How Does Your Garden Grow?

We bought our home 3 1/2 years ago from a wonderful couple who built it themselves. Around us, there are a lot of people who build their own homes, but I know from living in other states that it is not a common occurrence these days. We often joke that we bought the land and the house came with it. Why? Because it is just beautiful out here.   The previous owners created the most beautiful gardens.They are definitely not in as good of shape as they were the day we moved in, but I’m working on it a little at a time. It’s still quite lovely though. I need to thin things out a bit, as it has become a little overgrown. But the bees don’t complain, and the birds seem happy.

So, come take a walk in my gardens with me.

This is one of my favorite garden spots. It leads from the side of the house to our new terraced gardens.

I’ll tell you about them in another post because they’re still a work in progress.

The stone path leading to the front of our home is another favorite. Someday I’d like to build an arbor and plant some climbing roses.

This is the first garden area you can see from the front windows of our home. The weeping cherry tree just finished blooming. I wish I had a picture to show you, it was covered in beautiful pink blossoms. There’s a small fern-leaf japanese maple hiding in there. It’s hard to see right now, but in the early spring, before the other plants have leafed out, it’s a focal point of the garden.

The next garden out from the house is the first you see when you pull into our driveway. It has more of a wildflower look. Right now the lupines are blooming. Soon it will be the irises.

This is the garden on the road side of the driveway. This is the one that I think showcases the planning that went into the gardens. In the early spring, this garden bed is a sea of daffodils. Waves of yellow everywhere you look. Then in late spring it becomes a wave of blue. Then the poppies and roses bloom, dotting the waves with pink, white and red. I so wish I could capture it for you on my camera. But take my word for it, it is just beautiful.

Here are some of the shrubs that are flowering right now.

A bee is enjoying this late blooming lilac. It smells heavenly, and I have a vase of lilac flowers on my table to enjoy even now at the beginning of June.

I’m not 100% positive, but I’m pretty certain this is a spirea, but I’m not sure which one. It’s so very pretty, and the bees enjoy this one a lot.

I’ve never been a big fan of rhododendrons, so I’m very glad there were some already here, otherwise I would have completely missed out on the beautiful purple blossoms in the late spring. These rhododendrons are huge.

We have several azalea shrubs including this pink one.

I don’t know what this one is. I thought it was a honeysuckle, but it doesn’t taste like one. Do you know?

EDIT: The previous owners told me it’s called a Beauty Bush. So lovely!

I love Bleeding Hearts. They always make me think of my Grandma.

Did you know that there is a wild bleeding heart? I didn’t until I moved here. They’re lovely.

Tucked in among the other flowers are lots and lots of another of my favorites – Forget-Me-Nots

I was told that the previous owner belonged to an iris gardening group. There are definitely a lot of irises that I’ve never seen before. The irises are just beginning to bloom. This lovely pink iris greets me by the kitchen door.

The Dutch Irises are starting to bloom.

Look at this beautiful purple and white iris. Stunning.

The Mountain Bluet is another flower loved by the bees. And since bees seem to be running short these days, I’m glad we have lots of flowers they can enjoy.

There are several colors of columbine. This purple one is a beauty.

And this lovely pink one is tucked away in the front garden. So pretty.

Lupines don’t only come in the purplish-blue they’re famous for. We also have pink and white.

There are several different types of peonies. Those that are getting ready to bloom.

Those that are blooming.

And those that have just finished blooming. All beautiful.

The poppies are preparing to show their lovely flowers.

So are the Rugosa Roses.

Dame’s Rocket is a favorite for the butterflies.

We also have several different types of shrubs showing promise of a bountiful harvest and lots of canning and freezing.

Our raspberries.

The strawberries, if I can keep the birds away.

Grapevines we planted just last year.

And the highbush blueberries that can barely make it into the house before they’re all eaten.

This is what my garden looks like today. Next week it will be a little different. In a month it will be completely different. I do love it here. Thank you for coming for a garden walk with me. I enjoyed our visit.

What flower was your favorite?

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Jennifer Rizzo’s Garden Tour