So glad you get to go, it will be exciting! Pictures will be wonderful..just even an example bed would be both fun and helpful.

Almost finished with the boardwalk!

So nice!!!

How wide is it, Liz?

I can't remember if it's supposed to be 3 or 4' wide, then the dock will extend another 8' out a s will be 16' wide.

We're in AL! Have been working on the beds, there have been several storms with crazy winds that moved the landscape fabric around, busy pinning it in place. Most all plants look good, some peonies have far too much growth going in to the 2 coldest months of the year! These are the main beds. All of the peonies are properly spaced but I put daylilies and irises in there as well, far too close just to get everything planted. I figured I can move things as they mature but this will give blooms for a longer period. I'm sure I'll end up moving some to new beds as they're built and move other perennials in.

Surprisingly fernleafs seem to be doing well here! These are a single pink and a double red species fernleaf. The drainage is as good as I hoped it would be—there are several areas on the property with standing water but there is NONE in my beds. It seems to be helping with erosion down hill from them as well, much less wash out!

Hopefully I'll be able to share a pic with tons of green growth and maybe a few flowers this spring!

Last but not least, progress on Jeff's board walk! We walked over to the neighbor's dock to do the pic from over the water!

Wow Liz! these photos really show the scale of the walls and the beds!

I think Brandie in Wyoming uses a lot of rocks to help keep her landscape fabric in place.

The dock looks amazing, and I love how the cottage just perches about it all.

Those fernies are really up now! I hope they make it through to Spring.

Liz, amazing! It is so exciting to see your progress! Love the cottage with the bed below! Your fermleafs love their new place. The boardwalk is so attractive! Thanks for sharing your photos!

Amazing pictures Liz, can't wait to see the it's done.

Oh, Liz it looks so lovely! I don't know about the cold...it never even froze the year we lived in Montgomery. (I'm sure we were back into shorts by Feb.) I know each year is different, but ...aren't the leaves hardier than the buds?

You're right Annie, I've not had foliage damaged by anything above 30 degrees so the ones that are already growing might be fine. Probably won't be down again until end of Feb or start of March so guess I'll find out then!
Noticed that the pic from the neighbors dock is upside down, sorry! I'll correct that and post a few more pics once we're back in CO, at the airport now.

Liz,

That sure is a gorgeous place you have.Thanks for sharing.

Liz, I hope you and your property are safe and sound from that tornado last night near Birmingham.

Thanks Gary, we are in CO now so missed the whole thing. Sounds like it was pretty awful...it was around 40-50 miles north of our property.

Unfortunately, this is southern spring weather. It can get unstable very quickly. Glad everything is okay.

Not peonies but there is forward progress on the dock! Unfortunately it looks like non-stop rain for the next 10 days so probably nothing else for a bit, still have at least a partial side wall and tin roof to match that on the cottage to add. Have told our builder we'll be back in mid March so expect to see him working on retaining walls soon.

Wow! It is looking good!! Mid March will be here before you know it!😊