I really didn't do much in the gardens last month, which is evident from the pictures below! I spent a lot of time working on priming the back deck and stairs, which John sanded and repaired after we got rid of the huge broken hot tub sitting out there. We now have a wonderful "new" back deck with 2 coats of primer on it waiting to be painted. I'm hoping to get that finished once my transplanting is done over the next few weeks. I'll dig up some before pictures and post after pics once it's painted.
I put in several hours of work today clearing out beds and I transplanted most of the siberian irises from the center island to the front beds.
I've decided to scrap my plans to create a patio and walkway in the front yard - it's too much work and maintenance and I can't figure out a way to make it look natural. Instead I'm going to move the majority of the perennials to the other beds and we'll let grass grow in around the rest. The perennials will help fill in a lot of the holes in the other beds, especially the new driveway bed.
Staying in the center area will be a pine tree, a rose of sharon, the diseased viburnum (it gets one more year to recover and then it's getting pulled), the weeping cherry tree, a butterfly bush and some peonies. Also some daffodil bulbs, which I will divide next year and possibly move. All these will be mowed around.
I'll also need to find a new home for my solar fountain, possibly out on the back deck or in the pool bed.
The front gardens in September:
My beloved hydrangea:
