Blog is Three Years Old

I had been meaning to look to see what day in October of 2008 I started my blog.  After I did check, I figured out it was 10/1/08, so I missed its birthday/anniversary.  It's kind of funny that the first post's title said it was time for bed.  Time is still an issue with me, and I am frequently scrambling to finish a post so I can get to bed.  There are times I think I should take a break from blogging so that I can catch up on other things I should be doing, but I enjoy it so much, and some evenings, I am too tired to do other things.

I had never heard of a blog until I was in a garden forum with folks who blogged, and I liked how one could put as many photos as they wanted to, and any size they wanted to in their own blog.  I've mentioned the names of the bloggers who told me how to blog before, but don't want to risk leaving anyone out right now.  I still consider them friends, even though I don't keep up with all the blogs I like to read these days.  I wish I would have come up with a different title for the blog, because living on a corner lot is not the same thing as a corner garden, which is gardening in a corner between 2 walls or fences.   It does bring people to my blog in searches for corner gardening, but then, they have to wonder why their search ended here, since I don't have corner gardens.

When I started blogging, I had no idea of how much grass I was actually going to be able to replace with garden beds.  Part of me thinks having the blog may have been a small a factor in getting some of these areas.  This is going to have to be a multiple part post, because I am going to attempt to show the planting areas as they were in October of 2008, and how they look now.  Not all of the angles are going to be similar, and some of the areas don't look a whole lot different, so I may give up on it.  We'll see.  For this one, I'll post about the side yard and curb areas.

This photo is one of those Larry took when I was trying to figure out what to use for my profile photo.

I've mentioned that each time a planting area was created, there was usually some discussion between Larry and me about what size it was going to be, and sometimes, what was going to be planted.  The first planting bed we created was a small area in front of the egress window.  We had it put in before we moved in 13 years ago, because our son was going to have his bedroom in the basement.  I saw that mound of dirt around the window, and envisioned a flower bed.  Larry said he was going to plant grass back in the area.  Then, we saw some false sunflowers, and he agreed I could plant the area if I planted those.  We got 3, and I just kept adding things to the area.  By this time, I had moved the false sunflowers to other areas.  I didn't like how they wilted so badly when it was hot.  I'm not sure why they don't so much in the other areas they are in.  Actually, I think I just have one plant left, which is the offspring of the originals, and some variegated ones in the back yard.

The first planting area ended about 2 feet to north of the egress window.  This must be the year I planted the short toothed mountain mint.  It has grown quite a bit.  We put pots of lavender and other herbs and such in the egress window over the winter.

I don't remember which Mother's Day I asked Larry if we could extend the flower bed to the end of the house.  It must have been a year or two after the first area was planted.  I was surprised when he agreed so quickly.  I'm not sure if it was the next year, or a couple years later, that he agreed to take it across the backyard fence.  I would have liked them to come out about 6 more inches.

This area looks pretty similar to how it looks now.  The 'Witchita Mountains' goldenrod has continued to do well.

I regret planting the Russian sage in front of the bed frame.  It's now too tall, and blocks what is behind it.

I now have bear's breeches in the hole that's in this photo.

The amsonia tabernaemontana and baptisia plants were already nice and tall here.  I don't remember what year this bed was started.  It must have been around 2002 or 2003.

 October of 2011:

The asters have seeded themselves around.  I've only pulled a few out that were in other plants' spaces.

Curb Beds October 2008:

I'm thinking around 2003, our neighbors across the street had to have their water main replaced, which involved digging a hole in our yard.  This is the area where Larry and I had the most conflict over whether and how much more grass would be removed besides what the plumber did so that I could have a new flower bed.  He showed me a photo of some plants he liked that were mostly silver, and requested it look kind of like that.  (He doesn't remember doing that.)  I planted some, and some stayed, and others didn't after a few years.  I never liked the shape of this bed, but Larry won this battle, even though I ended up winning the "war" when the street was resurfaced.   ;o)

The next year, Larry offered the other side of the sidewalk so that the area would be symmetrical.   I planted some of the same plants, and some different.

 

I have grape hyacinths and several kinds of perennial geraniums  across the front.

After a couple years of the symmetry, Larry had some weeds that did better than the grass, and asked me if I had anything that would grow here.

 October 2011:

This extension was created after I started blogging.  I posted all about the street repairs and new curbs going in.  I had to dig out 18 inches worth of plants all along the front of the house.  The guys let me dig my dirt out and even helped me put it back in, so that I wouldn't have to use other people's dirt that may have weed seeds or chemicals in it.  The areas are still not filled in.  Plus, I have some other holes I am in the process of filling.  Don't pay attention to those awesome marigolds.  They are across the area where a sidewalk would be.  The milkweed plants are very ratty looking, and I'm assuming there won't be more monarch caterpillars, but I have kept them up just in case.  

Yes, the iris is blooming again, with asters to the left, and winter savory on the right.

It's hard to see the stone path, but it's just to the left of the almost finished blooming goldenrod.  It's between the area dug after the curb work and the bed that used to be the shape I didn't like.  We may not have any trees in our yard, but it looks like we'll have some leaves for winter mulch.

I have thinned some of the iris, but need to do some more.

Here's the view from the south and west edge of the yard.

I've been trimming back flowers from the sidewalk for the newspaper and mail deliverers.  I found a couple plant supports for the asters after taking the photos.
 

I think these are New England asters, or at least that's what they used to be called.  Some folks have mentioned the names have been changed.  I am keeping them, even though they get what I think is powdery mildew every year.  I counted 8 monarchs in the yard today, and they seem to feed off of these asters more than the others I have.  Plus there are a number of other butterflies on them, including checkerspots, sulphers, and skippers, and different kinds of bees.  Our grandson told Grandpa that the butterflies and bees share the nectar in the flowers.  Isn't he smart?  Of course, I did point that out to him once.

Some of these holes are because of spring blooms being dormant.

The salvias reseed themselves each year.

I sometimes write too much when I do posts.  I've been trying to limit it, because I myself tend to prefer lots of photos in posts, and sometimes skim the writing.  I guess I'm not succeeding in limiting the writing in this post.  Really, as I've mentioned before, I do not consider myself a writer, but I like to talk.  

I am amazed at the number of gardening friends and acquaintances I have "met" through blogging.  Blotanical is one of the places I met some very nice people whose gardening adventures I enjoy reading about, and seeing what they have blooming or growing to eat.  Since I have so much trouble keeping up, I tend to go to the blogs of those who leave comments on mine, and then read from my blogroll.  I do try to go to blotanical once in awhile, though. 

Well, it is past the time I had planned to go to bed.  If you don't mind, I may do some more reflecting and sharing about the garden beds in other posts.