Making Room for Tomatoes

The front yard has begun its metamorphosis. Ligustrum and holly bushes have been removed and loropetalums transplanted; I love the purple color of this low maintenance shrub. I allow mine to grow freely as I find their natural growth pattern a better fit to the casual feel of my front garden, but it can pruned into a hedge for a more formal look.



Cypress, knockout roses, smoke tree & rosemary

The rosemary benefited from a much needed pruning, although it is hard to tell it’s still so big. The sky pencil holly—the only one of three to survive—has been moved to a pot on the steps and the knock-out roses have been transplanted to the side of the porch. I hated doing such a hard pruning as they were in beautiful bloom, but it’s necessary for a healthy comeback. They cypresses are gone as well and now all’s that’s left to do is amend the soil and plant tomatoes!



Transplanted knock-out roses

New space for tomatoes

Former location of Loropetalums

Truthfully, there are a couple of other things to move but only for aesthetics and balance, and that can wait until later this summer. We also planted lavender along the front walk and creeping time in the front beds.  If I’m successful in having a tree removed, there will be some hosta, ferns, and coral bells that will want to make their way to the back garden as well; making room for cucumber trellises.

Jamie and Michael fromt he co-op drove to Tennessee a couple weeks ago to a Mennonite farm to buy transplants and picked up a few heirloom variety tomato plants for me. I picked up a few more at Farmer D’s yesterday—Cherokee Purples and Brandy Wines—along with 10 bags for beautifully composted garden soil. All this rearranging gives me room for 10 tomato plants among the roses, herbs and flowers in the front yard. I can't wait.

The garden is a long way from where it was 13 years ago when we moved into this house…guess I’ll never really be done with it.