Burgundy

So it's not the color of passion, but it appears in various plants around the yard, usually in the form of foliage. There's also purple and pink.

Veronica spicata "Red Fox" with perilla.



Purple heart (or purple queen).



Etoile Violette clematis on the perennial bed arbor.



More bloody dock.



Thundercloud Plum.



Castor Bean.



Agastache "Golden Jubilee" and Perilla.



A sea of self sown Amaranthus and Crabgrass. Pink bee balm will bloom later in the summer.



Camellia sasanqua. This was the large pink flowering camellia that I cut down in the summer of 2008 to provide the backyard with more sunlight. It was probably 20' tall.



It's 63 degrees. The high today will reach the low 80s. No rain, plenty of sun.

Foliage and stuff.

It's 63 degrees at 10am. There will be no rain at least for the next week. This morning I found two squirrels digging in my potager where I had planted squash and bean seeds yesterday. One has no hair on its tail. The owls were after it yesterday evening. I'm hoping they achieve their goal soon.

The foliage tour begins in the basement. I stuck cuttings of my red camellia, black & blue salvia, Mystic Spires salvia, Russian sage, and White Profusion Butterfly bush. It's probably too early for the camellias, but the growth on the others were nice and firm. If I'm successful with the japonicas, I'll be taking another walk through the neighborhood early one morning next week.



Artemesia.



Hosta



This variegated weigela was rooted last spring. I plan to root several more very soon. I love the foliage. The white flowers are just an added bonus.



Wine & Roses weigela is more wine than roses at the moment.



Larkspur, Dame's Rocket, and a yellow climbing rose named Golden Showers at the perennial bed arbor.



Golden Jubilee, red clover, Bloody Dock, irises, and lots of weeds.



Proving that plants are forgiving things, the oakleaf hydrangea looks the best it ever has. I took a cutting yesterday. It may be too early. This one has buds at the ends of the two main stalks.



Eastern Redbud loves you too.



Ginkgo. Grown from seed, these were tossed late last spring when I figured there would be no germination. I noticed I missed another when I dug them out this winter and moved them before they leafed out. All three are doing well. The bright yellow foliage will be welcomed in the gully over the next 20 years as they mature. I'm learning patience.



Virginia creeper has latched onto the dead oak tree. It's over now.



While scouting for plants to pinch, I found this little gem. The first rudbeckia bloom of the year. R. triloba.



I saved the best for last. My favorite foliage of all comes in the form of gigantic trees that ring the backyard. The undergrowth has filled in. To compensate for the lack of foliage in winter, I've spread evergreens along the edge. Leyland Cypress, arborvitae, and soon, Foster Holly will provide enclosure and privacy in the years to come. I made a promise to one Leyland yesterday. No more moving. Maybe.

Wind day.

I'm off for two days starting just over an hour ago. It's been a long day. I left piles of things for others to get done while I'm not there. I don't expect much to be accomplished in that time. They're going to be too busy with temperatures in the mid 70s and sun in the forecast.

Out back, the red clover in the meadow has burst forth.



The peach tree is still blooming. I got buzzed by a couple of bees this afternoon.



The redbud is about to put on a show.



More periwinkle. The whole backyard is covered in blue flowers.



Out front, the daffodils are looking good. Over the next few years, I will add more each fall, either from purchases or through digging my own from The Wild. One day, I'll rebuild the ugly steps. I'm waiting for a sale on concrete.



In the perennial bed, lilies.



Clematis



The dark maroon tip of a stargazer has emerged from the leaves.



Green and variegated sedum foliage is holding up fine to both wind and cool nights.



Bloody Dock.



The only brown patch left in the yard is designed to be that way. Compost and leaf mulch will be spread soon over cardboard to create the new fragrant bed.



It's 64 degrees and sunny. The wind has been blowing all day. Tomorrow, 75. I can't wait. I already need a nap.

Red and Green

Two of the colors of Christmas.

Nandinas.









Camellia.



Bloody Dock.



Sedum.



Knockout Rose.



Burford Holly.



Mr. Lincoln.



Japanese Blood Grass and Clover.



Pineapple sage in the basement.



It's clear and 36 degrees. The overnight low was 24. The birdbath is still frozen. High today of 50.

The circle bed.

It's part of the perennial bed along the driveway. I finished the path a month or more ago giving me a view from all sides.



It was my intention this morning to head out and completely revamp this bed. I've got some perennials that I want to divide and move, but once in the yard, it was impossible to decide what to keep and what to toss.

There are wintersown Columbine that haven't bloomed yet.



Self-sown Mountain Bluet and diathus that are blooming again after being wintersown in December.



Seedlings of larkspur are popping up all over. I scattered a lot of these back in October from a package sent to me by Janie, the obsessive/compulsive plant collector.



Tiny cleome are also popping up. Will they survive the winter? I'm not sure.



Wintersown sea hollies are putting out new basal growth too. One plant bloomed, but it wasn't in this bed.



Wintersown irises and daylilies probably wouldn't survive the move at this point either.



The July blooming foxglove seems happy where it is in partial shade.



A mum, bloody dock, red spider lilies, and Golden Jubilee seedlings. Could I really move these with winter coming soon? I can't take the chance.



There's also tons of spring bulbs in this bed. Daffodils, hyacinths, muscari, and irises would probably be destroyed in the process. I've got Stargazer lilies in there, too. I would be heartbroken to dig one of those up. Crimson clover has germinated and should create a sea of red blooms in the spring. And who can blame me for not redoing this bed today? It's starting to drizzle and the bees are still asleep.



Instead, I potted a couple of really cheap clearance plants into the coleus container from the front porch. I amended the soil, removed all the summer plants, and brought it inside.



It's not what I had planned to do this morning, but I'll survive. More importantly, so will my plants. I'm still going to head out and divide a clump of Full Moon Coreopsis and Dame's rocket for the circle bed. It's 55 degrees, dark, dreary, and trying to rain.