December 1st 2007

About 7:30 am Dec 1st Sunday morning

This is actually the very next day, Dec 2nd on the far side of Willoughby pond!


First snow, 6-7 inches and then meltdown and record rain!

Early September, 2007

-an evening walk through our Garden

This video was taken before Alpine started Phase 3. I wanted to tape the garden as it looks today and compare it in the years to come. We, Alan and I planted a lot of the plants this Summer, specifically the Perennials, several bushes and a few trees. Alpine starts on Wednesday now, not Tuesday. They will be here for 2 weeks as they scrape, hall in top soil, lay irrigation, plant and clean up the property. Phase 4 will be started in the Spring.

Late Summer, August 21st

Autumn color already at the Woodlands...

The beggining of a new bed.

Yep, the start of a new perennial border. Talk about back breaking work! I couldn't even move that wheelbarrow because of the weight of the wet sod so Alan is moving it for me tonight and I can fill it again for him to dump...

We planted more shrubbery and perennials last Sunday (see middle picture). One of the plants we planted was a beautiful Holly bush. I LOVE Holly because it reminds me of Christmas time. Alan was out in our woods last Autumn and found 3 large Holly trees and came in and told me about them, he took me to them a little later. We will be gathering holly boughs to decorate with for Christmas this year, cool!

In a few weeks Alpine will start landscaping the front of our property near the street, we're so anxious. We are having them plant several flowering Plum trees the length of the front. Hydrangea's will be planted below them. Ground cover will flank the whole length too. Irrigation is also planned.

More pictures to come!

The kiss of the sun for pardon
The song of the birds for mirth
One is nearer to God's heart in the garden
Than anywhere else on earth

Dorothy Gurney
1858 - 1952

the terrace in July

close up of "Ram's head" urn

"early girl" tomato

our new urns filled with petunias

the side garden by the garage

1 of the 4 Stewartia trees

"dancing children"

"Heavenly perfume" shrub roses

7/24/07 3pm

I just came in from a walk through the garden with the boys, Ced and Wes love it here. We so wish that Austen and Emmy could have been here too... they would have loved this place and all the peacefulness but we're sure Heaven is more beautiful.

Our garden is growing. We have a variety of perennials now and several roses, 30 or more so far! Our Summer has been quite warm although last week it rained off and on for 5 days, it took a toll on all the geraniums. Rain in July is rare, the rain made record status.

We, for the first time, have had swimmers in Willoughby Pond (our pond's new name because of the two willows next to it)! They loved it. First were the R and S kids and the 2nd were our own grand kids, they didn't want to come out! : )

We also now have around 200 Rainbow trout. Having the trout has attracted a lot of wildlife, Eagle, Blue Heron, Osprey to name a few.

I was blessed one morning with the watching a Mallard and her 10 ducklings feeding at the pond but on a sadder note, Maude our resident duck was killed. We found her feathers scattered by the pond one day and I think because of that we haven't seen many water fowl lately.

Having a well has been a God send! Watering 4 acres would be financially impossible.

I'm really looking forward to Alan's time off coming up. He'll be taking off several days in August to concentrate on our garden. We are attempting to do the landscaping ourselves, that will be a real learning process!

--Laurie

Our new blog:

"Seasons at the Woodlands"

Summer time! Looking up through the Hornbeam tree branches and leaves.

We've started a new blog! This one is all about the different Seasons here at the Woodlands.

Watch with us as our garden grows and as the Seasons come and go...

Laurie and Alan