Winter Blooms

Yes, that's right.  I still have flowers blooming!  For those of you who would doubt the claim, I have photographic proof.  I snapped these shots about 20 minutes ago.  It's unseasonably warm (60 in the sun) here.  You won't catch me complaining!

These petunias were the deal of the century.  Lowe's had them marked down to 25 cents per basket!  I was willing to pay up to a dollar a piece, seeing as how it was the weekend before Thanksgiving, so imagine my surprise when they were a fourth of the cost!  I'm sure people thought I was a loon, buying plants so late in the season, but there was no forecast of frost that week, and I wanted to gussy up the porch for my house guests that would be arriving Thanksgiving Day.  We had fantastic weather on turkey day and everyone got to go outside and get a glimpse of these pretty flowers up close.  I think we had a frost this week, but they must have gotten protection from the house.  I'll take the blooms as long as I can get them!

I got these pansies from Lowe's just a markdown away from their final clearance.  I paid $3.00 for a gallon container of red and yellow, which I split between two large pots on my front porch.  And I paid $3.00 for a flat of "vining" two-tone purple pansies.  I feel a little taken though, because when I went back right before Thanksgiving, they were all down to 10 cents per pot and 25 cents a flat.

I can't resist a good deal.  Since I didn't need any, I picked up a flat for my mom.  I don't know if she's put them in or not, but if she did, she's guaranteed a winter's worth of good color and then another flush in spring.

The pansies I put by the street in September are still going great guns.  I've been so pleased with them that I have decided they'll be part of my annual fall planting.

Around the Yard in October

The mint lives!  After a long, hot, dry summer, I was sure it was a goner.  But here are the green sprigs to prove it pushes on, and that you really can't kill mint.

The Superbells have come back to life with cooler temperatures.  The foliage was green all summer, but the blooms were far and few in between.  I don't think this plant is partial to humidity.  To convert this planter into a fall arrangement, I transplanted the knockout rose and added a mum, and a pumpkin Tyler picked out at the Home Depot.

Oakleaf hydrangeas are gorgeous in fall.  All of the leaves turn a lovely shade of red.  I am still hunting for a good location to put another one... or two.

Toad lilies are a wonderful surprise in fall.  You definitely forget about them until they bloom, since the foliage is very plain.  It actually looks like a weed that grows around here.  The blooms are about the size of a quarter.  I got 6 plants by mail order in Spring and the blooms on two plants are actually two different colors.  This one is white with purple spots, but the other one is purple with dark purple spots.  Interesting.  The established Toad Lilies I've had for years completely dried up in the summer.

This photo doesn't do these mums justice.  They are intensely bright yellow.  They were here when we moved in, and I've never had the heart to tear them out, even though they are in a good location that I could plant several other things.  I guess it's worth the wait at the end of the season.

This photo is a little blurry, but at least you can see the color.  The wind was blowing pretty strong this evening and it was hard to capture anything.  This is one of many small oak trees that have turned bright red around the perimeter of our yard.  It's odd because all of the mature oak tree leaves go straight to brown and look crusty all winter.  I wonder if this is a different variety.

Don't worry, this isn't poison ivy!  It's either skunk brush or gooseberries.  I can't remember.  All I know is that it grows wild here, and turns a wonderful brilliant red-orange in fall.  There is a hedge of these bushes behind one of my flowerbeds that sits against the woods.  Lovely.

I couldn't help myself.  My favorite nursery was selling these gorgeous pansies for a good price, so I got a flat and put them in the new garden I've been working on since mid-summer.  There's not much else in there yet, so these have added some good color for the past month.  They will bloom in the snow, too, so I think this was well worth the money.

Check out this lovely clematis flower that has sort of mutated.  It's very odd and beautiful at the same time.  If you look closely, you can see the petals are green and pink.  I've never seen it bloom this late before.  There were four blossoms like this on the vine.

What I've Added this Fall

Finally!  My order from a wholesaler arrived a week ago, and I just got a chance to put the plants in the ground yesterday.  I got 20 bearded iris.  5 Immortality (white), 5 orange harvest, and 10 variegated (foliage, not the flower -- flowers are purple).  The white and orange iris are short, and rebloom.  I'm looking forward to having flowers in both the spring and fall, especially since I don't have much blooming right now.

In the past month, I've also planted 3 catmint, 3 variegated Jacob's Ladder, a blueberry bush, a hot pink dwarf phlox, and a white daisy.

I've also been busy rearranging the plantings.  I moved two peonies, and gave one to a friend.  I also transplanted a double pink knockout rose from a container by my porch to a bed in the back, where I hope it will get enough sun.  That's always a challenge living on a wooded lot.

Of course, all of this work leads me to thinking about what else I can squeeze into an existing bed, or where I might install a new one.  I spend a few minutes each evening pacing the yard, checking things out.  I have a lot of ideas that will have to simmer over the winter!

The Monarchs are Migrating

Sitting in a meeting this morning, I was completely distracted from the topic of discussion by the view from the conference room.  We were on the fourth floor of a new building on my campus, surrounded by two sides of floor to ceiling glass, overlooking Maryland Heights.

As I was gazing out the window, I saw a Monarch butterfly slowly float past the window.  It swooped up and down, catching a little breeze as it went.  It steered around the corner of the building and flitted away until I could no longer see it.

I saw a second Monarch about 20 minutes later.  I had to stop and think for a moment.  Could it be the same butterfly?  It took exactly the same path as the first one.  Was it just flying around the building in circles?  Surely not.  They must be migrating south for the winter, and this building was in their path.  Every 20 minutes or so, I proceeded to see a butterfly flutter past the windows.  It was such a great sight.

What does this have to do with gardening?  Well, if you want to attract some Monarchs to your yard, you need to plant the right "host" and nectar plants.  Milkweed is the food of choice.  Any variety will do.  When you're at the nursery, look on plant tags for the word "Asclepias" in the plant's name.

My favorite milkweed is "Asclepias Tuberosa", native to Missouri.  Flat, bright orange flower heads cover 1-2 foot stems in late summer.  They're hard to find in nurseries because they're hard to grow (I assume).  But you can order them online.  Once you plant them, and they get established, don't think about moving them.  They have a deep taproot system that is not easily transplanted.

Ah, those very smart butterflies. While we will be battling snow, ice storms, and bitter cold temperatures in single-digits, they will be basking in the Mexican sun.  There is always something to learn from nature.

The Summer Roundup

Let me just say this was one HOT summer, and it went quick!  How can we be in the middle of September already?  The temperatures literally went down 35 degrees, and have stayed there for the most part.

The end of summer means clean-up time in the garden.  My task list includes cutting back dead foliage and pulling out dead plants, trimming up shrubs, weeding, and tearing out the veggie patch.  I also like to plant a few perennials, since this is the best time of the year to plant.  And don't forget popping in some annuals here and there.  I haven't yet purchased mums for my front porch, but I probably will give in to temptation and do that in the next week or two.

The tomato plants had about 30 green tomatoes left on them, all about the size of a golf ball.  Their ripening has almost come to a halt, so I tore out the plants and picked the tomatoes.  They are sitting in my kitchen so they can try to ripen up.  My volunteer tomato plant was a bear to tear out.  I wrangled with that thing for 10 minutes and finally got my arms around it well enough to drag it into the woods.  There was enough foliage there to create a home for a few rabbits, and let me tell you -- it was the greenest, healthiest foliage in my garden.  It hurt my heart to tear it out.  But I know the first frost is coming and I needed to get it done.  The amount of foliage on the one volunteer tomato was equal to the amount of foliage I pulled out for the 10 purposefully planted tomatoes.

Today, I planted some pansies.  My favorite nursery is selling them for $14.99 a flat.  I picked out three pairs of 6-packs -- pale yellow, orange, and a ruffled lavender.  Lovely.  It took me about 10 minutes to decide on the colors I wanted since they had all of them to choose from.  I planted half of them in my new bed by the street.  I suppose I owe everyone a mug shot of the new garden, now that it's all prettied up with mulch.  I will put that on my to-do list for the next post.

I'm going to plant the other half of the flat in my neighbor's yard.  She was diagnosed with Cancer last year, and her chemotherapy routine doesn't allow her to dig in the soil.  Every year she plants pansies, and I know she'll miss them if they're not there.  It's a small thing, but I know she will love seeing those colors going until Spring next year.

Obnoxious Morning Glories

Don't get me wrong.  I don't hate Morning Glories, but I'm far from loving them.  When they get established, it's with a vengeance.

We moved in six years ago in late Winter, and there were a few tell tale signs that Morning Glory vines had been up the front porch, and strangled a few of the shrubs on the side of the house.  I didn't think much of it.  I thought they were annuals.  I cleared away the dead debris and looked forward to having a clean, blank canvas to work with.  Wow, was I wrong.

We have lived in this house for over 6 years and they continue to come up every year!  How many seeds to these things produce?  Not only do they continue to come up, but they sprout at different times.  For the past few weeks, I've been pulling up seedlings in the same location.  You'd think they'd all sprout at once, I'd get them all, and we'd be done.  But no.

Let this serve as a warning for those of you who can't resist those powdery blue blooms on the side of the seed packet.  You're planting for life.

Dreaming of a Garden Shed

After buying our house 6 years ago, I've been patiently waiting in the never ending line of home improvement projects to get a new garden shed.  This project keeps getting pushed back for more pressing items, such as the night it was pouring rain and I could hear water dripping in our basement from the main level!  Did I mention we bought a fixer?

We don't have any projects right now, so it's the perfect opportunity to make a case to my handyman extraordinare.  I've downloaded photos, looked at plans, and even considered the possibility of purchasing and customizing a prefab shed.

What makes this project sort of desperate is two factors -- 1) The shed is falling down; and 2) It's a graveyard for motorcycles and other assorted items, leaving no room for me to access my gardening items.  I don't know if I can resolve #2, but here's to hoping.

Let's talk about features.  You should always know what you're going to use a space like this for, so you can do the best planning for it.  I need to store tools and a wheelbarrow, and need a bench for potting up plants.  I'll also store potting mixes and pots in there.  And someday I hope to convince Eric to let me buy chickens, so I'll need an annex on the back for a roost.  The shed will also have to be positioned in an area where I can attach a run for the chickens to be in during the day.

It's hard to see because of all the plantings around it, but I love the rustic charm of this design.  It looks like a small cabin.  I love the star hanging on the side, and the cedar shakes are great as well.

The double doors are very practical.  I like the transom windows and door hinge style.  I'd go without the window boxes though.

This one is a little fancy for my needs, but I like the detailed trim and the roofline.  Colors are nice too.  I could imagine this in pale yellow with white trim, to match our house.

This one has a nice little covered area for storing firewood... and maybe some old motorcycles.  I like the color and simple design.  It would be easy to embellish the side roofline with a star, like in the first photo.  I might trim the windows in a different color though.

What's Blooming

Apricot Ruffles Daylily (I don't know what the name of it is -- so I named it)

Coneflowers!

Early Girl tomatoes

Fritillary butterfly on a coneflower

Hydrangea Tardiva -- it's about 7' x 5'.  Any takers?

Hydrangea Limelight

A red and yellow daylily that I rescued from the woods on my property.  It wasn't blooming the year I found it, I just recognized the foliage.  What a delightful surprise!

Things You Don't See Every Day



3 English Sparrow babies in my Boston Fern.  Good thing I got this photo, since they flew the nest today!



This tree frog kicked out the bird tenant, and has been here for months.




My Magnolia tree has several blooms on it, and more buds are swelling up.  It is clearly confused.



A volunteer Roma tomato.  This is the third or fourth year they've come up.  The plants get HUGE.  I finally got smart and staked it this year.

A Garden is Born - Part 2

Today, installation began on my new garden.  Yes, it is the worst time of year to plant.  Yes, we have a heat index of 100+.  It's okay to question my sanity, I am as well.  But I had to get the blueberry plants in before they cooked in their packaging.

I know this doesn't look like much, but it was 5 hours worth of effort.  I started by reinstalling the landscaping fabric in the ditch, because I started to get nervous about the rocks' ability to sit on the steep pitch of the ditch-road slope.  They've paved our road twice since we moved in six years ago, and each time they've used a substantial layer of blacktop.  There's a silver lining in all things; it's actually created a natural toddler barrier for us.

It took 14 bags of rocks to fill the ditch.  I don't think I have a future career in ditch digging.  It will be interesting to see how well I did with the overall pitch after the first rain.

I planted the three Top Hat blueberry bushes.  They've already got a good shape.  In doing research, I see many people use them for bonsai.  I can see that, since they're so compact.  These are 2 year old plants.  They mature to 2'x2'.  They really pack on the berries, despite their small size.

I also added 3 Green Velvet boxwoods.  I like a little evergreen interest in all of my gardens for the winter time.  A few daylilies found a new home in this garden, as will a few more of the Sarah Bernhardt peonies (one is in).

Each plant received a generous helping of sand and sphagnum peat moss mixed into the clay.  This should help breakup the clay, provide some drainage, and add the organic matter that plants thrive in.

Typically, my next step would be to lay newspaper over the grassy area and then dump a 2" layer of mulch over the top, but I have a shortage of newspaper.  It's the best weed barrier I've used.  It smothers the weeds, decomposes into the soil (enriching it), and then after a few months, you can plant anything you want without the hassle of scraping sod.  I did purchase some weed fabric, but I'm holding off installing it in hopes of landing some newspaper.

A Garden is Born - Part 1

This is going to be the first of many posts about my new garden.  I'll share thoughts, experiences, and photos along the way.

It's the worst time of year to plant.  Spring is so busy with pruning, mulching, etc., and then you're supposed to be done?  No, sorry.  I feel compelled to be productive throughout the year.  I know I'm supposed to sit back and enjoy the fruits of my Spring labor, but I can't.

I've spent a lot of time planning this new garden, which is not normal for me.  I thought I'd take a planned approach to this one and see if it leaves me with less transplanting a few years down the road, when I realize I've stuffed things too close together, or a combination is just not working out.  I have spent a lot of time staring at the sunny patch of grass dreaming about how it will look when it's established.  I've measured and plotted and even purchased some plants.

The whole idea for this garden came from the need to move some sun-loving plants from shadier parts of my yard to this sun-bathed area in hopes that they will do better.  Somewhere along the line, I got the genius idea to make it an edible and flower garden.

Over the weekend, I ordered three dwarf "Top Hat" blueberry plants from Hartmann's Plant Nursery and they arrived today!  They were supposed to ship in September, but this is fine, because as I mentioned, I was itching to get going and purchased my "bones" for the garden -- 3 green velvet boxwoods.  Looks like I'll be starting the installation this weekend.  And I should mention the blueberry bushes look awesome.  They are 2 year plants, and are covered with blueberries, some already ripened.  This variety yields in August, so we are going to enjoy blueberries right away!

Other plants that will be featured and on the way -- reblooming "Immortality" (white) and "Orange Harvest" iris, and iris pallida variegata (foliage is stunning) from KVB Wholesale. Transplants include standard white bearded iris, daylilies, Sarah Bernhardt peonies, and a hydrangea or two.

I bet you're thinking -- how big is this garden going to be?  Well, according to my measurements, it'll be 25 feet long and about 9 feet deep at the widest point.  Once I set the shrubs out, I'll have final specs to share.

Formal & Wild Spaces

Growing up, I was a "food can't touch" kind of kid when it came to my dinner plate, so it should come as no surprise that my favorite style of gardening is neat, tidy, and leaning toward formal.  All of the plants I choose have some sort of structured foliage.  I avoid wispy and floppy foliage plants.

My victorian-styled home is screaming for formality in the form of neatly trimmed boxwood hedges and sculpted shrubs.  But, I live in the country, so that's not a practical or fashionable look for my garden.  Oh, if I only had this same house in an urban setting with a perfectly rectangular yard, the formal garden I've been dreaming of could come to life. But then I'd also be a sad, crabby garden gal, because I love the peace, serenity, and privacy of the country.

Country gardens are often hap-hazard, random plantings of loose, breezy flowers.  Not my style.  But I have found a nice way to blend the two worlds together.

I have boxwoods all over my property.  They are neatly trimmed into sphere shapes.  I don't clip them too tightly, and the key to keeping them nice and natural looking is to hand shear them with manual clippers.  Electric shears would get out of hand pretty quickly and damage the overall shape.  Trimming takes place 2-3 times a year.

I have used boxwoods in a semi-formal setting directly by the house and that has worked well.  As you move away from the house, I get less formal.  There is a garden in the back of my house on a very steep slope that I keep looking tidy by having the boxwoods line the front of it.  It creates a wonderful green fence all year, especially in winter, when all of those country perennials are no longer standing.  In summer, the perennials can lean against the boxwoods for support.  It's a win-win situation.

Another trick I've employed to keep my wild spaces looking more formal is to repeat the same plant over and over -- plant in mass. When you have the same flower blooming in large drifts, it's comforting on the eyes.  One flower here and there just looks like a jumbled mess.  If you have this problem, it's easy to fix, but time-consuming.  You need to dig up those plants and move them closer together.

Another way to ensure you get enough "mass" is to purchase plants in a minimum of 3, and when purchasing more than that, always buy in odd numbers.  They always end up looking more natural when planted that way.  There is something about dealing with even numbers that makes us want to line them up like a corn row, which is not the look you want.

Anyway... I continue the journey with finding the right balance between formal and wild spaces, given my location.  And it will continue to evolve for as long as I live here.

Butterflies

My mom taught me the names of Missouri butterflies and moths. We caught, raised, and collected many over the years. Just observing them and learning their names is a great activity for all ages.  Being able to properly identify what's flitting around my yard is gratifying, and sometimes a great conversation starter.

Butterflies are such an important part of the garden.  Aside from the pollination benefits, they add a lot of interesting color and graceful movement.  When I'm daydreaming about my aspirations for my own garden in winter, one of my thoughts always drifts to how I can make it more butterfly-friendly.

One of my favorite butterfly memories is of my grandma's Zinnia row.  She had a very large garden, probably close to an acre in size, and planted one row of Zinnias. When they'd be in bloom, there were so many butterflies you couldn't count them.  It was an awesome sight.

This year has been a particularly good year for butterflies in my garden.  I've seen a lot more varieties than in years past.  I believe it's due to the maturity of my gardens and the additions of butterfly-magnets such as Coneflowers (Echinacea).

I'm not nearly as talented as my hubby when it comes to capturing these winged beauties on camera, so I don't have any photos to share.  But here are the ones that have visited my garden.  Maybe you've seen some of these too.

• Giant Swallowtail
• Tiger Swallowtail
• Pipevine Swallowtail
• Black Swallowtail
• Zebra Swallowtail
• Snout
• Question Mark
• Blue Hairstreak
• Crescent
• Great Spangled Fritillary
• Wood Nymph
• Skipper
• Hackberry

What's Blooming June 22nd

Daylilies are the stars of the show in my yard right now, although there are other things blooming that I've not included below. Some of them are pretty in person, but hard to photograph, like Lavendar, Hostas, and Catmint.

This has become one of my favorite daylilies.  I have no idea what it's called.  I rescued it from my property line.  It was in the shade, so I had never seen it bloom.  A couple of seasons later it showed its pretty face.  It's just gotten better with each season.  The blooms seem to be thicker and brighter each year. 

This is one of the few mophead hydrangeas (Nikko Blue, I think) that is blooming.  I think I have my hydrangeas in too much shade.  I'm lucky this one has flowers.

Speaking of hydrangeas, these Annabelles surrounding my porch are over-achievers.  The blooms are humongous, and the sheer weight pulls them to the ground.  I have to say that this year they were looking grand and upright up until the first rainstorm.  I think the key to Annabelles is cutting them back to about a foot or so in height.  Most of what you see in the photo is new growth from this year so they can take a strong "haircut".

Traditional roadside orange (ditch lilies).  The conservation department used to plant them along ditches to help with erosion.  I've got some at the bottom of my dry creek to help keep the base intact during strong rains.  They are nice bright spots of color to catch your eye, multiply quickly, and even bloom in partial shade.  Great performers.

This one is called Dancing Shiva.  It looks so much prettier in person.  The eye (center) is such a bright yellow it almost glows.

Atlanta Full House is another of my favorites.  I actually dug this one up from my old house and brought it here.  There was no foliage up at the time we moved (late February) but I knew where I had planted it and just dug up the dirt where it should have been.

I don't know where this one even came from.  It's really tall and pretty though.  It stands up about two feet from the foliage.  You can see the coneflowers are starting to bloom in the background.



Early Summer Progress Report

This is the time of year when gardeners assess the success or failure of individual plants, and even gardens as a whole.  Remember, some plants need a couple of seasons to get established before you can make the call, so don't include them in your evaluation. Also, don't judge a newly established garden if you're getting anxious about the amount of mulch you're seeing in between the plants.  Time will fix that.  Weather also greatly affects the performance of plants, which is why you need a few seasons before you make decisions.

I'll start with my successes:

• Daylilies are just starting to bloom and the foliage is the best I've ever seen here.  The stems are covered with buds.
• Coneflowers in the back garden have finally taken hold where I've been trying to propagate them for years.  They are starting to bloom and it should be a good show.
• Catmint is always a winner in my garden; no complaints about this plant.
• Chinese ground orchids (bletilla) are a new addition.  I ordered 6 bulbs in the spring and the flowers are so pretty.  I hope they multiply and continue to do well.
• Hostas are completely at home in my garden.  I've never met a hosta I couldn't grow here.
• Creeping Jenny has really brought together my dry creek.  It is so lush this year, and the wonderful chartreuse color is stunning against the dark red coral bells.
• Indian Pink just finished blooming.  The combination of a red trumpet with a bright yellow flower is so unusual.  I dug this one up when I was visiting my sister in southern MO a few years ago.
• My boxwoods are excellent performers.  I have so many boxwoods that I've lost count.  I consider them a garden staple.
• Korean Viburnum produced some really great flowers earlier this year and the foliage continues to look great.  I would plant more of these just for the foliage!
• PeeGee Hydrangea looks amazing. It's in the perfect location and I just love it. I want more of these.

These plants are on my watch list to get the boot, or be moved:

• I am shocked that my bearded irises didn't do anything.  I have tons of them, and out of all colors, only one peach and a handful of white ones bloomed.  The white are my favorite, so that was somewhat comforting.
• The superbells I was so excited about in the spring are starting to wane.  Maybe the heat got them.  It is my first season growing them so I will have to give them another chance.
• Royal Purple hydrangea is taking over my raised bed in the back.  In defense of hydrangeas, I think this plant was mis-marked and is really a species hydrangea.  It never blooms purple.  It was supposed to get 4'x4' but it's about 6'x6' and continuing to grow.
• Limelight hydrangea grows really well for everyone else I know.  I think it should be blooming now, but nada.  If it doesn't produce this year, it's going to a new home.  Any takers?
• It's the first spring for my Popcorn Viburnums, so I can't be too harsh.  They will need a couple more seasons of a watchful eye before I kick them out.  I LOVE this shrub in other locations. I couldn't wait to have one (now two) of my own. But a harsh summer last year and my inability to water daily nearly brought them to death.
• My poor Foster Holly has been struggling for a few seasons.  I finally moved it to a sunnier location this spring and I see new growth, although I might have jinxed it by planting it in the former home of the butterfly bush, which bit the dust over the winter.

My latest brainstorm is to create a new garden in a sunny area near the intersection of the driveway and the street.  This will be a home to all of those plants that crave/require more sunshine, like the 5 poor peonies whose stems were stretched out so far toward the light that they were horizontal.  More to come on the status of that project.

Grass versus Gardens

In a recent conversation with a fellow gardener, we were discussing our garden approach and what stage of gardening we are in, as we are both recent transplants to Defiance.  I was describing our lot as a little over three acres, with almost one of them as "mowable".  She quickly replied, "oh, get rid of that grass!".  This is a common response from garden enthusiasts.  I don't agree with the strategy; here's three reasons why.

1. My hubby likes to cut the grass.  How many hubbies secretly love to cut the grass?  Well, I know, mine does.  The 42" walk behind probably doesn't hurt the case at all (he's now mowing the neighbor's lawn).  And I'm pretty sure my dad enjoys it too.  I can't blame them.  While it's difficult work in the heat of summer, it's an instant results type of maintenance that makes your house look great.  I can't get rid of all of the grass.  This is my last resort to keeping hubby engaged in the garden scene.
2. The scent of freshly cut grass and the feeling beneath bare feet.  Okay, when is the last time you took your shoes off and strolled across the yard barefoot?  I can honestly say it's been a while.  I have an excuse though, we have a 90 lb chocolate lab that does his business out there.  But given the opportunity in a clean area, I would give it a go.  I thoroughly enjoyed running barefoot as a kid.  And let's not forget that wonderful, fresh, one-of-a-kind scent that comes from a fresh cut lawn.  You know the scent.  It is fantastic.
3. It creates a beautiful green canvas for your gardens.  This is probably the one reason you didn't think of.  But truly, it creates a place for your eye to rest in a garden scene.  If you're lucky, your grass is one massive plot of emerald green, which is so pleasing to the eye and soothing.  Grass creates a very clean edge for your gardens and I think makes them look more interesting.  I like grass paths in gardens better than stones or other materials.  The grass surrounding your garden is what gives your garden a shape.  Otherwise, you'd just have a prairie in your backyard!

Convinced or not?  I'd love to hear other opinions.

Stick Your Face in a Peony

The peonies in my yard are in full bloom and they are stunning, despite the toll the rain has taken on them.  I'm not sure how they manage to look so beautiful after being ravished by storms.  It's difficult to see them with their heads slumped over as they carry the extra weight of rain water.  I need to run out and cut a few while I'm thinking about it...

Okay, I'm back.  I have a short clear crystal vase filled to the brim with double pink Sarah Bernhardt peonies, my favorite kind.  I have six clusters of plants in this variety.  Five of them are grouped together in a back garden and clearly aren't getting enough sunshine, as exhibited by the lack of blooms and the arching stems that reach toward the direction of the sun.  Moving them to a sunnier location is on my list of to-dos for the late summer or fall.  They're so tall that traditional peony grates are not able to hold them upright.  I think I'll invest in some tomato barrel cages for them to grow through next year.

I can't enjoy them much because they're always in peak bloom during our rainy season.  Anytime we get a break in the weather, I make it a point to go out and stick my face right into the center of several.  The fragrance is sweet and light.  The petals of the double peonies are thick, soft and silky, and feel so wonderful against my face.  I do this despite my terrible allergies.  It's worth the risk of a flare-up.  I know it sounds crazy, but don't knock it until you've tried it.  Give it a whirl and report back.  I think I'll have converts.

Pretty Herbs

Herbs are great.  The foliage is savory to smell, they're neat and tidy pretty much all summer long, and most people don't realize this, but they bloom!

Chives are the showiest, with their purple spiky flower heads atop long green stems.  The blossoms are edible too.

Narrow leaved Sage puts on a show too.  It has gray-green, almost fuzzy leaves, with beautiful purple flowers on a long stem that resemble a penstemon or a snapdragon.  Hummingbirds love this flower.

Rosemary is considered an annual here.  I had one plant survive four winters, and become very large.  The last year it lived, it actually bloomed.  I think it's pretty rare for Rosemary bloom, at least in Missouri.  It had lots of pale pink flowers and I was very proud for having kept it going for so long.

Thyme makes a wonderful ground cover.  I use it in the front of my flowerbeds and anywhere it can creep between stepping stones.  Some varieties look like a low carpet of pink when they're in full bloom.  My favorite thyme right now is a variegated one, it's white and green leaves are very showy.  I have 5 of them right now, let's see how hardy they really are.  It's my experience that the more ornamental the herbs are, the less likely they are to survive our harsh winters.

Most herbs are fairly drought resistant, so if you forget to water them, they don't immediately shrivel up on you.  Put some in a potted container along with some of annuals.  Mix them in with your regular flower gardens.  Make sure to plant some along a path that you walk along often so their scent will fill the air when you brush by them.  And don't forget to pick plenty to season those summer meals.  Herbs flourish when they're used often.  All this talk about herbs makes me want to buy more!

A Family Affair

Gardening isn't just a hobby, it's a family tradition.

Grandma Lee always had a huge garden of vegetables, fruit, and flowers.  I used to love spending summers on her farm. Sometimes I'd wake up early so I could stroll barefoot in the dew covered grass and visit the raspberry and strawberry patches for breakfast. It was also fun gathering up a basket of fresh produce for dinner.

Grandpa Finocchio had a small herb garden and a clump of some of the most gorgeous double-petaled pink peonies.  Every time I see my peonies bloom in the Spring, I think of the ones they had.

My parents are into gardening -- big time. I joke with my dad that at the rate they're going, soon all he'll be able to mow are paths.  My mom has always had lots of gardens, even when we had a small yard.  She tried to get me interested in her work throughout my school years, but at some point I never had "time" for such things. Now I fully appreciate their beautiful yard, and I get to hear how great their yard is every time Eric and I visit.

Mom did a wonderful thing when my sister and I were young.  She gave each of us small plots to work.  She took us to a garden center and let us pick out seeds that we wanted to grow, and sometimes some small potted annuals. We always had something to show for the summer.

I've gotten Eric psyched about growing our own vegetables and herbs.  We've got 10 tomato plants and 1 eggplant in this year, along with several types of herbs.  He's a home brewer, so it only made sense that we try out growing Hops.  We have two types, one was a gift from the owners of my favorite nursery, and it's doing really well.  You might say, too well. This photo was taken about 2 weeks ago.  All of the hop vines are up to the top of the porch railing now, and one has just topped the rail.  Looks like we're going to have a bumper crop this year!

Tyler is showing a lot of interest in digging and watering.  I anxiously await the day when he's old enough to tend his own little plot of land and be part of our family tradition.

What's Blooming - May 17th



An early daylily; similar to Stella D'Oro, but with pointed petals.

 

Sage



One of my favorite bearded irises

 

Yellow Flag - a water loving iris



Old fashioned purple bearded iris

 

Sweet Rocket/Dame's Rocket

 

perennial version of Bachelor's Button






Peony



hybrid columbine growing in my retaining wall

Coral Bell



Oakleaf hydrangea "PeeGee" starting to bloom



Oakleaf hydrangea "PeeGee" -- another angle





The Three Signs of Rain

Have you ever noticed that nature warns us that rain is coming?  There are three signs you can watch for.  Each one indicates that the conditions are right for rain, and each sign appears as rain clouds move closer.

1. Turtles crossing the road - This is the earliest forecast you can get from nature.  In the spring, there are always a lot of turtles crossing the street.  This sighting may be harder to come by in urban areas, but in the country, there is no shortage of turtles moving to higher ground.  They move slow, so they get a head start.  This usually means you've got a day or so before the rain arrives.
2. Tree branches cracking and breaking - You'll have to be in or near the woods to observe this one.  When conditions are just right, you can sit outside and listen for tree branches cracking and falling.  It doesn't always happen, but there is something about the humidity or atmospheric pressure or something that causes this.  It's something my grandma pointed out to me when I was very young.  This means rain is in the area, and you've got a good chance to experience some later that day.
3. Leaves turning inside out - Maple trees are the showiest when it comes to this sign.  Have you ever noticed that right before a storm hits, and the wind is picking up, that tree leaves look lighter in color?  They've actually flipped upside down.  I have never researched why this happens, but it means a storm is approaching within the hour.

Rain is essential to the success of a garden.  Watering it yourself will never yield the same results.  So try to be patient and let it do its thing -- there are plenty of hot days ahead.

Lose 5 Pounds Instantly!

Like all instant gratitude claims, here's my disclaimer -- results may vary, but I am telling you -- give it a try!

I don't understand people who diet in the summer, or go to the gym.  Get yourself a garden and work it!

Did you know you can burn 272 calories per hour while gardening?  That's equivalent to about 1 Snicker's bar or a Grande Starbucks Caffe Latte.  It takes about 4 hours to do most garden jobs worth doing, so that's 1,088 calories.

And think of all the other benefits you get -- using muscles you rarely get to use other times, in conjunction with one another.  Sure, you end up sore the next day, but that fades quickly.  Take two tylenol when you're wrapping things up.  It also works your joints.  A physical therapist once told me -- use them or lose them.  So true.

There's a lot of stretching and bending involved.  And there's a lot of intricate work for your hands as you carefully strangle a weed and pull it out.

If you live on a slope like I do, then you would probably be doing some tightrope style walking across your back hill.  It builds ankle muscles, increases your balance, and gives you a healthy fear of slipping and rolling to the bottom of the hill, so you quickly develop the first two mentioned attributes.

If you don't have garden space of your own, borrow someone else's.  I know I could personally use some assistance (mulching, anyone?).  Most everyone loves help in the garden.  And I'm not just talking about private gardens.  There are lots of community gardens that could use volunteers.  In addition to losing weight, you can feel good about your contributions.  Sounds like a great deal to me.

Try, Try, Again.

How can your neighbor grow fantastic roses and you can't?  Chances are, there is a micro-climate at play.  Everything contributes to the climate of your yard, the position of your house, the trees, the way the sun moves overhead.  There are so many variables.  I don't believe there are any gardeners with a black thumb, just gardens with bad conditions.

Take my yard for example.  I have one garden spot that I can't grow anything in.  It has a weird light situation, but the soil is good.  I know because I've amended it myself.  It's been through countless plants.  The latest victims are 3 variegated dogwood shrubs and a groundcover sedum.  The seasoned gardeners are gasping right now since sedum goes by the common name "live forever", and it's known to be indestructible.  Leave it to me to find a place where it will not grow. The only thing that is still up there are some daffodil bulbs and two little sprigs of mint.  Gasp again, gardeners, because you know that mint is often invasive.  I have a container of mint that I planted 3 years ago and it's still coming back each Spring without skipping a beat (by the way, this is a great way to control mint).

In the back of my house and one side, I have so many ferns growing, it looks like a miniature rainforest.  They are so thick you can't see through them.  They look fantastic.  I decided to try and spread the love to other parts of my shade garden and I can't get them started.  What is it about being near my foundation that they love?  Some of them are in the ground and some are in raised beds.  Two different light and soil conditions and both groups are thriving.  But the minute I move them away from the foundation, they struggle.

I did some transplanting over the weekend to try and find suitable homes for some things that aren't doing well where they've been living.  Some of my favorite plantings are the result of several transplants.  As long as you move the plant in suitable weather, and keep it watered, theoretically you should be able to move it as often as you like.  There are some exceptions, of course, like peonies and iris don't bloom for a few years after they're moved, and some other plants like baptisia and butterfly weed don't transplant well because of their deep root system.

So the moral of the story is that you should keep trying different types of plants in your yard in different locations, until you find something that works.  It's expensive and time-consuming, but nothing worthwhile is ever cheap and easy.