Sunday, April 4, 2010

Hank and Steve's Mid-Town Mobile Oasis

Welcome to Hank and Steve's Garden!  This home and garden are as charming as it's owners - I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!  Leading up to the gate is a stand of bamboo arching over a welcoming path that was assembled with flagstones unearthed while creating this garden.  Already you can see the garden is a hands on labor of love.

I was so taken by this planting at the other corner of the house's front, a combination of crepe myrtle trunks (which have beautiful bark) and shiny, spiky vase shaped Sago palms next to a hedge of variegated Pittosporum that runs along the front of the porch (just beyond the right edge of the photo).

Here is a closeup of an older crepe myrtle so you can see its colorful textured bark.  Isn't it cool!

Canary Island Date Palm II.  The first was actually stolen, right from the front lawn!

Moving into the backyard, here is a Magnolia stellata selected for the pink blush to its blossoms.  This is one of many plants bought at the Mobile Botanical Garden's plant sale, held every March.  This year it was the 25th through the 28th.

European fan palm, one of the many tropicals Hank and Steve grow.  This one made it through the harsh winter Mobile suffered - not all warmer zone plants were so lucky.  I love the spiky, airy fronds contrasting with the thick glossy leaves and rounded forms of the camellias and azaleas in the background.  So much of this garden is made up of layers of woody plants that provide privacy, ongoing interest and an absolute sense of envelopment...you truly forget about the world right outside!

Beautiful Magnolia rubra.  While admiring the blooms I mentioned I'd like to add a smaller pink flowering magnolia to my garden.  Steve informed me that this magnolia would be a good choice as it adapts well to pruning.  Good thing, I know myself well enough to know I'd be cutting off branches by the armload to bring inside!

Magnolia nigra.  Another beautiful saturated pink bloom.  This plant is not as tall, with a more shrubby growth habit than many magnolias.  Another candidate for me to consider!

Daintily lifting her skirts to tiptoe through the jonquils from Steve's Grandma's Farm. 

Loropetalum blooming by the side of the potting shed. 

A tuteur in one of the vegetable garden's raised beds.

A Civil War soldier's grave.  During the war, which this house predates, there were earthworks built just about at the fence to defend the city from the invading Union Army.  Steve has a good story attached to this grave and its occupant...

The late afternoon sun on shiny Magnolia leaves...

and illuminating a beautiful young fig leaf as well.
A view back across the lawn to a border filled with great bones - camellias, palms and liriope edging.

Some personality peeking out through the garlic chives! 

Thank you, Hank and Steve, for sharing your garden with me...and thank you, readers, for coming along on the tour as I share what I experienced with you!  There is more to come from Mobile so don't be strangers, ya hear?!!!

2 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for your posts. Hank & Steve have a beautiful garden. You have made me want to schedule a trip to the South just to tour public and private gardens.

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  2. Thank you for stopping by! Please do go down South to visit and tour, I can assure you that you will be warmly welcomed. Southerners are so very friendly and full of hospitality!

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