The Day My Ugly Turned Interesting

You'll notice I didn't title my post The Day My Ugly Turned Pretty.  This isn't about pretty... at this point though, interesting will suffice.

We all have them, I think.  The frustrating spots in our gardens that just don't ever look the way we envision them looking.  I plant with the expectation that this new plant will be the plant that will finally adapt to the treacherous spot I scathingly refer to as the cemetery.  Nothing thrives here for various reasons ... too shady then a long, scorching blast of late day sun, too dry, too near the fence where our dog likes to gossip with the wildlife {read trample whatever is planted} ... yada yada.

But oh, how my recent trip to Warrenton, Texas, changed all that.  Antique Weekend happens not too far from Austin ... half way between here and Houston off Hwy 290.  Twice a year treasure seekers scour hundreds of booths searching for the perfect finds.

At the booth of a favorite vendor who is sadly retiring from the show, I discovered this most fascinating of treasures.  A mask of some sort that makes the most ugly of cemetery corners into the most interesting of corners. 

He sits atop an antique ladder, also found in Warrenton.  Together the two pieces give the height, texture, color and interest I've been searching for.  And the best part was that it wasn't a planned experience ...  completely serendipitous!  The ladder was meant for another purpose and the mask, well, the mask was a total impulse buy.  I knew I'd find a place for him in my garden. 

He now sits gazing across the garden adding tons of personality and character.  He is seen from the kitchen window giving me a whimsical, half grin looking somewhat like he knows my secret.  The secret of how a chance encounter at an antique booth far, far away turned my ugly into awesome.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Beauty in a Bottle

 

2011 Garden Projects - The Back Garden

Inspired by the blog carnival hosted by My Little Garden in Japan and a beautiful, sunny day I began to seriously contemplate gardening projects for 2011.

In no particular order:
Project #1:  Apply tiles to fence posts (and grout them this time!)

You may remember the antique iron gate mounted between two posts behind my red fountain...I've intended to tile these posts for years now.  I'm embarrassed to say that I made these tiles in 2007...in my defense, I did apply them to the posts in 2009, however, I never got around to grouting the tiles in place.   You know how it is...so many projects and so little time!   You can see the results...the tiles have fallen off over time and sit in a pile on the wall next to the fence.   So project #1 is to reapply the tiles and grout them in place.

Project #2:  Trim that crazily growing branch out of the Crape Myrtle tree

Do you see it in the top right corner of the photo?  This tree is probably 20 feet tall and at the very tippy top is this crazy branch that looks like it's broken and falling over.   It may be broken, I can't tell from below.  If it isn't already broken, it will be at some point with the weight of the heavy blooms of summer pulling it down.

Project #3:  Replace this panel of fence with a gate

This piece of fence blocks access to a much needed hose bib and it would be so much more efficient if this were a pass through to the side yard and the front of the house.

With the addition of a gate, hopefully this will no longer be the norm.  This is the main path into the yard from the house and the hose is always in the way.

Project #4:  Replant this poor agapanthus

Surprisingly it still lives!  Last spring I pulled it from a bed where it received too much afternoon sun and tossed it behind the persimmon tree with the full intention of finding it a permanent home...spring turned to summer, summer to fall, fall to winter...and although it seems relatively happy the least I could do is dig it a proper hole and feed it a bit of root stimulator.

Project #5:  Add a crystal to the water spout of the fountain

This fountain is beautifully textured and shaped but the pump tends to go out frequently creating more work than it's worth.  I found a small crystal at the Round Top  antique fair last fall to place in the spout so it will look as if a drop of water is falling from it.  I'd like to then add a few plants for color and texture adding some softness to this corner of the patio.

Project #6:   Add Oklahoma stone to some of the beds

In 2009 Oklahoma stone was added to outline each of the beds throughout the back yard.  I love the texture, color and pattern that they added.  They also created nice little paths to walk along during garden excursions.   I would like to include some short stacks of this stone within the beds to create small raised places where digging is impossible because of dense oak roots and to add visual interest and varied elevations within the beds.

Project #7:  Espy and bring home a couple more bird houses for the trellis

This is a fun project allowing for some creative exploration!


Project #8:  Power wash the limestone walls and patio

This could be considered a not so fun project by some but with power tools and water on a warm, spring day my husband seems to enjoy the job!

Project #9:   Decide what to do about this window

Our garage is detached from the house and this brick wall is a nice accent in the back yard.  It is the backdrop to the Japanese Maple and I really love the texture and color it brings into the garden.

My mind has wandered for years about what to add to the window though...shutters, mosaics, etc.  This fall during my Round Top (you really need to check it out) excursion I found some Chinese bed panels.  They were salvaged from the homes that were removed to make room for the Olympic venues.

There are many things I like about the panels...the Asian influence would complement the many Asian plants in this bed...Japanese Aralia, Japanese Maple and Japanese Yew companionably live here.  The colors are warm and rich and work well with the tones of the brick and the Japanese Maple.  And most importantly, they are unexpected and unique and that really makes me love them.  They are made of wood though and need to be protected.  I'm going to have to invest some time  researching if they can be covered with some kind of marine polyurethane to keep water from penetrating the screens.  Or I could just hang them and take them down in the event of bad weather.  I could, but would I?  I don't know.  What are your thoughts on this one?  I'd love to hear if you've had any experience with a project like this.

There are many more ideas where these came from...that's the charm of a garden...there are always new projects and possibilities.  For now though, I think I better let this list rest...I don't want to overwhelm the handsome help!

What are your projects for the new year?  Head over to My Little Garden in Japan  to see what others are planning for their gardens.