A large portion of my weekend was spent outside in the back yard. We had yet to do a big spring clean out there, and my goodness it needed it! Ryan’s truck was half full with weeds and clippings just from our teensy back yard. Spring is definitely upon us and everything, it seems, is blooming.
Our backyard was once a small strip a grass with a bark perimeter and a small patio (see before & after photos here). Six years ago, we removed all the grass, added to the patio, put in stone paths and lots and lots of tress and shrubs. Those trees and shrubs have finally filled in and they are looking so good this year! Spending the day out there weeding and tidying was surprisingly pleasant because the plants are just so pretty. I snapped a few closeups of my favorites.
(hydrangea)
(clematis)
(boxwood)
(peony)
(lady’s mantle)
(blue star creeper)
(japanese maple)
(lacecap viburnum)
(viburnum)
And I can’t leave out the flower pots the kids gave me for mother’s day.
What’s blooming in your yard that makes you smile?
P.S. That top photo was taken at my mother-in-law’s house where she creates the most beautiful garden and potted plants each year. Many of the plants in our yard came from their old house before they moved which was so great to start our yard with larger, more established trees and shrubs. Robyn has a way with plants and interiors and producing wonderful boys and I’m thankful for her in a million different ways. AND, it’s her birthday today. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA NONNA! xoxo
What kind of camera do you use? I’ve been dying to take up photography in Boston to try my hand at it but I have no idea where to begin with selecting the best camera!
I have a canon and try my best to pretend to know how to use it. I wrote a post about my best tips here: https://jonesdesigncompany.com/photography/number-one-way-make-photos-better/
Beautiful container! You’ve inspired me to replace my spent pansies ad daffodils with something that will last into the summer. We moved into a new home last fall, so I’m enjoying EVERYTHING that blooms! Seems something is always popping up and surprising me!
i can’t get over your backyard! that’s it – i’m coming to seattle!
I love hydrangeas. I keep coming home with a new pot of the everblooming ones. I’ve also been bringing home knockout roses. My husband bought here for me for Mother’s Day. We have camellia bushes and I also brought home a rose of Sharon that was a new start from my mothers house. I worked a lot this weekend and son is getting ready to haul a whole truckload to the landfill for yard debris. I hope we can get some more work done and get it back in shape, since adopting little one it’s been bare minimum. After four years it’s sad.
Emily, I couldn’t resist posting “What’s blooming in your garden?” on my blog after your sweet post. I had done the very same thing over the weekend. Cleaning off the deck and getting the windows washed after the rainy winter season in California. Thanks for your inspiration.
Wow, it’s crazy how much further along your plants are then over here in Northern Michigan!! I’m super excited about my elephant ear hostas coming up, but they’re just now peaking out of the ground! I do love my hydrangeas (I have pink) as well, but again, they’re just sticks as of right now! Fun seeing what’s growing in your neck of the woods :)
I have hydrangeas everywhere! I love them and I especially love how the acidity of the soil will change the colors so I have blue, green, pink and deep purple hydrangeas in the front yard. On the side of the yard I have a oak leaf hydrangea with white blooms. This particular breed of hydrangea gets rather large so it’s perfect to fill the big empty wall on the side of the house.
We also have day lilies which gives a bright happy yellow flower almost all summer. The Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus) is my husbands favorite. We were blessed to receive a bunch of established plants from my in-laws last year and they have flourished this year with many blooms of the sweetest star burst of flowers…I have to remind my girls everyday not to pick them! We also received several bunches of Society Garlic. I love the texture of the grass and the flowers also add a sweet pop of color but I could do without the smell! They really do smell like garlic and it’s a bit pungent.
I would love to add more grasses to our flowerbeds once the hydrangeas grow a bit more. My favorite flowers are tulips but they don’t grow very well here because of the climate so I have to buy a bouquet of them from time to time. I would love to add some lavender and peonies but will need to do some research to whether they will thrive in my climate…
Thank you for sharing the pictures of your beautiful garden! I would love to see some updated photos of the trees and how they have filled in to block the neighbor behind you. We are looking for some alternatives to blocking our neighbor behind us.
Yes! I’ve always been fascinated with the color change of hydrangeas with the acidity of the soil…
Also, re: the lavender… I live in northern Michigan, and the house we moved into had lavender already planted in the front yard. I grew up living in France where it is plentiful in the south, so I wondered how it would hold up in Michigan’s intense winters… It looks pretty rough in the spring, but it perks up quickly – I’ve been surprised!
Is a viburnum different from a hydrangea? Maybe I have been mistaking viburnums as white hydrangeas my whole life…
I love all your flowers though! You will have a beautiful garden
Unbelievably beautiful! I especially love your mother-in-law’s gorgeous pot. Thanks for the inspiration!!!
Such pretty colors!
Liz @ http://www.shoppingmycloset.com
Hello Emily!
It’s crazy, we are so far in France and the United States, and yet so close … If I can afford, and we like the same flowers and shrubs! I hydrangeas, white for the most noise, and peonies … I think I’m not the only one, but these are my favorite flowers. I know why aujourdh’ui! My grandmother had many hydrangeas, and I think that comes from her garden! And my mom love peonies! On my blog, I show how to make flowers that do not fade! another variety: poppies. I wish you a beautiful late spring, summer is coming! Good week