Revisiting Karen’s Garden

Returning to see how a garden has evolved over time

Today we ’re visiting with Karen Holmen .

A few years back I sent in some picture of my garden ( From Wild to WonderfulandMade for Shade ) . Since it always expect unlike to me — flora die , grow , pop up , get move or replaced — I adjudicate to post in an update .

I live in White Bear Lake , Minnesota , and have worked with my dimension since 1985 . When I first moved here we had a lot of oldoak trees , several old cottonwoods , ribwort , various shrubs and weeds , grass , and more weeds , Some of the trees have died , the ribgrass is go , and over the year I have developed a smallfront railway yard garden , a backyard garden — all within view from inside the house — and a “ wayback ” garden off by itself . It has been fun creating some order and color in the first two area ; the wayback domain is a flake Thornton Wilder and has a bit more shade to consider with , which has always been a challenge .

I institute this garden expanse , which is right outside our bedroom windowpane , toattract our many birds , bees , and butterfly . It provides hours of entertainment , and it is a bang-up place for me to sit with my camera andtake picturesof our many visitant .

This is a close - up of the same garden justly after a morn shower .

In the “ wayback ” garden , I typically take out up a mint of the blue bellflowers(Campanularapunculoides , Zones 3–9 ) each year , but I do love them and have decided to allow more originate in the years to follow . Their clunk are sensational .

I have make a motion this ‘ Miss Kim ’ lilac(Syringapubescenssubsp.patula‘Miss Kim ’ , Zones 3–8 ) a few times over the class and it at long last seems to be very happy . Itsfragrancein the spring is astonishing .

These maidenhair ferns(Adiantumpedatum , Zones 3–8 ) have find their happy property and flourish along a path in the wayback garden .

We were very golden to have a not bad horned owl family in our backyard this twelvemonth , right smart up in one of the older oak Tree . The parents had one owlet , “ Isi , ” that we were able to see farm up from early March to May . In past years the nest was occupied by Cooper ’s mortarboard and their young ; this year the hooter perplex them to the nest .

This hill on the east side of our planetary house used to be satisfy withhostasand was a riot of blue blossom in late August / early September . However , a few years ago thedeerdecided that it was bang-up for graze . During the pandemic in 2020 , I decide to replant the whole hillside with vinca(Vincaminor , Zones 4–8 ) , which the cervid have never nark . I had so much in the wayback garden that having enough to labour up and replant was n’t an issue at all . This year the whole hillside was cover up with the vinca and its little blue flowers . In addition to being beautiful , it keep the Benny Hill from eat at .

The itinerary under the treillage leads you from the backyard garden to the wayback garden .

This was another COVID project . We decided to put up someprivacypanels between our thousand and the neighbour ’ grounds . Just four panel in the woods and our privacy destination was accomplished .

It ’s amazing to seem back at earlier depiction of our one thousand compared to today . We made many of the changes because of the Brobdingnagian deer problem we have . I have taken out so many daylilies , which I hated to do , and many hostas have been replace with moredeer - resistant industrial plant . Plants the deer still like to graze on , that are near the house , I continue to spray with commercial-grade products and even a homemade formula I try for the first time this yr . They are working pretty well , as long as I am diligent about spraying .

Here ’s to all the gardeners in the world who create beautiful retreats for themselves and others to revel , let in all the critter out there !

Have photos to divvy up ? We ’d love to see your garden , a particular collection of plants you love , or a wonderful garden you had the chance to natter !

To submit , transmit 5 - 10 photo to[email protected]along with some data about the plants in the pictures and where you take the picture . We ’d bang to find out where you are locate , how long you ’ve been gardening , winner you are gallant of , failure you hear from , hopes for the future , favorite plants , or funny stories from your garden .

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