"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The front yard in October.

We've been having some beautiful fall weather here.  Bright blue skies and sun, very cool in the mornings but warming into the low 60's during the day.  Yesterday I thought I'd better get the grass cut since it's growing so quickly right now and is always wet with a heavy dew, it's not going to dry out until next spring and will only get longer.  It seems like the lawn (weeds and moss) always grows the most in the fall.  This year we didn't get to the projects we'd hoped to accomplish in the front, but are hoping next year to remove a good amount of grass and reconfigure the front border bed some.  I'm sure I'll be asking for some ideas then.  We'll need to make a path through the bed somewhere and that's what I'm trying to decide when I look at it from the street side.

I don't usually include the front grass when taking pictures of the front of the house, but it looks so green and lush right now.  The Dogwood leaves are turning red now, and it won't be long before we're raking them up.

From the other end of the yard.  The tall back lit plant are Verbena bonariensis which are covered in flowers.  I will leave lots up for the birds to snack on this winter.


I haven't really shown this bed to the left much this year.  It used to be all Hellebores.  It would look great for the time they bloomed, but once they were done they would be covered in aphids and not the most attractive thing to see as you came to our front door.  I've left some Hellebores in, but have also added a variety of other shade plants which are all pretty tiny still.  Hopefully in spring it'll fill in more.  As you can see on the right the Japanese Maple looks as though it did die, and if it doesn't leaf out in spring we'll take it out.  I found some great ideas in a new garden magazine which involves a fountain rather than another tree.  I've accepted that trees just don't like this spot.

Black-eyed Susans still looking pretty.

I love how this Zinnia looks in front of the Black-eyed Susans.  This was about the only Zinnia to bloom this year.

This looks like a flower bud on the Magnolia 'Vulcan'.  Since it's never bloomed in the year it's been here I'm just guessing it's a bud.  It should bloom in spring.

The Coneflowers have gone to seed and are ready for the birds to enjoy.  They've already been eating the seeds from the ones in the back yard.

This morning is very foggy, but is supposed to clear up for another nice day.  I'm hoping to get to a nursery sometime this week.  I haven't been in so long I feel like I'm going through withdrawal, especially after seeing what finds others have been making at nurseries near them.  Hope you are having some nice fall days where you are, although I know that some gardeners have already seen their first snow of the year.
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32 comments:

  1. I didn't even realize you had grass in your front yard Catherine! It's so green and lush looking. Glad you are enjoying some great weather. My brother just accepted a job in Everett so maybe I'll be making some trips your way soon!!!
    Have fun at the greenhouse ~ hope you get some good stuff!

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  2. Your Lambs ears look so pretty spilling over in your front bed. Planning a new bed and entry will give you something to do this winter when all the seed catalogs start coming in again. LOL! The fuchsia looks pretty yet too. My beds look so bad and are full of leaves now that I just have to get after again today. They are falling so fast now it is hard to keep up. It is a shame about your tree but a fountain sounds like a plan.

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  3. Your front yard is much bigger than I realized. Must be all the grass you photographed. It looks like a beautiful fall day in your photos!

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  4. You have a pretty front yard. Gosh that is some pretty grass. Funny - our grass doesn't grow much this time of year. My yard hasn't been cut since back first part of Sep or end of Aug. We have had no rain so nothing is growing except where I water the gardens. I don't EVER remember a dry spell like we have experienced this year - namely the past 8 months. Nothing in the forecast either.

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  5. I love the green of the lawn with your lush garden in the background. You look all ready for trick or treaters! Happy Happy! ;>)

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  6. Catherine your grass looks great especially against the blue of your siding and the red brick. I don't think I have seen your walk before, looks very nice with the stone effect on the borders.

    Eileen

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  7. Your front yard looks amazing. I like the scare crow!

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  8. Hello
    You have a lovely house. It still looks you have there warm and sunny. I suck the sun light from your photos, here is so dark and cold.
    Greetings from Finland

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  9. Your grass is lush and green. I've forgotten those days since ours is dust and mess without any rain in over two months! I'm moving to Washington I think-maybe not. We'll see. The decorations looks great too. Love the spider web!

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  10. Dear Catherine, How exciting it will be to have a project over the winter redesigning your front garden. The grass is looking very healthy but there is certainly plenty of room to expand the borders. So many different plant varieties have done well for you that you can easily afford to discard those that are doing less well. I love the Verbena Bonariensis...you could have masses more of this!!

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  11. So super beautiful..it looks beautiful and lovely !Gorgeous Autumn energy!
    I havent blogged alot this past while..but i always enjoy visiting and seeing what you are up to!
    Gorgeous as always!
    Kiki~

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  12. Don't you just love the prospect of planning your project over the winter, perusing the garden magazines and catalogues, drawing up designs? Sounds like a great pastime! Your front beds are wonderful and I see you've decorated for Halloween already too.

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  13. Your front yard is pretty but I can see why you want to reduce the amount of grass. I spend a lot of time looking at my front garden and pondering!
    That is definately a magnolia bud

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  14. I did enjoy a glorious coolish day outside. I was just now out there looking at my Hellebores. It's gotten pretty big! I'm glad you showed a pic where I could see your pretty front path. I'm ashamed to say I haven't done much of anything to our front in the nearly three years we've owned it. But I'll get there one day!
    Brenda

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  15. Well, Catherine, your yard is absolutely gorgeous! It looks more like the middle of summer than the end of October!

    Jane

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  16. Your front yard is beautiful. I liked the scarecrow doll , it has such a friendly appearance.

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  17. Hi Catherine, your front garden is looking lovely in the autumn sunshine. You can have lots of fun redesigning the front borders. I like your idea of a path going into the planting; you could create a secret hidden area in the middle, maybe with a seat or something for the Little Gardeners. A friend has made a spiral garden to walk through with a circle in the middle, you could incorporate the exisiting border into it. Christina

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  18. Hi Catherine, I never realized you had that much grass either. Everything looks great and I know the birds are enjoying the seeds. I hope you get a chance to visit some nurseries in the next few day and share some bargains with us.

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  19. Your frontyard is so pretty. But I didn't know that you had grass there to!

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  20. Catherine, I really enjoyed this overview of what's happening in your front garden. While the macro shots are always great (especially from a talented photographer like you), it's nice to get the big picture. Like you, I'm thinking about all the things that didn't get finished this year and making big plans for spring and summer. -Jean

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  21. The grass looks like lush green carpet. What a beautiful sight to view your garden and home from a street view. It is beautiful.

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  22. Looks wonderful Catherine!! The patch of Lamb's Ear is charming. :)

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  23. I would love to be your neighbor!

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  24. Looking good Catherine.
    Love the walkway and plants...very attractive.
    Funny but for some reason I rarely see my front yard. Maybe because it's not complete yet and my backyard is the fun place. Do have a picture of it on my desktop to remind me what it looks like and to help me make decisions.

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  25. Your grass does look good -- like velvet -- and I love your Halloween decorations!

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  26. What a beautiful autumn day you've captured with this post, Catherine. I'll look forward to seeing that Magnolia 'Vulcan' bloom next spring--the bud is lovely.

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  27. It's too bad that the Japanese maple didn't make it, probably worth giving it until next spring to see if it is only playing dead. It would look great there, if it grew, but a fountain would make a nice feature, too.

    It will be fun to plan out a new outline and plantings for your front bed, and winter is a great time for it. Do you like to draw maps, picture it in your head, or use gardening software?

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  28. My first visit to your blog...I have really enjoyed looking at all your beautiful flowers and garden...very lush.

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  29. Thanks everyone for stopping by!

    Northern shade - I usually try to try out something, but I'd love to try some gardening software. I will probably be asking all of you for suggestions too :)

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  30. It looks wonderful Catherine. Have fun expanding the border, I look forward to seeing what wonders you create out there.

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  31. The smiling scarecrow add a touch of friendliness to your garden. Does it work to scare away birds?

    I like that name ~ Black-Eyed Susan. Unique and very befitting for the flower's appearance.

    Your garden is lush. You must have poured a lot of love and care on it. Keep it up.

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  32. I harvested seed from my zinnias today as they had a freeze two nights ago and they are done. That red zinnia is wonderful. Your front yard looks good no matter what time of the year that it is.

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