Those first years, when I was not working, it was not as difficult to maintain, even though the ponds were a lot of work. I used to spend a great deal of time relishing the lovely tranquility of our yard.
Then a few years ago, during a particularly violent wind storm, a large chunk of the Manitoba maple in the patio area came down. We had a tree removal service come in to take away the wood, and to cut off the top branches. To our surprise the tree's canopy regrew quickly.
But I was never really able to enjoy that part of the yard again. We knew that the tree was past its prime, and that it was just a matter of time before the whole thing would come down. I worried about my husband when he would stand beneath it to barbecue.
Shortly after the tree came down, I returned to work full-time. We no longer had time to maintain the ponds and for a couple of years they sat unused, unfilled and neglected.
This spring we knew it was time for that old Manitoba maple to come down so that we could reclaim our patio.
This is what it looked like then. (You can click on photos to enlarge them).
I am frugal, but not cheap. We found the best deal we could, but we made sure to hire a crew of licensed professionals with insurance. It did not take them long to cut the tree down. During the process, we learned that at some point the previous owners had tried to brace the tree together with metal brackets and rods. Obviously the issues had been going on for some time. I imagine that since it had been such a pretty tree, and had provided beautiful shade and cover for the patio and ponds, that they had done what they could to save it.
Once it was done the visual impact was huge and immediate.
As you can see, the major portion of the interior was badly rotted. As the stump pieces fell to the ground, sawdust would pour out. It was cheaper to dispose of the larger cut pieces ourselves (a $200 savings) so we decided to keep some as decorative pieces around the yard, and will take others to the dump for a nominal fee.
We used some pieces as fill for the ponds, including the sawdust.
Once everything was cleaned up it already looked like a totally different space. I started to visualize what it might look like finished. Initially, we had thought we might use the stump as a barbecue centre, and talked about adding a table top to it.
Now our hard work really began. We went to a local landscape centre and ordered a yard of fill and a yard of topsoil to be delivered. I lost count of how many wheelbarrows full of dirt we rolled to the back yard. Before we added the last few loads of topsoil, we watered heavily so that what we had already put in could settle. Then the following day we finished with the top layer.
Since I was turning the ponds into a rock garden, naturally I needed some rocks. I checked our local on line buy and sell site, kijiji, and found someone who was offering free medium and small sized garden rocks. They just needed to be removed from her garden. We drove out to pick them up and as it turned out she had just enough for our needs and she was happy to have us take them all, so that she did not have to dispose of them. And we saved money since we didn't have to purchase rocks. It was a win-win.
Now it was time to add some plants. I am fortunate that my mother is an avid gardener, with a beautiful garden of her own. She very kindly brought me some of the perennials she had divided; hosta, Stella D'oro day lillies, and coral bells. She also went to a Mennonite plant sale in her area and picked up some dwarf irises, taller irises, and lady's mantle. We planted those and the area began to take shape.
In my garage sale travels I found other perennials to add. I bought another hosta, some black-eyed susan, purple coneflowers, evening primrose, daisies and bee balm. I also bought a couple of 'mystery plants' and time will tell what those are. The most that I paid for a single plant was $3, but the vast majority of them were only $1 a pot. So much cheaper than buying them at the garden centre! In the spring, there are always perennials to be had at yard sales. I also saw people advertising them on kijiji.
Yesterday a friend and co-worker of my husband very thoughtfully stopped by to drop off a couple of bunches of sedum from his garden. Generous fellow gardeners are another frugal way to add plants. And don't forget to return the favour when it comes time to divide your plants.
It will take a few years for my new gardens to get established, I know. I will not see the irises bloom this year as it was already past their season. But there are daisies blooming now and other plants getting buds. So we will have some colour this year. This is what it looks like as of this morning.
After seeing ideas for container ponds on pinterest, we decided to forgo the barbecue station idea for the stump and to create a small container pond instead. It would be easy to maintain and would give me the water feature that I craved. And with it being up off the ground, it will be safe for our new grandson once he gets to the toddler stage.
And this is what the stump area looks like now. I added the washboard that I had found at a garage sale years ago, and which had previously sat on a shelf in my laundry area. My husband selected some purple salvia, a pretty annual, and we planted those for instant colour.
I have decided to break my frugal garden blog post into two separate postings. This one gives you the overview. The next one will show some of the details of the plants and decor items that I have added. All frugally sourced...of course!
Nifty Thrifty and (Over) Fifty
Cathy
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