Destroying in order to create.

I was never really happy with the front bed. That's the one by the front door where I have tea olives, a few rooted gardenias that are over 2' tall on one stem, and a few nandinas. I edged the bed with Liriope spicata. Soon, the struggling coneflowers will be removed. The shastas will be relocated. The gardenias will be pruned in the spring to encourage some thickening in the middle. Pine straw will be the mulch of choice. The entire slope will also get that treatment. I think it'll dress up the front of the house. Right now, the broken steps draw the most attention. I've got to do something about that.

There were also heucheras. I planted them last fall with dusty miller and pansies. I got them cheap. I thought it would be nice. The dusty miller had another plan. I pulled that out weeks ago. So what to do with the heucheras? Well, I do have a sad little blank spot that the boat used to hide. It went home yesterday. I decided to turn this space into a shady bed along the edge of the driveway.



Just beyond, I already have azaleas, hosta, and lots of unwanted groundcover.



Most of the heucheras were purple. A few have some really nice coloring.



There's a rescued tea olive that will someday fill this corner.



I tossed in a few hosta from the north side of the house. Four small ones that were wintersown two years ago were also moved here.



I added the grass and a couple plugs of liriope. I need more, and I know just where to get it. Gonna have to wait a bit on the weather to cooperate.



And I did it all by hand, turning the soil and mixing years of matter and debris. Shattered glass provides the drainage. Rotting oak leaves are the humus. There's even pea gravel under this bed. Leftovers from construction, maybe. I like my tools.



It's 88 degrees and sunny. There's not a cloud in the sky. I'm waiting on the shade to move to the backyard. I've got some plants that need my attention.

August already.

It's August. It's been cool the past few days. Temperatures have remained in the 80s as clouds roll by with no real rainfall. We've had a few scattered showers here and there. The soil beneath the large trees is still dry and crunchy. More rain likely today, tomorrow, and apparently the rest of the week. I'm not placing any bets.

In the yard, the hosta are blooming. So far, only the white blooms have opened. They're so clean and crisp this time of year. In another week or two, they'll turn ugly and brown like azaleas in the spring.



Salvia Coral Nymph is blooming on the slope by the front walk.



In the backyard, butterflies find the milkweed irresistible. Just a few feet away, Joe Pye Weed is beginning to attract visitors. The bees arrived first.



Tomorrow, I plan to attack the front slope. I'm not sure what I plan to do here just yet, but it needs to be something different. Maybe some sedum groundcovers, propagated from my own collection. Maybe some stones and rocks, a new home for the succulent bed out back. Maybe just mow it down and sow grass seed this fall. I haven't decided yet. A little float time on the lake might reveal a whole new direction.

It's 81 degrees. The high today should be in the mid 90s. August has arrived.

It ain't easy being green.

Especially when there's no rain and the temperature is in the mid 90s. This morning, we received a break from the dominant weather patterns. It was raining, complete with thunder and lightning, when I woke up this morning. A nice steady rain fell for at least an hour after I sat down with my first cup of coffee. If the forecast holds true, there will be more this afternoon.

I wondered about the yard. I'm amazed by the plants that have survived the summer so far. Some are past their bloom time, but their foliage is lush and green. Others are just getting started. The hostas on the North side of the house are about to pop. White and purple blooms will close out July as August settles in.



The rain will help, no doubt.



The banana tree I rescued from the neighbor's leaf pile is doing well.



More blackberry lilies have appeared. I'm thinking I need a semi-tropical garden space in the yard.



It's 77 degrees and cloudy. The high today should reach the mid 80s. It's muggy and humid.

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%.

Vignettes

Main Entry: vi·gnette
Pronunciation: \vin-ˈyet, vēn-\
Function: noun
Etymology: French, from Middle French vignete, from diminutive of vigne vine
Date: 1611

1 : a running ornament (as of vine leaves, tendrils, and grapes) put on or just before a title page or at the beginning or end of a chapter; also : a small decorative design or picture so placed
2 a : a picture (as an engraving or photograph) that shades off gradually into the surrounding paper b : the pictorial part of a postage stamp design as distinguished from the frame and lettering
3 a : a short descriptive literary sketch b : a brief incident or scene









It's 45 degrees and clear. The rain of last night has moved out. The high today should reach 70.

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.

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.