| Author | Content |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
January 11, 2006
8:27 AM Post #1968808
| This is very much under construction...
[HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com] |
jasmerr
Merrimac, WI
(Zone 4b)
January 11, 2006
11:15 AM Post #1969143
| Stacy,
I love your tour; can't wait to see the stone wall.
Jody |
fireant13
Mascotte, FL
(Zone 9a)
January 11, 2006
6:30 PM Post #1970167
| Stacy,
Your property is breathtaking. I love the pond and Fred.
Nancy |
maggiemoo
Conroe, TX
(Zone 9a)
January 11, 2006
7:35 PM Post #1970331
| How fun to be able to comment on your diary in the forum now! I strolled around when you posted on the thread that requested this forum. What a beautiful piece of property you have, I love that you're letting the pond go back to natural. How cool is that to have a satellite photo of your property?
:-)
|
jmorth
Divernon, IL
(Zone 5b)
January 12, 2006
2:47 AM Post #1971085
| Enjoyed touring your land, having forest so near is really a relaxing feature. I agree with your identification regarding the jewel weed; with so much posion ivy you may need a lot of the 'Touch-me-not' Impatiens capensis to soothe any rashes. Eradicating posion ivy is a monumental task. Thankyou for the oppurtunity to view . |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
January 12, 2006
7:24 AM Post #1971214
| Thanks! We love it here, and I have really enjoyed the process of putting the tour together. I can't wait until spring when all the work I did last year will start to pay off in blooms.
Thanks!!
Jody - I have a pic of the west stone wall somewhere. I'll have to dig it up and get it added. |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
January 12, 2006
8:21 PM Post #1972705
| I worked on this a little this evening, and added a tab for the wildlife that visits. One good thing, if nothing else, that is coming from this project is that I'm being forced to organize my photos a little better. |
jmorth
Divernon, IL
(Zone 5b)
January 12, 2006
8:38 PM Post #1972732
| I too realized a better photo organization after putting together a tour, it commanded a lot of December's leisure time to decide what where... |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
January 12, 2006
8:55 PM Post #1972767
| LOL. I know exactly what you mean. It's taking a lot more time finding the pictures than getting them posted! |
Gwendalou
Langley, WA
(Zone 7b)
January 12, 2006
11:38 PM Post #1973081
| Your place is absolutely gorgeous! And I love that pond. Is it manmade or natural?
Gwendalou |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
January 13, 2006
6:40 AM Post #1973306
| Gwen - Thank you. It's manmade. The people who lived here before put it in. |
Sheila_FW
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
January 14, 2006
9:27 AM Post #1975603
| Awsome property Stacy! The gardens are lovely, as is your home, but I think I am in love with the pond and various wildlife that you have access to. I also like the inserted layout you created, it gives great prospective. Hope to get our efforts posted one day. |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
January 14, 2006
7:59 PM Post #1976938
| Thanks Sheila! We love it here. I have to tell you, my father's side of the family is from Keller and Fort Worth. I haven't been there since my Grandmother passed away, but I still have a lot of relatives there. |
daylily970
Coshocton, OH
(Zone 6a)
January 14, 2006
8:15 PM Post #1976980
| enjoyed your garden. love fred. could i use the idea?
belinda |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
January 15, 2006
6:22 AM Post #1977822
| Of course! Have at it :) |
daylily970
Coshocton, OH
(Zone 6a)
January 15, 2006
10:29 AM Post #1978108
| thanks! |
fireant13
Mascotte, FL
(Zone 9a)
January 15, 2006
12:42 PM Post #1978361
| I like Fred, too. (daylily, you need to open a thread to tour your gardens. I love your pond.) |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
January 15, 2006
2:14 PM Post #1978626
| He keeps me company when no one else will go weed with me :) |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
January 15, 2006
2:16 PM Post #1978631
| He keeps me company when no one else will go weed with me :) |
drdon
Temecula, CA
(Zone 8b)
January 17, 2006
7:58 AM Post #1982468
| I'm still fascinated by that pond...boy, I wish I had a fishin' hole on our property. Very cool indeed. Your tour is marvelous!
best,
don |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
January 17, 2006
8:29 AM Post #1982508
| Thanks don. Skip stocks it with blue gill, bass, and catfish. Bring some worms and come on over! |
drdon
Temecula, CA
(Zone 8b)
January 17, 2006
10:22 AM Post #1982701
| Woohoo! I'm a purist and only use lures or flies, but I'll be right over as soon as I find my electric thermal underwear...lol.
best,
don |
balvenie
Marysville, WA
(Zone 7a)
January 17, 2006
3:44 PM Post #1983331
| Great tour Stacy, and beautiful grounds. Looking forward to further 'trips'. |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
January 22, 2006
4:22 PM Post #1993730
| Went out today and took a few shots. I'll work on getting them added while DH watches the game. |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
January 30, 2006
7:30 PM Post #2011278
| Ok folks - I added a tab called "Problems". The first issue that I need to resolve is the pool pump and filter. It's just plain ugly. You can't see it from the deck, since there are shrubs between it and the house, but you can see if from everywhere else. I'd like to camoflauge it somehow. The problem is this... Skip would prefer not to fence the whole thing in, which was my suggestion, because he messes with it every morning in the summer. An arbor or trellis, maybe?
Thoughts anyone? |
stressbaby
Fulton, MO
January 30, 2006
10:33 PM Post #2011719
| Stacy, I enjoyed the tour.
No doubt about what I would do there. I would widen that bed with the birch, the stump, and the coffee cup...I think you call it Back Bed Sun...and bring it around the pool equipment, concealing it with some shrubs or grasses or even perhaps some tough, taller perennials like Joe Pye weed that would tolerate the moisture when you backwash the pool filter.
SB |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
January 31, 2006
7:37 AM Post #2012439
| Hmmm... Certainly hadn't thought about that. The back side is the sun, and the side closer to the house is shade. I just replanted a good stretch of it last year, so it would be fairly easy to do. I'll have to check the reach of the sprinkler head and see if it would get water. |
balvenie
Marysville, WA
(Zone 7a)
January 31, 2006
11:48 AM Post #2012755
| Why not enclose it in a "folly" of a design compatible with the rest of the structures on the property, or within view. A size and design suitable for storing required tools and materials for maintenance of the pool, or any other items that might be used in that area.( refrigerator, refreshment bar etc) |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
January 31, 2006
4:35 PM Post #2013261
| A bar! Now I just might be able to sell that to my DH!! There is power there, after all
Keep the suggestions coming! |
ViburnumValley
Scott County, KY
(Zone 5b)
January 31, 2006
11:37 PM Post #2014576
| Great assembly of info, Stacy; my cyberhat's off to you. Add a north arrow to your plan views, and you'd make this LA just too happy.
I'll ditto Stressbaby's comment to plant it out. You just haven't named it yet:
Vivacious Viburnum Venture
It'd be the perfect home for all those species and clones you been just a little too timid to try. Plant them 10-20 feet out from the equipment. They'll never get too big to shade the pool, won't crowd the "poolboy" while he's working, add a blast of flower color and fruit, and you can ruminate a while over whether or not you want another structure out there. Fill in between the new young shrubs with the herbaceous season things, and voilà, pas de problème. |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
February 1, 2006
7:11 AM Post #2014792
| lol Viburnum! "Vivacious Viburnum Venture"
I guess a directional indicator might have been helpful. The map, techincally, is upside down. The top is South.
Actually, I did put in a "vivacious viburnum" last year to finish screening the pool equipment from the deck.
|
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
February 14, 2006
9:02 AM Post #2044139
| I've been looking to the options. The sprinkler heads won't cover the area, so if I extend the planting beds I would have to hand water. Granted, it wouldn't be out of the question, but it would certainly add more work. A "folly", though, could work. There is power very near there, so a functional bar would be a possibility. It could aslo help with another seemingly unrelated idea I have. I'd like to convert the back storage shed into a potting shed, which Skip currently uses to store pool items off-season. If he had a shed by the pool, it would free up the other shed for me to convert. |
bigcityal
Menasha, WI
(Zone 5a)
February 19, 2006
12:21 PM Post #2055812
| OK Stacy,I am finally getting all the way thru yours with comments - no order tho
The problem with the pool equipment - is it possible to enlarge the bed and hide it with shrubs. I have wondered how well the columnar holly and barberry are.
I love the lover's lane and woods, kinda of hard to fully tame a woods.
The goose photo is very nice, is your pond deep enough for fish?
Your sun bed sure has it blues and purples - how much sun area do you have to plant with. It seems like you have shade gardens like crazy!
Al
This message was edited Feb 19, 2006 11:36 AM |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
February 19, 2006
6:20 PM Post #2056624
| Answers (also in no particular order).
Yes, the pond is deep enough for fish. It has blue gill, bass, and a few catfish left. We've been trying to get rid of the catfish, so they're not catch and release like everything else. You catch one, you've got your dinner.
You're correct in that most of my beds are at least half shade, many full shade. I get a kick out of the people who say that nothing grows in the shade! I limbed up a few trees to let a little more light in, but otherwise the trees are as I found them. I have very little full sun that is range of the sprinkler system. Oddly enough, when the prior owners put it in, the one area that they didn't cover is where the pool equipment is, so extending the planting bed would mean a lot of handwatering. There is an area on the other side of the pool that has sprinklers that I would eventually like to turn into a sunny bed, but it's about 50 jobs down on my to-do list. In a few more years, maybe.
I love the blues and purples. I have an uncontrolable tic that causes me to stop and buy any blue-blooming plant. I have to intentionally plan to mix other colors in, or the whole place would be the same color or shades thereof. The stretch behind the pool equipment is the area that I was mentioning in the other thread - digging out daylilies galore. I just recovered that and replanted it last year. I'm really looking forward to seeing a break in the bright orange this spring and summer!
Re lovers lane... I don't necessarily want to tame it, but to create a natural looking balance between the natives and plantings. When I cleared out the garlic mustard weed and jewel weed it left large areas open for planting. I put in some lobelia siphilitica, a few hosta, and some bulbs last year, but otherwise everything I planted was moved from the other area of woods - ferns, mayapples, trilliums, and some native geraniums. There were already quite a few trilliums and mayapples back there, but I added more. There's also some jack in the pulpit, and a few other thing I haven't id'd yet. |
sedum37
Westford, MA
(Zone 5b)
February 22, 2006
3:24 PM Post #2063661
| Stacy - just an idea, my sister in law has an inground pool. When she bought the place the filter was exposed like yours. She got a very attractive shed delivered and setup in her yard) and put the filter in the shed. Now she has a place to put all the chemicals, lawn furniture, etc. during winter. Plus it keeps the filter out of the weather to extend it's life. You could get a shed that complements the architecuture of your house. This made a big difference to the appearance around her pool.
Sue |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
February 22, 2006
7:21 PM Post #2064235
| Good idea! That would be much easier than building something!
Thanks Sue :) |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
February 27, 2006
8:27 AM Post #2074718
| I've been playing around a little more - I added some winter shots, my first little hellebore shoot, etc. For a long time, I've been interested in plants in history and literature. I started posting some of what I found, but a lot of what I've made notes on are still pretty messy, so I have a lot of clean up to do before I post more. One plant at a time, I think. |
Demstratt
Lincoln Park, MI
(Zone 5a)
February 27, 2006
8:34 AM Post #2074723
| Hi Stacey I see your busy again,once those blooms come in all we need is a pitcher of margaritas pool side and I'm on my way...You go girl and keep up the good work..!! :o)))
Loretta... |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
February 27, 2006
8:37 AM Post #2074727
| It's not tequila time just yet, but I'm ready! |
Raggedyann
Lawrenceville, GA
(Zone 7b)
February 28, 2006
10:53 AM Post #2077114
| I love the black eyed Susan's with the cattails!!! Those have been two of my faves since I was a little girl. Your property really is breathtaking!
Susan |
corgimom
Clinton, MS
(Zone 8a)
March 9, 2006
5:44 PM Post #2099554
| Stacy, I might just move in and stay !!! Noooo , it is too cold for me up there so I guess I will just have to enjoy your diary! |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
March 9, 2006
7:15 PM Post #2099779
| You can come for the summer - it gets a tad chilly here in the winter! |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
March 20, 2006
7:36 AM Post #2124823
| I've been out puttering every day hoping for green growth. There are little huys peeking through the leaf litter, but that's about it. This time of year is tormenting! I'm more than ready to play outside, but the plants aren't ready for me just yet. |
Demstratt
Lincoln Park, MI
(Zone 5a)
March 20, 2006
11:12 AM Post #2125247
| Stacey puttering around in the gardens is all we can do for now too..But today is the first day of Spring I just wish Mother Nature would listen..!! :o)))
Loretta.. |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
March 20, 2006
7:25 PM Post #2126386
| Yep - Happy Vernal Equinox!!! Now if the plants would just perk up... |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
April 22, 2006
7:54 AM Post #2210631
| I've added a few more shots, now that things are starting to perk up. I'm really looking forward to working on the tour over the spring and summer. I did a lot of planting last year, and more to come this year. |
Demstratt
Lincoln Park, MI
(Zone 5a)
April 22, 2006
10:38 AM Post #2210966
| Great job love your new additions..!! ;o))
Loretta... |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
April 22, 2006
1:28 PM Post #2211251
| Thanks :) I've been having fun with this. I need more plants so I can post more photos lol |
Demstratt
Lincoln Park, MI
(Zone 5a)
April 22, 2006
3:36 PM Post #2211534
| Keep us posted when you get more plants...I'm liken what your doing ..Keep up the good work..!!
Loretta.. |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
April 25, 2006
6:09 PM Post #2220633
| I've been adding pics as spring progesses here. It seems like things change almost every day |
corgimom
Clinton, MS
(Zone 8a)
April 26, 2006
3:09 PM Post #2223869
| Stacy, just looked at all your spring postings . Oh my ! What a lovely place is developing. Let me see, I loved the lovers lane in the snow, the trillium, mayapples,and bloodroot. I even have those 3. I have tried and tried to get bleeding heart to grow for me with no luck - and to see yours just took my breath away.and the baptisia and pulmonaria . Gotta find out if I can grow it here.
Everything looks so wonderful. Do keep us posted . Your hard work has paid off !
Libby |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
April 26, 2006
6:07 PM Post #2224382
| Thank you :) It really is a labor of love. It's great each spring to see the last year's work pay off.
I was out weeding yesterday and found what appears to be the remanants of a shade bed. Several hostas and some sedum tucked back in under overgrown pine trees. I have some limbing up to do, I think.
You should be able to grow bleeding hearts! Maybe they just need more water with your heat? |
3girls
SE PA, PA
(Zone 6b)
June 5, 2006
11:41 AM Post #2354573
| Re: the pool equipment. I think a combination of shed and ramada (thanks, Dr.Don) would be a great complement to your pool. I think it should be fairly substantial and have a distinctive design (Japanese??) I picture a sort of crescent shape starting with the shed to cover the equipment, then some small kitchen stuff--small reefer and sink--then onto a covered (shaded) patio for cooling off when getting too hot in the sun. Rather than tiny, obviously disguising the pool stuff, make this large enough to look very deliberate and curved to follow the lines of the pool. Use wisteria or grape to add to the shade. |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
June 6, 2006
8:10 PM Post #2360014
| Sounds lovely :) The house is a spanish style ranch, so I would go with that rather than japanese, but I know where you're coming from. One concern is that if I go too large or too far out, it might be too much shade. We spend a lot of time relaxing in the shallow end, and we like the sun there. I'd have to test the height, I guess. |
dovey
Columbus, OH
(Zone 5b)
July 5, 2006
10:16 AM Post #2469691
| I totally enjoyed your tour.
What a beautiful setting!
I love your segment "Plant Lores, Histories, and Other Useless Information" I really appreciate the work you put into it. Ovid has been untouched on my bookshelf - I think I'll give him a read.
Dove
|
IrisLover79
Westchester, IL
(Zone 5b)
August 16, 2006
5:13 AM Post #2627791
| Stacy,
This is so great! I love your virtual tour. I was wondering if anyone else was going to put "blueprints" to their garden up. And the satellite pic, wow. I also LOVE your plant lore thread in your diary. (I was an English major.) And Fred is great. Great work. Now what am I going to do? LOL!
~Kristy |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
August 31, 2006
7:52 PM Post #2679670
| I've been off DG for most of the summer, so sorry for the long delay in response.
I was an English major too - Lit with a minor in Ed.
dovey - Ovid is a must read at least once every few summers! Dust him off! |
dovey
Columbus, OH
(Zone 5b)
September 1, 2006
10:28 PM Post #2683577
| OK... I'll put away the Janet Evanovich and settle into Ovid before summer is officially over. |
sstateham
Rockford, IL
(Zone 4b)
September 4, 2006
9:13 AM Post #2689811
| I've been re-reading Anna Karenina this summer. I love it. Gut wrenching but good. |
