Holly, your new place is gorgeous. Congratulations.

In my experience, it's often a good idea to take your time with a new property to understand what you actually have, identify existing plants, see how it functions, learn what the light conditions are, etc.

I would start with a good cleanup, proper pruning of any overgrown shrubs and trees for health and appearance, removal of anything you are absolutely certain you don't want to keep (like the stumps), and repairs and maintenance on anything that you are certain will stay.

Once the area is tidied up, a plan showing the existing landscape will help you decide what changes are needed long term, and how they will relate to the changes you plan to make to the house itself.

You might be able to disassemble the gazebo and reassemble it where the arbor was if it's too heavy or awkward to move, hard to say.

To satisfy your desire for color in the short term, it looks like you've got some great opportunities for containers in the front where the undersized planters are, in the back on the patio and around the existing gazebo, and in the little sitting area. Then you can take your time to plan out what you want to accomplish with more permanent plantings.

Do you want to add beds or borders? How much time do you want to spend on maintenance? Are you thinking flowering shrubs and trees? Annuals and perennials? Are you planning on changing the layout?
Not being familiar with gardening in your zone, I couldn't comment on the best time to prune, reseed, specific plants, etc.
Jo

Yup, the VERY first thing I would do is hire someone with a stump grinder. Once you h ave those distracting stumps out of the way, you'll have a better idea of how the place actually LOOKS. Rejuvinating the lawn is a (relatively) inexpensive thing to do as well. Then...what Jo said! Really, you SHOULD live with a house for a year before you do a lot of planting--PARTICULARLY if it's a mature landscape.

Case in point--we had an area of our yard which had always been neglected--scrubby--until we had to replace a retaining wall. I ended up with an additional planting bed (in early May.) I THOUGHT this area received 6 hours of sun and planted cosmos for the summer. Well, lets just say I've turned it into a fern bed. The poor cosmos. Luckily, they were simply inexpensive 6-pack annuals. What if I'd jumped the gun and put in expensive shrubs? I'd have spent all fall moving them, that's what!

Lovely home, BTW. Do you know when it was built? Good for you for resuscitating (sp?)what looks to be a great house. Are the kidlets you mentioned your own, or visiting kidlets?

melanie

Jo Thank You so much for sharing thoughts and help and for your very kind words. We are truly thrilled to have managed to buy this property and are looking forward to living there greatly. From your 'My Page', it sounds as though you may have experienced/are experiencing a similar situation. :-)))

I know you are 100% correct when you mention taking time to 'know' the property. My enthusiasm often dampens when I realize just how much time (and work) each 'wonderful idea' I have will take to accomplish. LOL!!

I also know you are wise in remarking, effectively, 'first do no harm'. :-))) . . . identify what I have, where it is, if I want to keep it . . . and prune/clean/clip. There are plants, such as the Elephant Ears, which are presently located in less than ideal circumstances. Those types of issues need to be addressed first and foremost. And, to some extent, moving in at the beginning of April is almost too late to be relocating some plants.

The 'English Country Garden' area is totally overgrown and frankly I'd like to eliminate that theme, replacing it with a small patio surrounded by plantings such as bananas, palms, fatsia and similar which would convey a tropical effect more in keeping with the house. This area is the Southwest side and, I believe, will get good sun. The fig tree is located here (and it needs a serious pruning) and the Elephant Ears would likely be happier here than its present location in direct unprotected sun. That said, there may be plants in this area which I like and could relocate to another area. I can't do that until I know what the plants are and the conditions each favors. So . . . maybe that is an area of first focusÂ??

The Koi Pond is another area I'd love to restore. It's such a pretty area (or could be), a quiet and peaceful spot to reflect. I'd like to put in a waterfall (think I said fountain on my webpage but really meant waterfall) here. The sound of the water would add to the ambience with the additional benefit of cleaner water. :-))) However, I need to learn much about Koi/Goldfish, and Ponds for that matter, so again, tidying & familiarizing are likely the 'watch words' (as they used to say in LHJ many many years ago). :-) The gazebo fits in with the 'Koi Pond' focus plus it will clean up the 'rose issue' so those issues are addressed in that area of focus. Good thots re: disassemble/reassemble! Think we could surely do that and it would be 'strengthened' in the process, were that needed. TYVM!!

Yes, the containers by the front porch definitely need to be replaced. -- I see you read my 'babble'. :-))) -- and I'd like a terracotta pot or two on the balcony above with a 'riot of color' and trailers. I'm thinking I will lift some of my (overcrowded anyway) Crocosmia, place them in tubs and then plant them (when I get there in early April) in the planter under the living room window at the front. They should do well there as they'll get full sun much of the day; a 'done deal' for the next 2-3 years until they need lifting/dividing again.

Although I happily do the clipping and pruning without trouble, IÂm a lot better at creation than I am at maintenance. :-))) This is a large property, more planted than not. The large long established trees in the front will be maintained by an arborist. That area is way past my present abilities. I want to add some color to the front as itÂs largely Âjust green but, again, I look to shrubs such as winterberry and bulbs such as Croscosmia and Daylily which will come up year after year, providing bright spots of color without excessive babysitting.

In the back, we need to provide a Veg Garden area, find a spot for a greenhouse, clean up the orchard area . . . those are first/preliminary items. My thoughts presently run to surrounding the orchard with raspberries to provide the orchard a Âfence from the deer. They can have the outside berries and IÂll have the inside. :-))) The woodsy area (again with an eye to low maintenance) IÂm thinking to do multi varieties of Hostas & Ferns with more woodsy still along the perimeter path  Salal/Oregon Grape and like that.

My annuals will largely be (at least for the present) in pots and hanging baskets. Somewhere I want to plant Gunnera & that may go where I extract the Elephant Ears as it likes sun. I really donÂt like how the rear patio just seems to be Âplunked down with no surrounding attractive features but I think weÂll just have to make do with pots of annuals this year and think on that over the following winter.

You've helped me a whole bunch with your questions and I thank you so much for that. It's helped me to focus (apres tidy & prune) on a couple of areas that are most important to me. Come September/October I'll be more familiar with this garden and can then put an overall plan together working with the knowledge I've accumulated from 'a spring & summer in the garden'. If you hadnÂt asked these questions of me, my thoughts would still be running amuck!

If you have further ideas, please do not hesitate to suggest. YouÂve been so very helpful to me IÂll happily hear more. :-)))

((( Jo ))) & many thanks,
Ciao Holly

Thanks Melanie for replying. I agree with you - those ugly old stumps ARE distracting, particularly those in the lawn area. I will get some prices on removing those as its something I can do to keep me occupied while I wait thru the rainy winter season here until I can actually move in. :-)))

Sorry to hear about the demise of the Cosmos. :-))) I do know what you mean though. Although I know the peak of the roof (of the house not the garage) lies almost true North South (with south being the front), being surrounded with tall trees, I really don't know at what time of year the angle of the sun is high enough to create sun or shade to specific areas. While I can hazard a guess with some things, given the 'original planter' was an award winning gardener thus would have known what to plant where, by the same token, trees/shrubs, well most everything, would have been alot smaller then. So conditions then may not be what conditions now are.

Even with the lawn, we need to plan before 'rejuvenating' as we need to put in a sprinkler system in the back. Hauling hoses to water all that garden and lawn would be a full time job! Luckily the main part of the front lawn does have a sprinkler system installed.

Thanks for your kindness. We are looking forward to moving although it's a big change for us. We are both "big city raised" so a move to the country will be a different lifestyle but one we are looking forward to. Lots of walks on the beach and fresh air and, of course, gardening. :-))) I find it hard to 'wait thru the winter'.

The house was built by a gentleman from Mexico -- he was also the 'great gardener'-- about 23 years ago. He also did most of the ironwork himself. I love the Spanish Colonial influence and am very much looking forward to restoring its true character. Kidlets I should really refer to as 'Grandkidlets'. They are our grandchildren though only one is likely still young enough to get a kick out of "the air glide" as I've come to call it.

Again, thanks for sharing. All thoughts and ideas are very welcomed.

((( Melanie )))

Ciao Holly

How often do the grandkidlets visit? It may make a difference in your planning. For instance--if they come over weekly you might want to include a basketball goal (if they are so inclined) but not if they only visit a few times a year...you get the idea.

Personally--I think a swimming pool would be FABULOUS if youhave the room, the inclination, and the wherewithall...but then I am pool deprived. In zone 8 you could probably swim 7-8 months out of the year if you heated it...and the grandkids would LOVE it! (If they are close enough to visit regualarly.) You might even become the "cool" house to hang out at. Not that being the "cool house"is without it's hazards... NOT what you asked about. A totally UNSOLICITED opinion. I'm known for those!
;~)

I'm thinking about your garden...but know nothing about the climate in your area. Is it VERY wet? With that style house, I think a garden emphasizing mediterranian (sp?) plants would be lovely--lots of lavenders, rosemary, etc...but it may be too wet where you are. I love the little Japanese maple...but then I've recently fallen in love with JM's. I've only purchased one so far...and am exercising all my self control to LIMIT it to one (for now.) Hazards of working in a nursery.

You said you were hiring an arborist to deal with the overgrown trees--pick his/her brain about local garden design people. I think having someone to come consult--help you figure out what you HAVE--would be an enormous help. And I'm sure Jo (AKA Saypoint) would agree!

melanie

Yes, melanie, I do agree. If you're not confident of your skills or tend to fret and stew over details and decisions, like me, the right professional can help you achieve your own personal vision with less stress and fewer mistakes.
How much help you need is up to you, from general layout and hardscape changes only, as I did, to full planting plan.

Then again, you may be one of those *&%#@ people who have so much natural talent and confidence that you can tackle any project of any size without so much as breaking a sweat. :o)

Hi Melanie,

How often they will visit is a unknown at this point. When we move we will be about 25 minutes from our grandson who is 6 and in his first year of "real" school. :-))) Thus I would expect (and hope) we'll see him and his Mom fairly often. Our grandaughter will be 14 shortly, and given the age, likely not terribly interested in hanging with the grandparents. :-) Also she is 3 hours away. That said, she lived in Courtenay for several years, has friends there so we may see more of her than we are expecting. Good thought about the basketball hoop. Right now he's into soccer big time however we'll see what develops as time goes by.

A pool is a lovely vista to look upon however with wanting to put on a Master Bed/Bath addition, it will be down the line before we'd consider a pool. Weather is such that 7-8 months of the year is when we wouldn't be using it. LOL! And we're on a well so that would be something we had to take into consideration as well.

We are told by friends that live there (and who formerly lived here) well find considerably less rain than weve experienced here though some very windy days during winter we dont presently experience. Temperatures will be largely the same with a few winter days that reach 30 degrees F but mostly 40s and summer temps of 80 degrees F though often a few days of 87/90 degrees. Thus most everything grows here except plants that need extreme heat. And of course there are microclimates within the macro, areas that are more protected than others . . . The Comox Valley is very fertile and thus agricultural. Ive included a link which will give you a bit of an overview.

I lean toward a Med/Tropical mix for the rear also. Love my herbs so will be doing an herb garden hoping that the deer dont become terribly attracted to them! Your remark about working in a nursery gave me an "Aha". Reduce plant cost, make a little money & be in a learning environment all at the same time! LOL!! I think Ill explore that.

Thanks for sharing. Love the discussion as it gets ones mind working in directions it may not have gone all by its lonesome. :-))

Ciao Holly

Hi Jo,

I'll keep the consulting idea in mind however I'm not garden shy and the 'creation' is a great part of the joy for me. Weeding, on the other hand, is unfortunately something you just gotta do. No love for that! LOL!!
With the ability to post photos & ask on GW "What's wrong with this picture", the vast resources of the Internet, my friend in Comox who is a wonderful gardener, plus many garden books and magazines, I trust my abilities enough for the present.

Time alone will tell how much 'natural talent' I have. LOL!! Another year may have me saying "Well Jo told you but no, you wouldn't listen . . . you had to be little miss smart butt . . ." LOL!!

There is a book called "Shocking Beauty" by Thomas Hobbs. He has a Med/Tropical style garden here in Vancouver and owns a nursery here also. He also has a home which is similar in style to my new one so I'll be getting that book and, I'm sure, using many of his combinations.

I'll be sharing with you both as I develop this Med/Tropical idea and hope you'll both continue to participate with me providing your valuable feedback.

It's truly appreciated. :-)))

Ciao Holly