Welcome to the garden! I am truly amazed at what the magic of nature can accomplish in just two and a half months... If you recall, JP and I spent a full day in early May, sowing both clover and poppy seeds across our newly designed, rolling landscape. Little did we know how lush the results would be! For reference, I suggest you take a peek back to my Playing in the Dirt post to see the astonishing before and after images. Now, it's mid July, and a large portion of our front yard is blanketed in a luscious layer of Dutch White Clover. The knoll in the midst is all-a-buzz with the happiest of bees, frolicking in a colorful mound of poppies! So, it seems my vision for a whimsical garden scape is certainly taking its magical shape. Neighbors and passers-by, pause to ponder the amazing transformation on a daily basis and inquire about the process and the plants. We remind them that it's still a work in progress and a learning experience, but we are overjoyed at the results so far! So, I invite you to take a walk with me in the garden...

* I can just imagine that a tiny elf & fairy live here...

* Like morning glories, this sweet poppy mix radiates its best mix of hues in the early morning hours...

* The bees were absolutely drunk-in-love with this gleaming red poppy...

* Take a stroll on a winding path that promises to delight your imagination...

* Captured in time, a bee darts from one poppy to the next...

* Just a peek above, peering down at the colorful knoll...

* Soft, painterly poppies sway in the breeze...

* I noticed this little gem ~ a sweet red poppy, trimmed in white...

* Poppies reach for the rays before a field of lush green clover...

* A sweet bee savors the delicacies of this pink poppy...

* Brilliant red poppies add a festive punch to the mix...

* A pair of bees with that glassy-eyed look of love...

* A sweet knoll of poppies adds a touch of whimsy to our landscape while clumps of clover create a whimsical backdrop. Once upon a time, this was a crusty old driveway infested with cracks and weeds...

* The clover fields are polka-dotted in red as we have noticed how much the ladybugs like this new habitat...

* Clover now sprawls and spills over the rocky borders that we painstakingly placed early this year...

* A pebble path snakes around and accentuates all the green...

* And the clover is now starting to flower ~ as a result, the bees are jubilent!

* A dreamy zoom on a clover bloom...

* I recall being quite concerned that my efforts to sow the clover seed had fallen short as there were so many barren patches of earth with no seedlings emerging. Again, this is another reminder that with patience comes reward, and worrying will get you nowhere! :)

* Another ladybug dangles from a clover leaf...

* Slowly but surely, this garden is taking shape...

* Once barren berms of clay soil are now completely covered in mounding masses of clover! Off in the distance, JP has rigged a 3-story scaffolding configuration which allows him more play on the house, attic and siding...

OK, I admit it's been a while since I have posted to my blog. Although it seems that I have been missing in action, let me just explain where the action has been taking place. As April rolled in, the weather warmed, unseasonably, and JP and I jumped at the opportunity to work on the necessary irrigation aspect of our "new" frontyard. Since September of 2010, our property has undergone a major transformation, and it has been a rather daunting task. With the exception of a few older trees, really nothing remains the same. Due to an old leaky basement, we dug below basement level, added rooms and waterproofed our old 1939 cottage. Then, we started from scratch with a yard that looked more like a debris field. Today, it is starting to take shape, and there is hope for that storybook setting that I want to manifest around our home. I snapped several photos last month of the soaker hose configuration, or topo-style art that JP and I created. It has since been buried, and we just seeded with clover last week! So, stay tuned for more photos to come. Tiny little seedlings are bursting through the soil everywhere we look, so the excitement level and satisfaction factor are kicking in! This has been a labor of love, and we only hope that it gets better and better...... The front porch, insulation and siding are next on the to-do list! For now, enjoy a few BEFORE & AFTER photos and more pictured below!

* JP stands off in the distance admiring our maze of twisting soaker hoses, strategically placed across the front berms. Take a peek below at an image from the same vantage point, about 20 months earlier...

* The serious transforming began in the fall of 2010 when we dug around the front 3 sides of our house below basement level, in order to waterproof, add french drains, and create additional basement spaces...

* Today, this is our "knoll" which I just seeded with a delicate poppy mix. I am still looking for the perfect small specimen tree to mark its center. Pictured below is the same scene 20 months earlier...

* EEEK! This was a day of chaos as I recall... The yard was a muddy debris field of asphalt, sand, dirt and rock. It was very difficult to visualize the berms, the knoll, and the paths, while keeping in mind the proper run-off grades and placement of french drains. It was a MESS, but we are now BEYOND that, much to our relief!...

* Currently, this is the view from the corner of our lot looking toward our garage. It's difficult to imagine that this was once an old crusty driveway, full of weeds and broken asphalt. No longer can wild drivers use our yard as a short-cut to avoid the stop sign! Now, they would have to go 4-wheeling....and they better not!....

* Well, there's that old crusty driveway before we started the big dig! It left much to be desired, and now it's a joy to see the possibilities come to life. Today, it's looking more like a rolling park!

* Here, JP is absorbed in the complicated maze of soaker hoses...

* And this looks like art to me!

* It's rather odd to go from a flat landscape to a slightly mountainous terrain. You become one with the dirt, and your appreciation for the soil awakens...

* The soaker hoses will keep the berms moist and will promote healthy growth for our new trees, future perennials and the clover plants that will soon emerge to add green and retain the soil.

* We placed an irrigation valve box close to the path for easy access. Eventually, I will plant something to disguise it a bit!

* The soaker hoses wrap around toward the front path, weaving in between a trio of newly planted evergreen trees...

* JP strikes a pose next to the main supply line...

* Above, you can see a wee bit of the hose submerged and covered with mulch. Crawling around on all fours, we gradually covered every inch of that hose, protecting it from the intense heat of the sun. Then we added jute mesh to the slopes, more soil / compost mix and prepared it for the clover seed. Seedlings are poking up everywhere, and now we must keep them moist. What a chore!

So, that explains why I have been missing in action. The projects have required teamwork to get the job done, so JP and I have been spending many a day, playing in the dirt. As we live at the corner of two streets with one being rather busy, we have had plenty of "traffic". Folks drive by, slow down, give us the thumb's up, cheer us on, ask questions, want tours, take photos, bring us food, and the list goes on! I never expected ALL the attention :) We are overwhelmed by the favorable response from neighbors and even folks that don't live in the hood. What will they think when it's all done?!!!..... There is still plenty yet slated in order to complete the picture, so stay tuned.

And, yes I am back to the workshop this month as my folk art is calling....... Of course, the dirt is calling too... :)

~ Johanna