The yard

[Marjolein]

To cool ya'll off, some pics of our yard. Taken on a sunny day, right now all is grey, wet and miserable








The blue border, still young, but if you look closer:


blue!


more blue...


really blue!


Yard by night


Mr. Froggy (no he does not spit poison )


Froggy hiding from Johan, he "deported" 14 of them 'cause their QAAAAUUUUCKing was keeping him from sleeping at night...


time for a bath


splashhhh


ah, refreshing (sorry, that was mean, I know )

In addition to Judith's story, we are both no longer landscapers. We met in landscaping-school (??) but both changed work. Johan had his own company and was forced to change jobs after breaking his elbow, which was f*cked up by the medic and now cannot function normally anymore. Landscaping is one of the thougher jobs, so with an injured arm, impossible... He is now in the "indoor plants" business, mainly on hydroculture.
I also did landscaping for 6 years, but stopped when my boss fired the two of us because she finished all the money WE earned for her I decided that was my chance to change from this (too) heavy job (I was one of the few women in Holland to actually do it) into some lighter work. I now work in a local garden centre.
Just in case anyone wanted to know

[Christie M]

Simply beautiful! Wow. I am extremely envious. I so want a beautiful yard....I just need to win the lotto and hire someone to do it (oh yeah, and maintain it) for me!

[Sugars Mom]

Very nice garden and photos!

[leih merigian]

Absolutely gorgeous! You take such beautiful pictures, Marjolein.

It's nice to know a little bit about your background, too! (background, get it? ha ha)

[Dutchringgirl]

wow ! Both the pictures and your yard are breathtaking !

[GSDNanny]

The photos are wonderful! You are very talented. I especially like the echinacea with the bee and the birds playing in the cool clear cold water! (you are a stinker you know!!) I always wanted a 'blue' garden. I do have a white garden, albeit a wilted one with this heat. Your yard should be published in a magazine. Thanks for sharing!!

[Marjolein]

Thanx

(you are a stinker you know!!)

check out the splishy-splashy frog too

[vneerland]

Your yard should be published in a magazine.

That's what I thought! That it should be a featured yard in a gardening magazine.

I always enjoyed my yard (Some trivia for Marjolein: yard is where you plant flowers, etc, garden is mostly perceived as the place were you grow your vegetables) but never managed to mix it very well with my love for dogs. They will inevitably sit (or add an h..) in my flowerbeds. Or dig a nice cool hole right where the daffodils are planted. And male dogs? Well, they love to target any brush, even if that happens to be some garden favorite. I have tried sections, but a low fence means nothing to my hooligans, and a high fence means I don't have a visual with the entire yard. I should not complain, there is plenty of natural beauty, but seeing the utterly groomed landscaping of Marjolein's yard. Yes, it makes me mildly jealous.
Thank you for posting it. I imagine myself walking around in the sunset picture, in that cool oasis.

[Marjolein]

I have the same love for dogs Judith, and in Rheden,where we used to live, the whole (tiny) yard was ruined by Dingo's leg-lifting habit... From that however, I could select some plants that survive constant peeing. One very nice one is "Lavatera oblbia" in all it's forms, ans some nice big grasses (Miscanthus, Carex) and bamboos. Also, I have claimed a piece of turf for my dogs, Where Johan has no say nor do I... it's all theirs. They can dig, pee-poo whatever.
Than we have a porch wich is the entrance to the yard, I've learned them they cannot step of the porch This works great (ok, a cat will be chased down but they come back on the porch right away, looking innocent). Now I get to use our lawn as a "practice ground" because I own it, they get to come overthere if I invite them for play or training. I can even track a little with pups And there is no peeing etc, they have their own space for that. And for the fence, that is why I made the border (=strip of plants, haha) so high, to hide the dog-pen
Here you can see it better, 3 years ago:

On the left you can see a fenced area, with matching doghouse Ivil walks in the area that is now lawn.


This is now, taken a month ago. You cannot see the fence anymore. The training in the yard does sometimes still end in some plants being broken, but it always seems to happen in the same corners (taking a shortcut getting to the ball etc.) So I just put heavier, tougher plants there.
But yes, you do have to put a lot of effort in, and I am not sure how it will look after I have gotten myself a new puppy next year... Plan is to use the dog-pen a LOT

[vneerland]

Nice job!

[Schlussdibusti]

Seufz, how beautiful. (and no poison spitting frogs).
Now defintely booking the next Lufthansa flight home!