the courtyard

Thank you so much for all your wonderful birthday and anniversary wishes from last week!  Dan and I were so touched and loved reading your comments and emails!
Thank you!

I was so surprised to realize that its been two years since we landscaped and I've shown you the courtyard!

To take you back to the very beginning and provide a little "before-and-after," this is what the courtyard (as we call it) looked like when we bought the house.

This is the courtyard after phase I (the farmhouse) and phase II (the barn) of the renovation.  The first thing we did in the yard (after having all our antique maples looked at and trimmed by an arborist) was to install french drains around the entire house- you can see the gravel along the edge in this photo.  One of those not fun expenditures, but one that after it's done and your basement doesn't leak anymore you are so glad you spent the money!

Next we added the ion "planter."  You can read the story here.

Then we landscaped... here.  

This is what it looked like when I last showed you the space.

And this is what the courtyard looks like today...

The large iron orb with variegated euonymus hides the top of our artisanal well.

The courtyard and adjacent "living room bed" is planted in all white (with the exception of the light purple from the hostas when they flower.)  I have color in other shrubs and perennials around the property, but I love all-white beds and how calming it looks next to the antique farmhouse.  The lilac, which is original, also blooms white.

 Initially, there were native orange day lilies along the side of the barn. After the first season and I realize how quickly they started to look bad after blooming I transplanted them on the property and planted Bombshell hydrangeas in their place. 

The iron planter gets planted with annuals each year.  This year Kimberly Queen ferns (which take full sun by the way) and white Bacopa share the planter.  Behind the planter Limelight hydrangeas were planted to hide the air conditioning units.  A vintage armillary sphere peaks out from behind the Limelights.

The annual bed between the courtyard and the living room bed is planted with green-leafed white begonias, white geraniums and white impatiens.  The large rock in the back holds two small heart-shaped rocks- one place there as a gift for me by Dan and the other I found for him:)

You can see how the moonflower vine is making its way across the cross-bar on the new trellis!  

The funny story of the trellis here.

Right around the corner from the trellis, behind the limelight hydrangeas, is an espaliered apple tree (need to work on training the top a bit;) that is already bearing fruit.  It is seen from the kitchen window and the upstairs windows that look down on the courtyard.

The courtyard...

and, the living room bed.

So, once again before...

and after!

hope you are having a great summer!