another one of the grandparents garden usurped by my more utilitarian and low maintenance ideas. The virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) on the right has finally decided to climb the garage - the one on the left started to climb two years ago! The staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) that one of my dogs decide to chop down 2 years ago is back, and at 12 feet tall, provides a lot of shade already for the patio...
I have decided to keep the sedum 'Autumn Joy' as they are drought tolerant and give much needed winter interest. The recently pruned climbing roses still need to go...
after thinning the honeysuckle hedge on the lawn side of the "secret garden", I decided to plant periwinkle to continue the growth on the other side of the neighbours fence. The grass has also been extended to that point using Green Earth EcoTurf seed...
the purple coneflowers, black eyed susans and goldenrod are finally winding down, and the leaves of the sugar maples behind our property are starting to litter the ground...
I decided to clear a large swath of the honeysuckle hedge to make way for more perennial gardens next year. I also moved some of the staghorn sumac runners to go along the back fence to help shade out the forest of invasive buckthorns on my neighbour's property...
the virginia creeper is mingling well with the wayward perenials that I kept from the front garden exodus. I call this the "Misfit Garden"...
the view from the recently cleared area. The sugar maple and white oak saplings are going to have to go next spring! It wont be long until the burning bush and virginia creeper turn their scarlet red...
these cuttings from the virginia creeper rooted well and I have planted them at the base of a tall honeysuckle along the fence. Eventually the native creeper and sumac will hopefully choke out the invasive buckthorn! At least these equally aggressive species combo will give the buckthorn a run for its money...
the large brush pile remains as a winter hide for various fauna but next year this area will hopefully become more "private" - either a wooden fence or a cedar hedge (thats not MY shed)...
This yard is looking mighty different than when we first moved in four years ago!
