An American-style courtyard at the foot of the mountain, savouring a cosy pastoral life
Author: magicshl
Location: Huzhou, Zhejiang
The courtyard I put together myself broke ground in 2016 and underwent a round of minor changes in 2017. Only now is it slowly starting to have some charm. I'll use this thread to record the growth of the courtyard.
Starting with a photo from the winter of 2017.
Here's another one, a scene of early-winter rain from before the onset of winter last year, a sudden light rain sprinkling over the courtyard. Of course, that past winter saw another round of minor changes. Take your time looking.
April is the season of herbaceous flowers.
While the roses and clematis have yet to bloom, the moss phlox, calibrachoa, petunias, pansies, pelargoniums and erigeron are spilling out freely.
Before the onset of winter last year I transplanted a small tree rose, Queen.
This year this Queen took the lead and bloomed first, though I don't know why. It feels like it isn't blooming quite true. No matter what, it has also kicked off the rose season in my little courtyard.
Back when the plum blossoms were blooming last month. I added a sticker; the focus is mainly on the flowers. "The fallen blossoms leave one standing alone; in the light rain, swallows fly in pairs." I'm the male lead, and in the photo is my wife.
Besides the flowers, this season is also great for all sorts of foliage plants. How could the garden palette be complete without heuchera (coral bells)?
My railway-sleeper water tap was something I saw online; I found a craftsman to drill a hole in the sleeper, and it really matches quite well.
The clematis buds are already quite plump, climbing this high in just over half a month; I'm looking forward to a column of flowers.
Here I especially recommend a kind of garden groundcover herbaceous flower. Moss phlox (Phlox subulata) is basically evergreen. When it blooms it comes in great swathes. Very beautiful.
Top view
Showing off the succulents
When the iris blooms, good fortune comes naturally.