Saturday, January 21, 2012

Behind the Blog Title, in a Hodge Podge Way

Yesterday, I found time to visit blogs in my sidebar.  While catching up on a few blogs, I came across a post written by Shady Gardener telling the story about the title of her blog.  She was joining in on a meme started by Monica, from Garden Faerie's Musings  and Bren, from BGgarden from December 5th.  If there was a prize for the most scatterbrained blogger, I'm pretty sure I would win it.  I clicked on my link, "blogging" to see what I'd written already about my blog title, and found out I had written two posts in October for my blog turning three years old.  One of my most recent posts was done because I had come across Catherine's from A Gardener in Progress post about her third blog anniversary, and I thought I had forgotten to write about mine in October.  Oh, my!  Well, I have also written about my title, but I am going to again, because I had fun going through old photos and wanted to post them.  I decided to show some changes in the front yard over the years of blogging, mostly from the views of or from the corner, since that is how the blog got its name.

Hey, I just went to my very first post, and here it is:

It's time for bed!

I have been thinking about starting a blog to help me keep records of my gardening exploits and to help me make plans.  I finally got it set up after an hour and a half.  I am slow and sometimes have trouble making up my mind.  I just want to get this done to make sure it works.  If you buy a new car, you don't just leave it parked, you need to drive it!  

Part of what took me so long, was the names I was choosing for my blog were not available.  My choices were:
1.  My Corner
2.  My Corner Lot
3.  Corner Gardener
4.  Corner Garden

Each of these had variations with my name, but I couldn't use an underline symbol or apostrophe in the address for the blog.  Here I was, so tickled that I'd thought of the name for my blog very quickly after realizing I'd have to have a name, and I had to think of something else.  

Then, when I was writing about me, I didn't realize it was going to be on my blog page, I thought there would be a link to it.  I may go in and change that tomorrow.  Well, here I am, blog!  We'll see if I keep you up.  

Looking back, I wish I would have put more thought into a title, but, since we live on a corner lot, I got stuck on that.  I had even thought of playing with, "My Corner of the World" but didn't think of a variation.  A number of people have come to my blog doing a search for corner gardens.  The garden is on the corner of the street, not in a corner between structures.  Sorry searchers!

This photo is from May or June of 2008.  I have already done a post about the painting of the fire hydrant.


This is from the other direction, in June.


I've shown this, taken the first week of June before, too.  This is the only time we've rented a sod cutter.  It was harder than Larry thought it would be.  I was tickled to get this new area to plant.  It started out to be for large annuals, but there aren't many places left for them.  I do have some great self sowers in there, though.


The photos are in order by date, but I forgot to write the dates down as I was exporting.  I'm thinking this was early July, 2008.  The little area to the left of the sidewalk had been put in after the neighbors across the street had to have their water main replaced a few years before this, which involved digging in our yard.  There were some tense moments deciding how large the area was going to be.  It was smaller than I wanted, and larger than Larry wanted.  Still, the next year, he offered up the area on the other side of the sidewalk, so it would be symmetrical.


I was pleased to find a red crocosmia, that I planted on the back left corner in this bed, but it did not survive winter.  It is hardy one zone warmer than ours.  It sure was pretty that year, though.


 This must be from August or September of 2008.


 The next ones are from April of 2009.  I had used mini blinds to mark where I planted things in the new bed so I wouldn't plant over them.


From the other direction, you can see the old shape of the curb planting area.


This is July of 2009.  The different varieties of perennial geraniums did very well against the curb.


We had gotten plenty of notice that we would need to remove plants within 18 inches of the curb, and that we would be given 2 weeks notice before the work was to begin.  I probably did more than one post about all of this.  It was a very good experience, considering all the worrying I had done.  I had taken the plants out ahead of time, so they wouldn't have to be moved in the heat of summer, and replaced them with rose moss plants.  The work took place in August.


I moved the rose moss to other places, which I was glad to be able to do.  Most plants wouldn't survive such a move in the heat.


The guys were awesome!  They let me dig my own dirt and put it in containers to put back in place so I wouldn't have to have anyone else's dirt.  One young man even helped me finish digging, and a couple helped me put it back.
 

Knowing this work was going to be done, and because the grass next to the curb wasn't doing so well, Larry had asked if I wanted to extend the planting area.  I was giddy, because we had argued over the size of the original bed.  When the time came he said he wasn't sure, but he ended up saying if I was going to do it, to find someone else to till it.  I called a number from the paper, and someone came out the same day!  I had to check with the curb crew to make sure that was OK with them.  Larry decided it was OK with him, as well.  The milkweed had just come up that year as a volunteer.  It sure has spread since then.


The next two must be the end of August or September.



As I was working on this post, I realized I didn't have any from 2010.  This was in June, and the next one, July.



 It is now, April of 2011.  Seeing the photos of the silver maple tree coming down brought back the sadness we felt about losing it.  It is good that it was taken down when it was, though, because we had some storms where a number of trees fell into homes.  There is a good chance this would have.


 These guys were great to work with, too.  They were very careful around the flower beds.


I think the next two were taken in June.



The next ones are from August.



I have enjoyed taking lots of photos of the house for my header photos.  I try to include Heidi and Larry with the grandsons when possible.  Oh, and the fire hydrant makes a regular appearance.  This is from September.


I think this is October.  The joe pye weed had gone to seed, but the kiss me over the garden gate was in full bloom.


Here's the first snow we had, I think, the first week of December.  It didn't last long.  A number of us have been wanting more snow and seasonal temps, hoping for a warm spring.
 

The next two were taken today in the cold.  We did get about an inch of snow a couple nights ago.



I would rather live in a more private place, with a big back yard, instead of all the chopped up places we have, in full view of the street.  When I was in my twenties, my dream was to live on an acreage, but Larry convinced me neither of us is handy enough.  I will be content, though, because I talked Larry into moving here 13 years ago.  This is the house he grew up in, and he has no plans to move.  The nicest thing for me will be that when the loan for the kitchen remodel is paid, the house will be paid for.  I am hoping to retire in the next 7 years, get the place organized inside, and be in the garden as much as I want to.  I never would have imagined that Larry would give up this much grass when we first moved here.  I can be content with what we have.  Plus, the kitchen works much better than it did when we first moved here.

Thanks for visiting my corner garden.  I know I wrote a lot.  Sometimes I read all what people say, and other times I skim or skip a little.  I'm assuming others do it that way, too.  If you didn't know how my blog got its name, now you may.  :o)

45 comments:

  1. It's always fascinating to look back and see what was what at the time. I think your blog and your gardens turned out wonderful.

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  2. Sue, I loved this look back over the evolution of your garden~I know you miss the shade of the big tree but, you've done a beautiful job of making the most of the sunny space. I also understand that desire for privacy! It's why hedge is still in place across the front of my property. Have a sweet Sunday, gail

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    1. Thanks, Gail. I'm thinking that once the big plants get full size, I will miss the tree less.

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  3. Hi Sue -thanks for sharing these photos - what a transformation!!!! Very encouraging for those of us just starting out on the journey of renovating their garden space (like me!!).

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    1. Thanks, Heather,
      I'm glad you were encouraged seeing the changes in our yard. Be sure to take lots of photos of yours as you transform it.

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  4. Sue, it's always nice to look back and see where we started with projects. I for one have a tendency to think that I've not really accomplished much until I take a look back over the year and realize all the things that have been completed. Your corner of the world has turned out wonderful. Even after two traumatic things that have happened, it still survived and looks as great as ever. You are going to like retirement and more gardening time. I know that I do. I'm not sure how you keep up with what you have and still work. I'm very interested in seeing just what plans you have for this year.

    Have a great winter rest because official spring is only 57 days away.

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    1. Hi Dave, I hope you are taking photos of your new land. You will have lots of fun projects to enjoy.

      Like I mentioned on a comment on your blog, I'm glad I have summers off to enjoy the gardening. I do hope to work summer school this year, though, to earn some money to pay down our home equity loan from remodeling the kitchen.

      Thanks again, for your encouraging words.

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  5. What a nice post. You really captured the transition. That was a great crew of men when the curbs were dug out. I loved seeing the transitions in the photos. You are making the house and garden you have into what you want it to be and it sounds like you're enjoying the process! Looking forward to seeing more of your garden this year as well. Have a great Sunday!

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    1. Thanks, Gardener,
      I was thankful for the guys working so carefully in the yard. I am looking forward to spring, too. I am starting to feel like I want to just go to sleep, and when I wake up, and have it here. Maybe that's partly because I have bronchitis, and am very tired.

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  6. I have been watching your corner garden and other gardens grow for a few years now. It is amazing to see it outlined in pictures just to see how much you have done and the transformation over the years. You have a beautiful corner garden Sue.

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    1. Thanks, Lona! Now that I think I'm done making new beds, I look forward to making decisions about what things I want to keep or change in the different areas.

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  7. Hi Sue,

    I loved seeing your corner garden through all the seasons!

    Cathy

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  8. I read every word, and was enthralled with the way your garden evolved. I love seeing the evolution of gardens because sometimes we forget that they didn't start out the way we now see them. I bet if you really wanted, your husband would let you take up even more of the grass!

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    1. Thanks HolleyGarden,
      You made me smile. I think the only grass that may come out is a few inches at a time on the edge of some of the beds that I'd like to get a little wider. Most of the grass is in the areas where sidewalks would be on either side of the lot.

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  9. Thanks for the tour, and for explaining how you came up with your blog's name. I think it's great! It's wonderful to see the chronology of how your blog developed. Very impressive!

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    1. Thanks, PlantPostings,
      I still haven't made it to many of the other posts that explained the names. I also need to visit the rest of you all who left comments. This replying to each one is an experiment for me, now that one can look at the comment while typing a reply. I normally just return the visit, unless I get way behind. I just wonder how many people subscribe to the follow-up comments.

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  10. Oh, you're so gonna miss that maple. Will you (or have you) replanted with something yet, perhaps a decorative crabapple or pear, something smaller and less dangerous but giving a little shade?

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    1. Hi Kris,
      Our front yard is too small to plant another tree. We were told you can't plant one closer than, I think it was 5 feet from the stump of the original tree. It has to be a certain number of feet away from where a sidewalk would go, so I think we are going to keep a sitting area, surrounded by as many native plants of different heights, as well as others that will attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. I was very pleased to see hummingbirds a number of times this year. In the past, there was only one once in awhile.

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  11. I think it's fun going back on old posts and revisiting some of the fun and memories of our writing and photography. Look where you started and where you are now. You have a beautiful place Sue. Congrats on your hard work.

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    1. Thanks, Rohrerbot,
      I never would have imagined having this much of the yard to garden when we first moved here. I'm excited for spring to get here, and for future gardening seasons. Maybe I'll even sneak some veggies in the front yard.

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  12. Sue, if you win the award for most scatterbrained blogger, than I surely deserve second place:) I meant to participate in Monica's idea, too, but I can't seem to find the time to get around to it. This was such an interesting post--and I read every word! I love to see before and after photos; I wish I had taken more pictures of my garden in the earlier days. I could see right away from your early photos how much you have accomplished; your garden has really evolved into a beautiful oasis in your corner of the world.

    Your husband and mine sound so much alike:) I have to persuade him to give up more lawn every time I want to expand the garden, but he grudgingly comes around and has been known to even help out with the harder chores of digging and tilling at times.

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  13. Hi Rose,
    OK, you can have second place. LOL Speaking of wishing you'd have taken more photos, when I got this computer, Larry somehow lost my whole iphoto library while transferring things to it from the other computer. Every once in awhile, I think about that, and wish I had them. We moved here almost 13 years ago. My current iphoto library dates back to 2007 or 2008.

    Yes, our husbands both have to have a say in what happens to their lawns. I was shocked when Larry told me to go ahead and plant the whole front area where the tree had been. I wasn't even asking for all of that, but when we were trying to figure out where to dig, and he said to just do the whole area, I went for it. I don't remember if I had mentioned that I even learned how to use the tiller and did a lot of it myself. Once I have an area tilled, the rest of the work is done by hand, but I like having it for that use. Larry did end up helping with the areas where the tree roots were. He helps a little in other areas, too. He helped me put chicken wire around the vegetable garden last spring so that the rabbits can't get in there now.

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  14. Wow, your garden has gone through a lot of changes. It grew and grew and I think it looks really great! I think the name of your blog is quite appropriate and even more so since the size of the gardens in front carry along side the corner of your property.

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    1. Thanks, Patty. I sure have had fun making changes to the yard and blogging about them.

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  15. I enjoyed the journey through time, Sue. To see the garden evolution is fun for me because you went through so much construction and even tree removal.

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  16. This was such an interesting post to read! Your yard has changed SO much. It's so nice that the street workers that did your curb work were so accommodating - when we got new curbs about 10 years ago, they filled back in with who knows what. It is such a weed patch now - we are hiring a lawn company this year and hope they can get it back into grass again. Regarding planting where your old tree was - we took out a Japanese Yew next to the porch many years ago, and I cannot get anything to grow where it was, nor will the grass grow 5 feet out from where the base was. So, with a little help from Earl May, I will be changing things up in front this year.

    You'll have to teach me how to reply to posts. I like that feature, but haven't tried it, nor do I know how to!

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    1. Hi Judy, If you have your comments embedded in the posts, then they have this feature now. I noticed someone had mentioned it, then came to see if my comments were embedded, and figured they must be, because the feature was there. If you can't figure it out, maybe we can get together with our computers and do some blogging together some evening.

      I do have a suggestion for people who do these replies. The name of the person leaving the comment should be used, because when you subscribe to follow up comments, you don't see the original comment, and don't know if it's you who is being replied to. If people do not subscribe to follow up comments, they do not get the reply.

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  17. What I love is that you have such a heart investment in each and every corner

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  18. Sue - I think all of us can relate to your garden journey. It's interesting to see how your blog has evolved in the last three years; I'm coming up on Blogoversary #2. I had to check back to see what the official 'date' was. So much happens!! Thanks for sharing; this was a delightful post.

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    1. Thanks, Shyrlene, I had fun looking back at the photos I'd taken over the years.

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  19. Hi Sue, (Whoa! I saw my name in print! lol)
    It seems I remember all these changes you've made over the past years... and it's been a wonderful growth pattern!! It was especially nice to see it in one post... and yes, you have a Wonderful Corner Garden - deserving of the recent award you won in town!! :-)

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    1. Thanks Shady, I'm glad you made it here to see your name in "print". :o)

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  20. What a great tour of your corner garden! I don't remember how I came up with my blog name.

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    1. Thanks, Jennifer, I'm assuming your blog title has something to do with the state you live in. I like that name. I could have called myself Nebraska Gardening Woman. It shows we identify ourselves with our love of gardening. :o)

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  21. It was fun to see the transitions you've made in your corner garden. I know you miss your big tree, but you have to work with what you've got! I lost my blog when someone hacked into my google account and tried to buy something from google checkout. I have no credit card there, so it didn't work, but they closed down my account suspecting fraud. I tried to recover it, but was unsuccessful. It happened at Christmas, and I was so busy that they said it took me too long to recover and they just deleted it. I'm heartbroken, but finally just gave up trying.

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    1. Robin, I knew something had happened to your blog, but don't know if I knew what it was. That really is crummy! I hate it when people try to steal from others.

      About the tree, I almost feel guilty because even though I miss it, I am kind of glad it's gone, because I am having so much fun planting the area.

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  22. What a huge difference between your first picture and the last ones. Less lawn and more garden! I like the sitting area you created where the tree once was.

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    1. Thanks, Catherine, I am looking forward to spending time out there this spring and summer.

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  23. What a wonderful story, Sue. Thanks for sharing it with us. Your garden is so lovely. I once had a client that had a small property filled with nothing but huge Silver Maples and my advice to her was not to do anything until most of them were removed. I know its a tree but its not one you want in a small yard.

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    1. That's true, Carolyn,
      Larry and his dad dug it out of a nearby alley when he was a boy, and planted it there. His dad did another no-no by building a planter around the trunk after a number of years. It really was too small a space for the tree, and it would have caused damage to the house if we hadn't had it cut down. A number of people referred to silver maples as trash trees, or something like that. While I miss it, it's a relief that we will not have any problems related to it, and I have that nice planting area.

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  24. Hi Sue,
    I started following your blog last year and read a lot of your older posts.
    It always has amazed to see the progresses and changes in your garden and how hard you guys have worked. I felt sorry for you had to see the beautiful tree going but it was necessary for the sake of safety.

    What concerns your blog title so I think you made a good choice and you did a great job to establish a blog with a steady growing number or true followers.
    Keep up the good work and I'm looking forward seeing your garden going through the seasons of the year 2012.
    Best Regards and Happy Gardening
    Paula Jo

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    1. Thanks, Paula Jo,
      You are right, that it was a safety issue with the tree. I appreciate your nice comments about my garden and blog.

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I welcome comments and questions from anyone, including those who do it anonymously. Some people find my posts by doing searches, and I like hearing from them. I guess spammers won't even read this message, but I will delete spam as soon as I see it.