Sherry's photos of her Michigan garden are exquisite. Stop in for a brief tour!
"My phone is filled with pictures of my loved ones, my family, the cats I rescue and my favorite baby, my garden. Like all proud momma's I thought I would share a few photos. My husband and I lived for 25 years, in a wonderful 1920s tudor that was a family home for 2 generations. We moved in 2006 to provide a home where we did not have as many stairs or as much house maintenance. I was sad to leave behind my garden of 25 years and yet excited to start a new one on a new construction site.
I started this garden in 2010 with my front courtyard with a vase fountain, climbing hydrangeas, adding a back seating area garden also with a seating bench and a fountain the patio area of that seating are just glows with a planting of all gold Japanese forest grass and purple fountain beech. Then in 2012 I added a garden shed, with covered dining and solar panels to offset my footprint and added a custom trellis to handle my espalier apples. Now I am filling in with edibles like beautiful raspberry shortcake bushes that look great in the landscape, Strawberries, and other edibles. Living in Michigan I am very fond of conifers and have found myself adding more every year.
I love Fine Gardening and Tauton Press resources and I hope you love the ideas I gained from your publications."
Thank you,
Sherry
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Comments
Beautiful garden and great photos. I particularly like your borders and splashes of color.
Sherry, I am so impressed with how mature and filled in your garden is after only 5 years. Your plants are already comfortably rubbing shoulders and bringing out the best in each other. Your generous sweep of Japanese Forest grass evoked a sigh of envy ( "maybe someday", I whisper to myself) and the plant combos around your fountain are lovely. Congratulations on making your new place such a wonderful reflection of someone who loves gardening. Ha, I know that if I happened to find your phone and check photos (not that I'd really be that rudely nosey), I would feel we had a lot in common!
Beautiful Sherry! Only 5 years? No way!
I have to echo the sentiment of 'only five years?". I think I what I love most about what I see is that there is a formality and structure to your garden, but it is not stiff, rigid or uncomfortable. You've struck quite a balance. Your photos are lovely, too. Love the siberian iris and I am super-crazy about that garden art. To me, it is such a great, permanent representation of a fern crozier!
Having been a voracious reader all my life, I don't usually have to look up words any more except for the newly-minted ones, but you got me with crozier, Tim! Of course I knew what it meant from the context, but was curious to see the formal definition. You never know what you might learn from fellow gardeners!
It's a super spiffy word, isn't it? Not too often that you can pull it out of your hat, though! :)
Yes, I could probably use it as the titile for a few photos I took when I was concentrating on ferns. But it is not quite a substitute for fiddleheads. I don't think I would ask the grocer for fern croziers,
And honestly, 'fiddleheads' is much more delightful when it rolls off the tongue!
Ha, between the two of you, May and Tim, I had to go definition looking up myself.
Sherry, your tidy gardens put mine to shame! Since your boxwoods appear so healthy and happy, will you share your feeding secrets? Diane
Espoma Holly Tone generously in the spring. RE-apply lightly once a month or so ,,nothing after July. Lots of water going into help prevent winter burn. I do peel back mulch and top dress compost through a lot of the beds, so they get some support from that too.
Great job. I quite like your garden shed also- great idea to add the seating area and solar panels. And those ferns- gorgeous!
What a lovely scene to wake up to this morning. Beautiful. Sherry. I second the comments below: only 5 years? Boxwood secrets? Amazing!
Though it must have been very hard to leave your old home and garden, you have made the most of your new location. Sherry, I love that you are planting apple trees and other edibles in spite of the smaller area. Combining those with easy to maintain shrubs and trees provides food for both stomach and eyes. Your garden house is far too grand to be called a shed. Are the solar panels providing a lot of the power you use?
Being SE Michigan not a lot of net metering benefit now in the winter. Great solar production spring and fall. The average over the year is probably about 35-40% coverage of our total electrical needs.
That sounds good to me.
Sherry, your gardens are a study in form and foliage. Any landscape instructor would have the easiest time explaining the reason for texture and shape differences in a design to her students if they took a field trip to your home... all they would have to do is look around and they would immediately understand! Beautiful!
Thank you all for the kind and encouraging words...makes me blush :)
Glorious !!!!!!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH
Very nice landscape!! I really like your shed too.
Marvelous, Sherry. Looks like you put all your knowledge and new inspiration to work in your 'clean slate' with great success. Bet you can't wait till spring to add more. Love your use of conifers and the flowing structure to your beds.
Beautiful photos, Sherry. I have to echo the others here that this garden looks very mature for 5 years. Your Forest grass is enviable since just when mine gets going, the rabbits decide to snack on it and overnight, poof! It's encouraged me to switch to Carex Everillo. None of the animals like it and it still looks good in the winter. Love your ferns and I'm definitely going to try that variety. We recently also left our mature garden to establish a new one and like you, have found it rather invigorating. A great time to try out new plants!
I am Late viewing your garden, but now that I am here must tell you that this is a gift for we are facing a similar decision re house and garden of many years. The way you have dealt with and embraced the challenge is a valuable lesson for me and for many others,maybe. What you have achieved is amazing, beautifully planned and well executed and maintained. I really like the elements that you have incorporated, including your "shed"! Many thanks for this and happy gardening to you.
All so gorgeous. Love love that Montgomery Spruce. So eye catching with the right back drop.
Fabulous garden and fantastic job! That overview shot of the fountain is simply divine.
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