Mowed.

One plug of ornamental grass was moved to the rose garden, where it lived until this spring when I moved it to the meadow. The rest was mowed under. One fig cutting has survived in the ground here. They were sticks pushed into the soil in January. They've leafed out and have reached a height of about 12". I'll let them stay there. Grass seed will be sown this fall. The birds had a great time after it was done. The meadow is history.

Plans this morning include pulling more cosmos and cutting back some overzealous shrubs. I've already cleaned the basement where Laura and I spent some time making little gifts for people last week.

Propagation will begin again as soon as we've received some significant rainfall. Black & Blue salvia, a few roses, and more Joe Pye Weed are on the list for the perennial bed and elsewhere.

It's 73 degrees and cloudy. Rain in the forecast this evening and tomorrow morning.

Hot.

The woman on the tv this morning seemed surprised that it gets hot in mid June in NC. We are only a little over a week away from the official start of summer. I bet she'll be surprised when it's cold in February too. It's already 84 degrees. The humidity is in the mid-90's. The heat index today could reach as high as 105, in the shade.

Some plants love this heat. The squash are producing. By mid week, I'll be eating fresh squash every day. The double orange ditch lilies are making their show now.



So is this unidentified plant, again from a trade last fall.



Maltese Cross has done much better in its second year. Last year a few blooms sprawled across the ground. It looked more like a creeping verbena than an upright grower.



Salvia subrotunda is cracking color too. With a few dozen self sown plants, the display should be great this year. The goldfinches can hardly wait.



That large blooming spidery rudbeckia is impressive too. I'll have to save these seeds separately from the others I collect.



The biggest disappointment this year has been the meadow garden. The cosmos are blooming and more are coming, but there's been a real lull since the clover died. It's reseeded heavily, so there should be plenty next spring too. I've got an idea to make this bed more interesting using grasses. I just need to divide some of my existing plants. I'll wait until it cools down a bit in 6 months.



Scattered storms in the forecast too. We could use the rain.

The Meadow's Progress

Last fall, I sowed Crimson clover seeds in an area that had been treated twice with RoundUp. I scattered chopped leaves over the "soil". I sowed a lot of seeds. Things are starting to happen. Right now, the clover is blooming.



Next up, we have larkspur and poppies. I sowed a lot more seeds than I have plants to show for. Perhaps the soil will improve when the clover collapses and begins to break down. More leaves will be added again next year in addition to more seeds.





Cosmos have germinated with just a few infrequent waterings. Wonder what will happen when it rains?



Rudbeckia. Lots of rudbeckia.



Datura. I'm not surprised. I have it popping up in just about every bed in the yard. I think I sleep-scattered some seeds one night.



Even a sunflower from a few handfuls of bird seed (for feeding the critters during the winter) has sprouted. This has got to be the toughest sunflower ever. The soil is so dry, it'd be just as happy growing on a rock.



Other things are coming soon. There should be some agastache, amaranthus, more cosmos, Salvia subrotunda, and even Perilla. I'm curious about how this bed will develop over the course of the year. I'm going to start tracking the results. I might even take a picture a week again. I'll have to look back to see what my most common point of reference has been. I should have some late fall and early winter photos.

As long as the bees are happy, I'm gonna be eating squash and cucumbers this summer. No sign of them sprouting yet. The clover will keep them busy for now.



In the upper meadow, I've been working on planting out pineapple sage seedlings and Yvonne's salvia. They're tiny for now, but they grow fast with ample rain and heat. The red flowers should attract hummingbirds this summer. Salvia subrotunda seeds were scattered in the fall and late winter. I've seen a few sprouts already. Black eyed susans and other heat loving perennials have been planted along the path I created as well.

Yvonne's salvia (S. splendens) - grows to 4' or taller.



Pineapple sage.



It's cloudy and 52 degrees. The high today should reach almost 80. Scattered showers are in the forecast today and all weekend. Sunday, we might see some thunderstorms.

12:12pm - Planted out a few more containers this morning after the charges at the courthouse were dismissed. Expired registration. All good now. In the meadow, I planted goldenrod, agastache Apricot Sprite, Golden Jubilee, and Apache Sunset. I planted pink and purple cleome seedlings in the crape myrtle bed. I moved the dwarf loropetalum from the shrub island to the base of the lavender crape myrtle. It can spill over the brick wall now, hiding the broken bricks and missing chunk.

In its place, I planted one of the Foster Hollies. The other 6 were scattered through the lower meadow, also known as the gully. I've got seedlings of Poncirus trifolata that will go in next week, after some rain. They've got the wicked thorns good for creating a natural barrier, or a boma, as supplied by FlowerLady some days ago in the comment section. The final Foster Holly was installed to provide shade to what was once a shady corner before the oak tree died last summer. Brugmansias, hydrangeas, and other shade tolerant plants are already in their home. It should be a stunning display this year. Morning sun only.

Several rooted figs were planted where I had stuck cuttings this winter. I stuck them too early and only one of 12 had any roots at all. The ones in the hoophouse were potted up a while ago and have done much better. I have a system now, but I think 6 fig trees will be plenty for me and the birds.

All that behind me, I feel a little better than I did when I woke up. I've got a case of the crud coming on, I believe. I woke up sweating. That's not good. Especially in a house that was only 62 degrees.

It's 70 degrees. The sun is out and the clouds are gone. Unless something drastic happens, we won't see any rain today. Tomorrow there's a much better chance.

12:57pm - The first California poppy has opened. Love the orange.

Daylight comes

and I want to go home. For lunch.

The greenery in the meadow really sparkled this morning as I was leaving. The headlights of the truck told me lots of new growth was evident.



The larkspur is really gushing forth. Other seedlings have started to appear.



In the perennial bed, daffodils are making their presence known. I plan to move a lot more to this area in a few weeks. I've got huge clumps in the woods that don't bloom. Each clump will probably net me 25+ bulbs. Planted ages ago by the previous owner.



A dark centered daffodil by the tree has appeared.



The plants are loving the warm weather, cool rain, and overcast skies. The brugs are very happy.



It's 63 degrees and has been drizzling on and off this morning.

New beds to fill.

By my calculations, I should have about 1000 new seed grown plants to place around the property this spring. Lots more seeds have germinated over the past few days since it has warmed considerably. I need new beds to plant them all in.

On Sunday morning, Carla and I spent a few minutes laying out the edgers for two new potager beds. I moved one of the wooden beds I built last fall. There was a reason I never hammered the rebar. I now have 128 sq ft of space to grow tomatoes. They still need final setting, soil, and some adjustments. I've got a month to get that done.



For semi-shade loving plants, I have a shady corner where many of the rooted hydrangeas have disappeared over the winter. If they return, great. If not, I have plants.



The meadow will be home to things like Ox Eye Daisy, Rudbeckia, Echinacea, grasses, etc. Direct sown seeds will also be tossed out with an emphasis on orange cosmos.



The upper meadow, behind the upper potager, will hold orange and red blooming plants that should contrast nicely with the fall color I get from the maples back here. More cosmos, Salivas, and reseedings annuals will be sown here.



The front slope will become a butterfly garden. Buddleia, coneflowers, rudbeckia, and lantana will be the foundation for this bed. 200 daffodils are already pushing through the soil. Deadheading will be key to keep this bed blooming through the fall.



The final bed is new. The stones have been adjusted. The greenery has been sprayed. In a couple weeks, I'll add cardboard and leaf mulch. Scented plants like nicotiana, four o'clocks, datura, and brugmansia will be planted here. This is by the garage door where I enter and exit most of the time. Coming home at night will be a joy.



There's a lot of new growth out there today. The overwintering plants have been shuffled out, covered with a white bedsheet to minimize sunburn. It's already 61 degrees and warming quickly. We should see a high in the low 70s. The garden center is busy as can be. Our last three days have seen a significant increase in traffic. Perennials will begin arriving this week. Shrubs, trees, and cool weather annuals are already on the tables. In another week, it'll look like a true garden center again. Time passes quickly when you're busy.

When I get home, I might spend a couple hours trying to level and place the edgers for the lower potager beds. I'm loving the weather.

English Ivy and Vinca major

Some time ago, when another gardener had possession of this yard, she planted these ground covers. I'm sure she never expected or intended them to take over the entire neighborhood. In the almost 20 years since she's lived here, it has spread to cover more than an acre of woodlands. When I purchased the house, I knew it was there. I should have turned and run. I thought I was up to the challenge. Over the past two years, I've done a good job of slowly moving the edge of the yard back to where it may have once been. This coming week, I'm hoping to take another large bite out of one, possible two areas.

The first is the area behind the meadow. If I'm to plant anything along the "path" I've created there, I have to remove the Vinca major that covers the ground. I'd like to plant my Miss Huff cuttings. This area receives nearly full day sun in summer and dries out considerably without normal rainfall. I'll scatter some of the 125 rudbeckias here too.



Here's a closeup of the full area. Already, there are some shrub cuttings that were rooted and planted last spring. Butterfly bushes from wintersown seed have struggled here. I doubt I'll save any of it aside from the one rooted gardenia. I may move it to a more hospitable place.



The second area that needs to be tackled is the gully proper. I've already removed considerable privet from this area. Euonymus and English Ivy take up most of this space. There's a row of nandinas that grow in and out of the broken, stacked concrete retaining wall someone built ages ago. Bats make their residence here in the summer. I don't want to disturb them, in case they are hibernating.

I know I can't tackle all of this area, given that the Ivy covers everything all the way to the street, but I want to get a start on it. I might need to bring in the heavy chemicals for this one. We'll see how the other area goes first, since I'm not even sure what to do with this space yet.



Whenever I run across someone thinking of planting this in our area, I always advise against it. I beg them to come take what they want from my yard rather than purchase such a significantly invasive plant. They just laugh. Give them 5 years. They'll be back asking how to kill this stuff.

Five New Things

Dave, over at The Home Garden: Gardening in the Home Landscape, has asked us to list five new things for the garden this year. Like him, some of my projects are already underway. Coming up with only five was the hard part.

1) Fruit. This past year, I planted or rearranged a few trees. I installed a Morris Plum and moved the Thundercloud Plum to a better location.



I planted a Belle of Georgia peach in the spring of 2009. It's budding now, so I hope it blooms. It may be too young to produce yet, and there's always the chance of a late freeze killing the tender blossoms once they break.



There will, of course, be figs. There might even be grapes if the vines can produce this year. I've got blueberries and blackberries, too. Strawberries have been planted and moved three times since I put them here in the spring of 2008. The critters have left me two. They were quite tasty. I've got a cherry tree too, but something tells me it's not going to make it. All the branches are brittle and show no signs of life. I'm going to give it a while to prove me wrong. Fresh fruit from my own yard would be a very welcome change from the stuff I buy at the grocery store.

2) Vines. Flowering vines would be more precise. I've installed a couple new items that can become the supports. At the end of the driveway, there's a new fence and walk through trellis with concrete wire spanning the top. I plan to grow Confederate Jasmine and morning glories here. The jasmine was rooted last summer and has survived the winter so far. Morning glories will be sown closer to our last frost.



I'm also looking forward to the Carolina Jasmine putting out some new growth on the perennial bed trellis. I planted it last spring. The cardinal climber that was growing here last summer twined itself around the jasmine. I broke a lot of new growth trying to undo what I had allowed to happen. I knew it would, I just didn't care at the time.

Other vines will be planted and used to screen things like the dead oak tree. I scattered the cardinal climber and morning glory vines back there in December. I'm sure there will be some sprouts that grow quickly in the hot summer weather.

In the basement, I have a rooted cutting of Bleeding Heart Vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae). I'm going to allow it to grow on the perennial trellis this year. It's not cold hardy here, so if I like it, I'll take cuttings next fall. My cuttings from the passionvine I grew in a pot by the garage door are doing well too. They don't have a home yet.

On the swing in the backyard, I've got a rambling rose on one side. I'm going to plant moonvine on the other side. Along with the datura that should reseed back there, it'll make a nice spot to sit quietly after dark when the mosquitoes have gone to bed.

3) The meadow. This is my most ambitious project. I'm really looking forward to it.



After my injury with the lawnmower this summer, I decided to take out as much grass as I can. I started preparing the area this past summer, spraying the "grass" with RoundUp. I've left the leaves on the area all winter, having just raked them clear today. Poppies, larkspur, red clover, and queen Anne's lace have all germinated. Other summer bloomers should germinate when the weather warms up. The area receives hot sun almost all day and has very little soil for plants to grow into. Large stones have been uncovered and some were removed over the past couple of years.

The space itself is about 50' long and 15' wide. It's not a large space, but it does take up most of the backyard that was grass last year. Reseeding annuals and drought tolerant perennials will form the backbone of this garden. I found the inspiration at another blog. Brian over at Green Mansions Compost posted about his wildflowers going to seed in September. I really liked the look of a simple path mowed through a field of wildflowers. I'm hoping by scattering seeds and some of my wintersown black eyed susans, I can do the same. I've got different flowers than his image shows, but the concept is what I like.

I expect the meadow to bring in more wildlife. Birds will eat the seeds of some of my plants throughout the year. Butterflies will sip nectar from lantana, cosmos, and milkweed. I'd really like to see some Monarchs this year. And though I'm not crazy about the idea, I know that I will be inviting slithering creatures into the yard too. Maybe the hawk or owls eat snake.

4) Shade bed. It's been an ongoing project since I moved into this house. It's not a large bed. The area between my property line and the wall is accessible from the kitchen and rarely gets any direct sun. It's a fairly ugly space.



I've been wintersowing plants this year to add more variety. Blue cohosh and red astilbe should make very nice additions. I also have some myrrh. Sounds patriotic, doesn't it? As soon as I see new growth on the hostas, I plan to de-align the solid green varieties. I don't know why I did that. I'm looking for a more natural flow to the space undulating in and out. Along the wall, Carolina cherry laurels have been planted. They can get huge, but they can also be sheared into formal hedges. I'm thinking a 10' tall evergreen wall would be lovely. That's just slightly shorter than the height of the kitchen window.

5) More sitting. Yes, there are big plans. Yes, there is a lot of work to be done. Yes, I have a hard time sitting still and enjoying the yard and all that I've done. But in 2010, I plan to spend a few hours each week just sitting and watching. I might be making plans in my head, but that's where they will stay for as long as I am parked in a spot. I can't make things grow faster than nature allows. I can't do everything in one day. Ultimately, the reason for doing all this is to enjoy it. I even have the perfect spot.



What are 5 new things you plan to add to your garden this year? Post about them and link them back to Dave's blog.

It's 37 degrees this morning. Rain should be moving in shortly for a few hours. It will continue to warm throughout the day. We'll be back in the 20s tonight. Normal weather is on the way. Come on Friday.

Snow More.

The snow is melting quickly. The roads are nearly completely clear. It's 36 degrees and sunny. There is a cold wind blowing from the West.

Friday, I got the strings laid out for one of the lower potager beds.



The hoophouse hasn't been bothered by snow, ice, or wind.



The gully still has plenty of snow.



The stream is a great source of water for the birds.



I noticed on Friday that I had poppy seedlings in the meadow.



There's lots of standing water everywhere. The soil is saturated.



The camellia shed all her blooms.



Another crocus has bloomed. When the sun hits it, it will open.



I'm off tomorrow. The forecast is for sunny and 47 degrees. I'll spend part of the day removing the leaves from the meadow bed. I need to mulch them and respread them. I'm hoping the sunshine next week will cause more poppies to sprout along with whatever other seeds remain.

December

The sun hit me square in the face this morning about 8am. Looking out the window, I thought it had snowed. Larry's roof was covered with a layer of white stuff. The back yard, untouched by the sun, was glistening.



My truck was also covered.



It's 28 degrees. It was a hard frost. I doubt any tender plants will survive this one. Now I can start thinking about moving perennials.

Last night the rain regrouped and gave us more than 1 inch in under an hour. That moisture froze as the temperature dropped rapidly. Even the birdbath is frozen solid this morning. The cat is very unhappy this morning.

1:00pm - It's 50 degrees. In the sun, it's a gorgeous day. In the shade, I'm glad I'm wearing long sleeves.

I raked all the paths in the yard. I didn't chop these leaves. It was too quite this morning to start the leaf blower. I'll let Mother Nature take care of them over the winter. There's still some green to the grass behind the house.



The cleared paths really set off the meadow garden. More larkspur has germinated. I think I've seen some Queen Anne's Lace too. I'm anxious to see what it looks like next year. I'm hoping to get back into Larry's yard soon for more shredded leaves to use as mulch. As it breaks down, it should create some nice dirt.



For more than a year now, I've assumed these plants that I moved from the gully were Mock Orange. Now, I'm inclined to think they're Cornus mas, or Cornelian Cherry. I could be wrong. I've never noticed a bloom on the ones left in the gully, but I did find red, semi-translucent fruit on one. I could be way off on the identification. There are many of these growing in the gully still.



Mr. Lincoln



The smoke from the chimney is staying low to the ground today. My mom says that's a sign that rain is coming.



Tomorrow's forecast, rain.