Butterfly Garden

The perennial garden really starts up at the garden bench in a formal (by my standards) area and becomes more natural and free-flowing as it tumbles down toward the lake. This jumble of wildflowers falls down the slope to the gravel lane by the lake. I think it has finally grown past the watchful eyes of THE CITY and what they perceive as "weed" control measures. (People seem to be slowly becoming more aware of the need for "wild places" even in cities.) Due to continued seeding, by next Spring this it will be double in size and should fill nicely in two years, heavy in Milkweed species - probably even a bit larger than the formal garden. Next summer I will hack a mulch-paved path, dead through the heart of it, to unpainted rough wooden steps down to the gravel lake lane. Two years. Stay tuned.

Sweet Right Now

Sometimes it all works and the colors come together almost perfectly. Yeah, I know you big red flower people think it needs more of a color pop, but pfft! it's my garden and my pallet.

Since your last visit I lifted the rather wobbly brick steps at the end of the main brick axis and replaced them with more stable fake slate concrete pavers. They look okay and won't break your ankle.

This is where the bricks migrated to over the weekend, replacing the previous gravel step treads. There was a couple of housefuls of family for three days, wonderful laughing toddlers running through the garden as I worked. :-) Besides the brickwork, I lifted and divided enough plants to fill a garden for Addy and Kate. By the time the weekend was over I was tired. I'm still playing around with the rock placing around the steps and planting plants in the cracks. 

I'm not certain the two dwarf daylilies work and probably be replaced with small ferns.

Below is a view of the lake through the in-process butterfly garden below the main garden.

Be well, keep moving,
Gunnar