So…it started out with me just wanting to pull out some wild onions and trim back the Confederate Jasmine on the fence.
Then I found some kind of Jumanji vine growing into/onto everything! Had to pull that out.
There were also several small volunteer trees besides the crazy thick vine. I have to say I hadn’t been in this corner to really weed or anything in a year or so. Lesson learned – keep up with garden maintenance!
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I dug up this old partially dead Hydrangea. Which I never liked very much anyway and I LOVE Hydrangeas. I have lots and lots of them. But this one was super fussy. I always had to cover it when we had a frost and I never had to do that for any of my others. So good riddance!
It took me two days to dig up that thing!
I planted another Endless Hydrangea to take it’s place. If you’re not familiar with that variety – they bloom on old AND new wood so you get blooms all season long!
Now it’s 5 days later…in the spring the Azaleas are in bloom with some Daffodils (they’re already done).
Then in the summer there will be beautiful blue Hydrangea blooms along the back fence with the tall Pee Gee Hydrangea next to them (behind the lavender Azalea).
Here’s a close up of the little grouping under the mirror.
This is one of obelisks I got at Goodwill (thank you to those who suggested WD40 – that did the trick in separating them). I painted it blue. The bottom is broken on that pot but it’s still useful in the garden. It has a Hosta planted in it.
My husband said “WHAT is that thing?” LOL! That’s a cherub holding a urn. It’s been laying under the Confederate Jasmine for about 8 years! I uncovered it when I was cutting back the Jasmine. I placed it here for the time being but I think a gazing ball would be nice instead (I see a trip to Hobby Lobby in my future)!
Do you use mirrors in your garden? I have several of them here and there. I had a larger, full length, frameless one here before but people always used to scare themselves seeing their reflections LOL! I guess since it was unexpected it startled them. So I thought I’d hang a smaller one that you could really see. I think it’ll look really pretty once the Hydrangeas bloom.
I’m not done here. I still have to replace some rock in between the pavers, I want to add a few more flowers in the front and I have to edge and mulch .
But I’ve been working on this area so hard the past week that I just couldn’t wait to show you!
So that’s some of what’s been keeping me busy. I also continued painting my picket fence and planted a bunch of veggies but that’s for another post! What’s been keeping you busy?
Your garden is beautiful, but it makes me tired…all that work. Then, I think about all that great exercise without "exercising."
What a beautiful garden you have! Thank you for the tip on the endless blooming hydrangea. We too just moved one from the front of our home because of its appearance.
Enjoy relaxing in all your beauty ~
Jo
Hi Manuela! Your garden is so pretty! I love hydrangeas, too, but was not familiar with the endless variety…thanks! Since it doesn't look like we are having any more frost, I think mine are going to be really pretty this year…especially my lacecap! Happy week!…hugs…Debbie
You have been a busy lady–but it was worth it. Your garden is wonderful. I like how you have "groupings" throughout your garden. So interesting.
Enjoy the fruits (and veggies) or your labor.
I was doing the same thing as you last week and on the weekend…I have about half of the garden left to do and than start all over with pulling the weeds that love to keep popping up. I too use mirrors. Love them.
You have a very pretty yard. Now I know what I'm going to do with one of my pots.
Wow, all your hard work paid off your garden and yard are beautiful! I love the idea of using the mirror and the bright fun color really makes it pop!
What a beautiful garden you have!
And thank you for mentioning the hydrangeas that bloom on old and new wood. The ones I have are not like that. And last year I need to trim mine back. Finally it has some green leaves and will begin blooming in a month or so.
I laughed about the fright people had when they caught their reflection in the mirrors. :o) Mockingbirds here will fight with their reflection. Whether it is your mirror on your car, or a window in your house (my cats go nuts when the birds attack the windows).
Have a nice day.
Sincerely ~ Trish
* please drop by, I am having a little give a way *
What a beautiful garden! I am in a brand new home this year, so we will be starting our garden from scratch. While I'm planning ours out I can look at yours and dream!
Everything is looking so lovely! I just had to dig up three hydrangeas also and replaced the area with new rose bushes. I'm a bit nervous because I don't see any growth yet on the bareroot roses. My neighbors must think I've gone nuts, as I'm out there a couple times a day bending down examining each bush to spot some growth! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Your garden is fabulous, Manuela! What a gorgeous spot in the world you have…love the mirror idea! I need to check out the "endless hydrangea"–haven't heard of that one!
Hope you're having a beautiful Monday!
Beautiful!!! This is the first time I've lived with plenty of shade to grow hydrangeas. I bought a bunch of the Endless Summer…& can't wait for them to bloom!
I really like the blue on your metal items? Do you mind sharing the color?
Thanks!
Love your azaleas. They look wonderful in a formal garden as well as in a cottage style garden. I used to grow them when I lived in the south but can't up here in the north.
Lucky you to find those cute obelisks.
Marnie
Hi Manuela 🙂
Your garden is wonderful…so, so pretty! I really enjoyed your pictures 🙂
Also, I love your little bench and pavers…how nice!
The same as you: clearing brush, dragging, stacking, raking. And dreaming and planning the next phase of my garden.
Your garden looks so lovely. Thanks for all the tips and good ideas.
Ooo-la-la and OO0-Rah for you…Way to tackle those hard jobs with sweat and elbows working…whew…I did some of that too! It felt good and the end results sure do make me smile…
for you too, yes??? Everything is beautiful. Love your yard Manuela! When people see others' pretty yards and homes, it inspires them to go work on theirs! Thanks for the inspiration and all you share with us out here! Always enjoy visiting here. Hugs! Julie
We just returned home from a vacation. We did alot of work in our garden before we left and will now work to maintain it and to hopefully soon plant our raised beds….my peonies are going to be gorgeous this year! They always are!
Your yard is just gorgeous. I love all of your plants and the little bench is such a wonderful place to sit and rest a while. You have really been working hard and your yard shows it. Beautiful. Hugs, Marty
I am dieing for that kind of strength to return to my body! WOW…you have been so busy and working so hard…it looks fantastic! Now, go enjoy it! Come say hi 😀
It's beautiful! Yards are a lot of work and you have done a great job.
Can you come to my house? LOL!
Isn't it amazing how time consuming a yard can be, getting it back in shape after the winter. Yet, that same project is so satisfying.
Your yard is beautiful. I love mature yards.
Your gardens are looking so pretty Manuela. All the hard work is worth it in the end. We have been working out in our yard as well. It's a good thing we accomplished so much last week because it looks as if it is going to rain all of this week!
Have a great one!
Jen
What a difference you've made, it makes it all worthwhile doesn't it? Been doing much the same here too, but aches and pains are keeping me in today!
Thank you for making such sweet comments on my blog – I love it when you visit. :o)
You have been working hard! Your plants look gorgeous, the garden is just glowing! I love it all !
Cindy
Beautiful garden! I'm afraid the deer would eat all of my pretty flowers! We need to replace our Gardenias since they are diseased with something else. Hydrangeas would be pretty!
You have been busy, and everything looks neat and pretty.
Hey! I've been outside some too planting my planters & baskets. Garden maintenance is never ending, huh? My hubby has planted even more veggies this year, so we hope to have a bountiful crop too. Your garden looks beautiful, you do a great job out there! Love those Endless Summers, I need more, since I only have one of them.
Manuela, All your efforts have paid off, the corner looks great! Looks like a nice place to sit and reflect, no pun intended. I bought 4 varieties of hydrangeas while I was in TN, still have to get them in the ground. Hope you post some pictures later of your hydrangeas. Happy gardening, Marla
I could spend a few hours sitting and reading in your garden….it is lovely!
I have not used mirrors outside at all…but then all of my flower beds are either along the house or have no fencing. Longwood Gardens uses mirrors very well to make the narrow beds on the outside walls of the Conservatory seem more full and larger.
Becky K.
Hi Manuela. Looks really great. Sorry I haven't been around, but you know I have been very busy lately. I just wanted to wish you a great week ahead. We too (hubby and I) spent the weekend out in back in our rose gardens. Awesome scents out there. Take care. I love your garden.
You have been a busy girl. Beautiful. I love the idea of mirrors but it is tooo rainiy here xoxoxo Clarice
Hmmm, you use a mirror outdoors? No, I promise I won't steal that idea…this summer. Your garden is exquisite and can I say that I admire any gal who can toss a plant that just isn't holding its own?! I strive and I strive and it frustrates me and I wind up hating the thing, but it's still alive and oh dear. You see what I mean.
Your garden is beautiful, Manuela! I haven't even gotten into my back beds yet, but I have completed the front {until I can plant some flowers anyway}. I have a mirror in my back yard, too, and funny thing is that I always scare myself when I weed back there! I kept it though; I think I saw it needs to be fixed a bit. It was a dresser mirror someone put out in their garbage one year and I snatched it up just for my garden.
Beautiful garden! Thsnks for the inspiration!
Your garden looks so lovely Manuela! I love springtime in the garden!
Blessings!
~Nadine
I'm so glad that you shared your garden with us as it is beautiful. Not to mention I picked up some great ideas. I have a black obelisk that just might need to be painted another color 🙂
Love your mirror idea too. I think it will look stunning when the hydrangeas bloom. I have 10 hydrangea plants in my yard. 3 of them are the endless variety. Love them all.
Enjoy your gardening time.
I love hydrageas too. I have several. Up here they lose their leaves in the winter. Mine are just starting to leaf out a bit. I won't get flowers for a while. Linda
Since I live in an apartment now, I'm reduced to 'gardening' on a little balcony…your beautiful garden (with all the inherent 'pioneer' work) brought back great memories of hacking back many years worth of 12-15 ft high blackberry brambles to create a nice little semi-shade garden, where I used to live…thanks for reviving that little garden walk in my memory banks…
Gorgeous. Mine is definitely a work in progress. We have only been in our house for 8 months, so I need to cut myself some slack and not expect it to be perfect yet.
Looks great! I am not much of a gardener but I love hydrangeas!
BEAUTIFUL! Don't you just love the blooms? I love Spring! Good job or cleaning-up! PAM
Wow, you were busy! We too have been weeding and such in the flower beds…due to the economy, and financial distress at this house, we are not getting to plant any annuals this year, but my perinnals are pretty. Must keep weeding!! You have a very beautiful garden! Keep up the good work!!
The same thing has been keeping me busy. A note: I gave up buying gazing balls from Hobby Lobby. Because they're breakable. I buy the stainless steel ones. You can buy them online. Some nurseries will carry them. Not the chains, but local ones. I love them because I don't have to worry about breakage and I can also let them float in the pond. They're not very expensive either. Now you may not be the klutz I am, so I'll leave it to your judgment!
Brenda
And I've seen bowling balls re-purposed as gazing balls! They were spray painted a bright shiny silver & placed among the flowering plants!
You have one of the most loveliest gardens I've ever seen– I adore your Azaleas! ♥
Jealous of what's been keeping you so busy!
Stunning garden! Lezlee
What a beautiful garden, Manuela~ just gorgeous!
Your garden is beautiful Manuela. I need to get out and work in my yard. It's not my favorite thing, but I do love the results when I am done!
XOOX
Jen
Wow, it definitely sounds like a lot of work! But it looks so wonderful! And I LOVE how you hung the blue-framed mirror on the fence, too! What a fantastic idea! That is something I am going to keep in mind as I work in my garden this year!
I hope you are having a lovely week so far! 🙂
Blessings,
Jenni
What a beautiful area and I love the blue on the mirror and obelisk. it shows up so well!
Your garden is so beautiful, and peaceful looking.
Well, that is a LOT of hard work but it sure is looking great. So graceful!
Barb
Looks really good!
Your garden looks amazing! I love your use of the blue mirror. It's nice to see mirrors used both inside and out. 🙂
I love your backyard Manuela!
Oh Manuela, I wish I was there with you. Your garden and back yard area is just so wonderful. YOu can really tell you have put alot of effort and time into that place because it is sooo beautiful. I love the mirror too…I haven't done that but will have to now!!! So many ideas…I'm lovin' the idea of decorating the patio and garden area!
Blessings,
Debbie
When is the ice tea served?
Hi Manuela! Oh, what a wonderful large garden you have! Well, I know your hard work will pay off when everything will be in full bloom.
Thanks for popping in to see me and I hope you'll come to my party on Friday, May 7th.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia 😉
OMG! It is worse than keeping a house, isn't it? My husband and I keep chipping away at our lawn, and garden. We (he) is still trimming evergreen branches that are all dried and dead. Once it is all complete, it is almost time to put away and clean up for Fall..sigh…
Your garden is lovely, by the way!
You have been busy!!! Looks lovely!
Wow, you have been busy! Isn't it fun starting in a spot, and doing what needs to be done? I keep getting interrupted by rain, cold temps, and other things I need to do. I did get some weeding done today, since lots have popped up.
I love your yard, and the mirror is cool. At first, I thought it was a picture. I'll have to see if I can find a spot for one.
I have to mention the gold framed painting on wood, I have the same one it is from Pierre Duex a french shop in L.A California.
It is the landscaped one under the wall sconce chandelier.
I just love it!!!
Great taste you have.
~Dore~
Manuela everything looks so beautful and lush in your garden.
I do like the use of the mirrors to see more. Very nice idea.
The little spot bot can be used on furniture. That machine is a wonder I tell you what. I highly recommend it.
I am so beyond exhausted today. It's a long story but it was a stressful one and too long. I would not want to do it over. Everything worked out okay though. ~Whew.
~Melissa 🙂
I love your garden and your photos.
Dear Manuela, your garden is so beautiful! The plants on my balcony right now are drying and dying. It's that dusty hot time of year around here that I don't like so much. I adore your little plates with sayings. Cottage of Content — now that sounds divine! Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday! 🙂 Tammy
The garden looks beautiful, Manuela!
I have been working on an area of my yard, and have been wondering what to use under, infront of the seating area. Did you just simply lay the pavers down, or did you do the gravel bit underneath??
Such a beautiful garden!
😉