At last I'm getting a grasp of The GaHdens!!!! :)
I'm also fitting pieces of your life together in garden terms.
Thank you for sharing the framework. Gardens say so much about us! And they are BEAUTIFUL.

I waited for Michelle to post , but will go ahead..... Your place looks like 'home' to me. The woods remind me of my surroundings except you have more pine trees. And the rocks! Did they come from your place? The beginnings of your spring are beautiful. I see your peonies are well up. My first bloom has lost it's petals, but another bush is opening, one pale pink, and one pink, and many more to follow.
I love your paths, ours are just trodded down grass.:-(
And I like the 'boarded' beds. I could sure use some of them. I bordered most of mine with flat rocks that keep disappearing under the grass. I need to incorporate some tall ferns in the beds other than the wild flower bed.

I am glad you shared these pics.

Oh, what a treat! I just knew that the gahdens would be lovely. The paths are wonderful and the 3rd to the last picture looks like your gahden goes on and on. The bench outside your Mum's room is such a pretty area and I'm sure she enjoyed it. Thanks for posting for me :o)

Michelle

I love that metal arbor! Very nice tour Chelone, it does help to see the lay of the land, and your property is just beautiful. So peaceful.

I have an appreciation of ferns too. The ones that do the best here are ostrich ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris), and they're native too. Surprisingly tolerant of dry soils and even sun. I always enjoy the photos of your fern patch.

Bravo Chelone!!!! Just gorgeous! I'll have to pop up and see it in person sometime.

Deanne

Great to see your garden! It looks to me like the woods are just crying out for a drift of red trilliums with yellow Erythronium mixed in... I think you said once that you grow Erythronium already. If you can grow it there, you should be able to grow the Trillium erectum too.

One thing that is different in your Maine garden than the NB ones I grew up with  your grass looks healthy! I remember most lawns Âdown home being more weeds than grass :- (

I need some more nice big ferns  I looked those ones up and have added them to my Âmust have list.

Now you have to show us those same views again in late June/early July  and thereÂs something important missing from the pictures  whereÂs Wrecks?! (Randy was laughing at me yesterday because when we were out walking Misty, relatively new neighbours stopped to chat. When they walked on, I asked Randy which house they belonged to because I didnÂt remember them. He said weÂve talked to them before several times - but they didnÂt make any impression on me because they donÂt have a dog!)

Yes, I remember Randy teasing Woody about a surprise party. Her idea of the best party would be to invite all her favorite dogs! :-)

Chelone, hope I'm not stepping on any toes by linking my visit to your beautiful gardens....what time of year was it? I know it was the rainy season, LOL!

Saucy

(BTW, nice to see your gardens in early spring!)

Here is a link that might be useful: GW Visit to Chelone

Thanks Saucy! I knew that things had changed quite a bit! I remember the umbrellas and slickers! I can't imagine what the kids look like now!

Saucy, thanks for the pictures of Chelone's garden. I'm now more in awe than ever of her garden. Fabulous hardscaping and all the trees are a wonderful backdrop. I also enjoyed peeking into your other albums. Seeing your gardens and your adorable children.

Michelle

Gorgeous -- so tranquil and serene. Thanks for updating us, Chelone -- I just love them!

-cindy

Thanks for the compliments you guys. One day, perhaps, I'll get a scanner and will be able to share how it looked when we first moved in. I've meant to reply to you earlier but life has gotten in the way... more Mum stuff.

Yes, Marian, all those rocks are from our property. To be more exact, I have touched every single one of those rocks... they all came out the planting beds (no wonder the Maine boys moved to Michelle's rich farmland after the Civil War!). The really big ones that create the spine behind the ferns were from the excavation for the house's foundation. My late FIL asked me if we wanted to have them hauled away and I said, no. So I have an image of him, in plaid shorts a mismatched plaid shirt, black socks and canvas sneakers patiently directing the backhoe operator to place them in the soft arc I'd thought would look nice and soften the drop off on that side of the house. I think of him every time I look at that part of the gahden. Things are shooting out of the ground now; it always surprises me how fast they take off.

Woody, I'm really thinking about the red Trillium for the area behind the round garden, the Erythronium is rebounding beautifully. We planted an Amelanchier out there and have some drainage issues to address, but I want to begin naturalizing that area too. I will try to get some shots of the gardens with Wrecks in them, just for you. He has gotten very good at "hanging out" with me while I work, not nearly as much explosive barking and potential "bolting". I suspect you'd like him. The success of our lawn is due entirely to the low lie of our lot. We never dry out! even in the droughtiest of times. The only lawn we water is the one over Sanitary Ridge or the terrace area and even those don't need it unless rain has been very scarce. We stay on top of the dandilions and plantain, lime it, give it some organic food, and that's it. Just mow. Wicked easy and Rex loves it, perfect for "ball".

Michelle, I will try to add some shots to show the deforestation; there aren't nearly as many trees now. The big red maple was gone when I returned from work... I would have cried had I been home.

Cynthia, a welder friend of mine made that arbor for me. I painted it with a "hammered finish" paint and we added the wood slats, fastening them down through predrilled holes in the metal. I have shied away from Ostrich ferns as they have reputation as very aggressive and they aren't native to my area. But they are gorgeous! the proportions they attain are magnificent. I honestly don't think there is a more perfect perennial plant than a fern. I just love them. Understated and elegant, just like a crisp white blouse.

Chelone, thanks for the tour of your gardens. They're just lovely. There's such a quiet elegance and peacefulness about them. I enjoyed looking at them very much!

Eden

Chelone, thank you for posting your garden pics and to Saucy too, for the added perspective of a gardening savy visitor. What a nice playground for Rex, although I'm sure you keep him chained up, under house arrest at all times because of your hatred of dogs.and kids.and flowers.
Kathy in Napa

Chelone, what beautiful gardens and landscaping you have surrounding your home! I'm thankful the photos (and Saucy's link) were shared. Love your winding (curvy!) paths, too.

T.