Because I like the convenience of letting my dogs out the side door into a fenced yard, every house we’ve lived in had this feature. It’s peace of mind at night or early morning when you can’t see what they’re doing at there, and the house sits close to the road. In this case, the look added to a new/old house is, to put it mildly, unattractive and industrial. We also use the side walkway area as parking space, and so some of that has to stay. The question has been how to soften that harsh industrial look to be more in tune with the old house.
We decided on a boxwood hedge in a slightly raised bed with packasandra (sp??)
bordered by old granite blocks which Steve has been working on…
This is the back side , or interior yard, of the dog run out to their yard…
On this side I’ll continue the Perennial gardens.
Across the driveway we will put PG tree hydrangea along that bare wall
with boxwood underneath.
Now is a good time to browse your garden centers for deals on their leftover
shrubbery, trees and even perennials.
If you’re looking for a hearty rose, may I recommend the Julia Child variety
(perhaps Connie can tell me what exact kind of rose that is)
Because NOTHING wanted to grow next to the little greenhouse.
Not grass, which we tried by seed & hay…
not sod, which was even worse..
But the Julia Child Rose with stone underneath (ick, but it works)
is very, very happy. Go figure.
So we’ve got more coming to surround that greenhouse and cover some
of that lovely stone. (no offense, dear.)
Zinnia are getting a much bigger plot of land here next year.
They don’t complain, they continue to be showy in to the fall..
and need next to nothing of my attention.
The wagon got a facelift too… a good soaking of Linseed oil
to protect it from the elements.
I took the remaining pumpkins out of the field,
we had a lackluster pumpkin crop this year…
learning as we go, still learning 🙂
You have a lovely piece of land there and I can see the tender loving care that you put in to it.
xo, Cheryl
Things are looking wonderful around the farm! The landscaped area for the surrounding the dog's area sounds really nice…I know how you feel. At the lake we have a small area surrounded by boxwood to herd them into.
Your Julia Child rose is gorgeous…I have to remember this. My roses came up pink and yellow would be the perfect compliment. I am on a roll with roses now that I had some success!
Have a great weekend, Karen!
XO,
Jane
Will have to remember the name of that rose. It really adds a touch of 'lovely' where you have it planted..
Sorry about your pumpkins… this area has had a bumper crop of them. I need to get out and buy a few.
I also have a Julia Child rose but it hasn't done too much since we planted it in the Spring. I'm not sure why, maybe it needs another year.
nice to get some improvements done before the winter… 🙂
What a beautiful setting. I love your ideas for plantings.
Great character on your little pumpkins. 🙂
Have a great day.
Pam
Thanks so much for sharing the names of trees and shrubs, that's a big help for all of us who are thinking right now about problem areas. Deer, oh they are my biggest problem… I thought. They eat our shrubs, right now the first thing you see when you come down the path to my front door is a big vacant spot where 3 huge Hosta's thrived in all their green glory until the deer decided to have salad bar last week. Aaaaarrrrrggg! So, I moved the potted mums to the back deck off the breakfast nook, 40 feet up from the ground and something has eaten all the leaves and blooms off of one of them. What??? All I can guess is squirrel or raccoon. I give up!!!
Your property is beautiful. Makes me want to go plant something orange and yellow! We are re-doing our front courtyard which used to be lawn. It's a small area but it's where I let the dogs out as well (which is why having lawn won't work). I'm trying to figure out a way to let them out the side door and have somewhere for them to go Brainstorming here. Right now it's just a small deck leading to a slopping side yard. It's the slopping side yard where I need a place for them to go. Let me know if you have any ideas. Happy Fall!
karen let me say for the 100th time love everything about your house! its been raining here for a week but our pumpkins will be out soon if it would stop raining.
I love when you give us a tour around the place 🙂 So much to delight in- that wagon is sooo cool, I'd be driving by and leaning out the window of the car with a long lens to get a pic of it for sure- I am such a tourist!
Everything is so pretty and what a nice dog run. Loving that wagon all dressed for fall. I didn't know you had a green house. I still want one. Hopefully hubby will build one out of a stack of old windows we have stored away.
Girl, you keep me green with envy and stuck in the sinnin' corner!
Oh, how pretty that will be! Is that a kitty in the background of the last pic? I see ears 🙂
xo, misha
I love, love, love that wagon! Looks like your property is coming along nicely!
I enjoy seeing your yard especially since mine took a hike this year.
You guys are workaholics, and it shows, so beautiful.
Everything looks so picturesque, Karen. You really have an eye for putting the right things in the right places. 🙂
What a very nice place you have, and with so much natural eye candy to look at! Richard
You have such a large place to work on! But you make everything more beautiful! I love the pumpkins! ♥
You have done such a wonderful job there! I know all the hard work it takes to make a project like that look that good! Love all your fencing and outbuildings!
That Julia Child rose is amazing. We have some real bed rock in our front area and I planted three roses and am keeping my fingers croosed that they "take". Spring will tell. xo Diana
Awww, "this old house" is looking so autumnal!!! I like the idea you've got goin' to dress up the fence!
Did you make that wreath on your front door?? I love it!
I wish I had your touch for design…inside and outside. This reminds me that I really should hire a landscape designer…
Yeah…that's what I need…a landscape designer!!! Oh…and perhaps it might help if I win the lottery as well!!
It looks simply beautiful Karen!!! When is that magazine coming out that they took the pics for???
You should be an interior decorator…or an exterior decorator…but DEFINITELY a Decorator!! Ever seen that show….Million Dollar Homes?? You could totally do that!!
What a beautiful piece of property Karen. The last photo of the pumpkins and the urn is spectacular. Cover-worthy on a gardening book I would say.
Sam
P.S. Same is true for the wagon scene. You've really got a flair.
Came to look for your zinnias [as announced on nancy's blog}.
Lovely shade of dusty pinlg. Like the open fields you have around you. And your potting shed looks great too. As does the pony trap.
Oo, I feel all inspired to create some Autumn decorations in and around the house now. We have Pachysandra terminalis (is that what you meant?) in our garden and I love it for being evergreen and very easy to maintain.