Re-Landscaping Neglected Gardens on the North Shore of Lake Erie

[swindy]

Ron your place look wonderful ! How nice to have a peice of property like that and right on the lake to. Lots of work but if I know anything about you it is that you do wonderful gardens. It is so nice starting over and getting everything in the right places

Thanks for sharing the pics

 

[RonsGarden]

Thanks Sharon! You are right, you should know me by now! I do it right the first time so I dont have to redo it later!
It is as much fun gardening as it is to share it with everyone!
My planted tree stump is a real hit around here!!
People are asking me where they can get the jovibarba, and I tell them to come back next year and they can buy some from me!

 

[Maggie]

That's a great idea with the tree stump. You're doing a very impressive job Ron. I'm enjoying watching your work in progress. Keep the pictures coming.

 

[lynpenny]

Ron thanks for the pictures. Wow look at all that work and how cool it is turning out. Man you have a view to kill for and sandy soil too? I am stuck with this old Texas clay. things only grow here if it rains. lol

 

[RonsGarden]

That's a great idea with the tree stump. You're doing a very impressive job Ron. I'm enjoying watching your work in progress. Keep the pictures coming.

Thanks Maggie!
Remember those Vitex seeds you sent me a few years ago.....well heres a photo of one of the larger one in bloom:

 

[RonsGarden]

Ron thanks for the pictures. Wow look at all that work and how cool it is turning out. Man you have a view to kill for and sandy soil too? I am stuck with this old Texas clay. things only grow here if it rains. lol

Thanks Lyn!
It is quite the view!
I get to see it every morning when I get up!
Everyday it is a bit different depending on the weather!
I love working with sandy soil. All I need to do is add organic matter!
Most of the perennials prefer well drained soil that isn't very fertile. It makes for a low maintenance garden!

Heres a few more photos:
1) Prickly Pear Cactus...not sure the name of this one...When it blooms I will be able to id it!
2) Opuntia basiari var. aurea
3) Nodding Onion -Allium cernum
4) Curley Chives -Allium spirale
5) Talinum calycinum -Flameflower

 

[lynpenny]

Ron I have a pricky pear that I got at Disney World it is cloned. I think they called it tissue regeneration. but it is cloned. I can't wait for it to get big enough to take out of it's sterile environment and put in dirt.

 

[Maggie]

Thanks Maggie!
Remember those Vitex seeds you sent me a few years ago.....well heres a photo of one of the larger one in bloom:

I'm glad you got them to grow and bloom like that. That's a really pretty bloom.

 

[RonsGarden]

Ron I have a pricky pear that I got at Disney World it is cloned. I think they called it tissue regeneration. but it is cloned. I can't wait for it to get big enough to take out of it's sterile environment and put in dirt.

That is vegetative reproduction! You can say cloned since they are an exact copy of the parent plant.
I know a website that sells the pads for $5 each...they are easy to mail out, but if you want a large number of plants then growing them from seed is the best way to go....at least for me!

 

[RonsGarden]

Update on the house in the city:
Had to go to the city to sign an offer on our house!
We settled on $192,000 which is great since we listed it for $199,500!
Now we wait until after they do their inspection of the house by a certified inspector!
Their agent said they loved the house and kept on coming back to see it!! We know they are sincere and will make it a great home because they fell in love with it just like we did!
Jackie and I feel good about the sale!

 

[swindy]

Ron that is great news about the offer on your house. To get an offer so close to the asking price these days is wonderful, they must have really loved it. How long does it take to go through Closings up there? I hope it is all done before the the first of the year so you can start the New Year with out any of the past hanging on your shoulders.

 

[Crabbergirl]

Congrats Ron!!! Let us know when the closing is so we can rest with you

 

[RonsGarden]

The closing date will be January 17 2010!
It could be sooner if they get all their finances together!

 

[Maggie]

That's great Ron. I'm really happy for you. Looking forward to watching your new gardens grow.

 

[RonsGarden]

Thanks guys!
I have to make a trip to the city at some point this week to winterize the front garden,rake up and compost all the leaves that fell, and prune everything down!
Jackie has no clue what to do, or even where to start!
Once everythings finalize Jackie will move into an apartment!
You know, we are actually talking more now then when we were together!!

 

[Kale]

Ron I am sure you put manyhours and dedication into your new lovely beds.Those rocks look wonderful and I know working with them is a chore!
I like your designs.
Did you discard those Soapwort and Milkweeds and Golden Rods!?
Butterflies love them! Which milkweeds did you have*lol may still have them no matter how far down you dig some will show up in a year or two.The butter fly weed (I had orange) Im not so sure of.I can only wish the seed I will sow soon will germinate and grow !
Here is the milkweed I have now..
I have lady beetles and butterflies all season!

GREAT JOB lots of work and LOOKS GREAT!
Thanks for sharin'!

Kale

 

[RonsGarden]

Hey Kale!
Yup! I pulled all the soapwort, golden rod and milkweed as I went along!
The milkweed (native one) will be a bit of a problem but they are easily pulled as they reach the surface. It will take a few years to erradicate them. I missed a few pieces of root and they have popped up here and there!
I planted A. tuberosa (the orange clump forming one) and have a few others I need to winter sow!
All the rocks where there so digging them out was easy as was moving all the sandy soil back out of the way so I could rebuild the wall!
Next spring I will be digging out more grass for more gardens and will be using 6 inch edging to keep the grass out! Most of the grass is the rhizomatic type! Keeping it back was a priority!
Next year should be interesting when all the perennials start blooming!!
I cant wait to see how things unfold!!!

 

[Kale]

Oh, The Clouded Sulphur, American Snout and several others love Golden Rod too!
Yes Sir! Milkweed can take a few years eradicate!
I just sowed the Asclepia tuberosa, hopefully it will bloom by 2011!I placed 3 markers in each.I planted in more then 6places!
I lost mine this year due to a chemical pour that I sure didn't do.
They take years then the show will go on! I can't wait!
YES the rhizomatous grass is known well here! It will travel many feet until it finds a place to pop out of the ground.I Stopped it in one place from poppin up but it pops up many feet closer to the center
Doesn't quit.. that; and mint!
I put a tiny one in a raised bed in 05*LOL down under and out it goes!
Have fun with that grass! It is a traveler! I feel your pain already...
But..once it is conquered....You WIN! (I haven't yet*lol but will one day hopefully!)
Unfolding brings such contentment! makes you think ..all that work sure was worth it!
Did you spend time placing the rocks or did you just semi work with them?
I am terrible with rocks! I will organize them for hours (color shape and kinds*LOL)
until I think it is perfect*LOL
Nobody can tell but I think I did such a great thing*LOL
I have several rocks that I have been pondering where I will put them, only not carrying them for they are heavy, I had them in the front until I noticed 4 are missing so I have to try to fit them in my back gardens.I love your rock wall!

Blooms will be coming before we know it !
What do you want to put in your new beds?
Herbs would be lovely thymes have stolen my heart and oreganos come in various colors great boarders...I call them mini or sub shrubs Mother of Thyme is a big 3ft circumference by the second year..Too big for my beds*lol Pretty very pretty if that is what you like..
It would be a low garden unless you put sage! Wow my daughters was small until this year! It was about or over 2feet tall and about 3 wide!
I love designing new beds,dont mean to be pushie I loose myself *LOL Absolutely love it!
Please share! What are you thinking?
Kale

 

[RonsGarden]

Here's an update on the gardens and the new landscaping of the front of the house.
Our contractor had to dig a trench so he could rais the front end of the house and put footings in!
Quite the mess and he took his time getting the job done!

 

[RonsGarden]

It took him 2 weeks before the all the soil (clay and sand) was bulldozed back into place!
Been planning on what I want to do with the front of the house, and it looks like it will be a shade garden since it faces north!

We had the front door replaces since raising the house it no long was plumb and wouldn't close properly! It was in bad shape! Needed to replace the storm door too and the contractor will be back on Tuesday with the door to install!
I dragged the small deck back into place in front of the front door and started to push all the soil back for the gardens and leveled them.
I then moved gravel via the wheelbarrow to creat the walkway,
had a lot of rocks that were dug up and used them to creat a rock garden on the west side corner by the downspout!
With the gravel pathways our contrator wont be tracking dirt into the house!