Memorial Day 2012

I was on vacation last week so I took some time to tackle a few large projects that had been looming for some time. Not everything is camera ready just yet, but a here is one of my finished projects...

BEFORE:

2011

AFTER: 

2012

When we cut down the old chestnut tree that used to be in the center of the drive there was a big uneven spot that was difficult to grow anything in because the tree guys couldn't really grind out all of the stump due to the driveway being in the way. Last year I planted up some lavender in pots and placed those on concrete pavers. During the summer I had my solar fountain up in the center on a column built out of pavers and regular concrete block. Over the winter I pack up the fountain and put out a potted spruce tree. By this spring the lavender had overgrown the pots and was to the point where it needed to be watered every single day. I also decided that I wanted something a bit more substantial and I was tired of dealing with the grass/weed mess. 

I decided to use the last of my reclaimed wall block to build a circular planter around the block plinth so that I could create a raised bed. That would eliminate the issue with not being able to dig into the ground because of the tree roots, and also be visually a bit more appealing since this is one of the first areas that you see pulling into the driveway. I leveled out the area, filled with garden soil, and planted the lavender. It isn't quite full enough to fill in the circle just yet, so I also planted some beautiful blue delphiniums in between. Unfortunately the fountain pump was busted when I went to put the fountain out, so for now the spruce is staying out there. Overall, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.