Our once lush back yard is getting a facelift this spring.
We live in Phoenix, so of course anything green needs a supplemental water source, so the whole back yard is on a drip system.
That was, until it broke. While we were out of town at our cabin for two months. By the time we came home, all but the established trees were dead.
Above:
Altar area. There was a pretty honeysuckle vine on the arbor previously. I think pink honeysuckle would be pretty. Maybe a bed of strawberries at her feet. Says abundance to me! It's full sun, so the vine must be hardy, but the fruit will be shaded somewhat by the arbor vines.
We live in Phoenix, so of course anything green needs a supplemental water source, so the whole back yard is on a drip system.
That was, until it broke. While we were out of town at our cabin for two months. By the time we came home, all but the established trees were dead.
Above:
Altar area. There was a pretty honeysuckle vine on the arbor previously. I think pink honeysuckle would be pretty. Maybe a bed of strawberries at her feet. Says abundance to me! It's full sun, so the vine must be hardy, but the fruit will be shaded somewhat by the arbor vines.
The hubby is in the process of repairing the drip system this winter.
Good luck with that, honey. The existing system has been in the ground for nearly 25 years. So we’ll have to come back to the Valley more often and make sure it survives this summer. BUT—if you’ve ever replaced an in-use, in-ground watering system, you’ll understand why he wants to attempt the “limp-along” approach.
Replacing it basically requires digging up the entire front and back yards. I think he’s hoping we will sell the house and downsize before he has to attempt full replacement.
While he’s repairing, I’ve cleared out the dead flower and herb beds, and now I have the delightful task of deciding what to plant in each area.
Above: Bed is full shade. I'm going to try a gardenia and a mock orange for focal plants, purple lobelia for ground cover. No idea what to put in the statue heads or what to do with the metal chimes in the ground. Ideas?
The hubby is in the process of repairing the drip system this winter.
Good luck with that, honey. The existing system has been in the ground for nearly 25 years. So we’ll have to come back to the Valley more often and make sure it survives this summer. BUT—if you’ve ever replaced an in-use, in-ground watering system, you’ll understand why he wants to attempt the “limp-along” approach.
Replacing it basically requires digging up the entire front and back yards. I think he’s hoping we will sell the house and downsize before he has to attempt full replacement.
While he’s repairing, I’ve cleared out the dead flower and herb beds, and now I have the delightful task of deciding what to plant in each area.
Above: Bed is full shade. I'm going to try a gardenia and a mock orange for focal plants, purple lobelia for ground cover. No idea what to put in the statue heads or what to do with the metal chimes in the ground. Ideas?
I’ve included a few photos of the beds, and my scant ideas of what to do. I’d LOVE to hear your suggestions!! Please leave me a message with your ideas. Later this spring, I’ll post “after” photos so you can see how they turned out.
My lonely old wizard. That's a tangelo tree above him. I may try a pretty ground cover and lay in a fairy garden.
What would you do?
My lonely old wizard. That's a tangelo tree above him. I may try a pretty ground cover and lay in a fairy garden.
What would you do?
This beautiful candelabra needs a home. But I can't keep candles in in during the summer. They'd melt
I saw the bare spots on the trunk of this ficus tree on our patio and immediately thought, "Fairy doors!"
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