Blue Fox Garden: It’s time to tour the garden...

Every summer I try and do a comprehensive photo tour of the garden. It’s great for me because it provides a record of the garden each year, and (I hope) helps you get an idea of the overall garden layout, since I tend to focus on close-ups pretty regularly. We’ll start this tour in the front garden, as though you were just stepping out of your car for a visit…

Right away your intrigued by the tetrapanax (or at least I hope you would be) and need to walk over for a closer look...

But then you come around to our driveway to see things from this angle...

Before heading back to the front to get a closer look.

That darn tetrapanax again...

And the north side of our house. I had a visitor comment recently this part of the garden feels noticeably under-planted, when compared to the other parts (which are crammed full). Yes, and it's taken great self control! I want to plant more but our houses are so close in this part of town and I'm trying to be considerate of the neighbors. They shouldn't have to fight back a jungle to get out of their car (right?).

So let's take the same path the mail man does, that's why there's such an expanse of open space here.

This is the area recetnly freed from Bishops Weed and a pair of old Pieris japonica. I am absolutely in love with the Feijoa sellowiana (Pineapple Guava) in the large container (there's another one at the far corner, which you can't see here)...

As well as this combo...

And the Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Nanjing Gold with it's big leaves. It completely hides our a/c unit this time of year!

A final glance back over your shoulder before heading around to the south side of the house...

...and the driveway veggie garden. Right to left the containers are full of rosemary and basil, cucumbers and pole beans (lush...but not a single darn bean), and the stock tank on the far end has a trio of tomatoes.

The Agave weberi had almost disappeared under a mass of ginger-mint, but I cut it back a week or so ago.

The large black container, on the far left, also holds a tomato plant.

I'm very disappointed in my tomatoes this year. Such silly short little plants (2 out of 3 in this container). Thankfully several friends have been unloading their extra tomatoes on us so we're not going without.

Okay time to enter our private paradise, the back garden...

On your left Fatsia polycarpa 'Needham's Lace'...

On your right a "totally wrong for the spot but I'm loving it as long as it's alive" Acacia pravissima. It's grown at least 3-feet this year alone...

Let's just walk straight down to the patio, we can come back and look at the rest of the garden later.

It's tempting to head over to the shade pavilion, but since it's such an over cast day (all the better for photogrphy) let's not.

After all there's so much to see on the patio!

I was seriously considering a post called "overplanted" and shots like this would have been included. I am afraid I've got to start editing or else I'll be losing some of these!

The Gunnera (big leaves, dead center) hasn't put on a lot of growth this year, but what it has produced has managed to stay green and upright (instead of crispy brown and flopped over) so I'm thankful for that.

Ready to check out the upper garden?

Ya, that's a lot of plants crammed in a small space, I know.

The Trachycarpus fortunei is starting to look like it just might become a real palm (you know, with some height)...I hope so! (and look, the sun is starting to break through the clouds).