Mark and Jerry worked ALL day and got all those plants planted -- except those Sago palms. I decided not to plant those after my friend Janet reminded me how poisonous they are to horses. So I gave them to our neighbors across the street. They have two at the entry to their drive already, so I thought they'd probably like a couple more. And sure enough . . . they do. The palms are still sitting there in the pictures because they haven't come to get them yet, but they WILL be gone before the horses come home.
All the plants are still small, of course, so they aren't all that visible in the photos. But when all those azaleas and camellias grow to the 4 or 5 feet they're supposed to be, I'm hoping it will be gorgeous. That large stringy thing on the right is a Sweet Olive, I think, that got that leggy from being crowded by that weed tree Mark cut down yesterday. I'm hoping it will fill out on its own. But if it doesn't we'll cut it back for next year.
Here's a view from further out. All those pots lined up there on the front side of the drive are the plants that will go in front of the barn to match it to the house. But Mark wanted to wait to plant those until we're done with the painting and grading over there so nothing happens to them. That crab apple we planted just before Gustaf definitely needs to be straightened up, doesn't it? Its list to the side is much more noticeable now that there is another tree close by. That new tree is a Cherry Laurel. They're supposed to get 15 feet high and 15 feet wide and they keep their leaves all winter. Nice. We planted another one on the other side of the drive, as well. Those azaleas over on the far right by the big tree will have bright red blooms (unlike the mostly pink ones up by the porch). Probably not something I would have done, but Mark loves a variety of colors.
And from even farther out you can see the irises next to the drive -- we really need to dig those up. They're not only crowding themselves, but they're interfering with the drainage from that front area. They're sitting in the low spot where the drain pipe runs under the driveway to allow the water to run out to the canal that runs down the side of the property. And there's another clump of them on the other side of the drive where the pipe comes out, as well. That's why lately we end up with what looks like a lake in the front there whenever we have a bad storm.
And here's the back. We've been trying to decide what exactly we want in that space where the patio curves in toward the porch. I think I want some sort of smallish tree and a water feature of some kind, but I haven't decided on the specifics yet. (There's Gracie in the small dog yard keeping on eye on what was happening while those leftover bags of dirt got piled there on the back patio.)
A long weekend for Mark, but the place definitely looks 1000% better.
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