This is the small stretch of garden running along the side of the house in a narrow bed from the front porch to the gate to the backyard. The area faces south so is quite sunny and warm but the soil is awful clay - mostly backfill from the house renovation/addition in 1999. It's surprising anything grows there at all!

The south alley has gone through several incarnations as we play around with what will grow there best. Roses and clematis have become important elements overall; ferns and shade plants are the key against the neighbour's fence beside their patio; the perennials and shrubs on the house side are in need of rethinking so that will an objective for 2009. The Clematis montana on the south gate was fabulous in 2006 - it was the first (and, so far, only...) time it bloomed. Even it it only gets to bloom every couple of years, it's well worth growing in my opinion! Of course, The President clematis is quite capable of being the star every year.... We have high hopes for the rose swag we set up this spring (2008) but it will be several years before it matures enough to make an impact.