This was the project du jour, and I think it is one of the lovelier things we have done here. The Hermit built this rock garden a week and a half ago, from the abundance of boulders we have lying just beneath the surface of our soil. Today we filled it with horse pasture dirt, and I proceeded to plant the miscellaneous plants I had left over from our greenhouse shopping spree last Friday. There are perennials, annuals, herbs, and a few vegetables, but all in all it looks nice. I even planted a few morning glory seeds that hopefully will still have time to grow up and twine around the rain gauge post. This garden is about twenty feet from the patio door that leads from the future family room in the new house, so it will look nice from indoors. As if it didn't before; look at that great view looking east over the swamp!
Sometimes the rocks can be a real pain; when you try to dig anything you end up hitting at least one no matter where you go. But I have visions of more and more rock gardens, rock walls, walkways inlaid with flat slabs and creeping thyme, maybe even a rock garden shed. Our new hearth will feature a back wall faced with smaller pieces of sandstone, granite, and greenstone that the glaciers left here. We are rich with rocks.
That pretty much completes planting this year, save for the blueberries, elder and serviceberries that are still sitting in their big pots. And the rhubarb and asparagus roots I never got around to preparing a bed for. And the succession plantings of lettuce. I guess I never really am done.
9 comments:
Lovely!
That is really nice. Rock envy here. We have limestone, young and chalky beneath our place, but it's all one mass, not useable chunks.
Rock on Deb and Hermit!
Loverly. I started out using rock gardens around here, and we have lots of lovely mixed stone, too.
And you're done planting! Yippeee! Time to start harvesting now, huh?
Congratulations on completing the planting, Deb - a great and rewarding job! I've been following along with you from the comfort of my computer screen. Love all your descriptions and I look forward to growth and harvest.
I love your ideas for using all that native rock. I am a bit south of you, and out of the "rock belt", so I am terribly jealous. I do have to say I don't envy you the digging and moving of all that rock! *smile*
Looks great--and will grow up to be a nice focal point to anchor that beautiful view.
There's nothing like planting in a new bed, is there?--all that fluffy, newly worked soil. I'm just about to go out and work over (renew) a bed this afternoon for planting--that won't be the last of it--around me the heat waves come and put an end to the spring work--at whatever stage.
Cool! I love rocks in the garden, unfortunaly all I have is midwest black soil with no rocks at all, not even pebbles :(
Nice view of the swamp....im imagining the bird watching possibilities...
dan and FC- thanks! And FC, if you'll pay the shipping costs, or my expenses for driving there (midwinter, maybe? ;) ) I'll gladly ship you a load of Minnesota glacial pasture rock.
madcap- lettuce and Swiss chard are on the menu, sugar snap peas are on the way!
pam- doing a little vicarious gardening there? I'll do my best...
barefoot gardener- thanks for commenting! You're out of the "rock belt"...could that be the Anoka Sand Plain? I lived there for a while. Anyway, I looked at your blog and I like it; always nice to have someone to compare gardening notes with...and congratulations on the future baby girl!!! :)
Pamela Martin- I think a good view is always enhanced by a focal point in front. And the soil... nice and fluffy, no weeds or clumps, planting was a joy!
ggg- do you have sedge wrens on your life list? Plenty of them here! I almost take their song for granted, lucky me...
You betcha. I have to say sand is better than clay, though. Thanks for the congrats.
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