Above is a view of the small creek behind our townhouse which borders on the edge of Monmouth Battlefield State Park. The area is quite overgrown with wild roses; vines of various types - including poison ivy, grape vine, and more; a wide variety of trees and shrubs - including some white dogwood and red maples; and all sorts of different wild ground-covers.
This is a view of the area I've attempted to cultivate... The wilderness creeps in on all sides, but I've managed to create some order and some color amidst the chaos of wildlife. Our deck is just off camera to the right, leaving only 4' or so of grass before the garden and the woods.
Below are some of the 6 different types of ferns that are now gracing this area - they are closest to the water, in the middle area are the hostas, and in the forground are tulips, various types of violets, and a delightfully bright chartruese green creeping vine whose name is convalaria, I think. I'm not so good at remembering names - ask any former student of mine and they will laughingly agree...
Today I purchased a new variety of fern called an Ostrich Fern which reportedly grows to a height of 5-6'! I bought two of them, now all I have to do is to figure out where to put them...
Next, a tall flowering plant, not yet in bloom, whose name escapes my recollection...
Below are a few tulips in bloom...
And here's some lovely Columbine I bought today, along with Lilies of the Valley, blue salvia, a wide-brim hosta, and one spirea or lemon bush (bright yellow-green), plus some pots of petunias for the deck. The columbine and petunias happily have already attracted a female Hummingbird even before I had a chance to plant them!
Happy gardening everyone!
Well, the first fern is, I believe, a Japanese Painted Fern. The other plant is a Coral Bell. It will have long flower stems with tiny flowers on it that are pretty much anti-climatic. The garden looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteteri