Someone asked me the other day if I was running out of projects for this house yet. I said no, that I still had a boatload of mini projects on my to-do list but besides re-doing the basement, I think all the major ones are done. Key word there being I think. 😉
The last few days the HH and I have been working on creating a planted border along both sides of the driveway. The driveway here is asphalt {which is our least favorite kind of driveway} but since the driveway was re-done just before we moved in, it’s staying.
The only problem with having an asphalt driveway with grass growing next to it is that when the two meet up, the grass always seemed to look a little unkempt and scraggly to us. We tried edging the lawn… but still, the whole thing didn’t look quite right.
So when I was at garden center the other day and spotted a rack of hostas, I grabbed a ton of them and a new project was born.
Everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY has hostas here. I used to think hostas were strictly for shade gardens, but apparently not because after talking to my neighbors who have gorgeous ones in their front yards as well as planted along the sides of their homes {in full sun} they thrive here in Southern Maine. Who knew?
Anyway, I love how the new hosta border looks. I think it adds a little somethin’ somethin’ to the driveway and I bet by next time this year, they will have filled out a little more too.
Speaking of borders, the boxwoods we planted last fall have all been trimmed and are beginning to fill out nicely. I do miss the tulips though and might plant a bunch of allium bulbs in the fall so that I’ll have a bit of color between when the tulips are cut back and the hydrangeas and hibiscus start blooming.
The garden boxes are looking good, even if everything hasn’t totally filled out yet.
We have our first tomato blossoms.
And the cut and come again lettuce us still going strong.
And that basil is starting to do it’s thing as well.
On the side yard the cabbage I planted behind the arborvitae trees is pretty happy, and the pumpkins I planted in front of it have all come up. I figure that by the time the cabbage is ready to harvest, the pumpkins vines will be ready to take over the area and we’ll have a nice little pumpkin patch for the fall.
The first blueberry babies.
And the first sugar snap pea! 🙂 Waiting for them to fill out is hard!
And last but not least… our next garden project. As soon as I finish painting the fence on the side yard we will be digging this area up and getting it landscaped.
Hopefully I can get the fence painted today… because HOLY COW MAN… look at those temps. 8 days of temperatures in the 80’s. Gaaa… I’m going to melt.
Have an AWESOME day everyone,
Keep Calm and Garden On.
~Mavis
Kim says
Mavis, everything looking fantastic!!! What is rainfall like in summer in Maine? Do you have to do supplemental watering? If so, do you use a hose or have underground system? Is water expensive in your city?
We are very dry here in TX, we have to water with a hose and water is very expensive.
Mavis Butterfield says
Rainfall, what rainfall? 🙂 It’s nothing like it was when we were living the the PNW. I have watered the raised garden beds a few times, not much though as the mornings are pretty dewy around here. It rains every once in a while, but never seems to last for long and the sun is almost always out. Water is not expensive around here.
Pauletta says
Everything looks beautiful. We live in west central Florida and our raised beds are meh. Hopefully they will wake up soon before the really hot weather sets in. Have a great day!
Karen says
It might be hot for you in the 80’s but at least you do not have to wear that puffer jacket now!
Mavis Butterfield says
Or deal with the bugs!!! 🙂
HollyG says
I was thinking the same thing – No puffy this year!
Also Mavis, it’s been raining here in the PNW for about a week solid – yesterday was a deluge. I think I’m moving to Maine.
Annette says
Mavis,
you truly inspire me to do something with my weed patch.
My town in Kansas has very expensive water, biting black flies, and everyday it’s nearly 100 degrees. Ugh!
Terri says
My sister owned a home previously that had a monstrous hosta in the backyard. We don’t know the variety, but it had a lot of sun. Some varieties of hosta do better with sun than others; however, I suspect in Maine, heat and direct sun aren’t major factors for hostas.
Sue says
My hostas here in the Willamette Valley (Oregon) get so big that I would have trouble driving the car in the driveway if I planted like that 🙂
Alexandra says
Mavis, I finally got a mantis tiller like yours and was curious why you are digging up the lawn rather than tilling it. Which is better when you’re planning on planting beneath it? Thank you!
Linda Practical Parsimony says
Those temps are cool to me! It all looks great.
Elsie Yates says
We are having our first hot days, 100’s for the next 7 days!
Hostas do not like the sun here.