Things Change

First off, let me thank FlowerLady for the new quote that I am using in my profile. It struck a nerve when I read it over at her blog a few days ago. I really thought it was quite poignant.

Originally I had planned a trip to Virgina today to help a friend with some work. Those plans changed early this morning so I was left wandering around the yard looking for something to do. I had asked advice on GardenWeb earlier in the week about my backyard. With the new arbor being constructed, I found that I had inadvertently created an axis from the street terminating at the Belle of Georgia peach tree I planted this spring. I wasn't too happy with the look.



I got lots of feedback and some great ideas. People love to give you suggestions when they don't have to lift a finger to dig a hole. Speaking of holes, I began transplanting some shrubs from various parts of the yard. They're all small, but they grow fast, especially given more sun than they were getting in their previous locations.

When I dig here, I hit stone a few inches down. I use all this stone to create my borders around the beds. This one will be no different.



Even a small hole 12" deep and 24" wide will turn up a lot of rock.



I've already started laying these stones along the back side of the driveway bed I built in March.



With a can of orange paint from my model making days, I laid out what I thought to be a nice shape. I'll be filling it with shrubs to provide some privacy through the arbor into the backyard. Today, I transplanted a white spirea, two loropetalum shrubs that were in poor sun exposure spots, two cherry laurels I started from seed this winter, and 5 rooted rose cuttings. These cuttings were broken from various roses when we received our first shipment in March. I brought them home instead of throwing them away. Almost a dozen cuttings were stuck. These 5 survived and rooted easily. They weren't planted when I took this photo, but I've since sprayed the grass with RoundUp and dug up several more rocks for the edge. I'm only using chemicals here because of the centipede and bermuda grass in the lawn. It's nearly impossible to kill using my normal half-baked lasagna method.



I'll get some cardboard from the store on Wednesday, pick up some leaf mulch from the landfill, and finalize the shape. Overnight, I should see some results from the spray.

While walking around this morning, there were several things I noticed.

I have a foxglove that's sending up a stalk.


Coreopsis Full Moon is about to bloom.


Lemon Mint Bee Balm is coming back nicely from the hack job I did on it a few weeks ago.


Four O'Clocks and KnockOut roses are the same color.


A brugmansia has several flower buds.


The Green Zebra tomato was picked and eaten with cucumbers my parents brought.


Butternut squash gets big.


Yellow squash gets even bigger.


Cucumbers in my own garden are coming on nicely.


The first mammoth sunflower has bloomed. Castor beans and cherry tomatoes in front.


The morning glory at the chimney is starting to climb the new trellis.


The lavender crape myrtle is happy again.


Wintersown Sea Holly is blooming, a year ahead of schedule.


So is the Queen Anne's lace.


I spent some time early this morning pulling weeds in the perennial bed. In the bare spots, I planted more squash with nasturtiums. I sowed some beans and cucumbers in various areas, too. I'd like to get two harvests this year. If we don't get some rain soon, I'll have to water the potager. Right now, only the perennial bed has needed water. I gave it an hour with the sprinkler on Saturday, and another hour today. It's 84 and sunny with no rain in the forecast until Friday evening.

It's been a long day. I'm about ready to call it quits and cook some squash and corn for dinner. Silver Queen from my parents' garden is in the crisper drawer. It's gonna be delicious.

A Quick Makeover

Ok, so I'll admit, I'm an impulse gardener. I buy plants because they're on clearance. I plant them with the understanding that it's only temporary. So goes the front bed under the living room window. This is also the most important bed in my mind because it's right beside the walkway to the front door. It should be a little more formal than the perennial garden. I also need things that do well in shade. For a few hours each morning, it gets spotty sunlight. Direct sun comes around 10 am and again around 3pm for just an hour or two. All told, I'd say 4 hours of sun is the average with some dirt receiving more, some much less.

A few weeks ago, I moved three knockout roses into the upper portion of this bed. I hated it. I filled in with purple salvias. I hated it more. The Green & Gold Euonymous was looking ratty. The roses weren't settling in well and had not bloomed again. Sure, they were in shock, but so was I. The plan had not come together the way I wanted it too.

When the lantana arrived at the store, I bought three kinds. The yellow, red/orange, and purple were planted on the slope with Provence lavender, a few variegated grasses, and several other really weedy looking plants. As of yesterday, I was still disgusted with the way it was filling in. I can't have this growing next to my front walkway. Dangerous as it may be with crumbling brick, I don't need people recoiling in horror at the sight of my mishmash. Here's the picture from yesterday.



Having been off on Sunday, someone at the store took it upon himself to pull a shelf of Forever and Ever hydrangeas that were not 100%. I took it upon myself last night to purchase two. At $5 each, who could resist, right? This morning, I moved a lot of things. Normally, I wouldn't do this with temperatures threatening 90 degrees. But the forecast for the next 4 days calls for heavy afternoon thunderstorms. If it doesn't rain, I'll water everything twice a day for a week until they regain their composure. What lives, lives. If it dies, another impulse will come along shortly.

The roses were moved onto the lower slope where they can get at least 4 hours of sun. The Euonymous went out into the azalea bed where they can die peacefully for all I care. The salvias were scattered in among the roses on the slope. The lavender was moved around to spread it out a bit. On the upper part of the bed, I planted the red hydrangeas where the Green&Golds were. I did leave the double yellow datura. It's about to bloom and I want to see if it's worth keeping before shoveling it.

The upper bed. I still need something to fill in the blank spots. I'd like a groundcover and some perennials, but I'm going to have to see what I can find on clearance.


Datura.


Persian Shield was planted in the front bed. I love the foliage. It doesn't love me.


Did I mention I planted a tea olive at the corner of the house. I didn't think so.


I still need some height. Hopefully the climbing hydrangea planted a few weeks ago will help soften this corner in a couple years. I plan to build a trellis soon for the chimney to replace my temporary wire trellis.


From the other direction.


So, impulses fulfilled for the day, I must admit I stole some ideas from other gardeners whose blogs I read. Cameron has Spanish lavender growing with her knockouts. I've had better luck with Provence (French), so I planted that instead. Nell has Persian Shield growing with Purple Queen. Along the top of the rocks I use to hold back the soil from the slope, I stuck some fresh plucked plugs. Last summer it rooted easily and should fill in quickly. I planted extra hoping it will spill over the top of the wall. The Pinks Maiden dianthus disappointed me in that space, but I left it anyway. Maybe it'll survive the winter.

Now I have to shower and get ready for work. Cycle counts begin today for every living thing in the store. If it's got roots, I have to count it. It's going to be a long 8 hours.

The lantana that came out? I planted it around the yard in various places, but mostly in the daylily border along the bottom of the wall. I also put the coreopsis Early Sunrise and Moonbeam in this border. I spread them out along the entire length with some in both sections. The purple went into the perennial bed where the Lemon Mint Bee Balm was. Some of it was uprooted on Thursday during a wind storm. What's left was sheared back and is putting out new growth.