Back of the House Border

Before we continue, look up and out across the back. Rest your eyes from so much close looking.
Your eyes are not playing tricks on you; just for fun,
we are viewing from the driveway in three seasons.
Husband/Best Friend/Chief Photographer says those are his view each time he drives in and parks. (I have the garage so full of yard and garden supplies and equipment; we haven't been able to park inside for years. I really need a small garden house!)


Note, the wine colors of autumn with gold.

Now, back to the Back of the House Border… Candy Tuft (Iberis) is one of my favorites. It blooms, then reblooms, its brilliant white shining like a beacon among the many colors splashed about during the season.

I've read that it is easy to start from cuttings.
But, several attempts have ended in failure. I wish I could propagate it and put some down in the Rockery.
If you have any suggestions for how to root the cuttings, I'd love to hear from you. Someone suggested the rooting hormone powder I used might have been too old. Maybe I don't know how to correctly take cuttings. Maybe it wasn't the correct time. Have any of you had any luck?

Sections of the Back Border differ.
Here behind the garage there is more color to be enjoyed by family and friends going and coming near the driveway and the Garden Door.




The blue on the driveway is a tarp covering a pile of compost that I bought and had delivered. That is as far as a vehicle can go, so we have to trundle it from there with the wheelbarrow.



Then from the Garden Door and the Green Cone Composter to the back steps there is yellow beginning with little Eranthis that bloom in February then this Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus). Various spring bulbs poke up through them and bloom. The Ranunculus keeps on going all summer. If it gets too rangy we cut it back with the string trimmer, then let it come back fresh. I think it can't be killed.


After the steps is Mr. Holly. Mr. Holly is important, for it is the only male tree we have. Because of "him", the female trees have nice berries. These trees are the native American Holly which have smaller berries than the hybrid cultivated varieties. They make good food for wildlife. The berries are small enough for birds to swallow. If they were like larger fruits such as crabapples and larger holly berries of some hybrids, they would have to freeze and thaw until they get soft enough to be eaten. We had four female trees, but the big 2003 ice storm took down one.





The other side of Mr. Holly there are perennials such as azalea, iris, sedum, and daylily.



Beyond the range of these photos there is a weeping crabapple, then the tall conifers leading to the shade garden. We'll go there later.



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