Wow. Thanks for all the great responses everyone.

DD you're too kind and I believe you answered your question. Just being thought of as a master gardener suffices for me and I don't think a certification saying so would change anything. To me it's kind of silly regarding ones self as a master after only taking a six week course! We can all be masters of our gardens and buy more hosta's instead of paying for the course. I very much appreciate your sentiment though and wish I lived in Delaware so I could demonstrate it by planting hosta's for you!

Thanks Sherry. You need not remove all your lawn, just take a small section at a time and own it. Eventually you might end up without a lawn on the front. My God. Five dogs? How do you keep them from killing the lawn? My dog must drink round up as his urine is lethal.

Kathy. If gardening required quick thinking I'd be lucky to grow a dandelion. From the few pics I've seen of your garden you've done an amazing job already and I foresee a gorgeous garden for you. I soooooo envy your property. The most important thing is to have fun with it!

Further into the backyard.

Moccasin, you're too kind. See. We are all master gardeners already. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing and while a formal education can build a solid foundation we can't ever learn too much and I've found the best knowledge comes from other gardeners. This forum has surprised me with its wealth of valid information. I guess I thought it be like the French model date from online. Lol

Another pic.

Thank you. Ask and you shall recieve. Picea orientalis 'Skylands'. I topped it to create a spreading plant.

Mac, 5 dogs but they are small, shih tzus, they stay out of my beds in the backyard. I already have 3 good size beds in th front that have seen serious overhall this season. One bed under a big blue spruce is only a year old. My problem is keeping up with maintenance. Have edited the past few years to make it easier. I enjoy doing the upkeep myself, just have to think hard about what i plant now.

Sherry

Every photo just gets better and better. Amazing how much you have done in really not that much time. Just beautiful!

Thankyou so much for posting pics of your stunning garden. You seem to have most of my favorite types of plants growing there. Hydrangeas, hosta ,conifers and a pond. If I had you for a neighbor I could give my beds back my horses and just drool over yours.

Your dogs stay out of your beds ? Mine is constantly in them but amazingly does little damage. I think he thinks he's a jaguar. I find filling a bed with hosta's greatly reduces weeding. That's my story and I'm sticking to it

Thanks bmonkeys. It's amazing how much you can accomplish once the kids move out !

Madeyna, you're welcome to drool on them anytime, anything to cut my watering :)

Just a couple more to complete the tour.

Leaving the backyard.

My ditch by the road.

Ditch from opposite end and that completes this portion of the tour. Thanks for all your kind words, support and inspiration. Since I'm in the middle of re-planting parts of the front, courtyard and driveway I'll have some new pics next week to show the changes. Think lots of brunnera.

Just one word - WOW!

I just wandered over into this forum and my jaw hit the floor.
mac, that is amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Makes me want to run out and get some hostas.

Mac, you're influencing me to do things my wife won't like! UNTIL I'm FINISHED! Then she'll LOVE it!!

stupendous and sublime, Mac. Great stuff.

Don B.

Don you crack me up. Was thinking the same thing in regards to a fish pond. The husband will protest, but when it's done, will love it.

Thank you to everyone. Your kind words have inspired me to rip everything up and start over! Well, a few sections at least. Here's what I'm planting tomorrow. My wife thinks they're for a clients job ( no idea who have her that idea) and she won't even notice that they end up in our yard. Not that she would care anyways but it's fun seeing what I can do before she finally notices. So Don and Bmonkeys go ahead and do what you want......your spouses can thank you later. Something tells me Bmonkeys knows just how to get what she wants from hubby and if he's a smart man he will eagerly oblige! My brother Don on the other hand, good luck. Lol

How many gallons is your pond, Mac?

Thanks,
Don B.

Between 4000-4500 gal.

This vigorous fellow will outgrow his 450ish gallon pond in a season or two. He said he wants to go live with Uncle Mac. Can't say I blame him. : )

Don B.

My LORD! That is gonna be a Cujo KOI, Don. How would one go about rehoming a supersized koi? I guess it could be done, if you thought about it for a while.

Every garden needs to have the sound of splashing water, Living things need water. How to add it to my garden for easy maintenance and not too complicated a production is the issue with me. I have lots of wild birds, some that won't come to a feeder will always show up for a shower and a drink before dinner. It is about 115 on our deck right now, and the sun goes over the peak of the roof about 2pm, so it is too hot to do anything outside. I have the misting water sprinklers going in two areas, and birds are in the fig trees bathing on the wet leaves and eating the ripe fruits. It's the second crop on this tree for the season.

My fish bowl (huge flower pot) sprung a leak about 2 years ago, and I don't have the time to install a rubber liner this year. I'll wait for next spring. Then add some "mosquito fish" ...guppies actually. Maybe something larger if it holds its water. I need a water feature and a mountain to make a real Chinese style garden. The mountain could take a while. :)

What you've done, Mac, is simply inspired. One of the photos with the tall yellow flowers and the depth of plantings reminds me of the plantings in some Royal Botainical Gardens of England. I think you would enjoy those pictures.
The link to the person who uploads those garden photos is below. I "follow" his albums.

Here is a link that might be useful: UKGardenPhotos on Flickr

Big koi need big ponds and my pond is not nearly as big as I'd like. I only have five koi ranging from 26-27". When I re-do the pond it will be over 10,000 gal so that I can have a good collection of large koi. Quality Japanese koi make hosta's seem dirt cheap. Pun intended.

Thanks moccasin. Awesome link. I could spend days walking those gardens. Hopefully some day I shall.

I love your koi, Mac. So beautiful...

Don B.

The Japanese call them " living jewels ". Sounds right to me.

Makes me want to expand my pond in a big way. All three koi in the pic are great, but the copper-colored one on the left is quite eye-catching, perhaps because of it's uncommon shade. At least I rarely see it, personally.

Don B.

My koi in the pic is less than half the size of any of Mac's, Mocc. About 12 inches long. But he's growing fast. I actually have an acquaintance with a massive koi pond who has agreed to take him next spring. He's rapidly outgrowing my puddle. : )

Don B.

The copper colored koi is called a chagoi, Don. They grow the largest and are the friendliest. The biggest one measured something like. 68"! I won't be happy until mine has reached 36". It's grown 7" in two years. Gotta love giant koi and hosta's.

Mac, koi and hosta gardens seem to go together. I read a lot about koi for a while, but of course did not have a place to keep even one. There were some of the white/orange banded variety available locally, which I saw, but did not try to buy.

Presently, I'm looking at an above ground livestock tank which is fairly good size, but not for koi. I forget the term for the fish, they are like small koi but without the feelers on their lips. Ummmm, SHUBUNKIN.....that's it!

I agree moc. Koi and hosta do go well together. Both are loved by the Japanese also. Shubinkins would work well in a small water feature as would sarasa comets. Sarasa comets are red and white with somewhat koi like patterns. Could get by with just an air stone and weekly 20% water changes. The water from the goldfish tank is great for watering the garden.

Mac, absolutely fantastic, you have create a lush garden, ...inspires tranquility.

Thanks so much luuk.

Here are some updated pics where I've re -done some plantings.

New courtyard plantings. Replaced the actaea hillside black beauty and heuchera southern comfort with royal standard and brunnera Dawson white.

mac48025, I have to run out and purchase a new keyboard. (Drool......)

Amazing gardens!!!!!!!

Thanks hostanista. Never knew gardens could illicit such Pavlovian responses!

Here's an attempt to add more color and texture to the front bed. I added carex Bowles golden , heuchera paprika, actaea hillside black beauty and brunnera's looking glass, dawsons white and Diane's gold. Wish I could capture the beds better. Maybe I'll try a panoramic pic.

Another pic

Another

I feel like I'm touring Longwood Gardens, a famous arboretum in PA created by the duPonts. Are you familiar with them? In what state do you reside? You don't have your zone listed.

DD

Just have to add my two cents that your gardens are breath-takingly beautiful, Mac. Love the layers and different textures. Your pond is simply stunning ~ about the largest and most lovely I've ever seen in someone's yard.

I see gardens like this and realize how unimaginative mine are, but it also inspires me to set higher goals.

Thank you so much for sharing!

While my gardens are a far cry from Longwoods I appreciate the comparison. It's rewarding creating our own pieces of paradise, no matter how big or small they may be. My garden will always be in a state of ever changing flux but I look forward to getting it to the point that I can just tinker with it. Within five years I should be there ! I live in Michigan. zone 5 yet we had a zone 4 winter last year.

Thank you hosta takeover. I need to place a rear view mirror type warning on my pics. " Objects may appear larger than they are." Lol. Pond is small to me and I'll enlarge it soon. It's only about 25' long and 4500 gallons in volume. I think it looks large based on how much space it consumes in my small backyard. I appreciate your kind words and like you I find inspiration in so many others gardens and incorporate what really moves me from their gardens to mine.

I'm sure the pond looked a lot bigger to you when you first put it in, eh Mac? : )

Don B.

It looked huge when it was just a hole in the ground! The right camera angle makes it look bigger too. A pond can't ever be too big!

What indescribable beauty. Many botanical gardens do not look this amazing. What part of the country do you live in? Can the fish live in the pond in the winter?
I was in awe over the fantastic front garden.... I had no idea what was to follow.
Now we will need to see photos of your client's gardens

Thanks so much muktowmgal. I'm in SE Michigan. Supposedly a zone 6 but I don't believe it ! :) The koi are fine during the winter as the pond is 5' deep and I run a bubbler to keep a whole in the ice for gases to escape.

A clients yard you say? Guess I can do that.

I am studying your work with shock and awe! I have a ditch that needs to be planted now. Thank you so much for posting.

Wow! If I come into some money I'm flying you to VA, handing you the credit card and saying have fun. That is perfect, what lucky clients. Do you have a website for your business? You should include it in your member page for potential clients, who see these wonderful pics.

Wow mac, what a beautiful shot. So many different colours and so many Hosta. Absolutely lovely!

All right split rock, that's music to my ears. No where is it written that drainage ditches have to be ugly. Just realize that it's most likely an easement and should the city need access you might need to move plants quickly.

Bungalow. I think gardening in your area would be ideal. Michigan has beautiful summers but I wish they were longer and more mild. I'm thinking virginia should change their motto to " Virginia is for gardeners". No I don't have a website. I don't advertise at all. I don't even have job pics. The reason I have a few now is that my client was up north when we were working at her site and I wanted to show her the progress. I really should take more pics and then you'd see some really impressive properties!

Here's a little water feature I put in for her grand kids to play in. Anything for the grand kids!

Beautiful pic, Mac - even if I have to turn my laptop around!:(

DD

edited to say I just discovered if I left click on the photo, it rights its self up. duh!

This post was edited by DelawareDonna on Wed, Aug 27, 14 at 18:51

I must be doing something wrong as the pics are always right side up on my iPhone :) If they are showing up wrong let me know as they are all the way I went when I view them. Sure your head is on straight DD? Sorry, couldn't resist. Posting a random pic I just took. My hand should be on the left.

Correct orientation. Very nice back on that leaf. My head is on straight, and my stitches are gone. Follow up apt. revealed that I had a large medial meniscus tear with torn cartilage and fluid on the knee. 6 more weeks of recovery. So I will become a pest on this forum. :) :)

DD

P.S. Check out your brother's last comment on the "Can't keep my head on straight" thread.

This post was edited by DelawareDonna on Wed, Aug 27, 14 at 21:00

It's Marilyn Monroe showing the under side of her skirt. Love the hosta and the story behind its name.

Damn girl, you tore your knee up but good. I had ACL reconstructive surgery long ago so I know what you're feeling. If Captain Kirk upside down didn't help maybe this tranquil setting will.