Progress Report for June 2013

As June ends, I have to say things are looking quite good.  There are a couple of gardens that I have yet to get a hold of, in terms of weed control, but I am making progress with the weed situation overall.

Rain has been frequent and plentiful, and nothing is burning up.  It's actually so chilly this evening that I took pictures wearing jeans.  It's amazing that this yard survived last year's drought, without any care.  We did have to take out a few trees, and do a healthy amount of trimming, but the survival rate is phenomenal.

The entry and deck gardens have gotten the most attention the past two weeks.  Neither are done, but the entry garden is nearly full.  I can't believe it, really.  Kind of disappointing that I won't have much room for end-of-the-season deals and the occasional Lowe's clearance rack find next year.

I have also pretty much filled the garden around the raised double parking spot.  It isn't a very big garden.  In my mind's eye, I always think it's wider than it is.  I suppose going to the nursery is sometimes like loading your dinner plate; your eyes are bigger than your stomach, or in this case, your planting space.

You should never have a garden solely filled with in-ground plantings.  Always use potted plants here and there for interest.  Ceramic and clay pots are quite beautiful and add a hardscape element to your space.  The change in elevation is also a great break for the eye, and gives cascading plants a place to relax.

These are some houseplants that I got from my friend Rube.  If you are interested, let me know!  She has a wonderful selection of plants for sale.

My new PeeWee Hydrangea, variegated liriope, and Lemon Lime hostas, all planted in the last two weekends.

Snowflake hydrangea.  Double white blooms.  This is a little shrub now, but it will reach 6' x 6'.

Entry garden



Twisted Rush (top), requested by Eric.

Beautiful glass wasp catcher, compliments of Mom.

Mixed coneflowers.  Don't forget how great long-blooming perennials can be in pots.

Lemon Tree... with lemons!  Also having a second flush of blooms.

A $4.88 hanging basket from Home Depot provides a quick filler for this large pot (the purple petunias and verbenas).  This is a huge pot, and they've consumed about 3/4 of it.  The other pot-fellows are Basil and a perennial grass.

My fig tree is filled with fruit, and joined by new houseplants from Rube.

Deck garden.  Still looking a little shabby, but I've got newspaper and mulch down either side now.  The daylilies provide wonderful color.

A daylily that I brought from my old house.  It was a single fan that I found along the fence line, in the wooded area.  It took a few years to bring back, but now it puts on a great show.  The most floriferous daylily that I have.