You may remember when I initially posted about the waterline installation along my road? If not do look at the post found here because the before pictures of these two angles in front of my home are found there. The changes are quite amazing-even to me and I'm the gardener!Both sides of the road were torn up and a four foot ditch was dug into the hill and along the road in order to install a new water pipe. You can see in the two pictures exactly where the water pipe is located because the asphalt on the driveway is a different color.
The first picture shows the left side of my driveway when looking at the house. I am most happy with this little garden. Growing in it are: 'Powis Castle' artemesia, several yuccas, prickly pears, a few lavenders, and brown eyes. I smoothed out the ditch after the workers left and stacked some rocks alongside the bank. I actually gained about a foot of real estate once the ditch was smoothed back over. This is a flat area where I could not resist putting in a little garden. In order to stabilize the small hill lining the ditch on this side of the driveway I planted the 'Powis Castle' cuttings all along the bank. I think they make a great border and they have loved the location more than I imagined. This garden is a low maintenance easy going simple kind of garden since it is alongside a busy highway. I do not tend it much at all.
The right side of the driveway fared much better than the left in the major renovation. Other than having to move the prickly pears and the Angelina sedum it suffered little damage since the workers cut into the hill half way down it instead of into the garden. The grass has quickly filled in along side the bank and the sedum and prickly pears are looking great too! I did plant a few more brown eyes on this side and seeded the bank a bit. The hay is a result of the workers trying to fix everyone's front yards once they finally finished their work. I have added some 'Powis Castle' cuttings on this side too. Once they fill out they'll shine and highlight the driveway in a nice way.So, all's well that ends well....
in the garden....
Good morning Tina, I love your plantings on either side of the driveway. I also have Powis Castle along one side of my driveway by the mailbox. It really fills in nicely. Last year I paired it with an annual Lantana. Love the combo with Artemisia and the cactus!
ReplyDeleteHey Janet .. you beat me to the comment section girl ! haha
ReplyDeleteTina I really think that is a perfect planting there .. I love the metal wheel especially : )
Artemesia is so great as a foil to other plants .. I have it with Black Lace sambucus and a few other "silver and dark" foliage plantings.
I don't envy the upheaval that must have been with the road work .. but they did try to be careful which is a bonus to more real estate ? LOL
Joy
Your entry looks really inviting, mine is kind of undone formal and I don't like it at all. Love the wagon wheels.
ReplyDeleteGood morning! I remember that post Tin and the photo of the long trench they dug! The entrance garden looks good and PC is a great plant... The piece you gave me may have fallen victim to the Susans! Trenches around here unearth lots of rock and i always wish for a trailer and a strong back to rescue them! gail
ReplyDeleteThe area has recovered nicely! 'Powis Castle' sure does fill a space very well. It's my favorite plant this year it seems!
ReplyDeleteHi Tina, you have given me some good ideas for around my mailbox (which is a mile from the house). The last artemisia I had was a disaster here. Haven't tried Powis Castle so I may do that. Looks really nice.
ReplyDeleteMarnie
Things are looking really nice! I had a similar thing happen two years ago; they bud up my street and removed a fire hydrant very near my garden bed--harrowing, but it all went well int he end.
ReplyDeleteTina,
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you got things "set right" in your driveway and garden area. I like that Prickly pear, it grows up here in the Rocky Mtns. Edible!
Rosey
I too remember the ugly trench being dug so near your beauties! I did go back to take a second peek though as I love before and after pics to compare. I did not even notice there had been a pipeline put into place when I was at your house a few weeks ago so it healed nicely for you!
ReplyDeleteThey are installing new pipes all over town here and just yesterday I spotted a beautiful Magnolia Tree that I am afraid will be in the line of destruction. I fear for the fella. I know a lot of people are upset at the mess the new pipes are causing. It appears the diggers are trying their best to clean up the mess. Plus, they are moving along quickly at the job… Ick, Red Clay is getting all over the streets too...
Lovely roadside planting. I really like it too! :)
ReplyDeleteWell I just think it all looks great.
ReplyDeleteWhew, my house is quiet. Christy has gone and Sarah went back to work and Josh is at day care and Papa has gone to town. Only noise is Terri-Lynn and Heather coming in to steal a plate of leftovers and ofcourse my birds are always making some noise.
Hey! Blogger is working. It is most slow this morning and I am having trouble accessing blogs. Anyone else having issues?
ReplyDeleteJanet, Lantana with PC? Hmmm, gave me a good idea!
Joy, Glad you like the wheels. It sure sets my house off. They were both purchased at an antique store in Alabama at a bargain price of only $25! Can't beat that. Everyone was careful-a good thing.
Dawn, You should get some wagon wheels for your place. I love mine!
Gail, I have plenty more PC. This is the time to take cuttings and I need to do so soon so I'll save you one.
Dave, I knew you'd like it! I have not had luck with silvermound so I am a big fan of Powis. It can spread though. My MIL ripped hers out because it took over. I thought gee, that was a good thing for it to grow and fill in but she saw it differently:)
Marnie, Powis is a super good plant! No maintenance other than a haircut in February here. For you it'd be more like March or April. The prickly pears and yuccas are also nice-no watering needed.
Monica, Sometimes we just have to hope for the best and I think most everything happens for a reason. Glad your tear up went well.
Rosey, That prickly pear is a good plant. Just cut a 'leaf' off and lay it on the ground and it will root. I do not like the taste though! Yuck! Don't eat it!
Skeeter, Such is progress with new pipes but boy does it ever upset the landscape and trees (poor magnolia) and travel on roads. Grrr~!
Sweetbay, So glad you like it!
Mom, Enjoy the quiet!
I better get to visiting you all while my computer is working now!
They both look great to me Tina. It's hard to tell they were disturbed in the least. :)
ReplyDeleteOh I remember that post and that trench! Who'd think, going by these pics, that a major earth-cutting operation was on?! Simply love the plantings, the wheel...the whole look! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI remember when that work was going on. I would have dreaded it but you're right, it ended well. Hard to tell (other than the different asphalt color) that much was disturbed. That's the kind of job I like to see! The cactus is a great focal point at your driveway entrance and a good place to put it since you don't do much maintenance there.
ReplyDeleteLooks good Tina. Can't tell it was ever disturbed.
ReplyDeleteI love how it looks, and the wheels are really neat. Nothing better than a low maintenance garden that looks great too!
ReplyDeleteIt's fun to see a bigger chunk of your garden, seems like I always catch the 'up close' posts! Love the wheel.
ReplyDeleteOh, that wheel! Great!
ReplyDeleteRacquel, My sentiments exactly!
ReplyDeleteKanak, Thanks!
Kathleen, Oh yes-no gardening near that prickly pear-ouch!
Lola, Thanks!
Catherine, Thanks!
VW, Glad you like the far shots. I love those ones so much more than the close ups.
Tatyana, Glad you like the wheels!
It's a wonderful recovery. I just hate when some external force comes in and changes carefully laid garden plans, but it looks like in this case, you made out well.
ReplyDeleteFunny thing, because they've been tearing up my street to do water line work as well (probably some future blog post from me as well). At least in our case there's only asphalt and concrete from the water main to the meter, so we haven't had to worry about protecting any plants. I'd say your garden has recovered nicely, and it's great you took the opportunity to improve things from where they were before.
ReplyDelete