Since we moved in to our house in January we’ve been thinking about what we want to start working on as far as yard projects. I used a combination of Google aerial maps and Zillow to create my own drawings of the property…and I have been sketching over transparencies with a china pen as I work through ideas. I like to think long term…like what would we have to start doing now that we can also keep adding to over the next few years:
We have a great blank slate to work with:
We took down a lot of trees to remove any that were in danger of falling on the house:
The power company took down a bunch too, and then kind of left a big ole mess:
Now we’ve got firewood for life, and our friends got a lot too:
The only gardening or landscaping I’ve done up until this point is digging up all the spring bulbs once their flowers fell off, dried them and stored them to replant at some point. I’ve still got a few more to save before the earth mover comes in:
Like these gorgeous Tiger Irises. I wrote this on Instagram about them: In floriography, the language of flowers, the purple iris symbolizes wisdom. The iris in general symbolizes faith and friendship. In Ancient Greece the purple variety was planted over the graves of deceased women to summon Iris, the messenger of the gods, to help guide the journey between heaven and earth. Also an iris: the Fleur-de-lis.
Oh and Boo planted a fairy garden:
We have a wood swing ready to go up:
And then there’s the depot. My plan is to make it a potting shed and have it be the backdrop for a garden.
Maybe I’ll actually get something to grow. My moss and succulents and potato plants are looking pretty good so far. I love this potting bench that Brett made me out of some reclaimed barn doors and 2 saw horses from Habitat. At the rate my moss is growing I’ll have about 4 feet of it in 4 years. It’s like watching water boil:
My theme is mountain-cottage-Japanese-ranch. Catchy, right? I like a little of everything. I like to dream big with a big plan and start small. So maybe one day we’ll have a curved gravel drive lined with trees, large boulders with plantings around them, pea gravel walkways, a garden kitchen and little niches here and there. Oh and evergreens, hydrangeas, juniper and those pretty Japanese maples. And maybe some lavender. If anyone wants some poison ivy or poison oak we have a lot of that already, I’ll be working on replacing that little by little.
Here’s what I’ve been inspired by…I’m pretty sure if I throw all of this in a blender and I’ll get mountain-cottage-Japanese-ranch-Narnia:
Follow Ashley’s board Mountain Landscape Inspiration on Pinterest.
And I’m always open to great ideas and suggestions. I know zero about landscaping. I just wing it and pick what I like and try to keep it as DIY as possible.
Read more about The House on Hospital Hill here.
Ashley, you need a few Dogwoods, Azaleas, and Rhododendron for Spring color. Also, you can take a handful of moss and a cup of buttermilk and blend it into a slurry and then paint this over rocks and areas that you’d like to be covered in moss.
You do have a lovely canvas to work with! I’m not above asking friends for clippings or just a little section dug up of the things they have in their gardens. I’Ve gotten some great plants that way and I feel like it adds to the story. I can’t look at my Dutch irises without thinking of my grandmother, or the pachysandra that my paw paw planted years ago that is now part of my own garden. One of my favorite plants is called lamb’s ear. It’s so silvery and soft, and provides just the right amount of contrast wherever you need it. Hosta is fantastic in the shade…as long as you don’t have a problem with deer. (they love to snack on it.) Oh! And forsythia bushes. A must. The yellow blooms in early spring are breathtaking.
Asking for cuttings in a great idea. Since I live in Tucson, I’ve been getting cuttings of cactus which is nice for both security and their lovely flowers. My parents loved their dogwood trees. It will be a lovely space once you are done!
Make sure you plant noninvasive plants. As you are so near the Smokies this is very important as they are trying to keep these out of the Park. County Ext. Office should have a list and if they don’t, the park service does.
One of the most valuable and overlooked sources of growing information is the county extension. They also can give you a path to meet Master Gardeners in your area. These people love gardening and have taken the time to study, take the classes and pass the state test. Most have many years of experience of gardening for pleasure and have found what works and what doesn’t in your area. You have such a beautiful canvas. I look forward to seeing how your painting unfolds!
Hi Ashley, This is a dopey question, but can you tell me what plugin you used to add the pin it hover to your images? I am looking to add it to a site I am working on and am overwhelmed by the options. Thank you, Emily