Bench Makeover

We bought this bench in 2006. (I neglected to get a photo of it in it's delapidated state, but believe me it was a pitiful thing to look at) The paint was peeling and the boards were rotting.  My husband was tired of looking at it as well and couldn't sit on it for fear of falling through. So he finally decided to repair it. He removed all the old boards and replaced with all new ones and left the rest to me. Yea!! I wanted to have a lot of color on my porch where the bench now resides. I also painted the bird house to match, which was also purchased in 2006, and in need of a makeover. I just love the new colors and walking up to the front door.

Spring Colors

Clementine Double 
Columbine -
this comes back on its
 own every year.

Double Bridal Wreath
 Spirea
Third year for this 
shrub and its
starting to look
 beautiful!!

Poppies coming up. 
I don't think
they will bloom 
this year. My
sister-in-law gave some 
seeds to
me last fall. Not sure
 what kind they are

I've started a new bed
 in the front of the
house this year. The
 azaleas in the back
didn't do well - 
so I moved 2 here and
bought a new one
 as well. This is
Encore Autumn Bell

Sky Spirit Iris
All the iris are getting
larger and more
 spectacular looking in large
clumps of one color.

Hosta

I planted a geranium in a
tree stump - so far so good

Double Red Knockouts that
have survived the disease

Heirloom iris

Spin-off iris

I love all the green with just a little
bit of color mixed in.
This is a surviving single pink Knockout

I've added more of these Purple Oxalis around
the property. They have delicate
pale lavender flowers almost white

In the background is a tomato plant -
it's been unusually cool for this time of year and
I'm just now getting them planted.
Also planted a marigolds, basil and sweet peppers
to try to ward off bugs

This little clematis is still hanging on
It has been a very slow grower

Newly potted caladium

Row of double red Knockouts

I Guess Better Late Than Never

It's been a while since I've posted on this blog. My quilt business has kept me out of the garden but now that it has slowed down I have a little time to post. These are LAST years photos. A lot has happened to the garden since then. It has become wild and untamed! Where to start....I am letting one rose/iris bed go as our tree has gotten larger and the spot is now mostly shade. I'm putting grass back in but keeping the part that still has full sun. I'm debating on whether or not to dig up the rose stumps from all the Knockout Roses as they all have Rose Rosetta disease (Witches Broom) and will never recover.  We did cut them down to the ground last spring and they all bloomed their heads off for one good show, but then they became ugly with the disease again. I've moved a lot of the iris and daylilies that were in the bed under the tree. I must say - this was the best year so far for the daylilies. They bloomed all summer and into September.

These Knockouts so far have not been affected by the disease 

Knockout with the disease that was cut down to the ground - it had this one good show

Another Knockout with the disease

This one is new to the garden - when it first opens it's
very dark in color but turns to a chocolate brown

Navajo Princess. One of my favorites and it bloomed all the way up into September

This is the new dark one that has lightened up to a lighter brown

Savannah Debutante is a double daylily

This one is always one of the last to bloom.