Midwest Gardening: Our Front Yard and new plants.

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Good morning, I took these photos right after our rain spell on July 1st... for those who look for timing of plants. This has been a strange year, and different plants reacted to our Spring drought and others not. I'm showing lots of new plants and bulbs this year, so this will be and and Old and New post.

These are some new small Alliums that I planted from bulbs.Very sweet and ethereal and about 18" tall. I think I will try and find some more because they would be lovely in bouquets. I put them in two places; full sun and part shade, the shade ones lasted longer.

Because of rain, we hadn't cut the grass for two weeks....and it was VERY long. But the rains really boosted the condition of the lawn. 

In front here is a creeping sedum which will get yellow flowers later in the summer. Clearly the variegated Hosta is happy here, and I will have to dig at least two out of here this Fall and move them.

Nothing has been weeded or clipped here, but I love these Day Lilies with the burgundy centers. They are soft peach and will bloom for at least a month.

Last year we had a crack in the birdbath--and put on flex-steel paint, and it really worked. Now when I dump the bowl, nothing sticks to it. The birds collect here every morning for a drink.

The ladder is up here because we had to cut down our beloved Cinnamon Maple, it was more than half dead, sadly. 

The neighbor's Walnut tree is so toxic, I think that is what killed our Maple, despite our picking up garbage cans full of walnuts every year.

I made two pots of elephant ears this year, because the roots were so big. I held them over in the basement in peat moss....and they grew once they got lots of water in the house. We had lots of wind with storms, so a few leaves are tattered. 

This is the other pot...they are lots of fun and certainly are a focal point in an area where everything is the same height. I did not buy any shade Impatiens this year, as they all looked sick everywhere. I do miss the color.

The camera flash went off over here in the shade. The rose is old and two huge branches died off of it this winter, so I'm happy I have any blooms at all. The pot has something that grew from last year (the frond thing????) and everything else is seed starts from our greenhouse and maybe one New Guinea Impatiens. We'll see what happens here.

Along the west side, deep in shade, we have Lilies from bulbs that have been here for maybe 15 years.

I do stake these and surround them with wire very early to keep them from breaking. Yes, that is the monster dying Elm tree on my neighbor's property.

Out under what we call the Mound (dirt from excavating for the garage) we trimmed UP under the Spruce trees last year...and wow, did everything take off.  A circle of rocks/cement chunks in a circle with fresh dirt, holds new Blue Hosta from starts, some of our greenhouse Caladiums, seed Allysum, and some Scotch Moss -plus lots of weeds.  I weeded later in the day...and it looks much better.

I planted two new Hydrangeas and the blossoms are huge, and on the ground. The ground cover is Periwinkle, which loves having some sun now out under those trees.

My different varieties of Day Lilies are getting ready to bloom...apparently really tall, I blame that on the 13 days of barely any sun and constant rain..

The rains (12-19") not sure, were constant. My Shasta Daisies I planted last year, are very happy. This is a shorter variety, which works well here.  I do want this whole area to be perennials.

I purchased a Pin Cushion Plant this Spring, which when I took this photo was sorely in need of dead-heading. SOOOOO important to dead-head immediately. With all the rain, it was too wet to step into the gardens, so today I will be very busy after taking these photos.

This is a new Day Lily form last year. Love the burgundy and yellow centers. I'm big on GREEN and textures to surround my flowers. Soon there will lots of color here.

Out by the telephone pole we have Joe Pye Weed. This plant had gotten huge, and was damaged by AT&T when they serviced the pole. We attempted to dig up the roots and move it, with no success. I'm happy some bits survived and are beginning to reach maturity. 

Joe Pye Weed gets large blossoms that butterflies and bees adore...it is one of the best native plants for attracting them, and Monarchs like to lay eggs on it, also. A GREEN YAY!

Out under the shade of the Spruce trees we have a Giant Sedum, I have to corral, lots of Variegated Vinca Vine for ground cover. It's a real challenge who will win the ground: Vinca, Perwinkle or Wintergreen MINT-which I have to pull constantly.

Of the four bushes we planted last year, this is the most unhappy---I went in and clipped off all the dead and will give it a shot of fertilizer and see if it starts regrowth in the bare areas.  Hubby wants bushes for Christmas Lights....lol.

The mailbox planter is starting to look alive. I use my own Vinca now---instead of purchasing trailers, a couple of wave petunias, some dahlias from bulbs, and our own seed Marigolds. 

One spike plant, and it seems to be filling out nicely.  Everyone loves our mailbox set-up...and it's almost 'crash' proof!

Our new pot patio, out by the light post on the driveway is also doing well. 

The tall grass wintered over. I put in some Zinnias from seed, Creeping Charlie in one pot, and the large pot has a bit of my seed starts and a New Guinea Impatiens. We will see what it looks like in two weeks. Behind is Fever Few and Some sort of weed or a plant I can't remember what is? Maybe some plant for butterflies? We put in 4 cubic yards of fresh dirt along this planter this year, so everything is very happy and hubby has the irrigation working. 

Planter box under the wreath gets sun 90% of the day...so some things make it and others don't. Petunias, marigolds, Vinca and I think I put some Salvia in here which the bugs have eaten.?

I thought this pot had wintered over some plant from last year, (Mexican Heather) but, I added a some others. We cleaned the sheds and I found the old flamingo---lol...which adds some color while the plants are maturing. 

The walkway isn't spectacular....YET! 

My giant pot has a Hibiscus this year, and the usual suspects. I adore Sweet Potato Vines and...have them in pots along the walk and here. The Hibiscus is orange and has had blossoms everyday, except today.

My painted screen has finally found a home along the bricks. I can never grow anything but weeds back there, so it adds some welcome color.

This year, all our wood beams will need preservative stain on it. Tough winters and lots of sun just scrapes the wood bare in two-three seasons. 

The pots here are a mixture of everything I've planted elsewhere. The Phlox, Roses and small Del Oro Day Lilies will make this area very colorful in a few weeks. 

The pond is happy, the frogs weren't impressed and I haven't seen them for awhile. Maybe there was too much water or not enough mosquitos because of the drought. There will be plenty now...maybe they will come back!

I'm ending with the Holly Hocks again....and then I have to go weed, clip and pull...excess out of everywhere! 

I filled up two waste cans of excess out of the mound alone. Next garden posts in two weeks. 

Have a great summer!  Sandi

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