Current Inspiration: Landscape

Spring is here (tomorrow, officially) and that means revisiting my love of landscape renovation.  Do you feel like that too?  March gets here and we are blessed with a handful of warm days, and all I can think about is gardening.  I wish I could get out there and start digging up plants and putting down brick pavers, like I've done in years past...  but, my enormously growing belly is telling me that strenuous gardening ain't gonna happen this year.  With a baby due in May, I think the majority of my "gardening" may be regulated to Pinterest.  We've done SO MUCH over the years, and our yard is still a disaster and nowhere near finished.  I'm okay with that though.  You can't do everything, I realize this.  But, I would love to finish it someday before I die.

For now, here are some gardening ideas that are totally inspiring me this year-- and maybe they will inspire you too.  Please indulge me...

This precious picket fence has my heart a flutter.  A few years ago, I'm not sure I would have swayed this way.  But, time has changed me.  Our backyard is pretty big, so I would love to enclose half of it between the carriage house and the backdoor.  Not for privacy, but something to contain the children and maybe a dog someday (did I just say "dog"?  These days, I can hardly keep my head on straight and I'm thinking about a dog?  Yes, let's get a dog.).  This simple yet classic picket fence is my inspiration.

To go with my new picket fence, I'll take this lovely gate and arbor, thanks.  :)  Is this not idyllic?  I can imagine parking my car in the carriage house, and then walking through this gate to the backdoor.  That would be lovely.

I would also settle for something like this.  :)

If I get my fence and my gate (and my arbor), I'll need a new walkway from the carriage house to the back door.  So, I think we'll need some brick.  You might remember a few years back, we repaved our front walk with reclaimed brick.  I still adore the look of it and I want MORE.  I spotted this chic pattern awhile back and have saved it as inspiration for future hardscaping.  Isn't this great?  Thank you, Ruthie Sommers.

 And, while we're at it, let's throw in a swimming pool.  This picture has been my go-to for years now.  I'm obsessed with it and would die to have anything that remotely resembles this someday.  Love the complete privacy with those thick evergreens (I think that might be my favorite part)...  and the rectangular pool, modern furniture, and potted plants.  Wrapped it up and ship it to me.

This is also fabulous. 

 

And, this.  I mean.  Hello, gorgeous.  Pea gravel, black planters, stacked rock, perfectly green lawn, potted boxwood.  Perfection.

Happy last day of winter, everyone.  :)

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Chestnut Hill Garden Tour

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the Chestnut Hill Musical Gardens Tour (to support the Mann Center for the Performing Arts here in Philadelphia).  I went with two of my neighbors and we all had the BEST time.  Set up as a casual walking tour (with lunch included), we explored six different residential gardens.  There was such a lovely variety between properties-- styles ranged from modern to traditional, and organic/rustic to extremely manicured.  Some of the gardens even had musicians playing (which made us feel so chic!).  It was really fun and I tried to absorb as much knowledge as possible.  I snapped a bunch of pictures to keep for my own inspiration, and I thought I would share some of them here with you...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bleeding Heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)

 

 

Anyone know what kind of fern this is with the beautiful overlapping leaves? 

Soloman's Seal (Polygonatum)

 

 

Japanese Snowball (Viburnum plicatum)

 

Azalea

White Triumphator tulips

White Triumphator tulips

Pink tulips

 

Of all six properties, my absolute favorite was this gorgeous Tudor home built in 1910.  The estate included 16 private acres in the middle of Chestnut Hill (amazing!).  The exterior of the home was stunning and the gardens were formal and impeccably manicured.  I took as many pictures as I was allowed...

front of the house

 

 

and, the back of the house (love all the windows and that built in sun dial above the doors!)

 

the amazing view from the backyard!

(there were herbs growing all along this pathway to the kitchen/dining room)

(loved that weathervane!)

(we spotted this among the plantings-- how sweet is this?)

 

 

It was a terrific tour and I would love to make it a tradition by attending every year.  It's always fun to see other gardens up close and personal.  I left with a new sense of inspiration for our own garden (I'm already thinking of planting those White Triumphator tulips in the fall-- loved those!).  If you live the in the Philadelphia area, I highly recommend getting tickets for next year.  I'll see you there!

 

xoxo

Kelly

 

 

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March is a tricky month...

One minute, you're dreaming about spring and all the lovely gardening you'll be doing.  The next minute, it's SNOWING.  Whaaa???  Oh spring, please hurry up and get to Philadelphia.

Our Nellie Stevens Holly row in the snow on Saturday.

(and, what they looked like last June)

 

 

 

Happy Monday!

 

 

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Spring Dreams

It's that time of the year where winter is almost over, and I am itching to get out in the yard and work.  Even though it's not quite warm enough (or dry enough-- we're getting pouring rain today), my mind is already racing with new projects and "do this!" and "plant that!" ideas.  Some of the tasks include:

• transplant sedum to the side of the house (it grows too big around the front porch and dwarfs our boxwood row-- see what I mean)
• plant limelight hydrangea behind the new row of sedum
• create a container garden of boxwood on the front porch
• plant ivy along retaining walls of driveway

I'm sure the list will grow and change as the months progress, but this is what I've got brewing right now.  And, I realize that I never shared an "after" blog post on our new cobblestone driveway!  That will definitely be in the works for the spring (as soon as everything turns green, making for much prettier pictures). 

While I wait for my first day of serious yard work, I've been gathering more and more inspiration on my Pinterest page.  Here are some of my faves...

love the ivy beds here

 

 

my absolute DREAM.  Tall cypress trees = total privacy.

 

boxwood container garden

tips for growing hydrangea from trusty old This Old House

stunning!

more inspiration for a boxwood container garden

 

 

(please excuse Julianne)  Love the ivy above the retaining wall.

I LOVE this grouping with the woven outdoor furniture and bright white cushions.

 

We have four woven outdoor club chairs on the front porch from Target.  We bought them a few years ago and while I'm not totally in love with the style, I do really like them (and we honestly sit in them almost everyday in the warmer months).  Also, they're incredibly durable.  Should I buy a couple of matching ottomans this year?  I'm thinking I should.

 

 

 

Looking forward to warmer days!!

 

 

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