Coloring Outside The Lines

Coloring between the lines supposedly encourages eye-hand coordination.  My older sister, however, always encouraged us younger siblings, and later on, her own children, to color outside the lines.  She read that it encouraged creativity.  Therefore, growing up, we never colored between the lines!

I suppose now is the time to tell you that I have no eye-hand coordination, but I do have lots of creativity!

And so, when it comes to making new garden beds, I don't always put the edges in first.  I color first, then put the edges around the picture.  For example, the east bed:

I started this bed last winter, not really knowing how it would end.

Almost the same view - but notice the new edging now!

I knew I wanted three raised beds for roses, and put those in first.  This bed has very few evergreens, so the boxwoods around the raised beds will give it some winter interest.  Then I filled in around the raised beds with more roses, companions, shrubs, transplants, and few impulse purchases.  Golden euonymus surround a crape myrtle tree and the air conditioning unit in a semi-circle.  The hope is that in a few years, you will not be able to see all the mechanical elements in this bed, but service will still be accessible.

Let's walk around this bed.
It begins when you emerge through the arbor.

All this time, I really didn't know where the line would be drawn.  I had to put the arbor up in order to tie it into this bed.  And I wanted this bed to also tie into the foundation plantings on the other side.  So, finally, this summer, I was ready to edge.  I had drawn the picture and needed to put a line around it.

Southernmost raised bed.  Filled with Cupcake, Glamis Castle,
Charles Darwin, and La Marne roses

That's what I've been doing all summer.  Edging.

It's going to be nice to have an edge to this bed, finally!

I had several beds that needed the lines drawn.  In total, I've put in almost 400 ft. of edging this summer, with over 100 of it surrounding this one bed.

This is what you see from the gazebo.  It doesn't look large here,
but this bed is over 60ft long, and almost 40ft. wide at the center.

As you look at the pictures, you can tell that I have not finished getting the weeds and grass out near the edging.  I will be doing that over the next few weeks.

The middle raised bed holds Lion's Fairy Tale, Cream Veranda,
and Inocencia Vigorosa roses.

Donna at Gardens Eye View asks us to tell what Seasonal Celebrations we will be looking forward to this autumn.  I look forward to completing this part of my garden.  Finally.  Just a little more weeding and mulching, and I will be officially done.  Maybe it's not exactly the type of seasonal celebration one normally looks forward to, but it's one I will certainly celebrate.  I look forward to a bit of cooler weather to complete my project.  I look forward to sitting in the gazebo, drinking tea, and watching the butterflies.  And since the roses will be putting out their fall flush, it will seem as if they are celebrating, too.

The Northernmost raised bed holds the same roses as the Southernmost bed,
in mirror placement.

Beth at PlantPostings asks us to tell the Lessons Learned this past quarter.  Well, I think it's harder to put the edging in last.  From now on, I am going to try to put the edging in first.  I have worked hard this hot summer putting in edging that should have been put in this past spring, or even the spring before!  Sometimes the right way to do something is the right way because it truly is the easiest way.

Outside the raised beds, I've planted more roses, companion plantings,
shrubs, and yes - even a fig!

So, when will I be putting in another new bed?  I'm not sure.  It was suggested that I rest for one year, and not put in a bed next spring.

:(

At first, I resisted this idea.  However, after some contemplation, I think a year of maintenance, weed removal, and tweaking might just be what my garden needs.  Plus, I need to finish the catenary bed, directly across from this bed.

But, somehow, I just can't get over the feeling that it'll be a year of coloring between the lines.