Happy Mother’s day! A few early photos of “Lavender Hill” that I started a few years ago. Last Spring we reworked the area off the kitchen and had a stone mason add formal wide steps to transition up to lavender hill. The color palette is simple and subdued…stone grays and gold fine, green, white and lavenders. Creeping strawberry is already sending runners across the lower steps as the erigeron (Santa Barbara daisy) had taken hold on the upper. After getting the plan and hardscape in place, I like to stand back and see what ideas mother nature comes up with.
I picked up these concrete balls fifteen years ago…like dwarf boxwood…love the punctuation marks they make in the garden. 
The lavender is primarily lavandula augustifolia “Provence”, and a few “Grosso”, and “Hidcote”tossed in here and there.
The roses are Souvenir de Malmaison, here with artichokes, and Sombreuil at the steps, and a coral David Austin rose Abraham Darby tossing a color surprise over a wall. Still waiting for a few plants to assert themselves and will be adding lettuces in the shade below the bench. But, a much simpler, less demanding garden! 
Still biding my time ’till lavender hill is in full bloom. Changing my blog speed to “Summertime”…more time in the garden and on the trails!
Update May 2014…I am on an extended blog holiday…hiatus…but will post again, eventually, to let you know what my future plans are…
Until then the blog remains open for nostalgic jaunts into the last 4-5 years of my amateur photography, DIY home and garden design, cutting and pasting and daydreaming. Enjoy!
