Saturday, April 10, 2010

Returning.

The perennial bed was my main focus last spring. Most of the wintersown plants went into this bed. I also grew a great number of annuals like melampodium, zinnias, petunias, salvias, and cleome. Already, after a few days in the low 90s, there are blooms in the perennial bed. Many more will be coming along shortly.



Red Valerian, or Jupiter's Beard, is about to bloom. One comment I read about this plant says it's best suited where chaos is desirable. Let chaos rule.



Clearance dianthus are blooming. These were purchased for a song last fall and used in the window boxes until Thanksgiving. I planted them out in the garden along with pansies and violas.







The purple columbine is heavily budded. I've waited a whole year to see these bloom.



Small white bell-shaped flowers stand atop these plants. I don't know the name. I moved some from a neighbor's yard in mid winter this year.



The canna found in the lawn last summer has returned. Must be a cold hardy type. I hope it blooms.



The ferns transplanted last week are growing.



Perilla seedlings. I made a huge mistake.



In the backyard, a dark leafed weigela is budding. The other three I have are a little behind this one. It gets more sun.



Spirea. This was the first plant I moved to the shrub island I built in June 2009. I took cuttings this spring. None seem to have survived. I'll take more later.



More hosta have popped in the North Bed. I was planning to reorganize these before they grew too large. I don't want to disturb them now. Maybe I'll do it next year. I have lots of wintersown babies up in three containers in the driveway.



It's 39 degrees. I moved my tomato seedlings indoors last night before dark. I set out the water sprinkler in the perennial bed, just in case of frost. There seems to be none with the relative humidity so low. The sky is starting to turn. There's a thin sliver of the crescent moon through the trees in the backyard. The high today will reach the mid 70s. It's going to be chilly for a bit this morning.

8 comments:

Kris said...

Perilla - oh my. You sure have been hit with a big purple stick. My mother had them at her house initially to give some 'fill' to a hosta bed. I think they've taken over the whole of her old neighborhood by now. Pretty, but seems to reseeds rather readily. ;-D I always had to double-check any starts she'd send home with me for those lovely little guys.

F Cameron said...

You have so much underway! I was relieved to see nothing lower than 39 in our forecast for the next week. I have a porch of plants waiting to go out. Since they started in greenhouses, I'm more concerned about sunburn than frost for my perennials!

Your purple perilla should meet by gold Jenny. They could take over the world!

Tom - 7th Street Cottage said...

Cameron, I keep looking at Creeping Jenny in the garden center. I love the way it looks on the table, but I'm worried it might try to take over too. Maybe in pots or a hanging basket.

Kris, be sure to look for perilla seeds in the butterfly bushes I'm gonna root for you in another month.

Jean Campbell said...

I think your white bells might be hyacinthoides (Spanish Bluebells). I have pink bells, all that survived of what was supposed to be blue/white/pink mixed.

I'm glad you mentioned them; I saw mine yesterday and forgot to make a pic. I've read that they spread about. Mine are slow to move, maybe because they're in dry shade.

gld said...

I have perilla seedlings absolutely everywhere in the 'new bed'. I may have to resort to serious measures. It is hard to pull if it gets too big.

In my wisdom, I also planted variegated ribbon grass and creeping jenny as a ground cover by the porch..........and to add to the devestation, I planted purple honeysuckle on the porch railing! Something will have to be done. I do love the yellow green of the creeping jenny though.

I will be watching for the red valerian when it is open. I had the white and loved it but it wasn't perennial for me.

We are actually warmer than you now.

I love watching your garden grow.

Johanna said...

Always fun to see your wonderful garden!

Lisa said...

Tom, your garden looks lovely!

But creeping jenny is scary in the ground - it's lovely in pots and containers, though. I guess I could also say that about vinca and ivy, too, which are hopeless thugs in the garden.

Hmm, and perilla, although tasty, is definitely of questionable character in the reseeding department, if not downright nasty!

Lisa

sweetbay said...

Since Red Valerian likes chaos it should be in my garden. Right now my garden and I are engaged in a colossal struggle and I feel like I'm in a half nelson with the chickweed, the honeysuckle vines, etc.

I agree with Nell, those white bells look like a white version of Spanish Bluebells.

I love all of the beds in your garden lined with stones. Your garden looks so inviting.