Summer 2008 Inspiration - March Posting - little revision

I'm going to post this subject a couple of days early. This is my "Summer 2008 Inspiration muse idea." It's a little untimely as far as the early seeding subject, but it's never too late for Next Year's Plans! :-)

The subject for this month is early seeding and looking ahead at upcoming landscaping plans.

Early Seeding

I've enjoyed SO many helpful and informative posts by other garden bloggers with regard to Winter seed sowing, plant propagation and starting seeds indoors. I've never before done any early seeding and feel like a real Greenhorn! (Better than a bluehorn or a purplehorn?) ha.

At any rate, Kylee at Our Little Acre has shared her Winter seed sowing techniques annually. The first time I spotted her illustrated instructions was during the 2007/08 winter. I was so pleased that she posted again This Winter! :-) This link takes you to this year's post, which links to others.

(This is the little revision of which I spoke in the title)
I hope this works, I hope this works, I hope this works!
Experiment a la Kylee!

Patsi, at Garden Endeavors, recently posted Very Helpful illustrated instructions on indoor seed starting... I've not gotten to this yet, but anticipate trying very shortly (or at least, next year!) :-)

I know there are others that have posted helpful instructions, including Doug Green at his gardening-tips-perennials.com

Just look at Jan at Thanks for 2 Day! or Mr. Brown Thumb, who has several inspiring posts - including this one!

There are also seed swappers, including Monica at Garden Faerie's Musings

***I know I've missed a lot of great gardeners and their informative posts...
please add additional links in your comments!!***

Landscaping Plans

Now, as far as landscaping plans... I Really want to work on a little fence for the raised bed gardens. I am definitely looking forward to beginning 4' (or so) sections (soon!) that can be put in place once the posts are set after the ground thaws! Hopefully you'll get the idea before long. :-)

The stone walkway I started last fall needs to be finished. This means I need to forage for more rocks and purchase a few as well. Both ends of this little walkway are unfinished. And I need to fill between the stones with a lot more (sand?) between the stones. Any suggestions?


Of course, I need to continue working in the Woodland Walk; readjusting the stone path, adding a little more dirt, compost, a few more items, etc.

Starting from the west and walking east, towards the backyard, these photos were taken at 7:00 p.m. May 29, 2008. Click on all the photos below. Some enlarge more than others.








Do you see the ligularia in the bottom left corner? (The Rocket)

Now we've reached the east end and looking back westerly over the path we've just walked.

Here's a broader picture, looking west. This is another photo taken at 7:00 p.m. May 29, 2008.

Here's a photo taken at 7:00 a.m. on July 15, 2008.
You can see the bench is now in place!

The plant in the foreground is 'Lightning Strikes' tricyrtis.
The white and green hosta is 'Night Before Christmas.'
Heartleaf Brunerra right beside the bench and Ostrich ferns behind it.

One more project would be to create something out two small beds in the front yard. The following pictures were taken May 22, 2008. The "clump Shagbark Hickory" (allowed to grow this way, but why??) was removed in August 2008.

I want to plant a (Crimson King Maple?) tree a little further to the right and a tiny bit closer to the bushes back there. The woodland out here is chiefly a variety of oaks and a few shagbark hickories, so something a little different might be nice.

These two beds aren't as far away from each other as they look. I can visualize several interesting plants here, as well as a smallish water feature of some type. Not a pond, but some recirculating water. Any suggestions?

Have a great day! As you can see, the month of April really gets us into Spring! Yea!
Nothing "shady" here! ;-)