Friday, March 23, 2012

Garden Dreaming

So I've been streaming old Jamie at Home reruns, and I've got to admit, it makes me pretty bummed to own a condo with small allocated gardens instead of a house with a yard. I've wanted to do a garden since I've moved in, but being lazy, I planted a whole bunch of flowers and watched them die. Well, I do have an excuse! The only hose that my unit actually has (I live in a town house) is at unit 3, literally, smack dab in front of his front door. It's like, 10" away from his front door. During the warmer months, of course everyone has their door open! It's just weird. I don't really feel comfortable lurking around someone's front door long enough to unravel the hose, bring it all the way to my yard, going back to turn it on, wrapping it up when I'm done. None of my neighbors are really on talking terms with us anyways, they are all rather unfriendly. Bummer.

Anyways, during our basement clean out I stumbled across my watering can and was reminded if I was less lazy, a garden would stand a fighting chance!


So this is our house when we went to view it while it was still on the market. Sometime in August, 2006. It doesn't look too bad, the little bush on the right side of the door is a little wonky, but otherwise not terrible.


This is the same poor garden last night, after a chilly but not snowy winter. Ignore the bag of peanuts, unlike sane people I enjoy encouraging squirrels to come around. I'm not sure what happened to this little privacy bush in front of the window, but he is NOT a happy camper. I'd love to rip up both bushes this year.


Wonky town is looking about the same, I think he's moving away from the house. This front corner of the house is also where we get the most water issues in the basement. As you can see by my amazing phone photography skills, there is a gutter/pipe there that's supposed to lead the water away, but it doesn't work as intended.


This is the best image I have of our back garden when we saw the house. This picture was just to show how much common ground is part of the condos, and our actual garden pretty much stops at the first window.


Annnd here she is today. We've never actually gone outside int he back. You know why? Our screen door has been broken since we moved in. Yep. Awesome home owners. I'm really looking to change that this year. Look at that light?! (Our condo association is actually responsible for fixing anything on the outside of the condo outside the garden plots.)


And this is the side of the house. Again, the condo association is supposed to maintain the window wells, clearly they have not. So this year I'd like to take things a little more into my own hands where legally possible.

 
Here's the game plan (using floorplanner.com). The trees and rocks are part of the common ground area, I included them so you can kind of visualize the area. This is relatively to scale, not 100%.


1.  Oak Leaf Hydrangea Pee Wee as a sort of "privacy bush".


2. Hosta Sum of All is a big leafy plant that I think just has the most gorgeous colours.


3. Anemone Sylvestris are short, sweet little flowers to keep near the front of the bed. How cute are they?!


4. Astilbe 'Peach Blossom' these should come to about the bottom of the window, and they have a gorgeous peach colour.


5. Front door inspiration from Pintrest (originally found here). I love the modern planter and the giant house number. I plan on doing something similar, putting a fern in the planter and finding a big ol' "1". Love this.


6. Hydrangea Limelight gorgeous, big flowering bush. Blooms almost all year long. I think this would look fantastic going around the corner of the house


7. I'd LOVE to do something like this hanging off that part of the roof that over hangs. I plan on planting lettuces, herbs, spring onions, and chives.


8. Tiarella 'Sugar and Spice' these are shade loving flowers. As you can see from all the trees we have around us, during the summer it drapes the entire space in shade. I want to plant them all along the side of the house to give it some colour.


9. Schizophragma 'Moonlight' is a vine. I want to put a modern climber near the second basement window for them to climb up, I think the bright white flowers are gorgeous, and will bring a little more interest near a small outside dining area.

10. I really want a small out door dining area. Some of our neighbors have one, so I figure it can't be against the bylaws so long as its close to the property, and doesn't impede much of the common grounds. I figure a small, 32" table like this set from Crate and Barrel:


And this super cute charcoal grill (also from Crate and Barrel):

And I think we'd build a small prep table, something like this:


11. I plan on using two big planters to fill with herbs. Parsley, Cilantro, Basil, Rosemary, Thyme.

12-15. I want to plant an edible garden in the back. I'm thinking of (12) potatoes, (13) shallots/garlic, (14) onions, and (15) tomatoes. Things that we use every day. Depending on the space, maybe add some sort of peppers.

What do you guys think? Any plans on a garden this year?

1 comment:

  1. All and all it looks...expensive, but cute. Your ideas of the back make me wish we had a deck. I know the moment we start anything outside the ugly condo association is going to start nagging us.

    I just realized you've left the bag of peanuts outside - I hope that doesn't get us fined! I'll bring it in if I get home first.

    Do it cheap, and I'm in! We should maybe start saving for a HOUSE.

    PIZZAVORE OUT!

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