Planning a Fresh Start

February's Teacher Furlough Day became my day to chop all the border grass in the front beds and start planning for the Spring and Summer seasons. I have the beds shaped and edged - i really like the curves. All the black holes in the yard are footprints left from the 101 year old trees that had to come out. I've been filling them with top soil... they rot... i fill.. they rot... I... well you see the picture.

I have some evergreens in place and many sun loving perennials. I would really like to take the "circle yard" to the next level. I have always wanted to make it a white garden. I still may try. Colored flowers just disappear in the shadows and against the brick. I think some bright white and green flashes would stand out and look sparkling and cool this Summer.

I had zennias in the sunny place near the house and they did great. My dad's garden statue of a boy with a basket on his head did not fair to well through the colder than normal winter. He froze and his jaw fell off.

My wife found me some peony plants which are not white but i love the look of them - i am going to try them here in the partial shady areas and see if they make it - if they do i might invest in some nicer peony plants. The impatiens in the picture above from last Summer did okay in the shade. So if peonies really don't mind dry summers they might love it here! We have lots of dry.