Midwest Gardening 2024: What's Blooming on May 31, 2024

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Hi, Gardeners. What a Chicagoland Spring...we actually had some warmer temps this May, so our work load was major for May. Hubby and I are catching up on all the projects we weren't able to do last year. 

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The Greenhouse was stuffed with plants, veggies, and flowers, and I have been diligently planting. Downside of this lovely Spring with

TONS-BUCKETS-DELUGES of RAIN. 

While April was dry---May has been raining at least 4 times a week. 

Here's a short video of the front yard. I'm still learning video and there was some glaring bright sunshine here on Friday so shade your eyes, despite my editing.

Sorry for the abrupt end, finger slipped off. I have a Hydrangea, Rose hiding in all that mess. Plans are to dig this area out and get some proper mulch down again. 

This is what I've planted and blooming in the front. 

Walking towards the back, the Pond has masses of Peonies which have literally exploded and drooping despite support.

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The pond runs clear, all the leaves, petals, and bits have sunk to the bottom. I need to add some more rocks for possible Froggies. It's always a challenge to get the pumps working in Spring, and it finally seems to be working well.

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Of course the Fishing Couple have lost their poles AGAIN. And, I have used all my bamboo in the Pea Pots...hmmmm, I will have to find something!

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On the East side we have the moss covered fence...this should bleach off with the sun here over half the day. This birdhouse is starting to really deteriorate, I will have to give it a face lift. Now the Iris is one that I planted last Fall. I bought a few buckets of Iris at a garage sale, and these were marked Blue...but they aren't but are simply gorgeous anyway.

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Amazing to get such flowering the first year. I did some extensive new planting on this side of the yard last year. I think the Hollyhocks will be awesome. And, I have some HH babies in the greenhouse to keep the displays going for next year. Hollyhocks are Biennial and need to be planted each year to have continual blooming.

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My containers are getting a good start. I did buy Impatiens, but everything else is from the greenhouse except for the Creeping Charlie which wintered over in lots of places in the ground and I'm just digging it up and plopping it wherever for color.

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I have three large pots of Impatiens, Caladiums and Coleus going under the roof edge extension.  We need another layer of paver base over here, to freshen it up.

The paver base covers and area we couldn't keep grass on, and need a firm surface for the lawnmower and heavy carts we use. Nice to have a non-trip surface at our age.

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Coleus, Caladiums, Impatiens and greenhouse Alyssum. The squirrels have already rearranged these, and I had to replant.

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I have very little in the Perennial starter bed. But look at this second year Delphinium...wow...I think it is going to be white, and I will transplant it towards Fall by the pond.

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This gorgeous Colorado Columbine is second year also---and is lovely.  I may leave it here in this shady part of the yard. The soil has been super amended in this bed, full of compost and leaves. It's a great place to let roots and bulbs grow safely with partial shade all day.

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On the north side I call this blooming---we have two huge Rhubarb plants...I'm going to try and can some as we only have one freezer now. Definitely Rhubarb pudding/or pie this week.

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My second year of a new Clematis and it's finally taking off. This area gets a lot of sun. Bunnies have pretty much eaten all my new flower starts here this year. My fifteen Liatris have literally disappeared. I have to really raise everything up in the air. We are sprinkling spraying deterrents but the heavy rains just wash them away.

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Another one of the 'BLUE' Iris...sure matches my insane chives, which are eternal.

We finally fenced the north side with some sweet lightweight metal fences with orange butterflies at the top. Easy construction as we had big beams along this border and it's in the electrical/phone easement and now the fence is easy to remove.

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Not quite in bloom yet. I really trimmed the climbing Rose back this year because it was insane last year. 

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  Result: I think we will have some gorgeous blooms anyway, you can see the clumps of buds. Most of our birdhouses are full of birds, which makes working in the back yard so pleasant! 

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I planted my Greenhouse seed Heirloom Tomatoes 10 days ago and they are already blooming. I dug deep 12-15" holes because the plants were so huge. This is early for tomatoes here in Chicagoland. My Green and Carnival Peppers are starting to bloom also.

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Inside the Greenhouse: We have cool nights and warm/hot days right now when it isn't pouring, but I'll try and post more as we go along with the season. I still have trays and trays of Coleus which I will pass to friends and fill more planters.

It's Sunday and I have to get out and plant more of everything, because we had heavy rains all day yesterday and rain forecasted tomorrow and Tuesday.

 But this is what is blooming HERE in Chicagoland right now!

What's Blooming in Your Yard?

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Midwest Gardening Mid-July 2019

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Well, we finally have summer---boy, do we have summer. Once the rain stopped we had a few gorgeous days, almost got caught up in the yard. NOW it's HOT! Yardwork consists of scurrying out and watering very early in the day, closing the drapes and huddling down.

Late last week, I did get some photos, though to share, everything has grown since then with the heat.
Long-picture heavy post. Pictures say a thousand words. Normally I would split this into 3 posts, but we are so far behind this year....!

Pot assortment on the back stairs. The Impatiens have been doing super this year.

The pool for the Grand sits over the sandbox, it's huge. 

Flamingo stalks the Lemon Grass,

 our GREEN mosquito deterrent.

Along the garden fence we have small crops planted, onions, beans, lettuce.

The garden itself is going bonkers. We have tomatoes and peppers, zucchini, pickles, squash. Tomatoes and peppers are almost ready for picking---about 4 weeks late---but, looks like a good crop, very soon. (We've had one pickle, so far)

Vines are pickles/cucumbers---they really do well in our small garden going UP!

Hubby put down weed fabric, without the mulch. Hoping that more water will get to the plants this way. After 35 years in this house...we are still experimenting! His back can't handle all the weeds, and I'm really walking poorly on uneven surfaces.

NOTE: All our Peppers are in large pots---they just seem happier that way then in the ground? 

Tiger Lilies are ready to bloom next week! Birds are in almost every birdhouse we have. 

I have all these plant hooks, but a frog decided he would rather swing here!

Love this combination!

My shade mixture pots are coleus, sweet potato vine, and impatience, and more lemon grass for mostquitos. Hostas were grown from small starts, and finally ready to put in the ground.

I had 10 Caladium bulbs I planted the end of March---and they are finally getting big. These are obviously temperature triggered, even in the greenhouse, it wasn't warm enough for them to do their thing. Caladiums are notoriously slow!

Rex Begonia, will be gorgeous and I will winter this over in the house. I've kept them as long as 4 years, wintering in the house. Last years got nipped by the early frost, so this is a new one.

More shade plants, some funky maroon and lime coleus, impatiens and some more caladiums. Marigolds I grew 4 different from seeds. The bees love them, and they are hardy in any weather.

Hubby did the plant shopping as I wasn't able to go out at all----he picked some great plants, lots of reds, and a few surprises. Hanging pot has those tiny petunia like plants, which are gorgeous.

This area gets a few hours of sun, then shade the rest of the day.

On to the fence area on the east side. Strong sun until about 3 pm. Some morning glories from the neighbors side wrapping the chair. 

Some more of those mini looking petunias and impatiens

Next to the fence are my Hollyhocks, I have 12 new plants started,  but we won't get flowers on those,until next year, as they are biennials!

I'm ignoring all the holes in everything. We have a crop of leaf hoppers that are happily chewing, and a few other bugs. We might have to do a soap spray on everything, soon.

Our Giant Hostas are ISLAND HOSTAS, this year. Now that the hot weather has hit, I will have to cut the burnt leaves off. All the Hostas have blossoms this year, and they have a fabulous fragrance.

 

Next to the house is a Sweet Pea, that grew from a 59c pack of seeds from 1985. I have to pull about half of them out--or they would swallow the house. Normally these bloom with peonies and roses around Memorial Day---this is the first blooms, July 12th. 

First blooms on the Del Oro Lilies, small and compact I have a few around the pond.

We just got the pond running last week.

Iris are sad looking. I cut them as they yellow, I've surrounded the stems now with some rocks, and pieces of concrete for support. I'm not sure what happened here, too much water, too much snow, too many temperature changes? It's really hard to say. I think I will plant some giant sedum back there and give up on flowering plants. (lost:Black-eyed Susans, delphinium, Liatris, creeping sedums.

See how bare it is?...YIKES.

The plant on the left was my 4-5foot tall Phlox las year? Peony behind it has been trimmed and is very healthy. I had to trim back the lime Barberry...it was crazy thick. 

This side has the most life, a rose that hasn't bloomed, the lilies and a few fronds of Phlox. 

It's VERY sad around there, as the winter plant loss was the most of the perennials in this area.

Even my huge phlox are not 'well'. 

I have two large long planters on either side...impatiens and three kinds of marigolds. They should bloom later this week. It's hot right here, the impatiens may not make it.

Moving to the pot by the front stairs---WOW, I THINK THATS A SUNFLOWER in the back

___1 plant out of 6 packages???

The planter by the front stairs is coming. Lemon Grass again for mosquitos. Weird short pom-pom marigolds? 

My rusty dragonflies, and a planter. Again, my sunflowers aren't making it?

How about this for a welcoming front porch? All the plants huddled in the shade---

basil is going great now though. 

I've moved all the hanging planters under the trees---just too hot for potted plants without saucers.

This area is happy, we have creeping sedum, copper leaf Coral Bells, Hosta, Giant sedums and the planters under here.

Our front yard is 80% shaded by trees now---so, I'm using pots for colors. Waiting on lots of lilies to bloom soon.

Along the garage---it's slow, the sunflowers I planted to go up the trellis' didn't make it? I think it is too late to buy more plants. 

The planter at the street, greets everyone at the mailbox...colors are brilliant, 

and if we keep up with deadheading and watering, it will continue to be gorgeous. 

(Note, the Purple Salvia)didn't make it here, and last year it was amazing)

I'm really only mobile a few hours a week, so this will have to be it, watering and deadheading!

Such is Midwest Gardening in the Chicago NW burbs, 2019. 

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

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Happiness is Homemade