You know the old question “What do you want first, the good news or bad news?”. Well I am contemplating just that as I type this post.

Tick Tick … well … I’ve always been a “Tell me the bad news first” person so I can get it out of the way. The bad news here is that I’ve finally taken a step back (both figuratively and literally) and started taking photos of my garden beds from a distance. And it has revealed what I always knew … I need more structure and more Winter/Early Spring interest. That season in NJ runs from late November until late April and that is too significant of a time to have things relatively bare.

As you’ve seen in previous posts, I am enthralled with new foliage growth and the forming of flower buds (which by the way will be the “good news” in a very soon to follow post). My gardens look lush and flower filled by early June and usually by then I’ve conveniently forgotten about how things looked in the earlier months. Well by posting the photos below I’m hoping it will be a reminder to focus more on evergeens,  conifers and non plants (stones/birdbaths/art/etc) in order to make my gardens more well-rounded.

Here are the photos from afar … view them at your own risk:

This photo of the front bed actually looks better than most as the Catmint grows quickly in the Spring.  

The smaller bed with the Plum tree surrounded by Korean Boxwoods looks OK but definitely needs more to up the interest.

This photo of the front bed on the other side of the front walk also looks a little bit better since a lot of foliage has started to grow. If I had taken this photo 2 or 3 weeks earlier it would have been real bare. 

This is the side bed facing West and although visitors really don’t see it … I do … and it others me to no end. I did have some Euonymus here but the deer downed them. C+ for effort.

Again, this bed looks better than it did 2 to 3 weeks ago but I wanted to at least capture the photo now for a future “Before and After” comparison.

This one hurts. This bed surrounds my driveway and it is ugly with a capital U. It will look good mid-season with all the ornamental grasses but during the Winter/Spring I turn the other way as I walk into the house.

Ugly view #2

Last view of this same bed to prove there are actual plants in there.

Ahhh … the bad news is out of the way. I feel better. Be prepared for more of my typical photos in a post later today because I need to get these out to feel more whole.

Namaste