Growth

The fragrant border - May 16.



June 7.



The upper potager - May 18.



June 7.



The Perennial Bed - April 30.



June 7.



A container of sedums and sago palms by the basement door - May 18.



June 7.



I love to watch the gardens grow. I no longer take a picture a week of any area in the yard. The backyard is not filling in the way I expected. There was no huge flush of flowers once the crimson clover went to seed. The meadow bed does have tiny seedlings, probably weeds. A few cosmos have popped up here and there. I'll be working on that in the fall and next spring, moving, dividing, sowing more seeds. It's a work in progress.

More rain last night as thunderstorms rolled through the area. Within an hour, 1/4" of rain fell. Lightning flashed and the thunder rolled. Sleep came easy. It's 64 degrees this morning. 84 is the expected high.

Gardening with a hammer.

I started another new bed a few weeks ago. It began as an odd assortment of plants, some Yucca that needed a home, Euphorbia "Blackbird", and tiny pieces and bits of trailing and spreading sedums. Months ago, Carla asked if I wanted some terracotta pots she didn't want. I said no at the time. Clay pots dry out way too fast in summer and need to be watered everyday. I went back this week and told her I would take them. I used my hammer to smash them, creatively, and placed them around the area of the new bed.





On Sunday, I took a few hours to haul 5-gallon buckets of small stone from the gully, from the other beds in the yard, and from wherever I could pick them up in the paths through the backyard. I dumped them between the plants and broken pots.



Terracotta bricks in the gully were relocated and repositioned several times until it looked "right".



Wintersown grasses, yucca, and other drought tolerant plants were placed here and there between the stones and broken pottery. Yarrow, rudbeckia, and echinacea was transplanted from various parts of the yard.



Two large stones were maneuvered into place. The largest one took an act of Congress to get it where I wanted it. The handtruck will be retired with honors soon. A third stone still lives in the gully. I don't think I'll be moving it without help from a lot of friends.



Over time, I'll fill more areas between the stones with sandy soil. Sedums will be rooted as the plants I now have start to grow. This bed will change and fill in as years pass. I could go out and buy all the plants, but that wouldn't be as much fun. Down the street, I spied pups under a blue agave that survived the coldest winter ever (not really). I've asked Carla to keep an eye out for the man who lives there. If she can't get me one, I'll have to look elsewhere. It would make a great centerpiece for the bed.

It's 66 degrees and cloudy. Rain is likely this afternoon and into the evening. The plants are loving it.

Foliage

On the front slope, there's an artemesia that was wintersown in 2008/9. It's probably 'Silver Brocade'. From tiny clumps, the artemesia has spread out across the dry, rocky soil. Small yellow blooms should arrive any day now. I've taken three cuttings to test propagation. If it roots, I'll take more cuttings in a couple weeks. This plant is extremely drought tolerant. The foliage remains through the winter.





Hosta and Aucuba.



Sedums in a container by the basement door.



In the shrub border, the butterfly bushes are doing well despite the lack of rain. The tallest one is up to my shoulder. I'm 6'1.



Euphorbia "Blackbird"



When I went to bed last night, there was thunder and lightning all around. Still no rain. The chance today is 60%. It's currently clear and humid at 70%.

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.

On my hands and knees

I did some weeding today in the perennial bed. It felt good to get my hands in dirt, even if I was wearing gloves. The soil is extremely wet. I lost a few things over the winter. The guara, for one, just doesn't tolerate wet feet. The soil hasn't dried out since the fall.

I collected a wheelbarrow of weeds and a few leaves with them.



That was just from the border along the edge of the street. I dumped it into the compost bin twice.



The most exciting thing that happened to me all day was finding the first crocus bloom. Spring really is coming, but not before a cold rainy weekend passes through.



Anise hyssop "Golden Jubilee" is coming back. This is a self sown plant that popped up last year.



Lots of rudbeckias are hanging around.







Coreopsis "Full Moon" is doing great. I planted 12 of my divisions in the backyard today.



Coreopsis "Moonbeam" has new growth too. I didn't see any along the retaining wall. I paid a whole dollar for those 15 plants last year. They'd better come back.



I saw new growth on a few clearance rack mums too. Ditch lilies are ready for spring, like me.



Montauk Daisy



Purple columbine



Rose campion. These were wintersown last year. I thought they were lambs ear for a few months. I was wrong.



Dianthus Pinks are holding their own. These are clumps I rooted from a bag full that Jim at Frogview Cottage sent me.



All over the yard, daffodils are popping up. I even saw the tip of one on the front slope where I planted 200 back in December. As usual, those around the oak tree in the front yard will be the first to bloom.



It's 45 degrees. The rain will be here soon. Plenty of wood has been hauled into the basement. Lunch has been eaten. It's time for that nap. The rest of the weeds can wait.

4:42pm - No nap yet. I just had to check on the hoophouse. The seedlings survived the cold nights last week just fine. Not much growth, but plenty of sprouts. They know what they're doing.

Rudbeckia hirta. I think I may have overdone it with these. I have 125 of these little cups and every seed sprouted.



Like little soldiers. Dianthus and several others have already sprouted. In another month, it should be a sea of green in there.



Behind the hoophouse, the sedums I rooted this summer are coming back. The variegated sedum was shy. Here's the red.

Promises, promises.

It's 45 degrees and sunny.

2:33pm - It's 52 and still sunny. Rain moving in tonight. More promises. Darla made me do it.

Sedum



Anise hyssop "Golden Jubilee"



Rudbeckia fulgida



Helenium



Larkspur (or poppies or maybe nigella?)