LILLIAN CROOK: WildDakotaWoman — Red Oak House Garden Notes No. 52 : I Paint The House

After all of that snow and good spring rains, the gardens are lush at Red Oak House. Jim finally got the rabbit-proof fence perfected so the vegetable beds are going to produce bountifully. We are eating lettuce and radishes and the peas are just around the corner. The weeds are flourishing, too, and we barely keep up with that chore.

Sum and Substance Hosta 2019. Tiny plant in 2013.

I’m painting the house and what a job that is turning out to be! Hence, not much blogging. I can hardly wait to see how it turns out. I started on the back patio because there is a climbing perennial on the wall and I needed to get ahead of it, plus we use the patio so much we needed the commotion behind us in that space. We think the “Almost Charcoal” color is going to look very nice with the new burgundy steel roof. Meanwhile, I couldn’t be more tickled when I watch it rain on that beautiful new roof and none comes in the house. But I discovered pretty quickly that going from 60-year-old white clapboard to almost black required two coats. Hence, I’m painting the house twice.

I could not be more tickled with my Zen front yard as the hostas have grown so much this year and some are massive (see first photo). It is good to remind myself what it looked like nine years ago. Just a couple of boulders and lots of dirt.

Eight years ago, I planted three little Blue Cadet hostas. Now eight robust plants, the rewards of dividing and patience.

Old Glory Hosta; tiny plant in 2010.

Fledgling robin in the midst of the Zen garden.

Wish we had thought to take a “before” picture in the backyard 10 years ago. Trust me, it was nothing but grass and some trees along the back fence. Now, it is my vision of an English garden. Enjoy!