I see a beautiful Japanese maple, that gorgeous variegated sedum, roses at September's end...is that Agastache too? Also lavender, coleus, and more! A start on a container collection, but you have a tough example to follow with Deanne! You have the same serpentine hose adorning your photos as I do! It all looks very well thought out and loads of progress has been made! Terrific!

Not Agastache, but a Salvia. It truly smells like Melon. Will be taking cuttings if anyone wants some.

Though my containers will never be like Deanne's, it's fun trying :-)

Martie, what a treat to have a tour of your garden this a.m. Everything is looking great. It looks like you have lots of space to work with. What fun!

Michelle

Martie  looks like great progress! I loved the long view and it does indeed look like a beautiful park developing. IÂm wildly jealous of all that space. IÂm glad the roses are doing well. I havenÂt any growing with Rozanne here but I think IÂll steal that idea and plant some with the Rozanne under the ÂRandy magnolia. Your hardy hibiscus doesnÂt look so bad. In my experience, they take a few years to get established and then they start looking shrubby. IÂll post a separate thread with some angel rose (Rose chinensis minima) and hardy hibiscus pictures from this morning. Are you going to collect seeds from the roses and start more? ItÂs a lot of fun  theyÂre so easy to grow. The hibiscus are easy from seed too... :-)

Everything's looking good and really starting to come together Martie! I admire how you have enough discipline to leave space for the plants to grow too. That's something I have a problem with:) I think your hibiscus looks quite healthy. I have something here that just skeletonizes the leaves on the perennial ones so I've pretty much ripped them all out and only have one tropical one, h.'the path', that I overwinter inside. Don't worry, once you get the gardens all in place, you'll start getting bored and focus more on containers. I KNOW that from experience. Thanks for showing us your progress. Great job!

Eden

Thanks for sharing these Martie. You've really made lots of progress and the beds are so well thought out. Nice containers too! I especially love that urn in the last photograph. Is that cement?

Deanne

You're defninitely LEAGUES ahead of me, girlfriend!

Choke.

What I wouldn't give for all that space ! I bet it wil be just awesome looking when it fills in. Very nice Martie, a park indeed !

Kathy in Napa

Thank you, thank you. It makes my heart happy to know I'm on the right track.

The space is wonderful, but also intimidating. Where to place? What to leave grass? Where are the focal points? How much work do I want to have in 10 years?

Wish I could take an aerial as there are eight defined garden areas, each with its own personality. The fun has been to design each to be different and attractive in its own way.

Also posted this with the hope that people just starting out on new plots or with gardens in general can get some encouragement that with patience, it can be done! Good friends help a lot, too :-)

Martie

I love the arborvitae backdrop. Your place is already looking better than most park's I've seen, and it will be wonderful to watch the progress over the years.

Pots need to be enormous to hold some moisture and be tended at least daily (or if you're Deanne, twice daily). I don't have any pots where the hose can't reach without much trouble, otherwise I'd have to pitch them by July.

The hibiscus looks great for first year. Next year it will be six feet tall and you'll be fightening the japanese beetles for the blossoms.

Looks like you're on a roll, keep it up!

Very exciting to see the beginnings. Nice Salvia argentea, too, not snail chewed like mine.

Martie, how much property do you have? Everything is coming along perfectly. I remember when you were just starting to plan the gardens and didn't even have the walkway yet. If you get a chance dig out some of your "before" pictures.

Sue

Some befores. Most of the very first year, 2004, were done on film, but I look at them occasionally when I'm feeling like I'm not getting anywhere.

From 2005:
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Last year, right after the main path was complete ...
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Martie  you still have told us how much space you have in the park I want to know just how jealous I need to be :-) It looks like you have acres�

Not acres, LOL. We have 1.12 acres but it is a wedged shaped lot. 60' across on the cul-de-sac and almost 170 wide in the back. The house is set dead center on the lot so it leaves lots of space and because we live on old farm land, any trees have been added.

Martie