Inch by Inch

Because we've decided to extend and stay in our current home for a few more years, I've been thinking a lot about gardens lately and what plants I want to be able to enjoy while we're here. One of the things I think I got wrong when we first bought the house was starting the internal renovations first before sorting out a plan for the lawn and gardens.  Just because it takes so looooooong for plants to grow.

Second time around, I'm a little wiser.  We don't start the house extension until next year (have I mentioned that it's NY or bust this year?  No?  A story for another time clearly), so I'm devoting the rest of this year to getting the gardens and landscaping sorted.

I now know it took almost 2 years for our morayas to grow from nothing...

...to this.

Here they are waiting on a final autumn prune before winter.

In going through my scrapbook (remember those from the time before we collated our ideas on blogs) of gardening pictures, I came across these and am once again studying how I can apply them to our home over the coming years.  (Many of them are tear-outs from old mags so no image credits!  If you know where they're from let me know and I'll update).

 

I'm obsessed with lawn leading up to garden beds, garden boxes, pavers, stepping stones.  Much to Mr. B's chagrin I don't like any sort of edging so it means he has to be a bit more aggressive with our temperamental whipper-snipper to keep the desired look in tact.

A few inspiring gardens to help me on my way,

                                                                                 Image from here                                                                                                          Image from here

I plan to grow some Japanese Wisteria as a climber against one side of a shed.

                                        Image from here                                                                                                                       Image from here

I'd like to get a vegetable patch going too and would love something like this at the bottom of the yard.

Image from Elle Decor

My parting words of encouragement to myself take form in John Denver's Garden Song that I cannot get out of my bloody head:

Inch by inch,

Row by row,

Gonna make this garden grow,

All it takes is a rake and a hoe,

And a piece of fertile ground.

As you can see, I have managed to give my gardening hopes and aspirations a soundtrack which you can listen to here if you too would like a chirpy little song stuck in your head for the next three weeks!

Nicolex