Organic Emily is Moving!

Farrell house

It is with sadness and excitement that my husband and I will be moving our family in the next few weeks out into the country. Our home is for sale by owner.  We will be moving to the Sanpete county area. I hope to continue herb walks, workshops and other classes in our new area where we will have more land and access to the mountains once our new home is built. Look for updates on classes in other areas including lots of hikes this upcoming year.

If you or someone you know wants to buy my home please reach out to me through my contact page. It sits on just over a quarter acre lot.  The landscape is water wise on automatic sprinkling system. There are over 140 medicinal herbs in the garden beds, vegetable garden area, a large chicken coop and a large RV pad along the side of the house. The home is 4100 sq ft all updated with hand scraped hickory floors, some carpet and stone tile in the wet areas, butler pantry 21 x 7, sun nook off the kitchen, large workshop in the back (24 x 26) with 240 volts running to it. 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, lots of storage space, 2 extra rooms that can be used as a workout room and library or music room. Asking price is $668,000. Here is the link to the listing.

I will still be placing bulk food orders and taking orders for Christmas on the medicinal herb kits and body care products. We will most likely have a drop off sight for bulk orders. If you are interested in buying items for Christmas please get your orders in to me as soon as you can.  Much love! Organic Emily

Companion Planting: Where to Begin?

Companion Planting Front YardCompanion Planting is so much fun!  What is it you ask?  Well, it’s been around for a really long time!  The Romans and the Native Americans used this method of gardening with great success!  Companion planting is simply planting your herbs and flowers with your vegetables.  In the picture above I have multiple flowers that attract pollinators and herbs that I use in my kitchen!  Isn’t it beautiful!  This year I added cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce and onions!  There are multiple benefits that come from this.  Because some pesky bugs don’t like certain herbs and veggies we can decrease the amount of bug problems in the garden.  The bugs also get a little confused as to where all the cabbage is with all the other plants around it, so we can decrease the loss of plants to pests.  We can also attract beneficial insects by planting beautiful flowers with our veggies increasing their yield in production.   And finally because we aren’t dealing with pests we don’t have to use so many chemicals therefore keeping our garden organic!

If you’ve decided to give companion planting a try this year there are a few things you may want to think about.  First make a plan.  Think about what veggies you are going to use.  What colors of flowers do you like?  When choosing plants think about the height and space that is required for their needs.  If planting in a container, use the taller plants in the middle.  When planting in medium to large sized beds make sure the tall plants are in the back and the smaller, low growing plants are placed in the front.  That way you will be able to see everything you’ve planted and nothing gets covered.  Choose flowers that go well together.  I really like bright orange or pink and deep purple together.  Bright colored flowers will also attract beneficial insects increasing the yield of flower blossoms and veggies.  Plant vegetables that like the shade under taller plants like lettuce and spinach.  And finally it’s really important to know which herbs, flowers and vegetables make good families and who their friends are.  Checkout this beginners list of family and friends below to get started!

The Tomato Family

Vegetables that are included in the tomato family are, Tomatoes, Peppers and Eggplant.  Greens, including Lettuce, Beets, Spinach and Chard also do well with their friends list.

Friends: Basil, Cleome, Cosmos, Parsley, Queen-Anne’s Lace, Asters and onions/garlic (with greens)

The Potato Family

Vegetables that also benefit from the list of friends below besides Potatoes are Beans and Peas.

Friends: Calendula (pot marigold), Cosmos, Basil, Tarragon, Daises, Dill, Rosemary, Sweet Annie

 

The Cabbage Family

Cabbage family crops include, Broccoli, Kale, kohlrabi, Radishes, Turnips and Cauliflower.  Other plants that go well with its friends are Lettuce and Root crops.

Friends: Asters, Calendula, Chamomile, Chrysanthemums, Cosmos, Dill, Marigolds, Zinnias, Parsley, Radishes, Rosemary, Sage and Thyme.

 

The Squash Family

Squash family crops include all Summer and Winter type squashes including Melons and Cucumbers.  Vegetables outside of the family that benefit from the same friends are, corn and pole beans.

Friends: Borage, Dill, Nasturtiums, Sunflowers

 

The Root Family

This family includes Celery and Carrots.  Greens and Onions, Leeks, Chives, Garlic also benefit from their friends too.

Friends: Caraway, Chamomile, Cleome, Cosmos, Dill, Fennel, Queen-Anne’s Lace, Poppies, Asters

 

The Perennial Family

Vegetables included in this family are Asparagus, Horseradish, Strawberries, Rhubarb and Raspberries.

Friends:  Borage, Sweet Alyssum, Chives, Swan River Daises (for strawberries), Asters, Bee Balm, Black-Eyed Susan’s, Chamomile, Creeping Thyme, Lovage, Tansy, Yarrow (for horseradish), Cosmos, Dill, Hollyhocks, and Sweet Annie (for asparagus)

 

Some other plants not listed above that attract beneficial insects include:

Catnip, Anise, Chervil, Curry Plant, Fennel, Lavender, Rue, Spearmint/Peppermint (keep contained), Tansy, Bee Balm, Goldenrod, Pincushion Flowers, Echinacea (Cone Flowers), Rock Cress, Yarrow, Bachlor’s Button, Black-Eyed Susan, Blanket Flower, Coreopsis, Morning Glory, Gazania, Dandelion, Lamb’s Quarters, Wild Mustards.

 

For more information check out my favorite companion planting book called Great Garden Companions

 

“Bones” of the Garden

Vegetable Garden 1Spring clean up can be so much fun especially after being cooped up inside all winter!  It takes me about a full week to prune, clean the beds of any debris/leaves and lay down compost.  Above is a photo of the “bones” of my garden.  You can see my chicken coop in the background and a few vertical structures for vine crops to grow up.  In front is a hoop house frame I use to grow cold crops in the fall and preserve throughout the winter.   I grow most of my veggies in garden boxes.

Bones of the Garden 2Here are all 8 grow boxes on the east side of the house.  This entire area gets at least 8 hours of sunlight in the summer, except for the bed right up against the house.  There I get about 6-7 hours and grow currants and elderberries ( you can also grow leafy veggies in 6 hours of sunlight too).  It is very important to create a plan before just throwing down soil, boxes and plants.  Think about how much sunlight the plants will need (at least 8 hours for most), and if it is functional and easily accessible.  For example, be sure to allow a wide walk way for a large wheelbarrow to bring in good organic compost every year.

Bones of the Garden 3My Early Elberta peach tree with scallions planted all around to help deter peach borers (any allium family member should help).  Another great way to deter pests, including borers is to cultivate the soil every 2 weeks, 2-3 feet from the trunk out and about 2-3 inches deep.  This will interrupt the life cycle and kill off eggs and larva.  It has been pruned as an open center tree to allow sun light into it to ripen the fruit.  In the background is another vertical stand for my grapes to grow up and out.

This week I have been busy getting the soil ready to plant my cold crops tomorrow!  The weather has been fabulous!  Whether you grow your produce in garden boxes or in the ground you need to make sure the soil is workable.  A simple test to see if it has dried out enough is to take a handful and squeeze it, if it retains the shape of your hand mark then it may still be too wet.  You can also drop the handful to the ground, if it stays in a clump it isn’t ready.  If it falls apart you are good to go!  Any raised bed method is going to dry out much quicker than just straight from the ground.  If you want to speed up the process of heating up the soil, put down some clear plastic, anchored with rocks for about a week.  This will heat up the soil and dry it out faster for planting earlier.

As far as soil preparation goes I bring in good organic compost every year, like Nuri-mulch or Furti-mulch.  I dump wheelbarrow loads into every garden box along with a good, dry, ORGANIC, low number fertilizer (usually containing beneficial bacteria and mycorrhizae (beneficial fungus)).  The low numbers in the fertilizer won’t burn the seeds and give the plants the healthy head start they need.  I do not use chemical fertilizers for the reason they kill many micro-organisms that actually help protect and keep the plants healthy from disease and pests.  Besides who wants to eat chemicals anyways?  I don’t till my soil.  I use a vertical till process that is gentle on those precious micro-organisms.  Take a shovel or garden spade (large fork) and gently turn the soil.  Smooth out with a rake.  It’s as simple as that!  I also recommend watching a wonderful documentary called “Back to Eden”  found online www.backtoedenfilm.com  it is a no till method all together.  The weather is perfect this week in Utah!  Get out there and plant something new!  Happy gardening!

Albion Basin Wild Flower Identification

Trail Landscape

Fridays are usually my field trip days with the kids.  We have been doing quite a bit of hiking this summer with my parents and have seen some amazing sights here in our beautiful state!  Over the past weekend we went up to Albion Basin (Little Cottonwood canyon just past the Alta ski resort).   I have to say it was by far my favorite hike this year and full of more wild flowers than you can imagine!  If you want to go hiking do it soon before the blooms are gone!  We hiked all the way up to the top where the trail takes you to an overlook of Katherine lake down into Big Cottonwood canyon.  It was a very doable 1 mile from where we started.  We decided to take another trail just .5 of a mile to Sunset Peak to overlook all 4 lakes down in Big Cottonwood; Katherine, Martha, Mary and Silver!  It was breath taking!  Here are some of my favorite blooms I identified along our walk.  There are a few that I loved and didn’t know the names for.  If you can identify them, I’d love to know what they are! 🙂

Arnica

Arnica – this native flower was growing in fields along side the mountain and is part of the daisy family.  It’s flowers are used fresh or dry to infuse oil for sore muscles, bruises and swelling.

Aster

Aster – usually a fall bloomer in the valley

Catnip in Full Bloom

Catnip – part of the mint family and is great used medicinally as a digestive aid.  It can also be used to relieve tension.

Columbine

Columbine – this flower is always prettiest in the mountains to me!

Creeping Phylox

Creeping Phlox – we found this one at the very top in very sandy soil.  It’s fragrance was very close to a gardenia!

Dandilion

Dandelion – this flower is more than just a weed!  It’s leaves are edible and sweetest before the flowers come on.  It is a known diuretic and liver cleanser.

Elephant Flower

Elephant Flower – these little flowers are so fun!  Can you see the resemblance of an elephant trunk?

Fire Flower

Fire Flower – this flower is the first to grow and bloom after a forest fire, hence it’s name!

Forget-me-not

Forget-me-not – These dainty little blue flowers are so small they are almost forgotten.  Look for some the next time you go hiking, they grow everywhere!

Indian Paintbrush Collage 1Indian Paintbrush Collage 2

Indian Paintbrush – I have never seen such variety of Indian Brush in my life!  Look at all the beautiful colors!  Certainly one of my favorites!

Jacob's Ladder

Jacob’s Ladder – this flower gets it’s name because of the way the leaves are placed along the stem going up like a ladder.  It’s white flowers are very attractive too!

Lupine

Native Lupine – this flower has a beautiful blueish purple blossom.  You can always tell the plant is lupine from it’s 6 fanned leaves.

Mountain Bee Balm

Mountain Bee Balm – I am not 100% sure this is wild bee balm, but it looks pretty close.  You can see one of the buds blossoming.  They almost look very closely related to a clover too.

Mountain Blue Bells

Mountain Blue Bells – These pretty little flowers grow best in dappled sun light and close to water.  They come in blue and pink colors.

Penstomen 1 Penstomen 2

Penstamen – this plant has hundreds of varieties!  They come in all shapes, sizes and colors!  Google penstamen and see what you come up with!

Rocket Flower

(Sky) Rocket Flower – perfect name don’t you think?

Valarian 1 Valarian 2

Valerian – this fragrant bundle of flowers is heavenly to behold!  It’s roots are used medicinally as a sedative.

Wild Flax

Flax – this flower grows natively all over Utah.  It’s seeds are used for culinary purposes and have many health benefits.

Wild Pink Geranium Wild Purple Geranium Wild White Geranium

Wild Geranium – this flower comes in mostly white and purple, but you can occasionally find a pink one too.

Wild Strawberry

Wild Strawberry – this particular variety does not produce edible fruit.

Yellow Flower Mystery 1 White Flower Mystery 2

These are the two I didn’t have names for.  The white ones were all over and the yellow were more rare.  Do you know what they are?

Wild Yarrow Plant

White Yarrow – the true yarrow grown wild all over the north west.  It has been known medicinally to help with fevers, sweating and the common cold.

Lakes At the Top!

We finally made it to the top!  Thanks for going along with us on our journey!  Next time you go hiking, see how many wild flowers you can identify!

Organic Fertilizers and the Health of Our Soil

Organic Fertilizers

The soil in our garden is an entirely different world then the one we live in.  Hopefully filled with micro-organisms actively moving and alive!  Recent work and research done by Dr. Elaine Ingham, a soil microbiologist, has found that the use of toxins, including chemical ferilizers actually harm the good microbes found with in the soil that help control the bad ones, including unwanted diseases.  We can liken it to the over use of antibiotics within our own bodies.  Many of these drugs as we know have been over prescribed and over used to the point now that we have to use stronger strains to kill off the “bad” bugs that live within our own systems when we get sick.  Unfortunately, we also kill the “good” bacteria too, leaving our system vulnerable to more problems if left unattended without a proper diet and efforts to put those “good” bugs back into the system.

Dr. Ingham’s work was recently discussed in one of my favorite books on soil called, “Teaming with Microbes”, by Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis.  What they found was that the chemical fertilizers actually killed off the microbes within the soil that protected the root systems of the plants and chased away the larger animals like lady beetles and praying mantis’ who keep the pests at bay.  It is possible to create an oasis so to speak for these beneficial microbes and insects to do all the fighting for us as mother nature intended, leaving us to simply enjoy gardening!  Let’s discuss some of those methods and a few organic fertilizers that help and not hinder the world of microbes.

Compost

One of the most important things we can do every year is to put down some type of good organic compost into the garden beds.  This serves a number of purposes.  Most compost is made up of small wood chips and animal manure.  There are also composts made strictly from plant sources as well like mushrooms, seaweed and alfalfa to name just  a few.  Worm castings (poop), chicken and horse manures are good options, all are high in nitrogen.  Cow manures can be used occasionally, but not often due to it’s higher levels of salts which can be toxic to the soil if over used.

  • First, the compost acts as a barrier keeping the weeds at bay.  Be sure to not plant directly in the compost because the plants need soil to grow.  The compost can be mixed in gently into the soil or moved to the side until the plant grows up enough to bring the compost back around it.  As a side not I highly recommend a fabulous documentary called “Back to Eden”, a film that can be viewed online for free at backtoedenfim.com.  It discusses the importance of using a no-till method and how this protects the micro-organisms in the soil.
  • Second, compost is full of large organic matter particles that allow for proper drainage and aeration, keeping the root system of our plants healthy.  This is particularly important here in Utah since we are very depleted in organic matter.  Most healthy soils should have about 5% organic matter, we typically have about 1% or less.
  • Third, compost is full of dense nutrients that are available to the good microbes who help to break them down turning them into food for plants!

Fish Emulsion 

Fish emulsion is an excellent non-burning plant food that comes from manufactured fish waste not used for processing.  If you don’t mind your yard smelling like the ocean for a day this can be a great option.  It is classified as an organic fertilizer because it is made from material naturally found in nature.  Long term use of fish emulsion can help improve the health and microbe complexity of soil.  It can be used for all garden beds including flower and vegetable.  It is higher in nitrogen than a lot of other organic fertilizers, up to five percent of its nitrogen is readily available, which gives plants a boost while soil microbes break down the rest.  Fish emulsion can be used every 3-4 weeks.

Blood and Bone Meal

Both blood and bone meal come from animals.  Blood meal is very high in nitrogen and should be used as directed.  Bone meal has been known to be a very good root stimulant.  It is very high in phosphorus and should also be used as directed.  I highly recommend getting your soil tested from your local extension office.  They can test your soil for nutrient count and tell you what you need and what you don’t.  This is important to know and understand because plants need different nutrients to do different things.  For example, nitrogen helps to increase leaf growth and phosphorus helps to increase flower/fruit production.  However a word of caution before just applying any fertilizer to your soil, our Utah soils are very high in phosphorus already, so not very much is needed.

Fertilizers with Beneficial Bacteria and Mycorrhizae 

There are some great organic fertilizers out there that contain beneficial soil microbes you can add to your soil for all garden beds.  For example, mycorrhizae is a beneficial form of fungi that can actually combat powdery mildew and other fungi problems.  Mycorrhizae will continue to grow year after year strengthening the soil.  They can come in powder, liquid and granulated forms.  I like a particular brand called “Garden Bloomers”  found at any local nursery.  What ever brand or source you choose be sure it’s something that won’t kill off the microbes in your soil.  A key concern with inorganic or synthetic fertilizers is that nutrients not immediately taken up by plants can cause pollution. Excess nitrogen fertilizer is a common cause for nitrate groundwater pollution. Phosphate fertilizer runoff can pollute streams, rivers and lakes by encouraging overgrowth and algae that deplete oxygen supplies and kill fish. While organic fertilizers can also cause pollution when used to excess, they are generally much safer to use because they release nutrients gradually, at a rate closer to plants’ need for them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beneficial Insect and Butterfly Loving Plants

Wegelia

I love to be in nature!  Whether I am in my own garden growing something beautiful and delicious or up hiking in the mountains I always feel a sense of peace!  Being in nature is my therapy to get me through the stress of life!   There is a spiritual side to nature that brings a feeling of reverence and thanksgiving for the Creator of all things as each multiplies and replenishes this earth.  Each insect, animal, shrub, plant and tree all have a purpose.   Some of those purposes include pollination of many plants.  In fact 60% of our food has to be pollinated by insects.  That’s a lot!  The honeybee is a big contributor to pollinating the food we eat.  Many honey bees have been dying off for reasons no one quite understands.   Recently there has been a great movement happening!  People are keeping honeybees in their own backyards in the cities and suburban communities!  I have been keeping bees for 2 years now and love it!  There is a lot to know and understand, but once I got the hang of it, it really has become very low maintenance and thoroughly enjoyable!  I plant lot’s of beneficial insect loving plants!  They not only beautify my yard and home, but also provide the necessary pollen and nectar for my bees as well as wild beneficial insects too!  Here are some I like to grow, both perennial and annual!

Bee balm

Bee balm is  from the mint family and is a perennial.  It’s not as invasive, but still can spread.  The flower is a a favorite to the humming bird and also edible for humans!  Try throwing a few blooms into a salad!

Green Onion in Bloom

Bees love onion blooms!  Onions that bloom the second season are great for saving seeds!  This honey bee was hard at work collecting pollen as I harvested my chamomile!

blue perrenial salvia

Blue Salvia is a beautiful June perennial.  Cut back the dead after it blooms and it will flower again!

yarrow

Yarrow attracts many types of beneficial insects and blooms all summer long!

Cosmos

Cosmos is an annual that self seeds very well!  It comes in many colors and both tall and short varieties.  Honeybees love this one too!

Echinacea

Echinacea is a perennial that gets bigger every year!  The leaves, flowers and roots can be harvested for medicinal purposes!

Blue Sage

Blue sage, an edible herb used for stuffing on Thanksgiving day at our house!  Can you see the honeybee?

English Thyme

Another favorite herb for both bees and humans, but especially bees if allowed to flower!

Horehound

This low growing perennial is covered in bees in the spring when it blooms!  It can also be used to make homemade cough syrup!

Lavender

Lavender is a favorite of honey bees.  So is Russian Sage, both look similar but I grow the lavender to harvest for myself!

ground cover 1

Wooly Thyme is a great perennial ground cover to help prevent weeds and the honeybees love it too!

Oange Zinnia

Zinnias come in all shapes, colors and sizes!  Many insects are attracted to this beautiful annual, like butterflies, honey bees and humming birds!

St. John's Wort

Honey bees are all over this beautiful perennial towards the end of June!  I’ll be harvesting some of my blooms for making a skin healing salve soon!

These are just a few  plants that benefit our much needed insects to do the hard work of pollination!  Other plants  not shown are Blue Beard, Butterfly Bush, Coreopsis, Black Eyed Susan (Rebekiah), Chrysanthemums, Yarrow, Red Clover and many more!  Grow your own beautiful plants to help the honey bees and our local farms and neighborhood gardens!

Early June Bloomers

Check out what’s blooming in my yard this week!

Blue Perennial Salvia

A Honey Bee favorite!  Blooms late spring early summer just before lavender!  Cut it back once it’s finished blooming to give it another chance to bloom a second time!

Daylilies

Day lilies add bright vibrant color to the garden blooming all summer long!

Jackmanni Clematis

This beautiful Clematis blooms all June long right by my back door!   Give it a big enough trellis to climb and you will see blooms everywhere!

Dianthus

A pretty vibrant pink perennial that grows low to the ground.  Great for borders and edges!

blue sage

Blue sage is another bee loving plant when in bloom!  This medium size perennial is beautiful and aromatic!

Chives

Another perennial herb that can be placed in the flower beds with it’s pretty purple blossoms!  Be sure to pluck off the flowers once they dry, unless you want to spread new chive plants all over for next year!

Corabell's

I love corabell’s!  Their long blossoms make for beautiful bursts of color in a spring bouquet!  The foliage is low growing with taller wispy blooms.  They do best in part sun/shade.

ground cover 1

My yard is filled with different kinds of water-wise perennial ground cover to keep the weeds at bay !  I love this one because the bees benefit too!  Just be sure to watch your step!

English Daisey's

These little plants create a nice border bursting with color all spring and early summer long!  They may even last a little longer in shadier spots!

Lavender

Some of my many lavender plants are getting ready to bloom and will be soon covered with honeybees!  I’ll be harvesting the blossoms for may purposes!

English Thyme

Thyme!  One of my favorite herbs!  The bees love this one too since I didn’t cut it back before it flowered!

Mock Orange

This lovely shrub can get up to 6 feet tall!  It is known for it’s lovely citrus scented blooms and sits on the east side of the workshop out in back!

Old Fashioned Rose

These old fashioned roses have a divine scent!  They also provide rose hips high in vitamin C after the blossoms produce!

Pin Cushion Flower

A dainty perennial that blooms all summer long!  Low to medium growing in height.

Pink Peony

One of many peonies in my garden!  This is the first one to bloom in my yard.  This year she had 24 blooms!

Salmon Pink Poppy

Have you seen a prettier Poppy?!  I need more of these!

Wegelia

Another bee loving shrub with blossoms I wish would last all summer long!

yarrow

Yarrow’s  bright and cheery flowers bloom all summer long!  Not only does it add color to the garden but it also has medicinal purposes too!  Look for my post on medicinal purposes for yarrow soon!

Spring in the Garden

The majority of my time spent in the yard is in the spring time! From spring clean up and pruning to laying down compost, planting beautiful bright annuals and veggies, I spend about 10 full days (throughout May, April and March) working busily to prep it for the growing season! After all that time and hard work I get to sit back and relax for the rest of the year… well at least until the harvest and fall clean up (with a little weeding in between too)! If you prep the right way you won’t be a slave to your yard! Instead you will be enjoying it as you stroll through your own gardens or swing from a hammock!

Each year I lay down 3-4 inches of compost as a top cover in every bed. This has many benefits! First it acts as a mulch to prevent weeds from germinating underneath the layer, it regulates moisture availability to the plants, is a natural and organic fertilizer, and is more esthetic! I get many comments and questions about how much time I spend in the yard and people are always surprised at how little time I give to growing a beautiful and attractive landscape! The key is in the compost! You may also wonder if after so many years whether my beds will start to get really high from adding it every year… that is simply not the case. Organic matter is an essential part of our soil and is constantly breaking down from plant use or the elements. The ideal percentage of organic matter needed in soil is 5%. However, Utah usually has about less than 1%! Compost really is beneficial! Check out some of the pics of my front yard!

 

Front bench

We have this little shady nook by the front porch that is north facing. It doesn’t get very much sun, but just enough to grow a beautiful Japanese Maple, Box Woods, Corabells, Hostas and Impatiens.

 

Front center flower bed

The bed just in front of the shady nook is my sunny perennial bed filled with bee and butterfly loving plants, like Bee Balm, Penstemon, English Lavender, Chrysanthemums, Yarrow, Zinnias and Cosmos! In front I have an annual bed filled with short stack Zinnias and Dahlias, framed in with my favorite Karl Forester grasses!

 

flag pole flower bed

As we go further out towards the sidewalk there are more water wise plants placed around the flag pole, like pink Salvia, Iris’s, Hens and Chicks and Day Lilies! Again in front of that is another annual bed, this time I added purple Double Ruffle Petunias in the mix of Dahlias and Zinnias. I’m so excited to see all the happy bright colors pop in another month or two!

 

water feature flower bed

As you walk up towards the front of the house you can see Weeping White Pines, Laural’s ( a broad leaf evergreen that does best on the north or east side of the house), Echinacea, Peonies, Lavender, St. John’s Wort, Purple Salvia, Old Fashioned Roses, Day Lilies, Balloon Flowers and Creeping Thyme to fill in space. My husband welded the water feature last summer. It’s a beautiful sound to hear the water falling through the rocks!

 

front west flower bed

A picture of the third annual bed.

 

back west flower bed

I love this little spot in the front yard that takes you into the perennial beds through the gate into the back yard. On the left is a large Pacific Sunset Maple, Dogwoods, Burning Bushes, Iris’s, Tall Hedge Buck-thorns, Rose of Sharon, and Autumn Brilliance Service berry. On the left is a Cedar Atlas and other perennials like Peonies, Balloon Flowers, Corabells’ and Lilies!

 

front of house with stone steps

One last shot of the stone steps leading up towards the front door. The red tree on the left is a Columnar Crimson Century Maple. On the right is a Niche Willow