2001 - I have a dream!

2001 – This was the year I spent dreaming / planning – a small bed was put in along with some spring bulbs. I was working primarily on the house, including the sun room. It was stripped down to the studs and redone. I was pretty happy with the results.

Also to improve drainage, I put in 3 cubic yards of soil along the west side of the house to create sloping away from the house. I buried some daylilies – little did I know they wouldn’t care rather would thrive.

I along with a few friends rebuilt the deck overlooking the garden. I spent many a night overlooking the sparse yard trying to picture what it was I wanted to do. I also did a great deal of reading, planning, and thinking about what I wanted for the future.

It was also the first time I articulated my goals.

I wanted perpetual color from thaw to frost, low maintenance – clearly a relative term! Reduce the lawn space – (more flowers less mowing). Also I wanted entertaining space.

It was all coming together in my mind. My initial wish list included:

Roses
Iris
Hosta
A dwarf tree
Spring bulbs
Ivy/Vines
Clematis
Astilbe
Azalea /Rhododendron
Columbine
Lilies
Coneflower
Shasta daisy
Dianthus
Sedum
Rudebekia
Phlox
Ostrich ferns
Bleeding Heart
Chrysanthemum
Coreopsis(?)

So there it was, I had my list, but no hardscape, no beds, just packed clay and scrubby grass. But I had a dream. And a strong back……