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I Look at the national weather map and just Cringe. HOT again everywhere, insane storms from Texas to Bemidgi, Minnesota?? Tornados and Del Recho winds. We lived in N. Wisconsin for 9 years or so...and tornados are so RARE...and now it seems to be weekly.
Here is in Chicagoland it has been record breaking hot. Four days straight of 90+ temps with our gut-sucking humidity. These photos I took last Friday between storms.
On our East side we have a long fence line...and 4 foot deep flower beds along a lot of concrete. Our property is on a slope, and the flower bed's back has a drop of 5-6 feet, keeping this area watered is a pain. This part of the fence is the lowest spot where the drop is the least, it is also has a dip in our yard so I planted these new Hydrangeas in the wettest area possible. We will see if they make it. I've set up a drip hose here, just for this area. New growth is starting...but I don't have the heart to pick those blooms.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
A few feet south, I have my stone angel and a pot in front of my antique bed along the fence. The large plant is a Dahlia...
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| oldnewgreenredo |
The next storm totally did our Iris in...but I still had a few blooming last Friday.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
They are definitely my Favorite Flower. These were transplanted from some 'gifted' Iris last Fall.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
The last Peony blooms are rotting on the plants between the heat and rain.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Russian Sage...behind here were two new Daisys and a Delphinium, that never came up or were eaten?
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| oldnewgreenredo |
We had to increase the fencing along here also. Sunflowers, Broccoli and ???, maybe a few self planted Japanese Eggplant.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Old faithful Sweet Peas are just starting to bloom. I have to rip half of them out at this point and see if we can control them. Not sure what these yellow flowers are, hubby planted them last year.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
My weed bucket...I just dashed out and took photos as everything was between deluges. The Sunflowers are self seeded...we will have to support them from the railing.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
The racoons tore them down last year, and apparently weren't tidy eaters so some seeds grew.
Moving toward the front of the house...
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| oldnewgreenredo |
This is our poor Viburnum which has been here for 38 or so years. It bloomed pitifully, and we are planning on taking all the dead wood out and cutting new growth to just 2 feet and see if it will keep going. It is surrounded by peonies, phlox and several Heuchera's. This area is sun-sheltered by the garage, but is also very windy. Our mild winter might have brought this to life in January and then a heavy frost killed all the old growth.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Here is another not altered photo of a planter of Nasturtiums and a few other things. Amazing, loving this color. Behind are are an ancient Rose, Phlox,
Del Oro small Lilies, and the lime bushes are Barberry.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
The pond is clean and happy, but no frogs yet? I have a curly willow in the pond and it is growing like crazy. The ground cover is a Stonecrop and
very happy next to the pond.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
My pots around the pond are planted with all sorts of things. Some grown in the greenhouse.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Violas and apparently a squash...with some mint?
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Dahlia with a Nasturtiunm and more mint. I use mint as a bee repeller here as this is the main walkway to the garage. Bees have plenty of other flowering areas to be other than this narrow passage.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
This poor old pot could use a freshening. Dahlias, Marigolds and a few Zinnias.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
This planter at the stairs has a different look this year. Sweet Williams and red Salvia, along with a fierce ground cover we culled back to controllable, I hope.
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I have no idea what the plant is in the middle, it was transplanted from the greenhouse, I thought it was wild flowers, but it looks like a wed, LOL.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
The sky was darkening as I quickly took these photos. Dang those Hosta are BONKERS this year. Stone crop edging, and two pots of Pansies are still going. The planters are planted with greenhouse plants and a few Petunias.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Critter Ridder helped on keeping the bunnies out of the Hosta this year. When the weather cools down, I have plants to pot for the two corners here with COLOR.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Our front planting bed, Del Oro Lily, Giant Sedum lots of Iris. This bed is mostly greens and bushes. I trimmed the damaged Boxwood (back left) and it seems to be budding out.
The Iris were spectacular but short lived this year. Maybe we will get a Fall bloom again this year. There are Giant Sedum, Daisy, an Hydrangea, a few other plants in here. The dirt isn't the best, but we have amending it
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| oldnewgreenredo |
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| oldnewgreenredo |
One more, this variety blooms last each year. Much of the rest of the yard is just GREEN.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
I did a bunch of trimming in here, we will see if it helps the flowering plants.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Our Hydrangea in the front yard...crossing my fingers on actually getting blooms.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
The Garage Walkway, is always fun to plant. We replaced our plastic tub planters with taller black rubber tote pots. Last year the bunnies chewed up everything in the planters. This year, seems better because they can't quite reach to nibble.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
So now we have two matching planters and one 'doublestack' planter.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Lol, we stacked one old barrel on top of another. When planters go on sale this Fall we will purchase a new one, unless I find something while thrifting. Meanwhile, no bunnies can reach here. Same combinations as the other two.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
I bought a hanging pot with Geraniums for $9.99, there were 5 plants in there, and I used them in as my focal color. Way cheaper than buying 5 at 4.99 each. Plants were very expensive this year. I filled in with a home grown Dahlia and home grown marigolds. The
Tear Drops are dug up out of the grass where they meandered to from a flower bed.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
I went also really vibrant this year in this planter...a little bit of everything.
I haven't planted the mailbox planter this year, still pondering on a different solution as hoses get heavier every year, and that is like 80 some feet to drag a hose.
I can't wait until the rest of our plants and EVERYTHING explodes, though.
HOW HOT IS IT
IN YOUR GARDEN?
Thanks always for visiting,
All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own unless identified, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown.
Thank you for your cooperation,
Sandi
Sandi
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