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Good Morning, first hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. We celebrated with family yesterday, and it was lovely in the low 70's and we even roasted marshmallows at dusk.
But yesterday early, I ran around the yard and took some quick photos...of what is in bloom!
We are just budding out after a very late dreary Spring, and we are already in drought here, but everything is busting out with diligent watering. Portulaca or Moss Roses in a pot. A bit of this and that in the earn. The stars here are the Hosta bursting in this shade bed.
These I grew from rootings from Home depot 2 years ago...they are huge this year.
I had to support all my Iris, with the dry winds, so many tipped over and broke, they are in the house in vases. We will have a few more next week, I personally like the foliage as a great contrast against the brick. Plant in lower left is a transplanted Phlox grown from a root start. Crossing my fingers. Newly purchased Shasta Daisy is just opening. I had a much lower budget this year, but we lost so many perennials with the freeze and thaw winter. So I moved a lot of things around, and did purchase a couple replacements.
This front bed has several types of Day Lilies, Boxwood and Iris in the back, and Sedums in the front row which are very drought tolerant.
Another gorgeous IRIS, this one soaked up the sun and no adjusting of the photo could bring out the details...so pretty and tall!
These are my favorite, classic Iris, I've long forgotten the varieties.
Out on the mound near the street, nothing is blooming YET, except these little pom-pom perrennials I just planted. In two weeks there should be several plants flowering. I've given up planting annuals out here as it just bakes in the sun. Perennials have deeper root systems and seem to survive better. I did loose a Hydrangea, a Rose and something else, I have to look at notes here this year, sadly.
Without our own greenhouse plants this year, I purchased only a few basics. I'm skipping the trailers this year. Hubby had to rebuild this box as another car backed into the structure and really did a number on it.
No one ever stops, to say they are sorry or help with the damage. That's three times in two years!
I've planted here, but it will take awhile for any really photo worthy shots. I'm trying Dahlias I started in the house, but they were so spindly, I don't know what will come of them.
My big pot by the stairway holds a 4th year Hibiscus (branches) we wintered over in the garage which was kept at a 45 degrees and lights on. The first weekend we brought it out, it got frosted and all the leaves dropped off. I pruned it and watered it, and it's coming back with buds all along the branches...we will see what happens.
I had tried digging it out to pot and bring in the house, but the roots were so massive, we decided to try and keep it wintered in the garage.
More Iris behind the pond. The rose had significant damage, and this creeping invasive vine...went bonkers this Spring. I have to get in there and hack this down and try some root poison. (Not a green thing to do--but it clearly is way too happy now.)
It also climbed on our trellis and swallowed our already dying Clematis.
Here is the Rose damage here. It is coming back---I didn't trim it early so I could see what was really dead. Will get to this sometime this week. So much winter damage...the worst we've had--and a very mild winter, also. The yellow Barberry are very happy also...and will need to be thinned drastically--and they are very prickly!
Happiest plant on our lot...this Viburnum, which we deeply trimmed from the inside out last year...and it rewarded us with TONS of blooms. A new drain pipe is going into this boxed area and I think that accounts for everything looking better.
The porch is sparse for now---the planter on the table is for my D-inLaws Birthday.
We have two Manilla hanging in pots. I will have to remember to water them. If they don't grow much in a week, I will move them into the sun.
My porch herbs are happy! All the usual suspects, Cilantro, Thyme, Basil, Rosemary, and Parsley.
Not a flower...but definitely Bloomin' are our two Rhubarb plants---I'm thinking Rhubarb jam, rhubarb pie, rhubarb bars, bread, muffins, pudding....etc. NUM!
Not much is blooming---except of course weeds, this of course is Dames Rocket or Silver Dollar plants. I don't mind a few and the flowers are quite pretty and even cut well for bouquets.
Another plant, Baby Tears...which the mild winter has encouraged. I've been digging up hunks of this and using in my pots. SO FREE PLANTS! YAY!
This area had our rain barrel and a bush which was lost last year with all the construction on the roof. I usually have a huge pot of Impatiens and Coleus here,
but not yet.
I"M SO, so, So, far behind!
I am slowly tying up all the daffodil greens to make room for other plants. Eventually they get cut. The greens need to help and store food to the corms. Of course Daffodils really don't need any help to thrive. Buy them once and you have a gazillion for life!
The Hollyhock bed is coming along. I planted new ones last year and some this year also that are supposed to bloom immediately. YES--that is still the tent full of contents of the basement disaster.
We are still working on that!
Last place with anything flowering is this small shaded bed next to our storage shed.
I grow root perennials in here, usually. I moved everything out , but these two columbine which are so happy here, and put in lettuce seeds and lettuce plants. This area gets filtered light with some sun...perfect for tender plants and lettuce, oh I did plant some Wasabi Radishes in here, too. We will see, lol.
Oh and it is totally fenced...seems we have bunnies that like to eat everything!
I've totally forgotten what this blue is, but it's happy right here, lol. where nothing is. At one time I had copper leaf and lime Heuchera or Coral Bells here, only one of four have survived over the years.
Crappy soil and tree roots seem to be the blame.
This Clematis got a new trellis last year, and seems to have survived, despite the new well pump put in a week ago and getting bent and pushed aside. Honestly another almost 3K...I wish we had moved a couple of years ago, instead of having to replace everything AGAIN!
Yep---stay in your home---and eventually rebuild it. We've put more $$$$ into this house in the last year then we paid for it by almost 50K. Something comes to mind about pouring money into a never-ending hole...
a joke...
NOT REALLY!
Still plugging away here in the Midwest...
HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW!?
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I will be sharing at these fine Parties!
All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle
Sandi
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Sandi, I applaud you! It looks fabulous -- and I'll say it again. I don't see how you do it. Four star!
ReplyDeleteLOL, dragging my half-dead butt around, honestly! Hugs!
DeleteYou have some beautiful plants Sandi. The weather is a bit like Russian roulette at the moment. It's still quite cold at night here.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cherie. We had a grand total of .42 inches of rain for May--and none forecasted for another 10 days...watering is another career it seems. And, you are dead-on with Russian roulette.
DeleteHi Sandi! SO nice to hear from you on my blog. Your garden looks so lush to me! Love the iris and I definitely have always had more luck with herbs on the patio where you can keep an eye on them. We really work to keep things moist here in Albuquerque. Happy summer days! J.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jacqueline, you are totally right on the herbs. I have majoram, chives and sage in the backyard which are hardy and generally need hacking to control. But those for immediate eating are always on the porch. We have the first rain in six weeks...perhaps Chicagoland is turning to desert also.
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