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Monday, July 9, 2012

Greetings from the Garden

Hello from LuLu…

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…and Wally.

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The lawn area looking south…

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…and looking north.  Blooming in the foreground is a lace cap hydrangea.  In the middle distance is a butterfly bush, and beyond that is a purple smoke tree.  Daylilies edge the lawn.  They’re just starting to bloom.

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LuLu in the front walk.

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Finally the stairs are not looking quite so raw.  Lady’s Mantle spills onto them and Creeping Jenny is working its way across.

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Much of the reworked garden is still in its awkward years, waiting for the shrubs to fill out.  Knowing how large hydrangeas and azaleas will get, for instance, I’ve left plenty of room for them to grow.   My eyes see it as it will eventually look, but the camera sees it in the here and now.  Today’s photos are of areas with more mature growth.  It’s so hard to wait for the rest of the garden to come around, as well.

Our sun is in and out, but at least there’s no rain in the forecast.  Most likely our prettiest days will come while I’m at work, but lunch on the sunny deck will be nice.  Maybe, just maybe Rich will finally be able to refinish the decks.  Hoping…  Have a beautiful day!

28 comments:

  1. Your garden is coming right along. Everything is dead or dying here at my corner of the world! 100 degree days and no rain has everything looking pretty raggedy. Even the trees have burned leaves and the grass is history. Lovely pictures and I have enjoyed them!

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  2. Leslie, your gardens are beautiful. We are in year 3 of our newly landscape yard and what a difference each year makes. Great pictures of your babies as well! :)

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  3. It's so much fun seeing your photos of your lush and gorgeous garden, now, after seeing it for real. Love that huge butterfly bush. You amaze me that you know all of the names of the plants. My tiny little garden needs a complete overhaul. It's so totally out of control. It rained here yesterday, really rained hard, and boy did we ever need it. I don't know if it was able to help out the parched corn fields or not but I know my yard loved it.

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  4. Wow! I'd love to stroll through your gardens with Lulu and Wally. Such serenity and beauty!

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  5. Your garden is beautiful!! It must give you a great sense of satisfaction to see your hard work come to fruition!

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  6. Leslie, Your home looks like the place I'd love to retire to. You have beautiful gardens and gorgeous 'kids'. We are in year one of our garden. Most everything was removed and new planted. We're trying to find things the deer won't eat. Seems the tags on plants aren't always correct. The deer now will eat just about anything!

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  7. Such a Beautiful garden you have, seeing all that lush green looks terrific, here it has been so dry that the grass is turning brown and my poor violets have gotten too burnt from the sun and have died :( But thank goodness we did get some rain on Saturday night so the garden was able to get some much needed drink.

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  8. Gorgeous gardens, so fun to see yours as mine are huge, a huge mess, everything is a dried up and we have worn ourselves out watering, I am in the process of cutting it all down, and looks like next year I will have to start over....but seeing yours gives me hope again...thanks for sharing...oh and we have NO rain in the forecast again this week..ugh!!

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  9. Francie (Montreal)July 9, 2012 at 6:31 AM

    I'd like to come and live with you and the family. I wouldn't be any trouble and would help with the pups & garden. Of course, I'd chip in with the expenses. My husband might object if I move, but maybe I could bring him too. Just kidding. Your garden looks like it comes from a magazine layout. Beautiful! And Wally & LuLu are precious, as usual. Have a grrrreat week!

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  10. Your garden in gorgeous! This is the way I'd like my yard to look someday - organized, but random; if that makes sense. Such sweet photos of the "kids." TFS

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  11. Your garden is looking lovely Leslie and the kiddies certainly are enjoying it. Thanks for your lovely comments on my blog. Take care, and hope for some more sunshine for you.Ursula

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  12. So beautiful, Leslie! It's great that you so love to work in your yard, and it shows! Neither of us likes to work outside, but our yard requires it. It sure could use your touch:) We have tons of day lilies and they started blooming almost a month ago - about a month early. Our weather has been hot, and we are hoping for some rain. Thanks for sharing the pictures of your "goldens and garden."

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  13. leslie, Gorgeous as always. Isn't fun how our gardens have transformed from new to mature and now you are into a new period again. Shows us how our friendship has matured from just our gardening friendship to our gardening and stamping friendship. I am anxiously waiting for our next phase......adding retirement to our friendship :-) Love to you, Rich and your adorable Wally and Lulu...TFS

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  14. Such beautiful pictures of your yard. I love everything you have planted...heck I love all flowers. I do have to say that I think that is the biggest butterfly bush I have ever seen. :)

    Hugs,
    Heather

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  15. Your garden looks perfectly gorgeous Leslie. So pretty and private too with all the lovely shrubs and trees around. Your pups as usual are of course, beautiful.
    Thanks for showing us around your garden.

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  16. Wowie Miss Leslie! Your Garden sure looks Wonderful to me! would love to have one even half as lush and serene! Wow! 8-) And your two little Garden Angels on patrol are a huge bonus too, lol 8-) Thanks for sharing such lovely pics with us! 8-)

    Hugs
    Shannon

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  17. Wow!!! This is what I call a serenity garden. Just beautiful....how I would love to just sit @ that picnic table & take in all the gorgeousness!!! And to have those sweet little tour guides to show me around, well could life get more perfect? All the time & effort you & your hubby put into creating this haven is well worth it. Leslie, thanks for sharing. Which reminds me, time to go water the crispy crunchies in our yard!!!

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  18. Talk about a garden heaven. Leslie it is looking beautiful! Keep that green thumb going girl.

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  19. Wowww, your gardens are GORGEOUS, Leslie! I'm especially loving those steps!!

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  20. Your garden is just so lush & beautiful I don't think I would ever go inside! It looks like a little piece of heaven just fell. Especially with Lulu & Wally bouncing around in it!

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  21. I know what you mean about the awkward years that the plants have to go through until they fill out, Leslie, but all I see here is Paradise! Really!

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    Replies
    1. So sorry I really messed up on some spelling! Your garden is so gorgeous and the puppies make it even more lovely!

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  23. Very lush looking garden. Love the Butterfly Bush.
    Walla and Lulu sure look at home and peaceful in the gardens.

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  24. What beautiful photos of your gardens and pets -- you have such a natural green thumb -- I wish you could send some of that my way -- I try, but my oh my, I just don't have the touch -- LOL! Lovely, lovely spaces you have created!

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  25. Hello Lulu and Wally. What a beautiful garden you both have to play in. Leslie, thanks so much for sharing these beautiful photos. I really enjoy looking at the progress of your garden. Beautiful green grass and gorgeous shrubs.

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  26. This is gorgeous. Thank you SO much for sharing. You are giving me (and my PG) a much clearer picture of what I want to do to the back of my property. It's all coming together, Leslie. I'm loving it!!!

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  27. Francie (Montreal)July 17, 2012 at 8:47 AM

    Ooooh! More material for "Better Homes & Gardens". The pups are looking marvelous as always. I don't think they know what a bad mood is. Thx for sharing with us. It's a treat.

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