Adirondack Fire Garden

Continuing from yesterday I'm taking another look at my backyard gardens. Prior to last season I had no back yard plantings. So when I was given so many wonderful and (more importantly) FREE plants & bulbs. I knew it was time to beautify the back yard. We own just under 2 acres of land with a tree line between us and our only visible neighbor. We have no fences to distinguish our property from someone elses. So it's difficult for me to know where to start as the yard seems so large. After returning from our annual camping trip to the Adirondacks I decided we could not live another minute without a fire ring of our own. A place to gather at night and to have S'mores with the kids and to sit and chat with hubby. So as we began work on our "Adirondack Fire Garden" we decided on (as usual) a raised rock bed. The sides were made from logs that we hadn't used while building our home. In the center we dug a small pit and set our fire ring with bear and pine tree cutouts over it. Around it we placed logs for seats. Then as I glanced around our lawn I saw my sad little "bridge to nowhere" sitting all alone in the middle of a dry lawn. I hate bridges that have no purpose. Before construction on our log cabin we did have a need for the little bridge but all those "problem" areas were resolved with some proper landscaping. So with a bit of pleading I convinced hubby to help pull it over to the new fire garden. With the bridge placed as an entry into the raised bed the kids had a new and exciting way into the fire area. And I had two new areas for planting...heehee... my diabolical master plan is working! It might be the first planting beds I've done here that aren't raised. And to be truthful...I think I'll raise them up this year.


During a trip to get mulch with my oldest daughter she asked if she could start her own flower bed. How could I say no? The she informed me that she had her own money to spend! Well, hello Miss Independent! LOL. And so we walked through the garden center and she checked the price and the sun/water requirements. She dreamed and fawned all over the plants (like mother like daughter) and then she grabbed 4 nice looking asters from the clearance rack. When I asked why she replied, "I can get 4 for the price of 1 larger plant in the regular section. And with time and patience these will get just as big. And I'll have 4!" I've never been so proud. She's a frugal gardener!!!

The beauty of a New Bed

Yesterday I posted a computerized layout of my garden. Shortly after I realized that the layout was quite ugly! I defintely had a 'What was I thinking moment'! But I use the layout as a way to plan my next move and (although it's not to scale) it does give me a pretty good idea of where the garden stands~or lies...whatever. So today, I've decided to stroll down memory lane with a few of my new backyard garden beds. The picture above is the completed bed next to the house.

It started out as an ignored area to house snow-mobiles. I say ignored because no matter how many times I begged hubby... He ignored.

This is before the tilling began. Why did my hubby stop ignoring me? Maybe because I came home with this one day...

Two very generous gardeners and very dear friends had let me pick through they're compost and rock piles. And I'm not too proud to go roaming through a compost pile especially when it's full of newly "uprooted" bulbs. Although, they needed to be removed from their old home for a new project I just couldn't bear to let them just rot in a compost pile. So I dove in! And what a great friend she was to let me! The rocks were donated by a longtime friend of mine who overheard me saying that I was in need. He quickly volunteered to let me get what I needed from a stone wall that needed to be removed. Sometimes, the planets and stars all align... And then sometimes you realize that you have some awesome friends!


My first "garden visitor". Bandit the cat is very well-behaved in a garden and can often be found laying under some of the plants. But that night he was strolling through the half completed garden inspecting the work. Some plants in bloom to add color and some mulch complete the 2 day project. Ofcourse, now it's all hidden under snow. But I remember.