Front Entrances

A couple of weeks ago I found this absolutely fabulous magazine, Country Gardens by Better Homes and Gardens (US). and also Flower Gardens by Country Almanac.  Big wow!  I am addicted to magazines (my wallet hates it!) but they are so inspring.  As you all probably know from my blog, I'm very keen to make a beautiful cottage garden, but it's so slow going ... no money, seasons, heat and no rain, everything takes so long to grow ... blah, blah, blah.  It's going to be a slow process, but it's fun!  It is difficult when you haven't done it before to know where to put what (my mind sees the big picture, but not the details), so these magazines have not only been helpful with information in that regard, but have really inspired me to try a bit harder.

I have made some progress, and I'm sure it will get there ... unfortunately I'm not very patient!  Anyway below is a photo by the real estate agent when we bought the property 18 months ago, and the one after is one taken the other day just to see how it's all going!  Wish Dear One had taken the sign away before he took the photo!

 

  

Our arbour at the front is finally looking a little more covered with roses and passionfruit ... and it is difficult to see, but the Pierre De Ronsard climbing roses are wending their way across the top of the fence.  All of my roses have flowered well, except the Pierre De Ronsards so I'm a bit disappointed, don't know what their problem is, but they look healthy and I have fed them a few times.  The one next to the arbour below needs a bit more sun I think, but the Crepe Myrtles (or Crappy Mrytles, as Dear One calls them) will lose their leaves soon and give the roses a chance.

  

The tree on the right above is the blossom tree ... doesn't seem to have grown since I bought it last September, but it looks healthy enough!  The grass around it and down the other side of the path will become garden soon ... I'm waiting till about June to do it, as I am going to fill those spaces mainly with roses around the edges which have to come bare rooted so they won't come till July.  Not much point removing the grass and making a dirt bowl for the next three months, so that's the next job when it gets a bit cooler.  The roses I want to use are below ... Bordure Roses ...

   

I want to mix it in with some white ones and add heaps of cottagy plants in between them on the edges and in the middle of the garden.

And the wonderful vines I put up have gone crazy, so much so sometimes I worry I'll wake up with a vine around my neck, they grow so fast! 

 

The vne is always covered in bees, in fact never seen so many in one spot, and I'm too nervous to get up there and give it all a trim!

I suppose the gardens I love have taken years to do, so I shouldn't get too disheartened, but I must admit I do feel a bit like not much has changed, and yet I've worked in the garden every weekend for the last few months.  I've put in so many plants and so much effort and yet it doesn't really look like I've done much at all.

Anyway, time for some dreaming!  Here are some photos of entryways I admire so much out of the magazines mentioned above ... I still have quite a way to go ... I'm quite happy with what I've done, but looking at these pictures I am a bit frustrated that I have such a long way to go.

 

The above two photos are my favourites by far ... the garden belongs to Cindy Ellis, whose paintings I've admired for years.  I should have known she would have a garden like this ... so dreamy and perfect!

 

These other entryways below are also absolutely beautiful.

 

This garden above has the colours I've chosen for my garden ... blue, mauve, pink and lots of white.  I must admit, the little splash of red in my garden is quite nice, with two red rose bushes which were already here. 

 

 

I love the idea above of the row of rose standards along the entry path ... this is what I had planned originally, but now I've put the cherry blossom tree in the middle of the middle garden, I probably won't do that now. 

Comments

[Alicia]

Your house is looking just beautiful! I too want a lovely garden like that but its going to take some time as I need to finish the house renos first :0)
Alicia

[Sandra~RomantiqueInspirations~]

Vickie, It does take time to make a beautiful garden. I started one way back when I was renting a place, and I lost in all during some bad circumstances. It was very enjoyable to see it mature during the years.... I miss it very much. I can see your garden is off to a wonderful start of beauty that will grow into something magnificent!

[Linda in AZ/ RMS "Mom of a German Shorthair"]

*** The very first photo I enjoyed almost took my breath away, Vickie! I'm always TOTALLY a-m-a-z-e-d by the gardening talents of some, and the dedication/time it takes to cultivate beauty such as that. "WOW" is certainly not an eloquent way to put it, but, "it works"! Beauuuuutiful blog~~ what a nice way to start the day here in the desert! Thanks so much! Linda in AZ

[Annette]

Hi Vickie, that was really intersting to see your house before and how it is now. Things have grown well. My favourite rose is the Pierre de Ronsard. Just love all those other photos. Thanks for sharing, makes me all inspired to get out in my garden!

[Alison Gibbs]

Hi Vickie, what a wonderful job you have done with your garden in the time you have been there.
There certainly are some beautiful gardens in those magazines.
Alison

[Lorie]

The pictures are beautiful and the flowers are BREATHTAKING!!