seating.  We don't often have visitors but when we do we add more chairs and have the fire pit burning in the evenings.  The fire pit is just to the right out of camera view.  The moss grew on its own and filled in between the stones.  Dan will apply a 10% solution of bleach and water to the stones to clean and brighten them up.  



I also gave my lilac topiary a grooming this weekend.  I have to get to it quickly after it blooms before next year's buds are set.  

Back near the garage one of my planters which is near my fairy garden.  The white dove statue was just recently painted.  It was a brown shade resembling an old cast iron piece but I decided I wanted it white.   It seemed to short so I stacked some leftover brick pavers to make a stand for it.  I actually set it here to keep my hubby from going around the corner and running into the hanging basket.  He tends to move fast but not always look ahead as he's in motion!
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Tuesday's At Our Home
Thank you Maria Elena for featuring this post "here"!
 



13 comments:

  1. Liz,
    You, dear friend, have an amazing back yard!!!
    Your hostas do well in your Gardens. . .ours struggle with the dry, arid soil and extreme heat here on the Prairie!!! Seems every year we replace the ONE we have. . .this year we're trying a fern!!! Time will tell!!!
    I adore that you choose a color of annuals to accentuate your lovely "greens" each year!!!
    Here, I still enjoy the greens, purples, whites and creamy buttery yellows!!!
    Of course, I LOVE your Garden even with the SNOW atop its structures!!!
    Thanks for sharing. .. your photographs are gorgeous!!!
    Fondly,
    Pat

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  2. Hi Liz, a walk through your garden is like a day in paradise. Everything is so lush and beautiful. Truly should be in a garden magazine. You are so talented with the placement and decorating in your garden.
    Thank you for sharing!!
    Hugs, cm

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  3. Liz, your garden is beautiful! I feel like I am in a storybook garden. I am so fond of hostas, but we don't have very many trees near our house to provide enough shade to have many of them. I love your "hill" and planters. Your wooded backyard looks so peaceful and serene. I can imagine you can spend many quiet mornings with a cup a coffee listening to the birds and enjoying the tranquility. Can wait to see more.

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  4. You have a magnificent garden Liz...I love the lanterns .... it is such a great time of day to take pics of the garden with the light shining through the trees...The garden shows that you and your hubby put a lot of love into it!

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  5. Liz, you know how much I love seeing your landscape! This is the most peaceful setting! I can only imagine how beautiful it is in person! You have the magic touch.

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  6. I so enjoyed my "stroll" through your garden!!! I love the topiary with the other shapes of shrubs. The appropriate name for your yard is Hosta Heaven! :-)

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  7. Your gardens look so pretty Liz! LOVE your fountain area!

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  8. Beautiful garden! I love the lanterns and foutain!

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  9. Liz, I love your garden! So beautiful!

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  10. Your yard is looking fantastic. Love your stone patio. Everything looks lush and beautiful. The flowers are in bloom and it all looks so welcoming. Enjoy! thanks for the shout out. Your lanterns look great!

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  11. Liz, You have such a fantastic yard. i would spend all my time out there, I think. Your patio is great and I love the moss that grows between the rocks. You really did a great job on that whole area, Liz. Your hard work has paid off. xo Diana

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  12. Oh Liz! I may have just gone a little Pin crazy over your yard. It is exactly the feel I have in mind for the area off the back of our house. Did you lay the pavers yourself? Garden contractors charge a small fortune to create what you have but I'm afraid to attempt the project and in a few years have all our pavers going catty-wampus! We are new to the red clay dirt that is our back yard.
    Thanks for all of the beautiful inspiration dear lady,
    Patti

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Thank you for your comments! I don’t always get a chance to reply but I do read them!




ABOUT ME



Welcome to Home and Gardening With Liz. I have combined my previous blogs “Infuse With Liz” and “Sit With Me In My Garden” into this new blog. I love interior decorating and gardening. I enjoy redefining interior spaces by moving things around and reusing decorative items already found in the home. I also enjoy creating tablescapes and an occasional crafting project. I'm so pleased you've stopped by. I invite you to follow me and I do hope you will keep coming back! Liz
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