MANY, MANY THANKS TO .... BY THE YARD! THE MAINTENANCE-FREE OUTDOOR FURNITURE COMPANY! I don't even know how to express my gratitude to the wonderful people at By the Yard!  Most of you read about my white arbor in June that was a darling nesting site for robins,
and at the time, a sweet mourning dove. In July, a huge wind storm came and totally destroyed it! The abor was in pieces and about half of my William Baffin Rosebush was down with it! As crushed as I was seeing hundreds of ready to open buds laying in with all the mess, this also is one of my favorite sites to photograph people in. Then for me the saddest thought came to my mind... THE MOURNING DOVE AND HER BABIES!! I ran as fast as I could, and saw the dove had left her nest, there were two eggs broken on the stone below, along with my heart.  The heros in this story are the fine people at By the Yard who donated their Plastic Dimension Lumber, which is made from recyced milk jugs. Good for the environment, good for the garden! I am so grateful to them for now I have a beautiful new arbor, created by my husband. The best part of this wonderful maintenance-free material is that it won't rot, weather or stain. It requires no staining or painting ever, which frees up my time for more gardening! I highly recommend you check out their product at www.bytheyard.net or 1-877-220-0448. Tips Always stretch before gardening-- this will help prevent injuries and sore muscles. You don"t want anything to stop you from gardening!!! To create an English feel, include Sweet Alyssum in your borders. Be sure to include arbors, obelisks, and pergolas. Grow climbing roses and Clematis on these for height and visual interest. Include shrubs, flowers and areas to feed birds and butterflies. When entertaining, scented candles spaced throughout the gardens add additional rich fragrance. In the evening, put floating candles in birdbaths. Use flagstone for paths between plants for maintenance purposes. Include evergreens in your gardens to ensure winter interest... especially dwarf varieties. If possible, near your kitchen window, plant a Dropmore Huneysuckle to attract fun-to-watch hummingbirds. Your family will love it!
Use my favorite roses: David Austin English Roses (see below) for hedges, climbing, specimen plantings, groupings, and between your favorite perennials! The most dependable of these has been the Mary Rose. I have 3 of them and they all made it through the winter. Some others include Abraham Darby, The Alnwick Rose, Sharifa Asma, and Teasing Georgia. David Austin Roses are truely awesome!  I'm so happy and blessed to be working with the most reputable and gorgeous nursery in our area,
Green Valley Garden Center in Ramsey. This was my second year hosting Spring Garden Tours through them, and they are so gracious to give anyone who goes through a tour at God's Gardens by Claire, a 10% discount on all plants, structural items, and garden products! For more info go to www.GVGH.com ( The 10% discount at GGbyC Tours can not be used with any other discounts offered by Green Valley.) Are you unsure of pruning your trees? Call Walt Witzke an insured ISA Certified Arborist. He returns your call faster than anyone I've seen, and he will meet with you to discuss your needs concerning all the different types of trees you have in your landscape! Call for an appointment soon, some of your trees may need end of winter pruning. LIVING WATER TREE SERVICE 763-360-4855, or e-mail waltonlee2@hotmail.com Gardening is easier with a better back! I recommend Dr. Dean Bechard & his partner Dr. Laurie Anderson at: Champlin-Dayton Chiropractic |