Tour of VW Garden

Welcome to my Spokane Valley garden.  Our south-facing home is located on a quarter acre plot in a middle class suburban neighborhood.  When we bought the house in 2007, the landscape consisted of a few boring shrubs, one wilted tree, and poor quality lawn everywhere else.  Since then we have been working hard to build something special.  The photo above is from the end of May 2020.

Here we back up to April to see the spring tulips and creeping phlox in full bloom.  

This is the autumn view of the sidewalk bed when looking northwest toward our neighbor's home.  The various foliage colors and textures add interest even when there aren't many blooms.

The southeast corner of our front yard features a 'Heartthrob' Korean dogwood, 'Walker's Low' catmint and a 'Coral Sunset' peony that bloom in May.  A 'Blue Moon' wisteria is planted at the corner of the garage and will eventually soften that edge.  

The west garden is the area I see out my window while doing dishes.  In May it features a soothing color scheme of lavender and violet, including 'Evening Tidings' bearded iris.

By July this area features warmer colored 'Royal Sunset' lilies, 'Hush Lil Baby' daylilies, and 'Early Sunrise' coreopsis.  

In early spring the backyard garden is still bare except for boxwoods and a few other evergreens.  The lovely branches of my contorted filbert are visible at right.

By the end of May the garden has filled out with plenty of green.  The flagstone path continues around the backyard in a large circle, with spurs leading down the east and west sides of the house.

This autumn perspective of the southwest corner of the backyard includes our dining room addition, which was completed in 2018.  I have placed chairs and benches around the path so I can sit and enjoy the different views.

A May shot of the west side of the garden includes 'Spring Snow' crabapple trees and plenty of lovely green leaves.

The main sunny bed in the backyard is in the northwest corner.  Here it is drooping after an early October snowstorm.  

As spring begins the first bits of green join the evergreen boxwoods and 'Otto Luyken' laurel. 

At the start of May, the 'Royal Raindrops' crabapple trees are in bloom with tulips below.  A little seating area is hidden in the back corner.

In June this bed goes heavy on violet and maroon, including various salvias and alliums in bloom.  'Green Tower' boxwoods and 'Fine Line' buckthorn shrubs anchor the space.

The path runs around the back side of the main sunny bed with this section to the north.  Here in July the 'Visions' astilbes, 'Red Velvet' lilies and 'Caradonna' salvia steal the show.

This is the view of the north section of the path looking back toward the northwest corner in fall.

A shot of this same section from the opposite side shows a few May blooms along with delicate spring green.

A broader view of the north side of the backyard reveals one disadvantage of our little neighborhood - plenty of other houses nearby.  I wish I had planned for better year-round privacy with more tall evergreens.

The northeast corner of the backyard includes a swing set with honeysuckle climbing up the sides.  Several 'Shademaster' honey locust trees shelter the area.

In back of the swing set, this photo showcases fall color on my 'Shasta' viburnum along with various shades and textures of green.

A southward gaze behind the swing set in July reveals a warm pastel palette of blooms, including 'Chantilly Peach' snapdragons and various pink speedwells.

This broad view of the southwest corner in May includes blooming 'Katherine Havemeyer' lilacs and a 'Stellar Pink' dogwood tree as well as more 'Spring Snow' crabapple trees.

This broken fountain has become a planter for hens and chicks.  I don't have room for a full white garden, so this little section is my moon garden.

By midsummer the white garden is full of blooms, including a 'Meidilland White' rose at right and 'Alba' astrantia at left.  In a few years a white clematis will grow large enough to cover the arch.  In December 2020 we added a small hot tub in the far southeast corner by the fence, so I'm currently thinking on how to camouflage it.

This scene is located on the east side of the house while looking north.  A 'Sister Elizabeth' English rose blooms at left.

I'll finish this tour with views of the back of our home, which faces north.  In a few years the maturing trees will help it feel more settled in.

In summer we spend a lot of time on this patio.  A climbing hydrangea is planted by the post at left and should eventually grow all the way up and cross the patio cover.

This is the satellite view of our yard, which is small enough to manage but big enough to give plenty of joy.