Down the Garden Path

I might as well just surrender to the lure of the garden and continue posting last year's pictures of the frontyard. I love it here in the spring and summer and early fall. These are just a series of photos of the yard, including a little pond that I put in where there was some sun. I wanted to be able to grow a lotus. It grew, but didn't flower. Oh, well.I have a little garden shed that I love. It serves multiple functions--blocking the view of a rusty portion of the neighbor's fence, keeping the garage somewhat less cluttered, having everything for the garden in one place.
Here's my rock encircled pond. I didn't want to dig it in deep and damage the roots of the nearby trees. I love the trees and I bought this house because of the sound of the wind in the trees. However, it makes it really hard to have a vegetable garden. The only sunny spot is right here in the southeast corner of the front yard. So everything that needs sun is crammed in that area.
Here'as a little bird feeding that is just for decoration. I have another birdfeeder on the side of the house near the kitchen window that is more functional and practical. The post is for the climbing hydragnea. I'm waiting for it to burst forth and look spectacular as promised in the catalog description.
I've never flown a flag in the yard before and felt terribly patriotic with this one waving in the breeze.
This is my vegetable/herb/flower garden. I have nine beds, each one surronded by stones to keep the soil in. The paths are thin, flat stones atop cardboard and woodchips. One of the beds is long and is planted in asparagus. I plan to totally rework the area come spring. My lily fetish has gotten out of control and is taking over my sunny spot. I love the smell of lilies and grew a bunch from seed, bought a bunch on sale and ordered a bunch through mailorder. It added up to a bunch too many. So I've got to figure out how to go vertical in my gardening. This year I'm thinking to try and grow my potatoes in a bucket minus the bottom. I've got a lovely little setup in the basement for growing seedlings and can't wait to start my seeds in late Feb or early March if I can hold off that long. It's hard once you get into spring planting mode to slow down. I heard the bears weren't able to hibernate yet in the Northeast because it's been so warm. I know how they feel. Maybe this week they can start. Here's my attempt at an alpine garden. It needs sun so I could only spare a mini-trough size amount. This way I can sit the trough on the top of a rock and not sacrifice too much room.
And here is the cast iron garden fairy with a bird on her foot, lolling about among the succulents.