Thursday, April 29, 2010

Landscaping Project: Stone Path

I have been working in our yard and a couple of days ago, this was my project:

It is the path between our house and our neighbor's house that leads to our backyard. That picture was taken in July last summer when everything was blooming and the Majestic ferns were just starting to come back from their winter's hibernation.

If you would like to read about the construction of the path and its "rocky" beginning, you can click here.

Unfortunately, the extremely cold winter we had took its toll on the ferns and we lost several of them.


I love the way they make the path look lush and green, even during the hot summer months, and hope to replace them this week.

The latest addition to the path area is what I'd like to share today. I'll give you a hint: it's something I've wanted ever since I saw these, which I captured with my camera during past photo shoots:


I just love those gazing balls, especially the bright cobalt one in the first picture, and was delighted to find one in a catalog from Touchstone.

[Photo borrowed from Touchstone's web site]

Aren't they pretty! I think I'd like to have one of each color, but that might be a little too much, I guess. Here is mine in its new home, along with some pictures of the path after I finished working on it.

This is a view of the path standing at the front looking toward the backyard. The gazing ball is at the end of the path.

I took this picture of the arbor early this morning and like the way the flash highlighted the arbor and gate.

This old rusty lantern was in a storage shed at my mother-in-law's house. I love it hanging beside our path.

This is the view of the path we see from our bedroom windows. That's Trailing Verbena in the planter, and I'm hoping it will trail out over the path.

This shadow caught my eye as I was taking pictures of the path. It's a shadow from the fleur de lis design in the metal gate cast on the stones.

This is the view of the path looking toward the front to our courtyard and waterfall area.

The path has certainly come a long way from its "rocky beginning," and is like a little garden linking our courtyard to our backyard.

I can't wait for the Crape Myrtles to bloom because that's when the pathway is at its prettiest. I'm sure I'll take more pictures to share with you then.

8 comments:

Stacey said...

That looks unbelievably beautiful! Since we have something very similar, I know the hard work that has happened to make that pathway so pretty. We have the dwarf monkey grass on ours too. Just love it!

RachelD said...

OH, please do!!!

You know how I LOVE crepe myrtles. And I've had an ongoing love affair with gazing balls since I was a child. My Grandpa had us drive him all the way up to Batesville to see his chiropractor---something about his being the grandson of a friend, etc., was the reason for traveling all that way, and his name was Dr. Wells Fargo, of all things!!

And every time, I'd keep watch for the house with a big blue marvel in the yard. I had no idea what it was, or where it came from, but it was entirely magical to me, and I would have swapped everything but my books for one of those things.

Blue will always be my color, as that was the first, and blue reflects everything---past, present, future and wishes and dreams.

Strangely enough, in all the geegaws in my garden, I do not have one of those, but this weekend, I will, I think.

Stacey said...

Came back to look at your pathway again. This time I'm blown away by the beauty of that arbor! Did you have that custom made? Usually when you find them at the store they are kind of cheesy. Yours is beautiful. Makes me think of something I'd see in Savannah.

Deb said...

it is so pretty...wished I lived closer I would love to hang out there...

Southern Lady's Vintage said...

It looks beautiful!

Tonja said...

It is so pretty! I love everything about it! One of the things I think is so beautiful is a pathway of stone like yours, with grass or herbs growing between the stones! Your pathway and garden is so welcoming! I'm glad you made another pic of the arbor and gate. It is so lovely as well! Yep, it's all just my style! The gazing ball is the perfect touch!

Unknown said...

I love the gazing balls Janie. You have a beautiful garden!

Laura said...

This is just beautiful.
I have been working on my side yard, and I got lots of ideas.

Is majestic fern also called macho fern?

Laura
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