Tuesday, July 26, 2011

A Tour through My Garden



When we moved into our house ten years ago, the backyard was nothing to speak about. Sure, it had a nice redwood deck, but there was a lot of concrete and the flowerbeds were desert-like with a few fruit trees. You really couldn't call this a garden; it was a yard.

This is what it looked like the winter after we had moved in. Sorry for the bad picture.

However, it held a lot of potential.

Over the years I eventually turned the desert into a lovely colorful blooming paradise, going through a lot of trial and error - and I mean a LOT. I learned which plants worked in what location (and which didn't). The hardest part was amending the soil - we have mainly adobe and it needs a lot of compost to get the soil workable.
honeysuckle

calendula and sweet pea

salvia
But all the hard work eventually paid off, and I love my wild garden. Yes, I call it a garden now, even though there's still the concrete. That, however, is a great foundation for half barrels that hold most of my veggies, and huge colorful pots. The garden is full of wildlife - so far I have counted about 25 bird species who stopped at the bird feeders. There are lizards, squirrels, skunks and raccoons. And of course, the cats from the neighborhood!

poppies and Jacob's beard

foxglove

One of my favorites, hollyhock

Another favorite, abutilon

Clematis climbing up the pear tree

I love all kinds of decor and little trinkets in my yard...



I brought these lobster buoys from Maine.

...and, of course, birdbaths.


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15 comments:

La Vie Quotidienne said...

Wow it all looks so pretty and so abundant. You certainly did the right thing by ammending the soil ~ everything in the garden starts with good soil and here is the proof. Lovely.

Maria Ontiveros said...

Hey there! Back from vacation and enjoying visiting everyone's blogs. What a lovely garden - what I especially love is how it incorporates all my favorite Northern California flowers. Our garden is in very poor shape right now, but I'd like to get it back to some prettiness. Also loved your post on summer food.
Rinda

Kelly said...

wow o wow! I wish I could walk through that garden!! Looks like such a happy place :)

Orsolina said...

Schöne Aufnahmen von eurem Garten. Geißblatt haben wir auch, und der Fingerhut ist inzwischen schon verblüht, dafür stehen aber noch schöne pinkfarbene Stockrosen.

Regnerische Grüße aus Deutschland.

Biggi

Lynn Cohen said...

What a transformation and all the flowers and photos of same are wonderful. I'd love to see a NOW photo of the whole yard, and AFTER if you will, with the barrels of veggies etc. Please!!!!!

Kay L. Davies said...

Wow, you've done a lot more in your 10 years than I have in mine. I'm not a gardener at all, but I've planted trees and shrubs, which are wonderful.
Our soil contains a lot of clay, which would make it similar to your adobe. Don't you just want to make an adobe house? I do, but my husband thinks I'm crazy.
LOL
As they say on TV and in the movies, "I love what you've done to the place"! I really do.

—Kay, Alberta, Canada

seabluelee said...

So many beautiful flowers, a true garden, Carola. I'd love to see an overall shot like the first one, to see how it all looks today.

Trade Your Talent said...

great photos!

Christine E-E said...

I just knew your garden would be lovely! what an assortment of flowers! have you applied to be the National Wildlife Federation to certify your garden? here's the link:
http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Outdoor-Activities/Garden-for-Wildlife/Certify-Your-Wildlife-Garden.aspx

Chantal said...

you sure have a colorful garden, love it, makes me smile on this grey day

Unknown said...

Wow you have come a long way and YOu have a stunning garden to be very proud of ;0) I love the variety Dxx

Darla said...

Beautiful garden. Loved spotting your Kokopelli playing among the flowers.

Darla

Rose Red said...

I just adore flower gardens! I have one of my own and my main pieces are the roses of all colors and dimensions!

Tabby Tiger said...

I love your honeysuckle, calendula and sweet pea. I think they are lovely on a garden square all together. Thanks for giving me an idea.

Piano Toy said...

Hi! Ms. Carola your garden is amazing. It's actually a work of an artist like you because the flowers are so beautiful and blend with other flowers producing beautiful colors which please the eye of those who see it. Your nice pictures also prove your talent in photography. Keep it up!