Your Garden: Annemarie's oasis
Garden Variety wouldn't have much variety if it was just about one gardener.
It should be about you and your garden, too.
The first garden in our showcase belongs to Annemarie. Check out the amazing transformation of her Butcher's Hill backyard and read her story.
Oasis in the City
When I moved into my house in 2002, the backyard was full of weeds that were as tall as I am. It was nothing but an eyesore of concrete, overgrown weeds and junk.
Over the next few years, and experimenting with what works in a full sun backyard, I developed a vision of the oasis I could create in the back my Butcher's Hill home.
In the summer of 2007, that vision was put into place. For less than $600, a lot of sweat and the help of a very narrow wheelbarrow to fit down my cat alley, I was able to haul dirt and pea stone to transform the backyard.
A 10 x 12 foot deck and a small half circular garden were also added. Pots and window boxes are placed around the deck in April and I've put in 8-9 perennials in the two gardens that provide year round greenery.
Now, with the dog basking on the deck in the afternoon sun, I enjoy reading a good book, firing up the grill and unwinding after a busy day with a glass of wine in my little city oasis.
It's come a long way from the days of five foot tall weeds!
Comments
Wow! That's a huge change! Wonderful job!
Isn't it amazing?--Susan
Posted by: Eve | April 8, 2009 9:11 AM
Is that mulch or red stone in the beds or some other alternative? I'm looking for ideas for my beds to keep them looking neat like these but do not want to use mulch up against my wood frame house.
Let's see if we can get Annemarie to answer your question...and stay tuned. I will be writing about mulch in my garden column in the Thursday print edition of The Sun in a coupla weeks.--Susan
Posted by: Lynn | April 8, 2009 11:29 AM
It is red mulch in the beds and I usually re-mulch every spring to keep things bright and pretty. If I were to do it again, however, I would purchase the rubber mulch alternative (I think it is made out of recycled tires). Though it is a little more expensive then traditional mulch, the color lasts forever, is eco friendly and you can find it at most home improvement centers. The mulch alternative would also work well against a wood framed house.
Posted by: Annemarie | April 8, 2009 12:19 PM
On a side note, the house is currently for sale! You can check out the details at:
http://matrix.mris.com/Matrix/Public/Email.aspx?ID=29859140920
Click on the camera icon for more pics of the backyard. Apparently, I am a professional landscaper in my spare time :)
Posted by: Annemarie | April 8, 2009 12:26 PM
Thanks for the answer and sharing your garden photos. I had considered rubber mulch but have heard a lot of negative things on many of the gardening sites I have read. I have read that it can hurt plants when the sun hits the mulch, that it smells and is impossible to get debris out of. I probably need to do more research about it.
Posted by: Lynn | April 8, 2009 2:32 PM
I friend of mine used rubber mulch in his city garden and didn't have those problems. City gardens are pretty small, though. I'm sure that it varies on the brand and the amount that you use. I wonder if a mix would work for you? Maybe three layers (rubber, real, rubber)? We'll have to check back and look at Susan's article in a few weeks on mulching!!
Posted by: Anonymous | April 8, 2009 4:49 PM
Personally, I'm trying to eliminate mulch and use ground covers instead (I'm not completely there yet--it's a slow process).
There is a ground cover tip in the new issue of Organic Gardening that I intend to try. They recommend underplanting shrubs and taller perennials with groundcovers such as creeping phlox and other low growers. Plant the groundcover towards the back of the border, and they will creep to the front in search of sunlight.
Thanks for the suggestion on groundcovers as an alternative to mulch. My dream is to get rid of my lawn and replace it with a variety of groundcovers. One book I've been reading on the subject is "Covering Ground," by Barbara Ellis. Lots of interesting plant combinations and the photos are truly inspiring. -- Joannah
Posted by: Dahlink | April 10, 2009 6:35 AM
Thanks for the tip, and stay tuned. Garden Variety will have a video tour and interview with The Sun's own Jacques Kelly, who doesn't believe in mulch, either.
Posted by: Susan Reimer | April 10, 2009 10:06 AM