Happy 10th Anniversary, VW Garden

This month marks ten years since I began this blog, and this post makes four hundred posts in total.  It's a joy to look back over the growth of our garden.  We bought this home in 2007 and I didn't start blogging until 2008, but we didn't do much to the yard that first year.  So this blog tracks nearly all the changes to our landscape, from nothing-but-lawn to almost-all-garden-beds.  I'm especially glad to have documented our front yard landscaping project in 2010 (porch makeover, in progress, newly finished), the huge backyard project in 2013 (planning, aspen root barrier, lawn removal, flagstone path, newly finished, four years old), and our dining room addition/kitchen remodel/new patio in 2017 (in progress, newly finished).

My most viewed post is about the 'Otto Luyken' laurel shrub (plant it in a protected spot in cold zones).  A distant second is my post about peony bouquets at Pike Place Market (with my yucky old camera - my photos would be so much better now).  Third place is a post about 'Royal Raindrops' crabapple trees (I like these trees but they require a lot of pruning).  I appreciate other gardener's perspectives on plants, so I'm glad to have been useful to others in selecting plants for their gardens.

I'm grateful for how blogging and photography have taught me that you can find beauty if you choose to focus on it, even though there are a lot of ugly parts, too.  I'm grateful that writing this blog helped keep my brain from turning into oatmeal while I spent my days and nights caring for our three and then four little children.  Now they're getting older and can speak in complete sentences, so my brain feels like it's working again.  It feels like heaven to open a window so I can hear them practicing the piano while I work in the garden.

Nurturing children and a garden have helped me throw off at least some of my unhealthy perfectionism.  I now embrace 'good enough for now,' so I'm not so concerned with the imperfections in this blog or in life.  Someday I'll get really disciplined about writing plant names in the same format every time.  Someday I'll go through and find all the little grammar and spelling mistakes - or maybe not.  I would still like to improve my photography some more.  But mostly I'm enjoying the journey, the fruits of my labors and the anticipation of good things to come.

The photo above was taken by my good friend Amber McArthur, and I ask that you do not copy or use it elsewhere.  I felt ridiculous posing for pictures, but I'm grateful for how she captured the joy my garden gives me.

Before and After Kitchen Remodel and Dining Room Addition

Our down-to-the-studs kitchen remodel and dining room addition were completed after nine months of work (including seven weeks without a kitchen, during which time we hosted family for Christmas!) instead of the promised two and a half months.  And yes, it was over budget as well, but we're happy with the results.  The photo above shows the view of the back of the house with the new dining room addition, patio and patio cover in place.

Here is a photo of the house before construction.

We had to have the old patio demolished and remove part of a flower bed to make space for the new patio.  The kids and I have been spending a lot of time eating, reading, chatting, or just sitting on the new back patio.  We can usually spot butterflies, dragonflies, many types of bees, hummingbirds and many other birds in the garden.  I was excited to add another dogwood tree after the project (middle of photo).  'Starlight' is a Rutgers hybrid and is known for its vigorous growth, columnar shape, and beautiful white flowers in spring.  I also planted a climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala petiolara) by the post at left that will eventually climb up and across the entire front of the patio cover.

The kitchen expanded during the remodel to take over the space where the dining area used to be.  I've been loving the new bar that seats the whole family, as it makes mealtimes much easier.  Unfortunately, in the months since it was finished I am the only member of the family who has demonstrated the ability to clean the mirror-like granite of all streaks.  But the Blue Pearl granite is so pretty that I don't mind too much.

We were blessed to have our neighbor, Nicki, design the layout and cabinets while she was working for Canyon Creek Cabinets.  I am sensitive to offgassing chemicals, and I was relieved that these high quality cabinets did not make me sick.

This is the same view of the old kitchen.  It wasn't bad before, but the new arrangement offers a lot more storage and room for all the growing bodies in this house.

The new dining room has windows on three walls so we can enjoy garden views and air conditioning while dining.

This was the old dining space.  We often host extended family gatherings, and we made it work with folding tables extending into the living room.  Now we can fit fourteen at the new dining table (if we squeeze kids onto benches) plus six more at the bar.  We've already used the table at max capacity and it was a fun meal (come visit with your families anytime, Melissa and Ashley).

Here's the view while standing in the new pocket door opening.  This year my three kids in piano lessons are supposed to practice for two and a quarter hours each day in total, and their teacher says they only need to practice on the days that they eat!  Sometimes it's really, really nice to close the pocket door and reduce the sound level while I'm cooking dinner.  This shows a good view of the Montagna Rustic Bay ceramic tile flooring that looks like wood.

This is nearly the same angle from before construction.  What a relief it is to have finished this big project!  Of course other projects are still in progress . . . we had three floods in the basement this spring and had to replace moldy carpet and drywall, and after switching the trim on the main level from wood to white, we are slowly planning to replace trim on the other levels as well.  Honestly, it would have been less stressful to move to a different home, but the garden wouldn't move well and we love our location.  We're looking forward to enjoying this nice space with our family for many years to come.

Snowy Winter, Slow Remodel

This winter has brought nearly six feet of snow to Spokane so far, with more likely to come.   My children have enjoyed sledding and building giant snow forts, but I think everyone is looking forward to spring by now.  I have to remind myself that these long, snowy winters are the reason we have water for the garden in the summers.
My boxwood shrubs have had branches flattened by the snow, but so far they have bounced back without breaking as the snow recedes.  The 'Otto Luyken' laurels are completely brown from subzero temperatures and frigid winds.  Thankfully no tree branches have broken from the heavy snow and ice.

Our remodeling project, originally to be finished by Thanksgiving, still lingers on.  We wait more patiently some days than others!  But after seven weeks with a gutted kitchen, we are very happy to have a functional sink and appliances again.  Backsplash, trim, roof, siding, vent hood, patio, an new pendant shade, seventeen holes in the ceiling to patch, tiles popping loose to be fixed . . . then we'll be done and I'll post more pictures.

 Meanwhile we are enjoying more light from all the new windows.  We hosted a big family dinner last weekend and the new dining room worked just as we hoped it would.  With seven windows, two skylights, and a sliding door, the new space feels like part of the garden.

Kansas Peony Bouquet and Start of Construction

This bouquet from June featured dark pink 'Kansa' peonies along with lighter pink peonies, violet 'Caradonna' sage (Salvia), maroon 'Moulin Rouge' Astrantia, orange 'Totally Tangerine' Geum, yellow lady's mantle (Alchimella mollis), and 'Venice Blue' speedwell (Veronica).

These dark peonies are really special.  As I wrote last week, I have been working this year to increase the number of deep pink peony plants in my garden.

This week we were excited to begin construction on a project to add a new dining room to the back of the house and expand our cramped kitchen into the old dining space.  This photo shows the house after two days of demolition.

The photo above shows the back of our home when we bought it in 2007 (notice the lack of plants), but soon it will look like the drawing below.

Construction will be a challenge with our busy family of six trying to maneuver around the mess. Thank goodness my kids are at school for most of the day now that summer is over.  Demolition was very noisy with a jackhammer running for most of the day, but my youngest son was fascinated with the process and watched out the window for hours.  Help with entertaining my little tornado was an unexpected blessing!  I will continue to post photos as construction continues.

Portraits in the Garden

My talented friend Amber has conducted several portrait sessions in my garden, and this spring she offered to take a few photos of me.  My husband wandered out to say hello as we got started, so Amber told him he could be in a few shots if he'd put on his suit and trademark bow tie.  A few minutes later he came out in his bow tie . . . and his swimming suit (you can see the mischievous smile on his face above).  After we all had a good laugh he changed into a real suit and posed for some pictures.  He definitely belongs in these photos since he's the one who digs the big holes, helps with garden cleanup in the fall, and hauls countless wheelbarrow loads of compost and bark.

These smiles required seventeen years of marriage to create, but the bouquet was quick and easy.  First I laid a stem of peony foliage on the table, then spread spikes of 'May Night' sage (Salvia), 'Venice Blue' speedwell (Veronica) and 'Walker's Low' catmint (Nepeta) on top.  Next came a few stems of 'Caesar's Brother Siberian iris.  Then I added stems with rounded flowers from 'Totally Tangerine' geum and 'Moulin Rouge' astrantia, plus some fluffy lady's mantle (Alchimella mollis).  Finally I set a couple of 'Morning Lilac' intersectional peony blooms on top and tied the stems with raffia.  It was easy to adjust the flowers as they lay on the table, and the bouquet photographed well because it was flat and one-sided.

Our garden makes me happy!  Thanks Amber for capturing these memories.
Generally I don't mind if you use my photos for wholesome and appropriate purposes, but please do not download or use these photos as they are copyrighted by Amber McArthur.

Someday We'll Have Sunlight and Color Again

The sky is grey and the landscape is mostly brown, plus a few faded greens and muted blue-grey.  By mid-afternoon it will be dark.  So I dug out photos of the garden from last summer to remind myself of color and light.  Above is 'Pretty Lady Emily' Japanese anemone.



Here are blossoms from a dwarf mockorange shrub, 'Miniature Snowflake' Philadelphus.  Yes, they really do smell like orange blossoms.  Though the two shrubs I planted were small, I caught whiffs of the fragrance each time I walked past.  Completely yummy.



These double lavender flowers are from a 'Farmington' Michaelmas daisy.  The bees were entranced.



Here is a maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum) unfurling in the spring.  I grow several ferns and this is my favorite. 



'Caradonna' sage (Salvia) glows with a warm plum center.  I also grow 'May Night' and love them both in the garden and in vases.



'Rolling Cloud' Siberian Iris has been a strong performer for me for several years, despite growing in partial shade instead of full sun.  The bloom time isn't long, but the spiky leaves add nice texture to the garden after the flowers are gone.



And finally, here are some leaves from Rodgersia.  This one is marginally hardy, so I'm crossing my fingers that it survives the winter to grow again next year.  The large leaves are very attractive, especially when backlit.  Surely the sun will show up again eventually.

A New Window to the Garden

Forgive me for straying off the topic of gardening, but I'm been directing my creative energies inside lately.  Recently we added a new window to our living room.  Learning photography has made me more aware of lighting, and I really disliked the cold, dark feeling that came from having only north-facing windows in this room.  So we removed a corner gas fireplace that we never used anyway and cut out a window on the east wall (on the center right side of the photo above).



Here you can see the new seating area around the new window, complete with a reading light for each chair.  The morning light through the window is wonderful, and the room is significantly brighter in the afternoon.  I enjoy being able to glance outside at the garden while I'm sitting at the piano.  You'll also notice the metal leaves sculpture on the wall, which has a funny story behind it.  It belonged to my husband's grandmother, and his cousins used to joke about who would take the ugly thing when she passed on.  We did take it, spray painted over the bronze finish with a pewter color, and now we get compliments on it all the time.  A peony from that grandmother's garden is growing right outside this window as well.  



As remodeling projects often do, our project kept getting bigger.  We ended up buying several new pieces of furniture and rearranging everything.  The couches are now centered on the windows to the backyard.  Thankfully the glare off the snow makes it difficult to see the sad state of my backyard right now.  Over the past few years I've been working on the front yard and shoving all sorts of random plant purchases in the backyard.  I'm hoping to get some landscaping projects finished in the backyard this summer, which will improve the view.



Here is a view of the piano with my favorite painting by Abbott Fuller Graves hanging above it.  I love the sun-speckled, overflowing garden that surrounds the front door in the picture, and the shutters are my favorite color of blue-green.  This painting has been an inspiration for my own garden.



I put together a new photo wall with family photos by my talented friend, Randi.  I'm still undecided on whether to repaint all the black frames grey or not.  What do you think?  A grandfather clock that was actually made by my husband's grandfather is on the right.  I'm so glad we were able to make room for this special clock in our living room with the remodel.



Another little project I finished last weekend was sewing a new valance for the kitchen window with fabric to match some of the throw pillows in the living room.  It helps tie the rooms together.  Of course the gardener in me loves the plant motif on the fabric!  I enjoying bringing the garden indoors with houseplants and various plant-themed decor.  I'm glad the garden has been asleep for the past few months to give me time to work on these indoor projects, but now that they're mostly finished I'm looking forward to spring outside. 

Plant Giveaway Spring 2012

I have plants to give away this spring . . . the catch is that you have to bring a shovel and dig them up yourself. Here is a list of what is available. All of them are perennials, which means they will come back year after year.

Above is 'Walker's Low' Nepeta (catmint). I have gobs and gobs of this, as all of my front yard plants need to be divided. This is an award-winning plant that is great for sun and heat. 2.5 feet tall, 3 feet wide. Blooms from June until frost if you cut the dead blooms off in July. Bees love it.



I also have dozens of these light pink asiatic lilies to give away. Though they weren't labeled when I bought them, I'm pretty sure they're 'Tiny Todd' asiatic lilies. 12-14 inches tall. Full to part sun. Blooms in June and multiplies every year.



I also have several of these 'Tango Passion Ladylike' dwarf asiatic lilies to give away. 12-14 inches tall. Full to part sun. Blooms in June and multiplies every year.



The photo above shows coral-pink 'Patricia Louise' heuchera and blue-lavender Veronica (speedwell). I have some of both of these plants to share. Both plants make low mounds of leaves (not shown in the photo, sorry) with 1 foot tall flower spikes. Both bloom in May/June and come back every year. They like morning sun and afternoon shade (they'd love the east side of your house).



I have lots and lots of bearded/German iris to give away, including the deep violet 'Titan's Glory' above and also some deep blue 'Mer du Sud' iris. Both of these are full-sized iris, with flower spikes about 3 feet tall. Fragrant. They like sun and heat.

In addition, I have two types of dwarf violet iris to share - one that gets about 6 inches tall and another that gets 1 foot tall (shown below). They multiply quickly, which is why I have so many to spare! Iris are sturdy plants that bloom in May or June every year.



This photo shows 'Banbury Ruffles' dwarf iris (mentioned above) with 'Emerald Cushion Blue' creeping phlox (Phlox subulata) in the background. In May, lavender flowers smother this low creeping plant. It gets 6 inches tall and 1 to 2 feet wide. Full sun. Evergreen. I have several large clumps and some small divisions to share.



I have a tiny peony (Paeonia) growing in a pot. I'm mostly sure it's the red one above, so it will eventually be 2.5 to 3 feet tall and wide and produce lots of these lovely blooms every May. If you're willing to wait a couple of years for it to grow into a full-sized plant, you'll enjoy plenty of flowers for years afterward. Full sun.



I don't have a photo of 'Spanish Glow' daylily (Hemerocallis), but the flowers look very similar to the photo above, except with more ruffles around the edges. I have one clump to give away. It prefers full sun and blooms in July. 2 feet tall and wide. A very sturdy plant.



Here is shown 'Melba Higgins' columbine (Aquilegia), which has reseeded itself around my backyard. It blooms in May and can do sun or shade, though it doesn't like intense afternoon heat. 2 to 2.5 feet tall, 1.5 feet wide.



The photos above and below show Lady's mantle (Alchimella mollis). Above you can see the airy greenish-yellow flowers, and below the pretty leaves. Full to part shade, 1.5 to 2 feet tall and wide.



The best thing about Lady's Mantle is the way its leaves catch water droplets.



I have divisions of 'Elfin' Thyme groundcover to share. It blooms in June and is great for sunny, hot spots. 1 inch tall, 1 foot wide (though it keeps spreading).



I also have divisions of Pearlwort groundcover (Sagina subulata), which has tiny white flowers in June. 1 inch tall, 1 foot wide. Mostly evergreen, though it looks ratty in January and February. Full sun to part shade.

Finally, I don't have photos but also have lots of spearmint, peppermint and strawberry plants to share. All three of these plants are aggressive spreaders, so you'll want to plant them in a container or somewhere they can't take over all your other plants. Especially the mints. The mints are great for bouquets, and of course the strawberries are just yummy. Full sun to part shade. Mints grow 2 feet tall and will grow as wide as they have space. Srawberries get up to 1 foot tall.

So my friends in Spokane - let me know if you want any of these plants! Leave a comment, call, email, post on Facebook or knock on my door. April and May are the best times to transplant.

Miscellaneous Photos

Much of the traffic to my blog comes from Google searches for plant names. Personally, I do plenty of googling for plant images when I'm thinking about buying a new plant. I like to see pictures and read reviews from real gardeners instead of just seeing one image from a catalog, which may or may not reflect how the plant will actually look when it's growing in my garden. So from now on, I'm going to take more care about naming my photos with the full and correct plant name to help other gardeners to find them with search engines.

Above is Lilium 'Miss Feya' (a trumpet/oriental hybrid lily), which was new to my garden last year. This is not the best photo, but let it be known that I took this when I was 8.5 months pregnant with my 4th child, and I had to crouch down to get the right angle. Ouch! These lilies didn't get as much water as they would have liked, so the flowers looked less full than the catalog pictures.



Here is a photos of Buxus 'Green Tower' (boxwood) from mid-summer. I have two of these in my front yard. Their color is currently (in mid-February) a tired green, but they aren't bronze like so many other boxwoods in winter.



Here is Campanula 'Birch Hybrid' (bellflower), in its first year and growing in shade. It would have more flowers with more sun, of course.



This is Lilium 'Tiny Ghost' (a dwarf asiatic lily), which was an impulse buy last spring. I have several types of dwarf asiatics, and they have all multiplied very quickly. I expect to see numerous new baby stalks shooting up around the original lilies this year.



Here is a photo of Achillea 'Summerwine' (yarrow), which is very small because I cut the original 1 gallon-sized plant into 6 starts. It's amazing that they all lived! This year they should grow large enough to send up more than a couple of stalks of flowers.

I'm getting down to the dregs of my photo archives. It might be a while before I get many fresh photos (even though spring growth should start up before too long) because I'm having a slow recovery from surgery last month. I'm tempted to complain about how boring it's getting to sit on the couch all day and wait to heal, but instead I'm going to express gratitude that my mom and mother-in-law have both visited to take over the work of the household. A family of six requires a lot of cooking, dishwashing, laundry, and housecleaning, plus diaper changing for the baby, and I haven't been doing any of it for a few weeks. Rereading that last sentence just made me feel as giddy as a truant schoolgirl - I'm definitely not complaining! I'll just enjoy the break and happily forget about the garden for another month or two. But sorry in advance if my posts are few and far between for a while.