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Front Yard

From weeds, blackberries and dry lawn to quiet retreat with pileated woodpeckers.
Marilyn Cavanaugh
Marilyn Cavanaugh
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I love seeing what evolves each spring.

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Azalea and iberis

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Added the frog.

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Primroses Coreopsis and wonderful rock moss.

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Mini purple azalea.

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Sometime these flowers will bloom twice in a season.

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Remember the lilac that was hidden in the blackberries...it bloomed this year!

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Deep pink Azalea, tree peony and bugle weed.

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Tree peony that the deer let me have this year. They love the blossoms.

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Colors show more true in lower light.

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Taken at night.

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Several colors of rockcress, peonies, and iberis.

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Asian lilies, rhodies and azaleas, day lilies, primroses, coreopsis and pansies.

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Bugle weed and potted primroses.

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Ivy is going crazy!

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A rhodie I brought from my Deer Park home.

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I have planted so that there is always something blooming right up until Fall. In the winter when foliage dies down, the primroses and pansies bloom again!

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The blackberries were growing over the dead canes and looked like blackberry igloos.

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Some of the blackberry photos.

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Two types of blackberries. The usual ones and ones called evergreen with thousands of tiny vicious thorns. Both were here!

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This is how the side yard looked from front to back when I moved in 3 1/2 yrs. ago. Blackberries dominated!

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The only way to kill a blackberry is to dig out its' crown and clip all shoots as the try to emerge.

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Days of trimming, chain sawing and hauling.

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Beginning to see ground!

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Hey, we have a neighbor!

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Believe it or not, there was a lilac and lingon berry bush hiding in the blackberries.

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The embankment is firm and will be great for a raised garden.

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These rocks will look good in the rock garden and they were already here.

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I have a vision!

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Several rotten stumps had to be dug out that housed "rat" families!

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Wow, you can see that ugly gray house!

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Now, some scrggly grass has to be pulled.

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I planted flowers and built a small fountain for the birds for starters.

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Hung bird feeders and my ex. made the window box.

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Water for my birds.

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Grass and weeds gone and starting to plant.

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My ex came to help with the retaining wall.

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Wall done and more planting. House changed color, too!

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A broken fountain makes an excellent focal point when filled with flowers.

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First came pulling out the blackberries and removing grass. Then came building the retaining wall.

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You can still see some blackberries in the back corner.

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House was originally a yucky gray.

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Lots of gravel to build up to level.

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10 loads for just the front and parking area.

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Just me and my little white bucket.

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Spread the gravel, the sand, tamp it down, put down weed barrier and pavers, spread finishing sand.

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Lovely quiet area.

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10 loads to make all more even.

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Enjoying the new patio.

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Such a better looking area.

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Chairs with their pads.

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Another angle.

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Raised garden is on going.

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We have 3 pileated woodpeckers that love our suet.

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This fountain was replaced with larger one.

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Early spring blooms

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Love my birds and I plant accordingly.

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The larger fountain

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Put in privacy slats and honeysuckle

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View from the hammock in the raised garden.

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This year the raised garden has taken of!

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