More bird garden progress photos

Remember this photo of the dreaded house the day I arrived... This (southeast corner) was the second area to be mulched and planted and here are a few photos over the years of this area... Among other things in this area there are wild roses, native plums, elderberry, bird cherry, mountain ash, junipers, pyracantha, black walnut, 3 spruce, 1 pine, willows, Clavey's Dwarf Honeysuckle (one of my very favorite shrubs) and species clematis...

This was a small floorless tack shed that was in terrible condition. I used the wood from the old corral to make a floor and gradually took off the side walls and added railings. After each wall was removed I expected it to collapse but it has lasted all these years... You can barely see it in the last photo in the progression and is a favorite shady spot on hot sunny days... In this area are lots of species roses, 1 spruce, several large maples. junipers, species clematis, and dozens of bird cherry trees.

This was the last area to be mulched and planted... I sacrificed a body part here....left index finger My husband always tells people his wife was not so skillful with the skill saw. Behind this area is where the forest is planted (5,246 trees). In this area is a flowering quince, a small-fruited crab apple, a long hedge of Clavey's dwarf honeysuckle shrubs, 1 acorn tree, bird cherry trees, lots of hip-producing species and Alba roses, honeysuckle vines and species clematis.

This is just 3 of 7 "zones" I planted... Besides the shrubs and trees mentioned are many, many drought-tolerant perennials... I wish I could say that this rose bower is still in good shape and standing. Last year we had 10 feet of snow and it collapsed. We were so busy keeping snow off the roofs of the buildings that this was not on the "to save" list.... Now it is a huge mound of lumber, roses and vines... Someone else will have to deal with it after I'm gone....

See Installment 3 below...