A couple years ago I was fortunate to participate in the Better Homes and Gardens 48 Hour Blog Challenge. Three other blogs and myself competed with projects subject to online voting to see who would win. The winner took home $5000, unfortunately it wasn’t me but the whole project was fun anyway – and it paid for the arbor! My project was the front garden arbor and I’ve really enjoyed how it helps to anchor the gardens nearby. Three gardens come together at this point (Self Sowing Garden, Corner Shade Garden, and Front Porch Garden) and the arbor ties them together.
On the left side of the arbor is the self sowing garden. The gas line is underneath it somewhere and I wanted a planting area that if for some reason the gas line needed to be dug up I wouldn’t worry too much about.
Poppies will be blooming in a couple weeks along with many other self sowing plants.
On the right side of the arbor is the Front Porch Garden. No nifty name for this garden, just the plain old front porch garden! Near the arbor is a crape myrtle which provides summer color and several irises which should begin blooming very soon. At the base of the crape myrtle is golden ragwort a spring blooming native.
From the other side of the arbor you can see the native honeysuckle blooming along the front porch. The arbor had a third diamond shape that fell off and needs some repair work. The Japanese maple is filling out very nicely after two years. It’s no wonder so many people enjoy Japanese maples in their garden! The foliage is just very cool. I bought a new coleus the other day and planted it by the base of the arbor. I still need to plant my caladiums, the last several days have been too wet to do much of anything in the garden.
Here’s Maggie, one of the neighbor’s cats. If you look close you can see she’s caught something – a lizard. I cheer her on when she gets the mice but I like the lizards hanging around to eat the bad bugs!
Here’s the arbor and front porch area. My Fiskar’s rain barrel
Dave I love pergolas and arbors and am in the midst of staining them now if it ever stops raining. They add a lot of interest to a garden.
Eileen
It is really filling in and looking great Dave! Bad kitty but kitty just being kitty I reckon. I bet your rain barrel is overflowing with all the rain Mother Nature keeps dumping on you guys… We had 2 inches over night and I am happy with that since it has been skipping us….
Dave, your arbor is looking great, as are the gardens around it. I am planning to add another Fiskars rain barrel as well…one isn't enough;-)