It used to be empty...Well we had 2 trees and they both had some issues...so we had this garden center plant us a 4 year old Linden Tree on one side...
I really did not know where to take it ... and realized I don't like the open front towards the public pavement... thought a bit of plants might improve it but it still was not much...
I planted one side, mixing in evergreens and boxwood to achieve some greenery in winter and the brown springs in Calgary....
I planted "hesitantly" on the other side of our pathway...well don't be surprised, I just did not know much about landscaping when I started... and we had a lot of grass to cover in the front of our house...but when I saw it 3D, I realized how small and silly it looked so ...I ENLARGED it...
AND IT was small ...again...not good enough...
Then I became a "buying plant's" maniac and was collecting them like the cups in my kitchen...
I got more confidence and decided (when my husband was in Tokyo - far enough to stop me) to hire a young strong help to achieve my goal and I also dared to order our wrought iron fence!
There he is ...working away...thankfully...so hard to remove sod!
I had simplified the entry with just boxwood and a nice topiary evergreen tree.
And creating a bushier area near the hedge separating us from our neighbours...all these bushes: maple, hydrangeas and evergreens will grow up much much taller too...maple is to be 4 m tall, and hydrangeas 2m and the tall columnar pine is 6 m tall and only 1,5 m wide...so I think a great balance and coverage of our city yard from the road...
Finaly, 4 weeks later when they installed the new balcony railings and the fence (damaging our grass a bit, and my tree mellow plant unfortunately), I could not be happier!
IT was SCARY to watch....the mess they were creating for the better good.
Hydrangeas and roses, my favorite combo in this small "just flowers" area make me so very happy ...in the back is the broken tree mellow but next summer I am sure it will be rich and plentyful again...smiles.
And we did install & secured with concrete our new mail box - it is very cool and can accomodate lots of mail even when we don't take it out every day due to travelling! And our boy loves to unlock and collect it himself...so much fun...
Oh and not to forget, finaly our terrace furniture can be out there without worrying about someone taking it away at night! We simply lock the gate for the night and sleep soundly with alarm and cameras (everywhere) ...
This project was fun and it is only for those who love getting their hands full of soil, still have to laugh about what Debra from Acquired Objects said about her gardening: "having soil up to her knickers"...yes you must like soil up to your knickes to appreciate planting and gardening!
Have a lovely weekend, I will be enjoying our front or back finaly landscaped gardens!
XO, Z
