After I took the picture of my Frog Prince standing in an enchanted forest of Wandering Jew in my blog “Charcuterie Charm” Richard and I both realized the plant had wandered way past it’s confine’s; it had overtaken the flower bed, tumbled over the brick wall, and begun a march across the patio. Richard cleared out all the “wandering nomads” then he reworked, leveled, and widened the old pathway that leads to our greenhouse. The greenhouse is tucked away on the side of our house, nestled under the boughs of a Cherry Laurel.
We’ve always used the greenhouse for storage and to house an occasional winter resident or two (an Areca Palm and some hanging plants) but since we’ve lived here, it has never been “user friendly” or very functional … until my sweet hubby remodeled the whole greenhouse and turned it into my “greenhouse dream come true.”
Now, the greenhouse has wide cedar doors that swing open on black hinges, cedar sides and a new clear greenhouse roof that rain merrily patters and plays on.
Inside the greenhouse is cozy and “crunchy” with a pea gravel floor and smells wonderfully of cedar, cut grass, and earthy things. There are rows of shelves for bedding plants, hangers for trowels and garden gloves, and a little garden desk that Richard built “just for me.” ❤
The pathway Richard widened and re-lay from the greenhouse goes past new, curvy landscape beds …
… a bench my sister painted at the base of a large Oak tree
… and past the elevated landscape bed the Wandering Jew had taken over. Now, the only thing in this freshly mulched bed is a Cherry Laurel and a hedge of Richard Harland Boxwood’s that I planted 27 years ago. I bet you can guess why I picked that variety! (;
The pathway continues and meanders around the birdbath
… to the patio below.
View from the lower patio … I filled the flower bed beneath the birdbath with these perky impatiens.(It’s the only thing my dear husband and private medic would “allow me” to do, afraid I’d overdue.) Soon, the flowers will spill over the edges of the bed and tumble out onto the pathway.
Up a slight incline past the new landscape beds and our “upper” seating area on the left … then on toward the greenhouse.
Patio lights glowing in the twilight
I love and cultivate the moss that grows around our cottage. When Richard was working on the path, he sweetly scraped off the moss that had grown on the old pathway, so I could replant it. I smooshed the moss down into the cracks and crevices, and along the sides of the pathway so it would look natural.
I am already having fun pondering what to do with the upper seating area and I am happily anticipating “decorating” my greenhouse and filling my new fluffed and waiting “beds.” I’ve ordered some Autumn Ember Encore Azaleas to plant around the Ash Tree and the earliest expected delivery date for their arrival is June 1st. I’m also envisioning some Red Rover Heucherella and would love to tuck in some Brilliance Autumn Fern Dryopteris, but haven’t found any on-line, yet! Look for more pictures, later!
Spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm.
John Muir
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From my cottage to yours ~ Trenda
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“Whiskers” (a Great Blue Heron) a long time resident at Cottage Green strolls each morning and evening along our retaining wall and dock. A few evenings ago Richard and I were sitting outside watching Whiskers as he stood poised, watching intently the water below. Suddenly, we saw his neck straighten as he nimbly struck at a passing fish. When he straightened back up, he had a 5-6 inch perch, “shis-ka-bobbed” on his beak … “bon appétit! (:
Cottage Green on the Lake 