Wow Michelle, your gardens look great. Amazing the difference when they grow into their own. Wonderful job!

Jerri

I remember....
It's fun to think we've been following along for this long. We Idyllettes have so much history. :)

Michelle, I enjoyed seeing the photos---gives me hope that the changes here won't take too long before they look nice.

T.

Yes, isn't it satisfying to look back on earlier stages of the garden and see how far things have come! That hazy view in the last picture is particularly pretty. I love that stone in the bed - I've been contemplating copying that idea at some point....

Michelle, I do so love the b-4 and after pics.It is always empowering to see what others have accomplished. And of course you have plenty of room for expansion !!

Kathy in Napa

I love B4/After photos too! What a difference a few years make. I especially love how the island bed in photo #3 and #4 is filling out. I didn't have a digital camera when we first started renovating the garden, so I want to try scanning some of our old photos into the computer, but when I will get to that I don't know. Are your older photos scanned into the computer? You have done a lot of work Michelle and it is really turning out great. How does your family like the changes? How did your new front walk area finish up for the winter?

pm2

Thanks for the wonderful reminder that plants grow, Michelle!! There are times when I look at the Park and just sigh and think "next year" then find myself doing the same thing a year from then :-)

I've always wondered what goes in that humungous silo?

Martie

Great photos Michelle, I just love seeing these kinds of progress photos. Wonderful gardens. I surely wish we lived closer as I'd love to see your gardnes in person.

I'm glad you like my progress. I don't know if I have alot of pictures from when I first started gardening in 1997. I did scan the "before" pictures. I had a pretty crummy camera then also.

As for the silo, DH has lived here since he was a young man just starting to farm. For 30 years he had a dairy farm. We have 2 of those silos and they are for silage. Which is a mixture of chopped corn plants (corn and stalk) and water which ferments. It is blown into the silo. You can see in the one picture that there is a feed bunk extending out to the left from the silo. The silo has equipment that automatically fills the feed bunk. Now we don't use it. They are 70' tall and I've actually climbed to the top (with DH behind me)

Kathy, not as much expansion room as you might think. In the area with the big rock, it can't get any bigger as thats where tractors, wagons and combines park at certain times of the year. Other areas that I've used brick are somewhat locked into to that as well. That's good though it keeps me from getting too carried away LOL

PM, DH is very proud of all I've done. Much of the rest of the family is indifferent - other than Kenzie ;o) They will say it looks nice but aren't all that interested. I didn't do much to the front area. I will probably fill it slowly as I find things I like.

Thanks again all

Michelle

Wonderful improvement! Beautiful pictures. I love your open spaces.
I wish I had the energy to build a rock border to the beds by our house. That is so pretty. And I could fill it with better soil than what is there. The rocks would keep the soil from washing away.Ofcourse, since my trees are so close to the house, the beds would soon be full of tree roots! :-(
Oh well, I love the trees....

Michelle, it looks wonderful! you must be so proud.

"Before" and "after" shots are really fun. You always think you'll remember how it "used to look" but you do forget! And when you're feeling "down" about things it's fun to take a stroll down memory lane and see just what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it.

I love your front garden with your name on it, it's beautiful. Nice work!

(oh, and if you want more rocks gimme a call, OK?)

Michelle....I was wondering, what silage is for? Almost sounds like a big composter...lol. Is that what all silos are used for? I think it is so funny that I never thought to ask what went in them. I think I vaguely assumed it was water storage.

I have a few family members that have been indifferent to all things gardening. I have always found that so curious, for something that fascinates me so, I always have a very hard time understanding how someone could not find it fascinating. :-)

pm2

PM, silage is feed to animals. In our case dairy cows. On the left side you see a tube going up, that's where the silage is blown up and in. On the right you can see a ladder to climb to the top. I know that I didn't know much about anything farming when I lived in town. I still ask DH alot of questions.

Chelone, I'm after flat rocks, as you can see most of mine are rounded. Last night I rode with DH as he did some tillage and more rocks surfaced.

Thanks again
Michelle

Michelle. I like the flat rocks too, and when I see one along our driveway or out in the woods I tote it back to the house (if it is small enough for me to carry) and add it to my collection. Some day I may put them to use...as I have in the past. I like rocks.:-)

Michelle, aren't you so glad that you have the befores to compare with? For some reason I never think to do that. Your afters are wonderful! The gardens have really matured and are filled in just right, not too crowded which is what I tend to do. I really love that last picture. Looks like just the perfect place to live, home sweet home!

Eden