Blooming Tuesday -A Trip Around the Ponderosa

It's time again for Jean's 'Blooming Tuesday' I had such fun participating last week and I met some new gardeners. You may have noticed the new links I added.

This week I am going to take you around my yard to almost all of the garden areas I have. DH dubbed it the 'Ponderosa' because he says that even Ben Cartwright doesn't have a spread that big! LOL. Can you tell he thinks I have too many flower gardens?

This is at the edge of the woods in my backyard. If you walk through this arbor, you would be walking right into the wooded lot that we bought to keep anyone from building right next us.
I toss all kinds of stuff that I dig out of the main gardens in this area. It has gotten pretty full in just a few years. I never weed or do anything to this area.

I often think that this wild area looks better than the cultivated real garden areas!

Shot #2 is showing both sides of what I call my 'Arbor' or 'Main' gardens. These are also on the lot next to the house. I figured that as long as we paid for the space, I might as well use it for something! Most of the photos you have seen recently are up toward the main arbor where I have installed walking paths.

This is the back end where I have not yet put in walking paths. I wanted to add another path this year, but could not find any round stone pavers to match what I already have on this side. The yellow daylilies are just beginning to bloom on this side. There are also a lot of red daylilies that will be blooming within the week.

The next view is from behind the smaller arbor in the main gardens. I really need to get rid of that tree next to the arbor! I usually refer to this little garden as the 'wagon wheel garden'. There are three other small garden areas in front of the wagon wheel garden that you cannot see. This is the same area that had a blue chair in front of the wheel.

I have since moved that chair to the deck.

If you walk around to the back side of the deck, you get a full view of the rockwall garden. This area is in a makeover stage. I have been removing most of the plants. I now want only shrubs and trees in this area--looking for less maintenance.

This is an area that you hardly ever see. It's way at the end of my property line facing the woods. DH just cut the grass and you can see his lawn mover and wheelbarrow in front of the garden shed.

If you turn right at this tree, you will be on the side of the deck that faces my neighbor. Way at the end you can see the garden shed.
Right now the Shasta daisies, lychnis and more ditch lilies are blooming. The silver in the foreground is 'Silver King' artemesia. I like to use it for filler in flower bouquets. It spreads by underground runners and can be quite invasive. I like it enough to put up with the effort it takes to keep it in check.

Did you notice that star on the wall of deck?
I bought it from Coldwater Creek a few years ago to put in my dining room. I got bored with it there, so I brought it out to the deck last year.

This side is the main entrance to the deck. A couple of years ago I put hostas and liatris in the big planters that lead to the deck. I did this because it was the easy way out! They come up every year with almost no effort (and zero cost)from me. I was getting tired of planting them every year with annuals. It is a little too sunny for the hostas here. I may have to remove them as the edges are getting burn spots. First I am going to try giving them tons of water.
The bottom planter has a few pieces of Sedum Autumn Joy behind the hostas. I should either plant some SAJ in all four planters, or remove it from this side. It's off balance having it in just one area.
Maybe I will do that this week.
I climbed up in the back of DH's pickup truck to get this long shot of the same area.
I have a lot of Sedum Autumn Joy in the front yard. I moved it all there in the last year or so. I find the light green color attractive all year long and I wanted something that looked good and was maintenance free.

There is a ton more of it across the front of the house.

It's also way back in that bench garden--nothing grows well there. Even hostas won't grow well there. I've been moving all the hostas to other gardens.


So, except for 6 little garden areas, you've made the trip around the Ponderosa. Aren't you glad you don't have to weed all those gardens?

Now go over to Jean's and have fun visiting all the other gardens participating this week.