Garden Plans for the Spring

We've been having some mild weather here in Maine and I just love it!  Spring is just around the corner and that means......flowers!  We moved into this house at the end of November so we don't have a clue as to what will come up for flowers, but I'm curious to know what I'll discover.  Once I know what we have, then I can go from there and add to the garden.

I really love a touch of whimsy in gardens.   I love garden decor and could spend a fortune on cute, whimsical items if I could.  I also LOVE using old things--such as old men's boots, old flower pots, rusted hoes, an antique brass headboard, or an old tub and washboard as shown below.  Oh, these photos are not from my garden.  I downloaded them from different sites.   I also love vintage garden sculptures or that style if I can't afford an actual antique garde sculpture.   How about using items normally found inside a home that can be used outdoors?   It's these little things that make a garden unique and fun to enjoy.  

This year, my husband and I want to put in a garden trellis/arbor.  I'd love to grow some Clematis because those flowers are gorgeous as they grow along the trellis.  My husband and I are fans of Morning Glories as well so I know that somewhere along the house, Michael will put up a trellis (probably by the diningroom windows) for the morning glories. 

My goal this year is to have my garden blooming from May until end of September (fingers crossed).  In order to do this, I need to sketch out what flowers will bloom during these months, so that I have constant color.   I also need to determine the height as well.  I remember one year, I had all my flowers the same height (about 5") and it just looked so .....flat!  Ugh!  But, I'm not the best gardener in the world either.  I have great intentions, but sometimes my ideas fall short.   I would love for my garden to look like this:

or...

how about this!:

Hey, I can dream!  To do this, though, I would definitely need a full-time gardener.     someday.....maybe.

Just thought I'd share some Springtime goodness.   I'm linking up to The Cottage Garden Party over at