The Gardens Just Before the Rain

This is a picture heavy post with little commentary.  I just want to capture what is blooming on June 21, 2013. I hope you enjoy seeing some long shot pictures of the majority of my gardens. I took all of these pictures just 1 hour ago.

It is supposed to rain every day next week, so this is probably the best these gardens will look for quite awhile.

Boneset Chocolate

When I was in HD buying my Ninebark, I saw this perennial with purplish foliage.  The tag name was 'Boneset'.

 Hmmmm....never heard of a perennial with that odd name.  The tag also  said "TALL HEIGHT" and "DEER RESISTANT".   I decided to buy it.

Once I got home, I did what any respectable gardener would do--I goggled it. 

I found out its common name is 'White Snakeroot'.  I have heard of Snakeroot.  I looked further and I saw pictures of it in bloom.  The flowers reminded me of Ninebark blooms. 

I read that it gets about 4 feet tall at maturity.  I decided to plant it here to break up all the green:

Right now it is so small you can barely see it.  If it gets 4 ft. tall, I think it will be perfect.

Do any of you have this plant?  I would love to hear what you think of it. If you have a link to  a picture in your garden, I would love to see it!

I Found a Ninebark to Replace the Smokebush

Yesterday I stopped at Home Depot and they had a few Ninebarks.  They were not very large, but I needed one so I grabbed it and immediately took it home to plant.  Here it is where the Smokebush used to be:

I like the pop of red/purple foliage among all the green.  It is a brighter red than the Smokebush foliage.

Unfortunately after the Smokebush was removed, I realized that is was not dead!  The  leaves were just beginning to come out. 

I  replanted it in a different area in hopes that it will live on and grow 10 feet tall, producing clouds of smoky blooms for many springs to come.

Yesterday I noticed my first blooms of purple Spiderwort.  Have you noticed that so many spring bloomers are in the purple color family?  I have the blue spiderwort right next to it, but it still has a few days before it blooms.

In the crappy (forgive that vulgar descriptive term) rocky area near the big arbor this pink Lupine has returned.  I am thrilled to see that it came back in this inhospitable neighborhood!

That's about it for my new bloomers. 

We have been bringing the deck furniture out this week.  I am not doing nearly as many deck containers as in the past.  A number of cannas and dahlias died out over the winter. I am taking that as an omen to cut back this year.

Hosta Heaven

It took years before I found homes that my hostas loved.  As many of us do, I originally planted them in spots where nothing else would survive--under pine trees, apple trees and crab apple trees.  They lived, but they did not thrive--poor soil and too many tree roots hogging all the water.

 

About three years ago I began to move them into my main gardens.  I have been rewarded with big lush plants. 

 

Just take a look---we have had enough rain this spring to keep them happy and no deer have found them yet. 

 

 

I could not find anything to grow well in this area next to my largest arbor.  The soil is only six inches deep before hitting pure rock.

I decided to try hosta. This area looks the best it has since the garden began -- a gazillion  years ago.

Same area but looking from behind the milk can.

This is the area directly across from the one above. I really like Heuchera 'Caramel' next to this yellow green hosta in front of the allium.

 This is Hosta Frances William -- my favorite.

 

The leaves look like they are quilted.

Just last year I planted all the hostas in the woodland garden behind the table set.

Here is a closer view.  This garden also has a piece of driftwood as its focal point.  This area is very bright and cheerful and there is not one single flower in bloom.

 

Here is what it looked like just one year ago after I removed all the daylilies that were originally planted here.

 

 

I do LUV my hostas! 

All the Iris Buds are Now in Flower

In my last post I showed you a lot of iris buds. In this post I will show you what it looks like today after they all burst into bloom.

One very tall vintage pink/yellow iris found its way in the center of the alliums.

These three dark purple iris are the ones that looked black when in bud:

Chives and purple iris--I never tire of that combo.

Hens/chicks on top of the driftwood looking toward the dark purple iris from above.

Same piece of driftwood looking in the opposite direction:

 

 

It just began to rain here.  That's good because I planted a few things this afternoon and they need the water.  I love when Mother Nature is so kind to me!

Orange and Purple Spring Garden

The weather warmed up a bit over the weekend and a few more flowers opened.

Lilacs--so common and so beautiful.

 

I made a bouquet with some Ninebark branches for my front porch.

 

In the rockwall garden in the backyard I have a Miss Kim lilac shrub that I planted last fall. I am happy to see she survived the winter and is blooming the first year.


Here is a closer view of the allium I showed you in my last post.

Way back behind the back arbor you can see the first poppies growing in the woods where I just let them ramble on.  This pic is slightly closer...

I will walk back there and get a close up...

I love the purple/orange combo in spring!

I should have a lot more purple when I get home from work this afternoon.
The forecast promises a  warm day and these iris should join the colorfest.

Garage Full of Plants

My garage is full of plants waiting to get planted in containers.

 

 

We are still getting frost every night.  I do think this is the latest that I have ever had to wait to plant my containers.  Most of these are for the 4 containers I do at work.

 

My perennial gardens are doing great, despite the cold weather.  All the rain has helped everything to be nice and green.

The alliums I planted last fall are opening.  They are much smaller than I expected, but at least there's a flower.

 

The large  Burning Bush I moved last fall is looking good on this side of the Arbor gardens.

 

I see a lot of iris buds this year, too.  It will be exciting in a week or so to see them all bloom.

 

I am hoping that the frost ends by the weekend.  I really need to get the planters done at work so I can get everything out of my garage!  I have had those plants in there for three weeks now.

 

How's everything doing in your garden this year?

Rain is not so Good for Coleus

It took just two days of sitting out in the rain to do these two 'Dark Star' coleus in.

So sad.

They did not get hit by frost as we hauled all the annuals inside the garage every night.  They did sit out one night when the low was in the 50's and it rained and rained and rained.  Live and learn.  I am just glad that I only lost two.

Last night it got down to the low 30's.  There was ice on the windows of the truck at 6:30 a.m. this morning.  I am so glad I decided not to plant any deck containers with annuals this year!   It is going to be cold all week.  I want to get the containers done at work, but it's just too darn cold.  This will be the latest I have ever planted them. 

I hope you are all getting better weather than I am !

Dwarf Golden Threadbranch Cypress and Ajuga Make a Nice Combo as does PINK briefcase & Grey Jacket

I am very happy with the two Dwarf Golden Threadbranch Cypress that I planted in 2011 in front  the two Ninebark Diabolo shrubs that flank my front porch.  I am trying to fill in all of the soil  between the two Golden cypress with  Ajuga. Here is one side on June 1st.

I like it.  I think by next spring the entire area will be filled in. 

I could not find a Ninebark shrub yesterday.  I hope the local places get more shrubs soon.

 Between the rain, DH cleaned up the drooping pine branches on the huge back yard trees.

I don't know what I would do without my garden helper. I've said this a million times, but I can never say it enough---he's a keeper!  I did buy those six yellow privet shrubs you see in the front of the two trees.

I needed some yellow on this end of the rockwall garden to coordinate with all the yellow I have on the opposite end.

It's been raining here for days.  I am not complaining because I like the rain

and it will knock the pollen from these pine trees, so we can sit on the deck without being covered in yellow dust.


I was recently gifted with this gorgeous pink leather ladies' briefcase:

  The color is a bit off in the above picture.

It is really a pink/purple color.  I think it will go nicely with a grey jacket like this one:

 I cannot even wait to carry it to work!  Thanks Aunt Mary!!

RIP Smokebush

Last June I moved this Smokebush to the focal point position in this garden:

What a wonderful pop of foliage color -- I was thrilled with it in this location. I gave it special attention all summer just to make sure it was nicely settled in its new home. Unfortunately it was not so happy in this neighborhood. It died sometime between fall and spring.

I need to go out this weekend and find a replacement. I  am looking for a Ninebark because it has the same color of foliage and it will grow tall quickly.

After dinner last night, we took a walk around the park where this tall ship was docked. The Niagara is a replica of the vessel that was used in the war of 1812.

This ship came from Erie, Pennsylvania with 20 students who are studying various aspects of the Great Lakes.

I can't imagine climbing up to the top of these sails..........

Here's a Google pic of what she looks like in full sail:

 

Sweet husband made me this spinach/chicken salad for dinner:

So healthy and delicious!

 

I am planning to spend a lot of time outside in the gardens this weekend (between rain showers) and if I can stand all the mosquitoes!  Hopefully I will have a new shrub to show you in that garden.