Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The OTHER Side of My FRONT YARD Garden & Big WATER Oak

Here is the opposite side of my front yard gardens, with a little boy and bunny statue inside a pot of Mexican petunias, and begonias, and snapdragons.

 I'm a bunny lover.

 These cast iron plants are very unhappy here, as they get too much sun. I need to move them. My husband used caulk to put a blue glass globe on this birdbath base. In the cold it has come loose before, but it is secure again...I think...I haven't tested it lately.
Will do that later.
So I basically have added 7 beds to my front yard, and one around the Cedar tree in the very front.

 Maxine posing as if a Kennel Club judge is around.


My circular bed with Miss garden of Good and Evil statue. It looks very nice in the Spring with yellow flowers on the ground cover and foxgloves. Someone needs to weed this pronto.


Someone also need to prune her azalea bushes behind this, mega-pronto...like last week.
Hey, see the cool black wall plaque on the house..let me show it to you.
I like hanging plaques on brick. Ignore how dirty it is.
More bricks I find and pile up like a little kid finding rocks and stuffing them in their pockets...I stuff them around my yard. Yard pockets here and there.


One of the 4 oleander plants I bought, they did well last year, this year..mostly yellow and dropping leaves. I know they can be poisonous if ingested or if the leaves are burnt, am not doing either and have warned my son to not play with them. These are all over Charleston, SC ( and my neighborhood )so I had to plant some.


Oh ! want to show you my giant water oak tree, stand approx. 120-150 feet tall and is about 70 years old.


See Mrs. Yard-lady's lawnmower, look at the size of my tree next to it.
Big base.


Whew. Every time there is a terrible thunderstorm or ice storm, and this tree starts swaying out front, I'm going , " Holy Moly , please God don't let that tree fall on our house ! " So far, no tree on house, but it had some giant limbs break during an ice storm in 2004 that busted some lights and some bushes.




I am into trees in the last 6-7 years or so. I had an aunt, that I adored, she was 6 feet tall, wore a large winding bun of long hair around her  head, and decorated it with scarfs to match her outfits. She was visiting from Texas, I am a Texan not a South Carolinian , and we were doing a tour near Charleston of Middleton Plantations. She and I were walking around, I was pregnant with my daughter Sarah at-the time, and we were touring the house and grounds. She kept walking outside, looking up at the live oaks, all 6 feet plus bun of her, and I said, " Would you stop looking at trees all the time ? "
She just said how beautiful they were. Miss Sassy-pants here replied, " I'll know I'm old when I look at trees all the time. "
She laughed , she passed away about 7 years ago, and she would laughing more because..I look at trees all the time and so I'm officially old.








Maxine not staying in her own yard when she is out with me.
Typical noisy neighbor dog.


She is very protective of me, my guard dog. She gets in big trouble if she barks at my mailman though , as he is so sweet and always calls me , " Darlin".
Front bed not looking so hot, dries out very quickly.


Another bunny peeking through, too much glare when I took these shots, sorry.
Some of the monkey grass ( lirope ), I planted all across the front brick wall.


Good and Evil statue looking at a bed I planted in front of her. I imagine she is thinking it needs some major watering and added plantings.
She is correct.


One of my front planters , with ivy caressing some cupids. I got these beautiful cement planters at a close-out of them at a garden store for 90.00 for the pair. They are copies of antique ones, and normally sell for 198.00 each. Great detail on them.


Forgot to show a neat idea, that at first my husband said would not work, but then he made it work. We had a vent to the attic here , simple slats , and I said, " Why not put a stained glass window there ? " he huffed at me, stared at it, argued....then, made it work. Talented woodworker.
It is much prettier than this, and he put vents around the edges. I will get a better picture to show the colors another time. I have to run , things to do.

Bless you,
Gina





14 comments:

  1. Gina, I am into trees, too, and so also officially old :) What a magnificent water oak you have! And I love that stained glass.

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  2. I'm "old", too. I love all the accent pieces in your various flower beds AND your way of walking us through them...

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  3. Gina,
    Our cast iron plants burn like that too. One day we'll have plenty of shade in the garden. --Randy

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  4. That is a magnificant tree! You front yard has such great things going on. The stain glass attic vent is great. Way to go hubby!

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  5. I love oak trees.

    Oak trees don't need watering, need no maintenance, live for ever, and just get better and better. That's what you need in a plant. A bit exclusive too. You can't buy one.

    Interesting pair of sphinx(?) guardians under the white archway.

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  6. O my...Gina it looks so nice everything !!!!..............love it..........happy evening darling and give Maxime a bigg hug from my girls.........love Ria....

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  7. I'm so glad you love trees, they bring such solace. They watch over the garden through many years of time. Wouldn't you love to know what they know?

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  8. I love this other side of your front yard too and that tree is beautiful! We used to live in the pines, until hurricanes and bugs took them down. Now we only have a couple left, plus two Melaleuca trees and one giant Norfolk pine, right next to the house. I love my crepes, and we have other small trees too and one avocado in the ground and one in a pot. I think your front yard looks very inviting and must be a joy to the neighborhood.

    Have a nice afternoon and evening ~ FlowerLady

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  9. Hi Gina,
    Stained glass...always a winner in my book, whatever or wherever it is. As for the tree, what a size to have practically outside your front door! Have you heard of 'tree huggers', if so, it looks good enough to hug. Love the coloured glass ball and Maxine. Old red bricks....yep!...use them in our own garden and plan a red brick path, must be old ones though. The garden is just great, very restful looking. And I must stop ranting....bye for now!

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  10. I love stained glass. If only trees could talk. Many a tale would come from that tree about the people who've passed by. I'm nostalgic that way. Hopefully it never comes down on your house.

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  11. Yes, I look at trees...also. Your neighborhood looks very pretty with all the big trees. Also, my cast iron plants look just like yours.
    I know what you mean about things to do. It is a busy time of year with school starting. I have gone to get school supplies at least 3 times, now.

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  12. Hi Gina...I, too, am in love with oak trees...the bigger, the better. It looks like yours may swallow your sidewalk in the future. You are so lucky to have such a neat little brickwall in the front of your property...very Charleston-like. Your circle garden is a neat idea, too. And, yes...when I saw the statue, I immediately thought of the book The Garden of Good & Evil.

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  13. A lovely peaceful looking neighborhood. The Oak tree is fabulous. I am glad you are a bunny lover.

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  14. Hi Gina,

    I love trees too, especially large, old ones. I was just imagining how many storms that your old tree has weathered. I do hope that it will be around for many more years. I enjoyed the tour of your garden. You and your family continue to be in my prayers :-)

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I love comments , please leave one if you like. I try to respond to comments,but if I'm running behind, please know that I read each one before they are published. Thanks much, Gina