Back Yard Tour

I was sitting on my back patio yesterday thinking how lucky I am to have such a beautiful spot to put my feet up.  Paul and I love our little corner condo lot...and our back yard and patio have become a sort of sacred space to pause...and connect.  My photos are generally pretty cropped....so I thought I would give you some wider views and a backyard tour....things always look so good in June.   

This is the garden I put in just a few years ago.  There was nothing here...except one scruffy shrub back by the fence I share with my awesome neighbor Anna.

My gardener friend Aaron has helped along the way...including planting this seven son flower tree to help us with the afternoon shade.  Finally this year it's filling in a little more and Aaron showed me I could train some of the branches by staking them for a season.  There are incredible blooms on new growth in the fall....so I'm hoping for a good show this year. Last year I only had a few at the very top. I think it has finally settled in.

I had to insert this before photo....pretty much a blank gray slate!

This is the view from the garden side. We live along the main drive in the condo association...but there are only three condos beyond us and it's a dead end so no through traffic....just walkers and bikers which I like.  Right across the street is the pool...which, with restrictions, will be opening up soon.  I'm pretty excited.  No one is there at 8:00 when Paul and I usually go.  

I have discovered that I can use my beach umbrella tucked into a chair during the day when the sun is overhead....and under that umbrella is where I started this post.  The woodland garden I posted about a few days ago is at the end of the rock wall.

I am in love with this coral bell....the beautiful leaves and sweet flowers are just enough color. And what's not to love about that rock that is a nod to my mom....that story is here. And the curly cork screw hosta is thriving!

If you followed the blog last year you know I'm in love with my meadow rue plant.  

I moved if from the end to this spot so I could see it better against the fence.  I know what's coming....and I'm so excited.

Meadow Rue blooms from last year....7 feet in the air.

I love interesting textures and a variety of greens as much as I love blooms.

I have a little rain lily nursery going on with one bloom in the smallest pot.  I repotted some of them this spring and have already given one away...and the other three will also be given away.

My friend Anne just sent me this photo of her first bloom.

These are the three I will keep....two pink originally from my sister LaVonn and one white from my friend Becky.  I didn't get any white blooms last fall....but I remain hopeful. You get a glimpse of the Bowman's Root and just behind the large rain lily you can barely see another special plant I moved last fall.

This tiny yellow day lily has come full circle. I'm not a super huge day lily fan....but this one is small and sweet and is a pretty shade of buttery yellow. I bought it years ago when I lived in Maine the first time...moved it to Wisconsin....then to Massachusetts....and now it's back home in Maine.  It may take a while to settle in....don't we all.  When I moved it I separated it into three pieces....and one of them is ready to bloom.

The photo on the left was yesterday....and this morning one bloom opened just in time.  I drove to Lexington this afternoon so I got to celebrate the first day lily bloom since it's been back home in Maine.

  

There are 4 more buds....so maybe...just maybe I'll catch a few more when I go back.

The real focal point of the back yard is the woods.  I've  been introducing a few new woodland plants.....and have a few other "nature" things in mind.  

If you made it to the end of this post...congratulations. Thanks for taking my tour.