All in all, it was a great summer. Not too hot, not too dry and not too many wasps. The mosquito season was fairly short, and the squirrels didn’t torment Charlie…too much.
As you can see from the drone photos taken on August 26, the garden was green and lush, even though it was just a few days after the hail storm.
Every week, Jamie, my helper, clipped the cotoneaster hedge to perfection, and for the most part, the boxwood parterre in the front recovered nicely from the winter damage.
Unfortunately, the drone photos do not capture the details of the newly planted perennial gardens along the pathways. Everything I planted took well to the full sun location, and this area is a magnet for pollinators. The plants bloomed earlier than expected and profusely all summer, probably because they came straight from the greenhouse. I’m sure next summer will be a more realistic showing.
The annual containers were a hit-and-miss…the front was an abysmal display, but the containers along the back of the house were actually quite beautiful! I was happy with the performance and combination of white geraniums, white annual phlox, white pansies, white columbines, and spider plants, especially considering this is the sunniest, hottest area of the garden. I also planted clematis, which are still blooming, in the two containers flanking the hose reel.
Every year, I say I will do better with the annuals; again, next year, I will strive to do better!!!!
The Rose Garden…
The roses were (and still are) beautiful…wouldn’t it be perfect if it was a continuous bloom season? And I wish all the roses bloomed at the same time. Sometimes, there is an abundance and other times, there are hardly any blooms. The good news is I didn’t lose many roses over last winter. I’m happy with the variety and the colour palette, but there is always room for a few more. I will be on the lookout for some specific varieties next spring.
It was a work, work, and more work summer, especially in the back garden; however, there were some lovely dinners in “Le Bar Glasserie” and several garden parties with friends and family. We did try out the Raspberry Sorbet Champagne Cocktail recipe from the post in June titled “Ode to Paris”. It was too sweet but refreshing.
It almost seems a shame to be cleaning out the perennial beds and containers, but I’m ready to move on to getting the garden ready to rejuvenate over winter so that we can start all over next year!
xox Judy❤️
Beautiful! I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to learn so much from you this summer, it was definitely one to remember. Xo! 🌹💐
Thank you Jamie, I couldn’t have done it all without you! xox Judy❤️
Such beauty!
Thank you Cathy, it was a busy summer but a fun one too! xox Judy❤️
Oh Judy the photos of your gardens actually took my breath away!! Simply gorgeous 🙌 you are a visionary, I’m in awe my friend 👏👏
Thank you Catherine, from one gardener to another, I appreciate your flattering compliments! xox Judy❤️
Your yard is spectacular! I’m so happy you share it with us. It’s an inspiration.
Thank you Joyce, I’d love to see a drone photo of your garden…I’m sure it’s more than spectacular! xox Judy❤️
Oh my gosh Judy, your garden is GORGEOUS and I’m glad that Charlie had an easier time with the squirrels this summer! I can’t tell you how much enjoyment I get from reading your posts and looking at the photos of your beautiful garden….absolutely stunning!!! It’s so therapeutic (not to mention inspirational) just looking at the photos of your garden…it’s absolute perfection! It’s beyond anything I’ve ever seen in a magazine🙌🥇🏆! Could you please tell me what type of rose is the second one from the left on the top row? I’d like to add some roses to my garden and I’m so drawn to that one 🥰. Enjoy these beautiful autumn days in your garden and …oh, how it must look on a foggy, misty morning as well 🥰. Hugs, Karen xo❤️
Hi Karen, as always, thank you for your very enthusiastic comment! You are so positive and complimentary…always. The rose in the photo is a David Austin Ambridge Rose. Some sources have it as a hardy zone 4 but most list it as zone 5. We are a zone 4B. It is a lovely apricot colour and quite fragrant. I have had it for a couple of years and so far so good. This year it definitely had more blooms than last year. The photo in the blog was taken this past week and when I did my (chilly) walk about this morning, I see more buds that will hopefully open for Thanksgiving. xox Judy❤️
Thank you so much for the information on the rose Judy and your kind words! I doubt I’ll have as much success as you since you seem to have the Midas touch but I will certainly give it a go next spring…something to look forward to and get me through the winter! Hugs, Karen xo🥰
Thank you for sharing all the photos Judy. Your yards look beautifully neat and lush. The green and white is stunning, and the assortment of roses is beautiful. I like the addition of the seating areas on your new pavers in the back yard. So beautifully done, as always.
Lots of clean up to do in the yard, but I’m starting to look forward to the upcoming Christmas Season. I hope you will be sharing some holiday decor ideas, and what will be trending for Christmas 2024.
Thank you Karen, You may remember that we had cement benches in front of the store. The ones on the new pavers are similar and have been in my side garden for at least 20 years. Once we took out the grass Charlie needed an area to do her business…that became the side garden with pea gravel and little else! The seating areas allow us to sit in the garden in either the sun or shade and gives a different views. I will be doing a blog soon on home decor trends but I haven’t seen much on holiday decor yet. I’m curious too! xox Judy❤️