Friday, June 9, 2006

Ugly Period

My garden is pretty ugly right now. I've found that there's no way to avoid these awkward transition times.

The beautiful purple spring blooming ground covers have faded and the summer bloomers have not yet begun. We have not had rain in over a week and the grass is turning brown.

It's always such a let down to see it go.









I do have one new bloomer -- Snow-In-Summer (Cerastium tomentosum).

This was one of my very early seed successes.
If I can grow it from seed, you know it's easy to do.

Snow-in-Summer is so named because of the very white flowers that completely cover the fuzzy silver/grey foliage on this 6-inch high ground cover. It truly looks like a low mound of newfallen snow.

The only care this plant gets is a good weeding in early spring. Weeding is no easy chore, because just like creeping phlox, this plant forms a dense mat.
It can take a good beating, though, and digging underneath to release the grass/weeds does not seem to bother it at all.

It's very drought tolerant. I never water it and it's been coming back each spring for the past 15 years.

I would not normally be walking through my garden in flip flops because I am way too concerned about a snake or other insect touching my flesh. I had just given myself a pedicure and was waiting for the polish to dry so I ventured out (around the edges of the bed only).


Remember the ipomea pots I saved from last year? Those lovely large pots that were hanging on each side of my arbor?
Well, it's been a good 4-5 weeks since I brought them out and they have just begun to emerge.

At this rate they won't be large enough to put out for another month.
So are they worth saving ?

Without a greenhouse, not really.
I have had to lug them in out of the garage during the entire month of May.
Way too much work for something that will not even be presentable until my garden season is at least half over.

If you have an area to hide them for the first two months, then I guess they would make a free change of scenery later in the season.

9 comments:

  1. I had never seen Snow-in-Summer flowers...they are so very pretty and I'll have to take a look around here to see if they are available. It's turned quite cold here the last couple of days and they were saying frost last night so I had to lug in all my potted plants...spent too much money and time on them to have them freeze on me!! We had a heat wave last week and now this...wish Mother Nature would make up her mind! Nice pedicure by the way lol

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  2. My mom told me there was a chance of frost last night here, too.

    Thank goodness it didn't hit because I, too, have way too much money in those flowers!

    We have the very same weather.

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  3. I tried overwintering the sweet potatoes one year - haven't tried again. As you say, too much for too little.

    I'll stick to dahlias and cannas for easy with bountiful results!

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  4. I agree, Jenn! Dahlias, cannas AND callas for me.

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  5. Nice picture of snow in the summer, along with a nice looking foot....lol, and cute flip flops..

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  6. Your garden is NEVER ugly Zoey. It's so beautifully laid out and very interesting. I love that snow in summer. Haven't seen it before. I'll have to look for it.
    Love those 'blue' iris. It's a fabulous purple :)
    Your alium is lovely too.
    Yes, the good poppy is the oriental. I think Alice might be right about the other being icelandic or maybe alpine (which is shorter).
    I so badly wanted to take pictures of my orientals yesterday and today but the weather hasn't been condusive to photography. Drat!Wish I could comment on all your posts but I'm out of time! You're doing a wonderful job. Glad you didn't get frosted! We need warmth!

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  7. Your snow in summer looks a lot like the one I grow here. Grows into a huge groundcover and is so easy to transplant. Just hack a peice off with dirt attached and shove it in somewhere else. See I'm into delicate gardening...lol. Your garden is bueatiful Zoe - never ugly and I love your "grandchild" simply adorable.

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  8. Sounds like the same one, Calidore.

    I like "delicate" gardening, too. LOL

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  9. You have inspired me as well to hunt down some Snow in the Summer. I have been trying to figure out what to use in the side garden as a border.

    Sexy foot by the way.

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