Garden Update June 2011

The state of things. I really long for something to grow along the outbuildings roofline. I have a wisteria start at the end which hates me and the soil there. I am thinking of finding something else but what. The wisteria I can move over next year to another spot I will have for it. Hmm...perhaps I could get more grapes since they are pretty aggressive but I was hoping for something that loves shade and blooms. I had hoped the corner got just enough sun to make the wisteria happy but it does not. An evergreen would also be nice.


Raised beds which I have decided to just allow to rot - maybe eventually I will decide to replace them but I love the rustic look created because the people who put them in did them completely wrong. To the left is my lime mint and St John's Wart. I just planted the catmint and Iceland poppies at the bottom as well as the Fringed Bleeding Heart – Dicentra. To the left of the new honeysuckle I just planted Lemon Verbena as well as Ruby Star Echinacea and behind the fennel I also just planted Sweet Zaatar Marjoram and Summer Savory.


Another angle featuring my sage down front. In the further away planting built in I also planted Clumping Baby’s Breath and Ruby Bells Heuchera which I have in my shade bed but I adore Heuchera and plan to start collecting it in both shade gardens along with hosta varieties since the two look so beautiful together. I also added some Pineapple Sage which seems to rather like the shade - it amazes me constantly at what I can get to take off in a shade garden - especially this new one where I do not have to suffer the plants the cedar trees which can be pretty toxic to plants.


How awesome is the black plant craze this year??!! Seriously! First I find Phantom Petunias (black with white tips) and Black Velvet Petunias (pure black) which are both stunning and I have several planted. Then I go to Fred Meyer and find this gorgeous Black Barlow Columbine which looks spectacular in front of my evergreen clematis. So, for all your gothic planting needs, apparently, go to Fred Meyer since I also found the petunias there.


HYSTERICAL! So, I have been trying to grow Foxglove for YEARS...key word: TRYING. These two gorgeous plants came up from last years seeds I do believe. I nearly fainted when I saw the flowers but they came up right along where the new fence and planter boxes are to grow so they are doomed...DOOMED!


These will also require movement since first of all they are in fencing path. To the left we have a new favorite thanks to Ms Jen - apple mint! And yes, it smells like heaven...and I just shoved it in the ground to give it somewhere until I figured out where to put it. For those of you who do not know, I collect mint varieties. I have to date never seen apple mint so Jen gets huge props for hooking a girl up seriously - I love having such thoughtful friends! To the right is my white currant which the chickens keep snagging the berries off of before they even ripen! But both of these are slated to be relocated.


The view from the purple hibiscus which is already starting a lvely show with just its leaves. Down in front of this is one of my creeping thyme plants along with the usual sphagnum moss, scottish moss and corsican mint which all grow wild in my yard now. Just past the hibiscus I also planted East Friesland Salvia. Salvia HATES me seriously - it is another one I am determined to grow. I was fairly successful last year with some red but I have yet to see traces of it coming back suggesting it is alove so I have little faith but I also added some Bellis Galaxy mix to this bed as well for color. Everything is blooming up but I am pretty blue heavy right now so adding some pink and purple really did the trick.


This ground shot will give you an idea as to how well corsican mint grows in my yard - I love it because my yard smells just wonderful. The chickens are really responsible from scratching because the mint seeds so easily and they track it and the mosses everywhere. Down front is a new addition this year I am proud of and hopes really takes off in this corner: varigated oregano - it is just gorgeous. I now have golden, Greek, standard and varigated oreganos. Directly to the right and not pictured is also East Indian Lemon Grass I added in. I planted lemongrass last year near the pond but the poor plant was overtaken by my Morroccan Mint.


Here you can see a few of the new plants. All these beds are new plantings this year so once everything has a year or two to mature and receive more compost it will be just stunning.


My little violet. Under the maple tree is a very difficult environment I am working on ideas for. My hyacinth bulbs do outstanding but when they die off the area is barren until spring. I am trying different ideas but I need things with short root structures and tolerates total shade which is a tall order. I have tried calle lillies but I think the squirrels ate my bulbs :(


Shade...


The opportunistic maple - here is my deceased Eucalyptis and I have given up on trying to force grow this non native plant since friend who are hardcore gardeners also lost theirs. If they cannot grow one then my plant abusing ass definitely cannot! Now I need to find an alternative to plant right here though to replace it.


Jen got me this gorgeous honeysuckle a few years ago for my birthday and the thing is seriously trying to take over the world! I say let it - the world would certainly smell better. But having this planted behind our bedroom window makes summers happy.


Purple Clematis


Chickens! Here are Bernadette and Delilah our little garden warriors.


My lupines and gladiolas are coming up. To the left and back is my oregano which is all ready for it's first butchering of the year already. beyond that is the strawberry and blueberry patches.


Honeysuckle and purple clematis.


Ebb Tide rose - aren't they stunning!!??


The shade garden under the cedars with my hostas I was gifted by Bryony and Aaron a few years back - the thing was this half chewed up chunk they found deeply buried in their apartment's yard. It loves my rescue ferns and you can see my berrie smoothie Heuchera.


Here in the other side of the shade garden is wandering Jenny, caramel Heuchera, Ruby Bells Heuchera, black Mondo grass, buttercups and also Citronelle Heuchera which I think may have been mislabeled because it has darkened up substantially. I also have a dawrf burning bush right next to the bird feeder which should not like it back here but it thrives and hated the sun garden even though it is a full sun plant. My friend who works at Seven Dees just shook his head over that especially since it should also hate the cedars...hay, the plant wants what the plant wants.

You can also see my new Red Trillium right to the awesome flamingo Shannon and Grant gave us for a wedding present and my new Hosta ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’ is to the right but unseen.


Containers


I wish I could remember the name of this stunning plant. I bought it at Farmington Gardens years ago and it is so gorgeous for the whole summer. It is huge and I really would love to buy a few more for when I do the front. This year I think I will bring a piece of it to Farmington Gardens to identify it. Beyond it you can see our Columnar Sentina apple trees and the currant to the right of them.


Two of the firsts coming from our rose garden. The dark purple is Ebb Tide (a personal favorite) and the Salmon is Arizona Tocade Grandiflora which is hybrid tea rose. My long stemmed red is about to give me blossoms and I am throughly afraid of my Lavender Simplicity rose which is loaded to the point of being disturbing.