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Taking Shape

May 2nd, 2018

I’ve been slowly working on smothering all the perennial weeds under the old apple tree out front. It’s take a few years of mulching with cardboard and grass clipping, but it’s finally in good enough shape to start thinking about the final garden that will evolve in that space.

After looking at it for the past few years, this spring I noticed that since it’s right outside the front of the house, we see it all the time when we walk by. This time of year in particular, we notice the tiny scillas that bloom there. That’s when it dawned on me, this space would be a fabulous spring garden.

I started moving snowdrops from another bed, I’ll plant a few small tulips and daffodils this fall. When those die back, it will pretty much be left as is, except for the various boxwood I planted underneath that will be pruned into spheres.


I may make a few cement spheres to go under here as well. The focus will definitely be in the spring, when we can notice it and really enjoy the beauty of the new season.

Do you have any great plants to recommend for a spring garden? Do you have any themed garden areas, or areas that a specifically designed for certain seasons?

5 Comments to “Taking Shape”
  1. Nebraska Dave on May 2, 2018 at 5:48 am

    Susy, my Spring garden is right outside the living room windows. There’s are boxwoods That block the foundation and basement windows then the Spring flower garden is in front of the boxwood hedge. I have crocus,, hyacinth, daffodils, and tulips.This year when the Spring plants are finished and foliage dried up I will set containers of flowers on top of the bed for summer flowers. Well, that’s the plan any way. It looks good in my head but reality some times doesn’t look the same.

    Have a great day planning a flower bed under the old apple tree.

    Nebraska Dave

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  2. E in Upstate NY on May 2, 2018 at 2:07 pm

    This is our first spring in this house. Am really surprised that on the entire street, there’s only 1 house with spring bulbs in front, and not that many. And our house isn’t the one with spring bulbs. Well, that’ll be changed come fall, for sure! Back yard, which many years ago was professionally landscaped [has the signs], surprisingly does have blue spring bulbs blooming. As I write this, can’t remember the name.
    Have lots of plans for moving beloved plants from old house to this house this summer. Hope I have the time.

    Reply to E in Upstate NY's comment

    • Susy on May 2, 2018 at 8:43 pm

      I love spring bulbs and wonder why more people don’t plant them, they’re so easy!

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  3. KT on May 2, 2018 at 8:53 pm

    Besides bulbs, there are lots of spring perennials. I have pulmonaria, dog tooth violets, and primrose blooming now. The yellow and blue look really good together!
    Usually I buy the cheap primroses at the grocery store in early spring and (hopefully) keep them alive inside until time to plant. They will come up and bloom the next year.

    Reply to KT's comment

  4. Grannie M on May 2, 2018 at 9:31 pm

    I like Golden Alyssum or Basket of Gold. It is a low growing perennial that blooms in the spring as a mass of tiny golden yellow blooms. The foliage is a silver gray that adds interest the rest of the year.

    Reply to Grannie M's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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