My Forever*Cottage Garden…..

Gardening is a lot like decorating your home - it's mixing 

textures, colors, contrast and scale.  So it's no wonder

that I have always loved gardening.  This season of my

life is very busy with my teen girls so I feel like I don't

have as much time to devote to my gardening. But,

pruning and planting and being out in my garden

 brings me great joy and is really

a form of relaxation for me.

The Pacific Northwest is a great place to garden - we really have

a 12 month growing season so it seems there is always pruning

and dividing and editing to be done.  Plants grow like crazy!

Our yard is small and believe it or not has NO grass!

Yes, it's true.

 Our front yard slopes down and is planted with a mix of spirea, boxwood,

hydrangea and other perennials - day lilies, lavender and ornamental grasses

{a combination I love}.

 Despite it's small size, we are lucky our home backs to 

a wooded area and has an empty 'greenspace' to one side so it

feels very private.

Our backyard has a brick patio that runs the length of our house.

We have room for a fire pit with adirondack chairs around it

and a teak table and benches to accommodate bit groups

of outdoor diners.  The yard is terraced which means 

there is really three levels - the patio level, a upper garden area and

then an additional level where the wooded area is along with 

a trampoline area for our girls.

I have lots of hydrangea in the back - 'Endless Summer' and some

Oakleaf hydrangea.  I also have been adding boxwoods

along with ornamental grasses.  I love mixing textures!

We have two sets of french sliding doors along the back of our house 

and provides a great view of the garden!

As this garden has evolved over the three years we have

been here, I have noticed I gravitated toward planting

a pretty monochromatic color palette.  I would

like to add some more vibrant colors in the future.

Right now we are experiencing VERY hot temps -

I look forward to the cooling the weatherman is calling

for later in the week so I can have the windows and doors open!