The Peonies were Trashed Before I Even Saw Them

I went out early Sunday morning to trim the yew hedge and was surprised to see this mess:

We had a lot of hard rain last week which the peonies did not like. So I cut down all the fallen blooms and put them in the birdhouse vase in the shaded woodland garden.

I spent a lot of time outside Sunday and I took frequent breaks sitting at this table with a magazine and some white grape juice.


I even floated a flower in the bird bath.

I bought this Veronica spicata 'Sunny Border Blue' in 2004. I separated it last year and moved some in this spot where I want it to bloom with the red carpet lilies. It seems to like it here and should look really pretty when all the red pops out around it.

I am thrilled to no end to see buds on this ligularia (tall plant in the back with ragged-edged heart-shaped leaves.
I have been nurturing it along in a pot for a few years. I had two and one died in the ground the first year. This one almost died, too. I had just a tiny piece left. For the past two years, it has not flowered. It's called 'the rocket' because it shoots tall yellow spikes up from this nice foliage.


I am hoping the flower spikes get a couple of feet tall.

What can I do with this Pina Colada Mix?

I bought it over a year ago, thinking I would make a pina colada frozen slush drink. As you can see from the full bottle, I have not done so.

Is there anything else I could use this for? I am thinking of using it for the liquid in a cake--pineapple, coconut, whipped cream....a tropical cake of some sort. Has anyone used it in a cake--or anything else? I would love to hear if you have. There is quite a bit to use up!

I took a walk around the gardens after work this afternoon and I could not find a single thing worth a picture. The iris has just about finished blooming as have the poppies. The garden is in one of its "ugly" modes. It should perk up soon with another flush of new blooms.

I have not been doing any sewing or setting any tables. It's strange that my tablescapig blog has 5 times as many followers as this one and I have not updated it for over a month! Of course, I don't have the followers gadget on this one, so it probably takes a little more effort to become a follower.

I still don't get the follower thing. It's much easier for me to see new posts by putting them on my blogroll. Are blog rolls now passé?

I can't believe the weekend is here again. Time goes so fast! I do have to go into work for a short time tomorrow, but the remainder of the weekend is all free time. Don't know what I will be doing yet, but it will probably involve something garden-related.

What are you all planning for the weekend?

When I See the Before Picture

I really feel like all the work paid off.

While moving pictures from my old computer, I came across this one from July 14, 2008 - less than 2 years ago:

I was killing off plants to redo the area.

Yesterday you saw the same spot:
I had forgotten how different this area looked less than two years ago!

Remember this albino foliage when I brought my containers out?

Here it is today
all nice and green. I cut the two canna sprouts down and they are almost ready to leaf out.

I am thoroughly disappointed with that Elephant Ear collection I bought from Breck's.
Here is the enticing ad pic:

Here is the reality. This is Hilo Beauty.
It's says it's a robust grower reaching 24-36 inches tall and spreads 3 - 5 feet. Oh, by the way, Hilo Beauty is the plant in the front, not the one with all that lovely green foliage--that's a dahlia.

Just like Hilo Beauty, this Black Magic Elephant Ear has been growing for over a month:

Can't see it? Well, get your magnifying glass out and hold it over that tiny purple blob near the right edge.
Here is Black Magic's picture in the ad:



I think it's ridiculous to receive something this tiny without being told that is what they were sending.

The ad for the collection as a whole reads:

"Breathtaking in stature. Exotic Elephant Ears are beloved for foliage that is so astonishingly immense, you can practically hide among them."

Hmmmm....maybe if you're a slug.

Or have a decade to wait.

I am not feeling any warm fuzzies toward Breck's right now.

On a more positive note, I am liking the color formation of this canna leaf.

Pretty interesting coloration, in my humble opinion. I can't wait to see the flower. Every year it looks a bit different. I bought this one at a bargain price at a chain store and have been thoroughly enchanted with it ever since.

Begonia & Lysimachia Planter

While looking for some annuals to plant in my milk cans, I came across this begonia and green lysimachia planter.

It was marked down to $4 (half its original price) and looked like the perfect size to fit inside the milk cans.

I succumbed to the allure of not having to do any work and bought four.
Just like I expected, the pot fit nicely in the milk can. I put this one upside down so the lysimachia would grow from the top on down and across the milk can.
To complete the vignette, I added a grapevine wreath with mini pots of hens & chicks and a Dutch shoe filled with a tiny hosta plant. I will wrap the lysimachia around the wreath as it grows.

I think once the begonia grows a bit wider, it will look nice.

Directly across from the milk can, I removed some asters from the entrance to this path and planted more hosta in its place.

Today I took a little walk through all the paths and was surprised to see that something was already nibbling on the hosta leaves!

How discouraging!
Here is a shot showing where the milkcan with the wreath is in relation to the new hostas:
I am not sure if you can see it--the milk can is way to the back right in front of the tree.


Here is another view of the front side of this area:
The blue milk can also has one of the new begonia pots in it.
The pot is way too small right now, but it should grow to a respectable size soon. I plan to remove the blue milk can later in the season. Once the cannas get big, I will switch to a big pot of those.

I also picked up three herb pots - two different types of parsley and some basil.

I just love to have fresh herbs outside my door. It makes cooking so much more fun and creative.

Golden Privet and Fall Aster Maintenance

Last weekend I got a lot of garden chores finished. It's amazing how much you can get done when you don't have the Internet to distract you! :)

Nonetheless, I am happy as a clam in the pre-oil spill days, to report that I bought a new computer and am back posting in real time.

One of my weekend chores was to trim the fall asters to about half their size. They get about 5/6 feet tall and are rather unruly---slightest rain storm causes them to flop, so I like to shorten them up. Here is a clump before its haircut:

and after:
I will probably cut it back once more around the end of June. Then I will leave it alone so it has time to form flower buds. Cutting back may cause the bloom to be a little later, but to me that's better than having them all on the ground after it rains.

I have two golden privet bushes in this garden. I like the constant limey-yellow foliage color.
I decided I needed one right where the red X is below so I would have a triangle formation of golden privet.



So I went back to the rockwall garden and dug one up. It was growing too close to an Alberta Spruce so I did it a favor by bringing it out front where it would get more sun. I will also enjoy it more out here. It should turn a little more golden once it gets some sunlight.

Here is my triangle formation:

There is also a triangle of Alberta Spruce just beyond this area. I'm big on triangles!

A Few New Blooms

My Dutch Iris burst into bloom a few days ago.


I lost a lot of these this spring when I dug up grass-infested clumps and tossed them. I like the color and the small size of Dutch Iris.

In another area, I noticed a few spiderwort plants starting to bloom. Spiderwort can get big and messy. I try to keep mine divided so they stay smaller and the clumps don't divide and fall over. I have two colors. This fuchsia color is very bright.

This one is just starting to flower.

Right in front of the chives there is a purple spiderwort. I have tons of those.
Sometimes the planting angel is watching over me and I stick a plant in a spot where the color is simply perfect--like this one.

I was so surprised to see this daylily bloom out near Fergy where the sun does not shine very often.


It's an awfully brighy yellow/gold, but once all my oranges burst forth, it will blend in better. It seems everything is way earlier than normal this year.

Last year I moved this white astilbe from the rockwall. It seems to like it much better here.
I am sure that is because this area gets watered. Astilbe is a water lover. Delicate white plumes should open soon. If you look closely, you will see that there is a little patch of Dutch Iris right behind the astilbe. The white plumes should look nice with the deep purple iris if I am lucky enough to get them to bloom at the same time.

She has Risen

I did a double take yesterday as I walked by and noticed little pink flower heads dangling in the breeze where I had once planted Ladies Petticoat Columbine.


I last saw this flower in May of 2006 (the year I planted 3 of them). I had given it up for dead. All those yellow specks on the purple Heuchera is pine pollen. We need a good rain to get it all out of the trees.

Ah, That's Better

Earlier this spring I removed a lot of brown-eyed Susans from the front edge of the arbor gardens. It left me with some empty areas, like in the front of the purple iris. It bothers me every time I take a picture.
So I went out to the rockwall garden and dug up a few hosta.


I like it so much better with the chartreusey color of the hosta. The larger hosta may be Sum & Substance, but I can't say for sure.
Here's a close up view:


Now I need to do something with these bare spots.

I've been removing fall asters and trying to kill poppies in this area. The work just never ends in a perennial garden! But this is what I consider the fun stuff--removing, adding, redesigning....that's what keeps me entertained all summer.

I need to go buy something to plant in a container to stuff inside this milkcan.


I actually have a couple of empty milk cans to fill. I will probably go and buy an annual or two this weekend. I am looking forward to a weekend at home puttering in the garden. Maybe I will even fit in a cleaning chore or two.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Lizzyanne, Fergy, and Frances William

I was happy to see my old pals, Fergy

and Lizzyanne return to my garden this year.



I have a lot of hosta in my gardens, but this hosta, Frances William, is my all time favorite. She's the bluish green one near the arbor entrance. She has very rugged leaves with a leathery feel that almost look quilted.
I have had FW for years, but she has never really liked the accommodations I have provided. I think this piece of real estate finally meets with her approval. She seems quite content and is growing fast.

It looks like I will have a good display of lilies this year. These little short ones are red carpet lilies. They look like they may have multiplied a bit.
I know that for most people lilies multiply easily, but for me, it's pretty rare. I am lucky if I just get them to come back.

Last year I planted some new tango lilies and they all look like they will bloom this year. I will show them to you on another post.

Correction on the Trumpet Vine & Allium Woes

Big Ooopsy! I mentioned that the red plant climbing my arbor was a trumpet vine. When Dianne commented that she had one and it was a perennial, it got me thinking....I knew mine was an annual. I finally dug out the tag and then slapped the side of my head --it's actually a Sun Parasol Pretty Crimson Mandevilla. I must try to remember that is is NOT a trumpet vine because I keep calling it that.

From the pic above you can also see where the small garden with the wheel and blue chair is in relation to the rest of my gardens. Remember I showed you the tulips blooming there last week?


Well, the tulip heads have withered and fallen and now I have only three allium plants for color. Allium only does well for me the first year. After that the plants die out. I think I had five of them here last summer. There is a bright orange poppy plant on the opposite side of the allium. The plan was for them to bloom together, but the poppy is still a few days from bloom. It only has three buds this year, but it should have a burst of growth and be much nicer next year.

In 2006 I had all of these allium.
This year, not a single one of them is left. There must be something in my soil that kills them off. Does anyone else have this problem with allium?

I am not back on line yet -- don't even ask--I've about had it with DSL tech people. My posts have been appearing from Blogger's ability to schedule posts and make them appear whenever I want them to. I hope that I am back in real time by the end of this week.