New Dahlias and Iris from Brecks in 2020

Only 1 of the first 2 iris shown, bloomed this year.  Hope next year is better!

Appreciating Summer Beauty

Lying on my deck admiring the view.


Daybreak in Chippewa County...gorgeous!

What a Difference Seven Years Makes in a Garden Bed

In 2013 we had a couple of large pine trees and an apple tree removed from our front yard. This left a big bare area for me to redesign. I decided to go with a lime green/purple and white color scheme. I planted Dwarf Golden Threadleaf Cypress around a center Ninebark Diabolo with 3 Limelight Hydrangeas in the back. Here I have it ready to plant You can barely see the Ninebark in the center:

Here it is today (looking from my main gardens):

Here is a close up (Look at the size of the Ninebark today!):

In a difficult area filled with 75-year old pine tree roots, I consider this border to be successful. In the past years, I have added a few other plants. Here you see Weigela (pink flowered shrub). Behind the Golden Cypress I have 3 Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus) which have not yet shot up their very tall feathery plumes. I have a white bench tucked in the center of this border. It gives me great pleasure to sit in this shady area for a garden work break. Right now I have the special pleasure to watch a mother robin tending to her newly-hatched brood in the big old crabapple tree just four feet from where I sit. Life is good in the garden.