Marsh Marigold in my Fish Pond

I started this plant in my pond a few years ago.  It has never bloomed this early or this long!  Such a bright spot outside my kitchen window!

Ready for Spring

 These pictures were taken a few weeks ago, right after I finished cleaning out all the dried up iris leaves and did the first round of weeding.  It looks pretty bare, but it is possible to see all the rocks I have laid up over the past few years.  I have a few small areas left to finish up - rock garden areas to install.  I planted several hundred new iris last summer as I finished up the rockwork.  I am really looking forward to seeing them grown and bloom!

Waterfall Construction - Getting Closer

Here is the waterfall after adding some more rocks around it.  I have tried the waterfall to make sure everything is graded properly.  When I get everything in place, I will use waterfall foam to fill in all the cracks and seal it up so the water flows down to the pond and does not back up behind the rocks or anything.  I watched a lot of YouTube videos about waterfall construction.  This is the second waterfall I have constructed, but I really want to get this one right.  I don't expect to do it again!  Michelle tells me it looks just like a big pile of rocks.....but I think it will be improved by the addition of some plants, etc.   I am actually quite pleased with the effect so far.

Pond and Waterfall Construction

 I spent several days fiddling around with the placement of the pond and waterfall.  When I was finally happy with it - I laid this foam backed bubble wrap all around.  This is to protect the vinyl liner from being punctured by any sharp rocks or roots that are in the ground.  They make a polyester product just for this, but I did not want to spend the money on it.  This bubble wrap is what Joe retrieves from the furniture store trash.  He keeps a large supply on hand for his online sales business.

 After the cushion layer, the liner is put  into place.  I will need two liners - one for the pond and a second one for the waterfall.

 This picture shows several levels of the waterfall and some of the flagstones around the pond in place.  This took several days for me - with help from both Michelle and Joe.  Joe is installing the buried electrical exterior electrical outlet.  Michelle is building a set of stairs and laying the flagstone wall cap (see below)

Preparing for the Pond and Waterfall

 We left this area without the landscape brick because I plan on adding a pond and waterfall here.  This area previously had a stairway and a very tiny pond and waterfall.  This time, I plan to expand the size, depth and location of the pond.  The racoons were getting my fish before, so I quit keeping them.  This time, I will create a safe place for the fish to hide so maybe they won't be eaten by the racoons.

 The picture above shows the area before excavating and below - the pond excavating in progress.

Quartz Flagstone

 We've made three trips to the brickyard to hand select the flagstone for the next phase of this project.  I like this quartz flagstone.  It is very sturdy and also (relatively) thin.  This is the same flagstone that I used on the patio I built in the front last year.  We are able to load half a ton per trip into the back of Joe's Grand Caravan (his "work truck").

My apologies to those who follow my blog for my art process.  This is not fiber art, but I do feel creative when doing this, and there is no time for my studio these days!   Above the top wall, I have transplanted some of the iris rhizomes that were dug up during the excavation.

Terrace Building Finished

 We have finished building the three levels of terracing behind our house.   We still have a bit of leveling to do with the dirt, and then we will add a natural flagstone cap.

A few iris and daffodils survived the process.  They are kind of buried right now, but I will deal with them in the next phase.

First Iris of the Year!

 

I have been anxiously awaiting this first iris blossom of the year!  I have most of my iris labeled with the registered names, but this one does not have a tag.  I am pretty sure it came from the Big Sky Iris Club sale at the local Farmer's Market.  

At this point, I have about 250 different iris planted in the terraces out front.  I have tags on most of them (with the registered names) and they are recorded in a spread sheet (something I started last year).  This year, I hope to get a photo of each one that blooms, and I hope to record the date it blooms on the spreadsheet.  I will keep track of the ones that die and I will not plant those again.  Instead, I hope to have large patches of healthy iris.  I am keeping the good growers and good bloomers and the rest can go.  I am not really out to amass a "collection".  Rather, I am hoping to do some artful landscaping.... I want color blocks around the yard!

Iris work well in this location with minimal care and little water.  I also love them - so I joined the local Iris club as well as the American Iris Society! 

Landscaping the Front

 Our steeply sloped front yard was formerly a fire hazard, with several large junipers and a lot of dry native grasses.  After two wildfires swept through our neighborhood, destroying homes within 1/4 mile of our place, we had the fire marshall come walk through and give us suggestions.  That spring, 16 junipers were removed along with a lot of pines.  He told us the dry native grasses should go too. 

( we have also finally disposed of the wooden retaining wall in the back that he told us was a fire hazard)

I have found that iris grow well at our place and they don't require much water (always a concern since we have to haul our water from the water station - we don't have city water or a well).  Iris are a good plant for fire safety - they really do not ever burn well.   I have gradually been adding a stone patio and terraces to the front to create more living space and a place for my growing iris collection.  Above, I  have dug this new flower bed terrace this spring to create a place for replanting all the perennials that had to be removed during our reconstruction of the terraces in the back. 

This flagstone patio was installed last summer.  I have found this cast iron water fountain and I have rigged it up with a solar powered pump.  I need to do something about the line that is dangling, but I am very happy with the way this thing works!  Solar power is totally the way to go on this!

Final Stretch with the Natural Impressions Landscape Brick

 These pictures show the last two tiers being finished up.  We should finish up today and then will start building the pond and waterfall.

Moving Boulders

 Joe used a combination of chains, rope and come-along (a pulley mechanism) to move this very large rock that was in the way. 

More Retaining Wall Installation

 We've worked at this project now for 10 days.  Usually we work from 4 to 7 hours.  We are getting in better shape and while we are still sore at the end of each day, we seem to recover more quickly.

These pictures show our work as we proceed along the slope heading from south to north  across the hillside behind our house.

 We have done quite a bit of excavating by hand - removing a lot of dirt and rocks.  We created a new path out to the compost bin.

My Flagstone Patio

 This month, I was able to finish this landscaping project - a flagstone patio measuring about 20 x 12 feet.  I have been gradually (shovelful by shovelful) creating terraces on our very steep drop-off in the front of our house.  This area had no level space - just a steeply tapering drop down to the driveway.

The bench art is by Parks Reece, a Livingston area artist

I've tried something new this year - a small vegetable patch (shown below).

I've planted swiss chard, kale, daikon radish, and basil.

The chicken wire stretched over a 2 x 4 frame and elevated with rocks is working well to keep the deer from nibbling it all away.  There is a volunteer pumpkin plant (a seed that survived the composting process)  that may not survive the deer - no room for it under the cover.

 

Below, there are some better images of the stone retaining walls I have built.

The picture on the left shows a new bed I have prepared for the new iris rhizomes I will be planting soon, along with some deer resistant perennials.

 

Here is an old photo (from 2006) of the same area.  There was some weedy grass with a game trail through the middle of it.  The junipers had to be removed in the interest of fire safety (about 20 cedar and juniper trees were removed in 2009 following two wildfires in our neighborhood).

With our water issues (no well or city water - we haul our own water in our truck), we were not able to water the "lawn".  I am planting iris and other drought tolerant, deer resistant and fire resistant plants in this area now and am really happy to be able to look out and see something blooming in front of my house.

I really love sitting in my bench with my morning tea and watching the dragonflies and goldfinches!  In the evenings, it is a perfect place to enjoy the sunset.

My Beautiful Iris Garden

 

The iris above is called "Local Color".  The iris below is called "Sneezy".

 

The iris above is called "Jigsaw".

The iris below is called "Ancient Echoes"

This iris is called "Godsend".

Beautiful Iris

  

The iris above is called "Peach Royale".  The iris below is called "Ride the Tiger"

 

The iris above is called "Sneezy".  I don't know what the one below is called.

My Iris Garden 2012

 

The iris above is called "Circus Dancer".  The iris below is called "Circus World".

 

The iris above is called "Just for Fun".  I don't know what (or if) the iris below has a name.

This iris is called "Swingtown".

My Iris Bloom

I am slowly converting my yard to an expansive iris bed.

These flowers are one of my favorites. 

Furthermore, this is a flowering plant that is well suited to the environment here.

They do not require much water and the deer do not eat them 

(usually  - although it has happened at my house).

 

The iris above is called "Ace".

 

The iris above is called "Daughter of Stars" and the iris below is called "Gladys Austin" .