Window Boxes for Tuckunder Garage

Everything in this box is doing rather well. I might have gone overboard with the number of impatients planted. I really ought to do a count for future boxes. Planted this towards the end of June (bought everything at Linder's end of season 50% off sale) and it's getting really crowded. Probably shouldn't have bought snapdragons. Haven't had a single bloom.

Urn Plantings - General Thoughts

Completely underwhelmed by this arrangement. Which is sad because we have three of these urns on our patio. I think it's the yellowness of the whole thing. And, I don't like the wispy fuzzy tall plants. And the yellow trailing plants look dead half the time (seems like they need a LOT of water and it's something I have to stay on top of ALL the time...in other words, it's too high maintenance for me).

Really like this arrangement. Everything in it is doing well. However, something about this arrangment feels a little off to me. Can't put my finger on it. Maybe color of flowers? Maybe texture?

Love everything about this arrangement. So far, everything in here is doing extremely well. Intend on doing something similar here next year.

Learnings to date...

Here we are in July...6" short of rainfall for the year. And, due to a long cold snap, many of our evergreens were "burned" and browned. So...I've been diligently applying Mir-Acid like a madwoman. It's easy to forget how many evergreens, azaleas, rhododendruns, and hydrangeas are in our yard....except when it's time to feed them. Good heavens! So far, we've gone through 4 of the biggest bags I could find. Need to make another run to the garden store.

Project Timeline

Summer 2008....Silver maple is taken down. Large, sad stump remains. We decide to build a detached garage and exercise room in it's place.

October 2008....Excavation starts in the driveway. Landscaping project also begins. Backyard is graded. Back door landing and steps are eliminated. Rot under the back door is discovered and fixed. Arbor vitae "fence" is put in the ground. Paver patio is installed. Kasota stone retaining walls are started.

November 2008-January 2009. Working on garage and exercise room.

February 2009. Treadmill is delivered mid February and we can finally start to use the exercise room.

March 2009. Discover a tax credit for geothermal. Decide to drill wells in the mud pit that has been our driveway throughout winter.

May 2009. Geothermal wells drilled at the end of the month. 5 wells. 250 feet deep. Landscaping begins in earnest.

June 2009. Geothermal system up and running. Final overhead line is buried (in total we buried phone, cable, and power lines....of the three....dealing with Xcel was the most expensive and time consuming....started this process in October 2008). Last of the retaining walls are built. Permeable paver driveway is installed and we are FINALLY able to use our driveway and garage properly. Proper doors installed. Still landscaping. Arbor and gate for asian garden are installed.

July 2009. Landscape lights installed. Gutters on garage installed. Window boxes for the garage arrive and are to be installed. Still waiting on the pond for my Asian meditation garden. Waiting on wrought iron gate for our formal garden. Waiting on Indiana limestone caps on pillars.

"After" Photos

Finally, a happy yard....

Last set of "Before" pictures

More ugly "Before" pics

You can actually see the standing wet puddle in our driveway.

Lovely view from our back door

Ugly backside

Photos of the ugly back and side of the house.

Another view

And a view from the back corner of the yard. Looking down along the south side of the house.

A few more depressing pictures

Depressing view of the back yard with the awkward hill that made our useable yard tiny.


A view of the tree that started it all. Our big beautiful silver maple (home of Squiggy & Squirlo) which was rotting and splitting from the inside out. After spending way too much money trying to save the tree, we finally had it taken down.
Note also the shady driveway that puddled water every time it rained/snowed....we effectively had an ice rink in the driveway during the winter.

Starting Point

Here's what we started with. Very depressing.

View from north side of house. Looking towards back yard.


View from street. Looking up driveway.


View from alley.