This summer is the second summer in our home and we were really ready to start planting. We met a wonderful woman that is president of the Port Jefferson Garden Club. She was happy to hear we were working on our garden and invited us to come to her home when she was dividing her perennials. Stephanie and Luciano were so generous with us they loaded up our car twice with enough to get started. Stephanie and Luciano taught us a wonderful way to share with our friends and neighbors. When our perennials start to spead out we will be sure to give some away. They even encouraged us to enter the Street Garden Contest. If you do not already have a garden club in your town or community why not start one? If you do, talk to them, they are a great source of information.  A Street Garden Contest is a wonderful way to create a beautiful community.

July 3, 2006 - Our street garden was recognized by the Port Jefferson Garden Club. We received a wonderful garden plaque and were invited to a reception at our Village Center. It is nice to build a garden in the front of your house that everyone could enjoy. Last year we added hostas that my aunt gave us from her garden. We also added azaleas and boxwoods. This summer we planted purple impatiens and petunias to add a splash of color. 

August 18, 2006
For the last month we have worked on preparing beds for perennial planting. With the extremely hot weather we decided not to plant too much until it cools down. We were very successful last September finding our favorite perennials on sale and planting them before the first frost. We will wait to September and see what we will find.

We trimmed our Holly tree and started a woodland garden underneath. Nothing was thriving and we realized the dirt was very sandy. We turned the soil and mulched and we will continue to add peat moss to the soil before planting anything else. We are definitely learning that our soil quality is poor and that we need to really work on preparing beds before planting.

We also planted two roses bushes and we are hoping for the best. After doing research and talking to rose enthusiasts we decided to just give it a shot. The heat was hard on them so we will need to see if they come back next year.

We have been able to complete most of our summer projects except for finding an old outbuilding for the old foundation.

September 15, 2006

We have had a week of rain and we have been unable to plant this week. We were planning on putting in perennials for next year. Last year the perennials we planted in the fall were double the size come spring. We are also going to start plant spring bulbs next week to add to our collection of tulips and daffodils. The garden centers have fantastic sales at this time of year so now is your chance to get more perennials for your money. We need to fill in the entire back of our house and found it impossible this summer with the extreme heat we decided to wait until fall.

October 7, 2006

I wanted to plant a rose garden as a tribute to my aunt that passed away last Christmas. I was worrried since I kept reading how difficult roses are to plant and take care of. I kept trying to learn more before planting. I decided to just go ahead and give it a try. I purchased two roses bushes that were on sale at the end of the season and looked like they make not make it. I also ignored all rules about planting roses and just put them in. I was surprised to see a few weeks later several roses bloomed.

October 12, 2006

The colors of fall. I just love harvest time. We spent the morning weeding and preparing our flower beds for the coming frost.

One of the things that made me fall in love with our house was the magnificient pine tree. I grew up in a house with a giant pine tree and it died a few years before we moved. The tree made me feel like I was at home immediately.

November 2006
The colors of fall. There is nothing more beautiful to me than the changing of the seasons. I love my maple tree in the fall.