Front Yard – 2014 Update

We’ve lived in our little house for about eight years, but the front yard was the last garden I really put much effort into. In the fall of 2012, I finally took the time to draw up a landscape design. It was based on perennials from the backyard that would be easy to cut and divide, which meant I didn’t need to spend much money on new plants. Here’s a little look back at the garden as it grew in:

It started to wake up in early spring after the winter rains got everything established.

By spring, we were getting our first few blooms.

Summertime made it look more filled in.

In the fall, the foliage turned more blue-green and some fall leaves put on a show.

Now, about a year and a half after planting, you would think this garden has been here forever.

The lamb’s ear reminds me of a river, weaving in between tufts of flowering sage and the chartreuse foliage of Euphorbia. The Korean Dogwood is in full pink bloom and the berries on the aronia are just starting to form.

As the purples from springtime crocus and flowering alliums fade, the purples from the irises and sage take their place. Come late summer, lavender will be blooming throughout the garden along with sunny Rudbeckia.

Most of these plants are drought tolerant, which makes the garden low-maintenance. I throw a sprinkler out there once a week through the hottest month, in August, and that’s about it. It’s a treat to meander through the garden every morning on my way to work and a warm welcome home at the end of a long day.

Here are some other posts related to the front garden:

• Planting plan and how to cut/divide perennials
• Spring 2013 update that talks about more specific plants
• Summer 2013 update that talks about the summer bloomers