Reflecting, Renewing, and Re-Establishing Roots.

Moving from a 1500 square foot shop into 500 square feet may not have been a good choice. In hind sight, I thought life would get simpler. Well that did not happen. The Salon does have its own charm. Still the best place to work…ever.

My commute is amazing.

My Gardens are pretty. A little overgrown at times…I have a knack for growing things.

The new form of Renovating. Love this. Social Media plays a huge part of our world right now. I chose to use it for “good!” This is an image of my new site for Magic Touch & Her Gardens. I get a do over….I will do my very best! And here is the link to Magic Touch & Her Gardens on Facebook.

The Barefoot Garden is my latest garden. Click here for The Barefoot Garden on Facebook. And here is the link to The Barefoot Garden page on my blog. Go check it out. I have posts that cover The Barefoot Garden from the very beginning.

The Quilt Cabinet is doing well. Here is the link to new  The Quilt Cabinet website… If you go to the Past, Present, & Future tab you will have access to my blog posts.

Another excuse to use this image. I love this! Here is the link to The Quilt Cabinet on Facebook.

Local Businesses is a page I started on Facebook to promote Local. We have an incredible amount of resources right here in the Perkiomen Valley. Check out the page here…The Local Businesses of the Perkiomen Valley…and of course it gave me another excuse to use the High School Quilt…

The best part for me is helping to raise awareness and money for Local Causes. So far we have raised $1200 with 2 Fundraisers. The one being held on August 25th will benefit Collegeville Fire Company…there will be a Firetruck and all…Local Businesses of the Perkiomen Valley Fundraising has more information. Stress free Fundraisers with a Win Win for all involved. Come Dine with us.

Re-Establishing Roots, Inc is registered with the State of PA. I hope to file for non-profit status. We have lots of plans…which do include Planting Purple Seeds…well purple veggies…Our plan is to provide Nourishment in many forms….starting from the ground up…

Happy 31st Magic Touch!

Today I celebrate…later I get to work with Stephen and learn how to replace window outside sills…and the work continues…

My very first Island Garden. Plants consist of, a Purple Smoke Tree, Stella d’Oro Day Lilies, a Canna, Elephant Ears, Castor Beans, Dinner-plate Hibiscus a Banana Tree, Indian Summer Rudbeckia, and Petunias. The mix of perennials, tropicals, and annuals give it an Island “feel.”

I also placed an Island Garden under an existing Yellow Birch. This Garden has shade plants. Hosta, two different varieties of Liriope, Coral Bells, and Golden Vinca as a ground cover.

Last Summer I installed an Island Garden for the Brown’s…

When creating an Island Garden, first you need to chose your location. The location we chose spans the length between the two trees. Using a Landscape calculator, determine your square footage. This Garden is about 300 sq feet. Chose your plants according to the site.

 We then laid a garden hose to find the shape we liked…and placed the plants where we wanted them. This will allow you to move things around until you like what you see.

And this would be Mr Brown chopping down a Silver Maple to make way for the Royal Purple Smoketree….

Next step is putting in the plants. Dig your holes 1 1/2 times the size of your pots. Add amendments to the holes and put the plants in. Then cover the entire area with a thick mat of newspaper or cardboard. No need to remove the sod.

We then applied a 4″ thick layer of Natural Mulch.

Mike the Mulchman! Even in the sweltering heat, Mike kept at it.

Only this much to go…

Done! One day, 3 people…Rewards, forever….

Our reward for a job well done…. 98º, lucky for us the humidity was low….

The Island Garden we planted is full sun, except under the Japenese Maple.
Anchor Plants;
Japenese Maple 
Royal Purple Smoketree 
Our choice for the middle of the Garden 
2 Hybiscus, Cardials Cherry Brandy
2 Dwarf Crapemyrtle, Cherry Dazzle
1 Summersweet, Vanilla Spice
The flowers planted around the edge are to soften the “shoreline”
Lavender, Munstead
Daylilies, Stella D’oro
Hostas were placed behind the Maple
Ground cover;
Golden Vinca, under the Maple
Creeping Jenny will be added
To fill in we will be adding;
Liriope
Indian Summer Rudbeckia

Hosta ‘Fragrant Bouquet’ 
Wide, wavy, green leaves with pale yellow margins. 20″ tall 36″ wide

June Plantain Lily Hosta x ‘June’
Foliage mounds to 12 in. high, 30 in. wide; flower stems 20 in. tall.

Munstead Lavender Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’
12 to 18 in. tall and wide, w/deep purple blooms

Hemerocallis ‘Stella D’Oro’ Day Lily

Hybiscus, Cardials Cherry Brandy, Rose-Mallow

Cherry Dazzle® Crape Myrtle Lagerstroemia ‘Gamad I’ ‘ P.P.# 16917

Vanilla Spice® Summersweet Clethra alnifolia, 6′ height X 5′ wide

Royal Purple Smoketree Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’
Height: 12 to 15 feet Spread: 10 to 18 feet

Japanese Maple

So, in a nut shell, one of the easiest ways to put in a Garden. The only digging required is for the plants themselves. Laying the newspaper causes the grass to decompose providing nourishment for your plants. That combined with the Mulch on top keeps weeds at bay. And if you do get any, they are easy to pull. Having all of the supplies at hand help to get the Garden in in one day. Happy Gardening!

On the east facing side, aka the shady side of the house, I have created a mini woodland garden. I chose, from left to right, Oak-Leaf Hydrangea, Dropmore Honeysuckle, and Hemlock as my anchor plants. I found room for a Rhododendron between the Hydrangea and Honeysuckle.

Oak Leaf Hydrangea

Dropmore Honeysuckle Bloom

Hemlock

The under story plants include a White Bleeding Heart, Trillium, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Jewelweed, Bloodroot,  Bear’s Breeches, and Ostrich-Fern.

White Bleeding Heart

Trillium

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Bloodroot

Along the outside border you will find three different varieties of Hosta, one being Mouse Ears, Siberian Iris, a lavender Rose, and Roman Chamomile as well as Bear’s Breeches.

Hosta

Hosta

Siberian Iris

Lavender Rose

Acanthus mollis ‘Tasmanian Angel’ (Bear’s breeches)

I call this my “Ghost Plant,” the first leaves are eerie as they emerge in early spring.

Big difference…It matures into one of the lushest plants I grow. I chose This plant to add texture to the Garden…

Hostas & Roman Chamomile

It is also home to a cement leaf bird feeder, a water feature and an urn.

Water Feature using a small ladder and a few watering cans.

Click here for simple directions.

Within the flagstone walk way, Thyme and Gaillardia grow. The garden is edged with medium size river rock.

The Garden in front of the house is one of the two Rain Gardens I installed. Rain Gardens by design are in place to filter rain water. You capture the run off from the roof  into a barrel, direct it eight feet from the foundation into an area filled with compost. You then plant it with plants that love wet feet.

The Garden on the corner is an Island Garden. I have chosen plants with a Tropical feel. The Purple Smoke Tree took a hit this past Winter (2013-14.) Luckily it is coming back. Here is the link to Magic Touch & Her Island Gardens, how to install one in one day.

This is a Dawn Redwood I planted to add interest. It looses its needles in the Winter.

On the east facing side, aka the shady side of the house, I have created a mini woodland garden. I chose, from left to right, Oak-Leaf Hydrangea, Dropmore Honeysuckle, and Hemlock as my anchor plants. I also found room for a Rhododendron.

With Roman Chamomile, Lavender, and Bressington Blue Hosta, I have created an Ode to the English Garden.

As you look down the fence line you will see the Beauty Berries. This Garden runs along Willow Lane as you approach the salon.

The mail box was placed in a bucket secured with cement. I toped it off with potting soil and grow Sweet Potato vines to add brightness. The bright yellow ground cover is Creeping Jenny. The large river rock is planted with Chicks and Hens.

This garden is inside the fenced in area. This garden provides food, water, and shelter in a very small space. 

The Flowering Almond and the Purple Smoke Tree.

Here we have a small Crape Myrtle, Yellow Honeysuckle, and a Hibiscus.

Tucked in the corner is a Peace Lily my son, Michael gave me for Mother’s Day. That is the door I enter to go to work. I have about 25 feet to walk. I love my job!

And one of the best parts of working from home, I can have my morning coffee in the Garden.

Even the shed window is worthy of a window box…

Out behind the shop I have ponds. I installed two ponds with a connecting stream. A pond provides a complete water cycle. Water, fish, and plants.

This is my Compost area complete with a small water container, gorgeous urn, and a planted Wagon.

And we wrap up another tour. I hope you enjoyed the Garden…

The vision became a reality.

104 Maple Avenue, After the renovations were done…come walk with me.

As you turn the corner, on to Willow Lane. Magic Touch welcomes you.

A touch of the tropics. This Island Garden is complete with a Coconut Tree Lamppost…Here is the link to Magic Touch & Her Island Gardens, how to install in one day.

A picket fence was installed, one picket at a time, to add character and define a backyard. I placed Kennel Fence behind it to hold a dog, rabbit, and 2 turtles.

My Mini Woodland Garden.

The view from Willow Lane. A picket fence complete with Galvanized Buckets.

Between the house and the shop, inside the fence. This garden provides food, water, and shelter in a very small space.

To think, this is a garage. Converted to house Magic Touch Styling Salon. My one operator salon, my job!

This is the back of the Salon, before the gardens were done.

I installed two ponds with a connecting stream. A pond provides a complete water cycle. Water, fish, and plants.

The top pond.

The back corner of the shop. The perfect place for a fig tree.

We complete the After Tour. The Yellow Birch has become the focus for another Island Garden.

Thank you for walking with me. Check out the Gardens in 2012…

104 Maple Avenue, as it was…come walk with me.

The tour is complete…boy do I have my work cut out for me…as you see, I started with a blank slate. Having the opportunity to transform a property allowed me unlimited possibilities. Check out the After pictures…