Wish List for 2016

Flagstones.  I need to measure the linear feet needed for a path from the front porch to the hose bib; from the lawn to the fire pit and from the lawn to the patio on the west side of the house.  I'd also like to add a small flagstone patio for the bench area in the kitchen window garden.

A deciduous shade tree to replace the broken London Plane Tree.

The following are just for the large shrub bed on the west side of the house:

• One deciduous ornamental tree.  I am leaning towards another Flowering Plum.  
• One tall, narrow (less than 5' wide) evergreen to plant between the bunk room window and the northwest corner of the house.
• One tall evergreen (this one can be 8'-10' wide) to plant between the Columnar Oak and the air conditioning condenser unit.
• A small fence or trellis unit to place in front of the ac unit (not necessarily to grow anything on, just to break up the view of the big black box).
• A splash guard, or a rock sink or a rain barrel for the gutter pipe at the northwest corner of the house. My preference would be a rain barrel but if we add one there we need to get that in before I plant the tall, narrow evergreen because it may shift the way things fit in that corner.
• Several juniper bushes that get about 5' tall and wide).  I prefer the horizontal or upwards branching plants that are dark green.
• A Globe Blue Spruce (maybe two).
• Several evergreen ground covers.  I need to research exactly what I'm looking for but I know I want at least one section of Blue Star Juniper (or similar evergreen groundcover with foliage that will compliment the Blue Spruce).
• Several Ninebark shrubs (at least three taller ones and two or three that stay smaller).
• Ornamental grasses.  The exact types and sizes will be determined as I work through the actual size and layout of the shrub bed.
• Perennials.  The exact varieties will be determined, but I know I want to include many of the perennials that are doing well in our yard so far.

I haven't worked out the details of what I'm looking for in the front yard or the bed that runs along our west property line.  I know I want to include ornamental grasses, shrubs, groundcovers and a nice mix of perennials.  I'll probably add a couple more trees to the property line bed; partially for shade and partially for privacy.  I was worried about blocking the view, but the neighbor's house took care of most of that and realistically, the shade is more important to us in the summertime anyway.

I would also like a shed.

Rob suggested adding a concrete pad to the upper level so that we have a level and clean surface to put a pool on.  I like that idea but I'd want to make sure it was big enough for a partial basketball standard or some other use.

I still love the idea of adding a putting green or a chipping green up on that level.

A New Season

Here it is the last week of February and spring fever seems to have hit.  Hard.  I'm posting on here again (I love using this as my garden journal) and planning, designing and imagining how and where to plant more things and I'm also pondering priorities.  I've created a couple of rough images as I've explored ideas, colors and sizes of plants.  Now I need to get into the detailed planning of it; maybe even get out some graph paper. Also, since I still can't afford to finish the whole yard it is very  challenging to decide whether I should continue to spread out the plantings and add a couple of trees and shrubs to designated shrub bed in our yard or if I should concentrate on one area only so I can feel like it is finished (or at least well on it's way).  With a backyard wedding happening here in late spring I am anxious that the yard look as good as possible.

Most of the yard is still covered with snow which makes it difficult to really see how the yard fared through the winter. There are a couple of areas where the lawn is exposed and we were disappointed to see significant vole damage. Rob actually kicked a dead vole onto the sidewalk from the exposed lawn that is covered with their runs (that's how we know they are voles and not mice) and as we were looking at it another one popped it's head out of the grass.  I shrieked a little bit (Why?  Why is that the reaction I have?) and then said, "Stomp on it!"  Rob hesitated for a minute, and then, bless his heart, tried but it ran away.  He hates killing them but he hates the damage they do more.  He would have felt awful if he'd actually stomped on it and killed it but nevertheless; we are renewing our efforts and putting poison in the holes that we are finding.  Also, next winter we are definitely laying pvc traps for them.  I talked to a friend in the area who uses them and swears by them.  She says they set out about twenty traps and she keeps them well stocked.  She even smears peanut butter on the bait to make sure the critters come and get it.

I need to go out and do a little pruning on some of the trees, especially the crabapple in the front yard and possibly the maple.  We lost our little London Plane Tree to an early, heavy snow.  It hadn't dropped any of its leaves yet and the branches were just too weak and small to hold the weight of the snow load.  The poor tree snapped in right in half.  I am really disappointed, but I think I won't replant that same tree unless we decide that we can afford one with a substantial caliper.  As I'm looking out the window the few remaining branches on that tree still have their leaves and that seems like it could create problems in the future if we get another winter with heavy snows.

I also need to cut down the Caryopteris and the perennials and ornamental grasses.  If I do them as the snow melts area by area it won't feel so overwhelming.  I noticed that the deer ate the Elijah Blue Fescue.  They haven't done this before, but so far it just looks like the grasses got a really good haircut.  They are still green and growing so hopefully they will recover.  I need to review what to do with the Lavender.  I didn't cut it at all last summer and there are actually still a couple of dried blooms on each of the plants.

Another decision Rob and I have to talk about is is spraying the Chokecherry bushes in the gully with dormant oil.  Every summer they are infested with fall webworms (based on my research that is what I believe we have).  The arborist that took care of the broken limb on the Bigtooth Maple suggested that spraying in late winter might help keep them from infesting the bushes.  Reading various sources online suggest breaking up the bags when they occur and then using an insecticide.  I'd rather try the dormant oil first because I love the birds that visit our yard and am trying hard to avoid the use of excessive insecticides.

The weeds are coming up with a vengeance though.  Everywhere the snow is melted, the sun shines and warms the soil and since I have no spring bulbs planted yet (I must remember to do that next fall) the weeds are my first sign of spring.