kathy_ann: Iris "Praise the Lord"
PansySoup: Chasmanthe
nat9butter: Alstroemeria ‘The Third Harmonic’, "Angel’s Fishing Rod"
fspooge: Banana "Ice Cream"
JudithW: Columbine,
Muggsey: Ligularia "The Rocket"
Lyuda: Columbine
Bigred: Carex testacea ‘Comans Bronze’
Rosewomann: Muhlenbergia capillaries
mommabirrd: Sisyrinchium Californicum "Yellow-eyed Grass"
Patrob: Iris’ "Rosalie Figge", "Winesap", "Dante’s Inferno"
Dawna from OK (I forgot to record her screen name….): Persian Shield
Romando: Passiflora "Tiny Pink"
Sanda: Zebra Grass
wpirvine: Brugmansia "Golden Lady"
srduggins: Alstroemeria ‘Sweet Laura’
Nomadh: Bamboo
KayinMS: Costus spicatus
georgia_on_my_mind: Tetrapanax
GardenBugzNC: Lycoris Radiata
cocomo: Caesalpinia pulcherrima "Pride of Barbados" and Shampoo Ginger
bigeasyjock: Curcuma petiolata "Hidden Ginger"
WickedHeart: Sprekelia formosissima

At the same time that I was swapping plants, I began gathering ideas for what kind of hardscape I wanted in the yard and I took a lot of digital photos of front yards that I liked. When I retired a year ago I decided I was ready to move forward with my plans. Many of my 40+ plants I had received were rootbound and needed their freedom. I designed the hardscape plans and hired a mason. The mason had another full-time job and could only work weekends on my project……so it drug on slowly from June through October. I couldn’t begin planting until he finished. Once he finished I removed about 6-8" of soil off of my front yard area. Praise the Lord my back didn’t go out removing several tons of soil. The works is still on-going but today I took the following photos of the project in its current state.

The fetching Mrs. Mikey agreed that we would do away with any lawn and I would put in a country garden on one side of the yard for her. The below photo shows the entry area. The metal on either side is an arbor. I have ordered a Mlle. Cecile Brunner climber for the arbor. The other side may have a clematis growing up.

To the right of the entry area is a patio area that overlooks what will be the country garden.

Below is the beginning of the country garden. The seeds for hollyhocks are just coming up and they will be up against the patio wall. The little tree in the foreground is a plumeria. I am making hypertufa dry stacking stones for the borders. The borders are planted with iris, several kinds of oxalis, small geraniums, amaryllis and lots of other stuff I can’t think of at the moment. Taller perennials and annuals will fill up the middle. So far I have pentas, cone flowers, daisies and rudbeckias planted in the middle areas. A few cannas are planted next to the fence along with sweet peas and clematis. I thinking of planting the walking area with a sedge that takes foot traffic. There are two climbing roses against the picket fencing and I’ve ordered two shrub roses for the same area. Just around the corner on the left out of view is a brugmansia, tetrapanex and several shade loving plants.

To the left of the entry area is a hodge-podge of stuff. I’m still trying to make up my mind as to what I want to do here. It’s not easy to see but I have a raised island of dirt planted with several shrubs with the open areas seeded with toad flax and California poppy. It will look pretty cool come spring. The fencing in this area will has cannas planted as well as sweet peas growing. I also plan to toss another clematis in here as well.

Next to the ramp leading up to the house is my minnie cactus garden. The large round stone is a hypertufa millstone that I made for the area. In the background is a tropical area that I am still trying to figure out what to do with.

So as you can see, I have plenty of gardening projects to keep me busy this winter. Thanks again for the plants and the memories they will provide as they grow.

BTW, Dawna from OK's screenname is Wolflover.