It has been just about a year since Monrovia bestowed upon me enough plants to create a garden and then some.

Since that magical day in early summer 2016 many, many, many a hole has been dug by me, a drought with severe water restrictions was survived and we were blessed with a winter full of rain.

Much love, tending & fussing has produced the budding white garden of my dreams.  It is still a new garden less than one year old, but has a structure that suggests more maturity.  Click to get ideas and inspiration for a white garden ~ including specifics on white garden plants.

If you dream of a white garden too - you need too look here for white garden plants and ideas.

What started with no beds, a few never trimmed camellia bushes and 3 half dead azaleas is really taking form and shape.

With the encouragement of Kate at Monrovia, I cut back the camellias around the porch by a third.  

For months & months there were just bear branches with no sign of new growth, then the little nodes appeared, then leaves, new branches & flowers.  PHEW! Click to learn about the kinds of Camellias. 

After trimming the camellias and removing the dead azaleas, the boxwood path was dug and planted.  

Half in blazing sun & half in shade most of the day this double line of Green Mountain boxwoods survived severe drought and drowning rain in less than a year.  Click to learn about and how to prune boxwoods.

I attribute the survival of these and all the Monrovia plants thru the drought and water restrictions to the care Monrovia gives each plant before it leaves their capable hands & joins your garden.

Iceberg roses & carpet roses are a reliable favorites that are plentiful here.  

So is lavender, the purple making the white look even brighter.

Gardenias by the front steps greet everyone with their heady scent.  Click to learn why flowers smell.

 

Oh and, I can't wait for this special flower to bloom again - there are SO many buds!

Once the beds closest to the house were planted, I ventured to the edge of the property and created deep beds for hydrangeas & gardenias.  

Remember I told you the old gent who lived here before us was a hoarder of Olympic proportions.  

Well, there was some really great stuff in his abundant stash, which he kindly left behind.  One thing was this metal fence.  I used portions of it to create the back of these garden beds.

I love fanciful garden hardscaping so have once again filled my fountain with succulents and placed obelisks here & there for clematis & jasmine.

Then just this past weekend I filled a metal bird bath with white lantana to punctuate what will be the side garden.

Besides the plants and encouragement from Monrovia, my mom was visiting this last weekend and she insisted we work in the garden together.  We had a wonderful time and the garden benefitted from a fresh layer of mulch.  Doesn't mulch just make everything look better?  

Thank you Mom, thank you Monrovia!

It is fitting that I shared this front garden update today, as on the podcast we are talking all about a Welcoming Front Door.  I consider my front garden the 'doorway' to my home.  It sets the tone & palette for what is to come once you get inside.

A garden is not created in one year or even a lifetime.  The work of a gardener never ends, nor does the joy of seeing a flower unfurl.  I plan to 'work' this garden for many many years to come.  Stay tuned for more updates and in the meantime have a listen HERE.

** Kelly **

Monrovia provided me with plants.  My gardening, opinions & success with the Monrovia plants are my own & of my own opinion.  Trust me if the plants weren't fabulous, the garden would not have survived the drought we suffered here in Southern California.