My little robin friend joined me for our big dig project in the front garden this autumn. My ideas for the front are always changing, but the driving force is that I want it to feel like a secluded world of it’s own, with trees, rocks, and water, almost resembling a miniature landscape- a contained ecosystem. Adding a pond feature, my “lake”, was necessary to get that feeling. And my little robin seems to be loving it (and the worms that were uncovered). I’m still fleshing out the concept for the front, but I’d like to add an archway to the path I’ve laid with stones to make it feel like you’re entering a secret realm. Around the stones I will be growing white creeping thyme, and other white flowers, to make it feel like you’re walking on a cloud. Then you step around the circle and get different views of the garden. It’s a very vague premise right now, and I’ve been filling the garden maybe too thoughtlessly so far, but as I say I can always move plants later on.

I planted tons of dutch iris around the pond edge that will explode in bloom next year. As well as several water loving plants around the edge to soak up the water. I’m extremely excited to plant a water lily in the spring, it’s always been a dream to grow one. Should I do pink, purple, white?? I also planted an acer, one of three that Andrew’s dad bought for him, at the corner of the garden to gently shade the pond. Before I even finished planting it our robin was already perching on the branches and inspecting the ground around it. I think they’ll really enjoy it once it’s grown.

I’m constantly moving things around up here and I expect this will be a years long project to reach the place I want. But it’s become my little playground of ideas, and maybe the place I most enjoy working. My next big task is to move our very old rose bush from the back of the house up here. I’ve taken 6 cuttings of it to insure against losing the plant completely, but I’m hoping it’s tough enough to survive the trip!

Katy