My Carnival Project

This is the first time that I have participated in any sort of blog project. I've considered Mosaic Monday and others, but the project Carnival over at My Garden in Japan intrigued me.

We moved to The Garden Spot two years ago the end of February. The move was a huge change for us. We went from a city lot to 5 acres. We had two water features, a wonderful vegetable garden, a nice rose collection, and while there was always something else to do, we had a mature landscape. Our new place also has a mature landscape with nearly a 100 mature tress, pasture, lawn and flower beds, but there are also some spots in desperate need of work. One major project was accomplished last year: to get the entire acreage on the large automatic sprinkler system that draws from the well. Mission accomplished, mostly. Here, then, is a list of this year's projects:

• drip system in the garden beds attached to the sprinkler system
•  removal of tired, worn out bushes and sprouting tree stumps
•  finishing conversion of  the storage shed that we moved from the old house into a potting shed/hen house.
• get hens
•  continue to refine the vegetable garden and get it on the sprinkler system--the list goes on and --, but most certainly build our two water gardens
• 2 water gardens: a 1,000 gallon pond 36 inches deep so that we bring our gold fish home (living at the neighbors) and get the water lilies out of their temporary home in a horse tank. The second water feature will be a small water garden in the front courtyard. We bought a preformed tub for this small water feature, but the larger pond will be hand dug. The Head Gardener here just turned 60 and while he is still quite agile, strong of back, will, and fortitude,  the initial digging will be done with a small back hoe.

Our first project of spring will be to finish the court yard. I want a dramatic front entry.

The front court yard had plant material: scruffy bushes, tangled vinca, a mound of dinathus, and an assortment of weeds and remnants of an older garden

On the other side of the side of the side walk, a sickly rose that has already been pruned and an assortment of crocuses, and more weeds.

Now we have a clean slate with which to work.

Last summer I planted new roses and a clematis in the corner at the far end. I am quite excited to see it bloom, which it will this spring. It was planted late in the fall, but really took off before the first frost.

The Plan: 3 trellises along the wall  to give an architectural back drop. The front entry faces the west, so while it has cool shade in the morning, it gets very hot in the afternoon, so I will need hardy plant material. We will also add some sort of stones and rock, and some solar spot lighting. I want to keep the area clean and simple but inviting and restful. I bought this trellis at Tuesday Morning (the planter in my header came from there as well--love that store), so it is doubtful that I will be able to match the trellis, so I may end up with 3 different ones or place it another spot and buy 3 matching one. I need hardy, heat resistant climbers too. 

I've spent quite a bit of time the last few days on the blog. I will slow down a bit now. While I will have Mondays off from school, I will have to use Mondays for grading and planning, but I will be reading and commenting on all of my blogger friends and making new friends. One of my New Year's resolutions is to not spend so much money on magazines, and the beautiful photography and wonderful stories on your blogs seem to be satisfying that addiction. May all of your garden projects for 2011 be grand and glorious and successful.