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I have had a wonderful week in the garden. I am so completely addicted – of course, I already knew that! I can’t stop going to nurseries – most of the time I don’t even by anything – I just like to look and see all the beautiful things. I did end up buying a few treats this week…
Eleagnus ("Glenn St. Mary") – 3 of them – for the back corners. I put one in each corner and then the third made its way onto creek’s edge where I just need something to fill the space. Then, not too long after I bought and planted them, my wonderful Mother In Law called to tell me that she had 3 from her yard potted up for me! But, no problemo – I will put the extra 3 at the creek. I think they will provide great weed suppression with how large they can get.
I also purchased another small "Purple Diamond" loropetalum that found its way to the mixed sun border. It will grow up nice and hide more of the chain link fence, I hope.
Then – On a completely different trip, I was seduced by a “southern comfort” heuchara. The nursery that I purchased it from had one growing In a pot as a display that had leaves up to 5 inches across. Needless to say, I have high hopes for mine!
That same trip also afforded me a little purple hyacinth bean vine and a moonflower vine. I used to have these and they would reseed freely, but over the years they have gotten fewer and fewer and after this harsh winter – well, I didn’t see any come out this spring.
I stuck them by the front porch column and will collect seeds this year to put out next spring.
I have had the luxury of the past couple of day to do nothing but garden! My parents took the kids to the beach and hubby and I took vacation time at work – we will join them at the beach mid-week, but until then – we are enjoying having the house to ourselves to work on our projects.
I have made good use of the time and really enjoyed just puttering in the garden. I have done a couple of “garden art” projects with things I had laying around.
Hubby decided to move a bunch of wood he had by his wood shop and I decided he should move it into my garden!
See it there - behind the hostas - 
This one is my favorite:
I am loving the hydrangea bed right now:
I am so excited that one of my clearance caladium bulbs is peeking out:
I also did some weeding in the vegetable gardens – and
pulled some spent items. The brussel sprouts couldn’t take the heat and
humidity and got the yuck – so they had to come out.- too bad, their foliage was pretty with its slight blue tint.
Also pulled out the
parsley that was starting to go to seed. This swiss chard needs to come out,
but it is still just to pretty – so I am leaving it for now. 
With the new space, I put out the fennel seeds that I didn’t have room for before. I am pleased to see that the “black prince” tomatoes are already fruiting. AND- the basils have germinated! I decided that the nursery charges way too much for basil plants – and I want a lot! SO, I decided to grow from seed this year, which I have never done – and I am very happy that its working!
I decided that this strawberry pot full of volunteer daturas
would look better in a more visible place – so it is now in front of the knock
outs in the front yard. I like the spot of blue.- and once the daturas get big and do their things, it will be like they are floating above the mint.
In terms of progress and updates of my new plants from the mail: all looks pretty good. However, the rice paper plant is showing no signs of life, the may apple keeps sending up new shoots, then they die back and then another one comes up – not sure what that means, the columbines are growing, still no signs of life from my petasites – which makes me very sad But, some good news – the Grecian pattern plant on the creek is coming back!!! I thought it was dead.
I also spent some time moving clumps of things around – dotting things here and there; creeping jenny, white false asters, lams ears, liriope, var. ivy, elija blue fescue....most notable is a clump of elephants ear by the creek – we had such a harsh winter with lots of rain, that only 1 out of the 3 that I put back there last spring made it.
Whew – perhaps I should blog more than once a week – didn’t realize how much I had to say! Perhaps my weed eater is done charging now – BACK TO IT!
-soapHOUSE
I spent yesterday afternoon tootling about in the front yard. I mowed our "lawn" , which is really more a patch of weeds than anything. After its mowed, it actually looks pretty decent. My dreams of fescue were squelched by the drought last year....maybe this fall i can do that. Once the mowing was done, I pulled some weeds, cut back some vinca, hacked down the curry plant (it had gotten very raggedy and woody, will be interesting to see if it comes back), and I also watered the autumn ferns. It looks as though the layer of compost applied to the top of that bed last summer is really coming through for us...I have never had so many new fronds appearing at once on these ferns. It looks so pretty! Here is a view of the front yard as seen from my front porch today:
As you can see, my girl and my hubby are enjoying the freshly mowed weeds :)
The redbud looks so amazing right now as well! Also, the ajuga is blooming and is adding a nice shot of color:
The dogwood is almost in all of its glory. It is in the same bed that got the compost dressing and i do think it is helping the dogwood also, in seasons past, the dogwood has suffered from one of its common fungal diseases that causes the blossoms to fall off before they fully open. It looks like we might not have that prob this year :)
On a recent shopping trip with my mom, I picked up this cool garden art windchime and I have been enjoying it as I sit on my front porch:
Its very overcast today and a bit cool and breezy, so I am not sure if I will venture out in the garden later or not. I have been thinking more about creek planting lately and trying to decide what to plant on the opposite bank...I still have yet to have the moment of brilliant inspiration. I do need to get back there with the weedeater so that all my hard work spent cleaning everything out doesn't go to waste....it will if I don't stay on top of things back there. I am anxiously awaiting the emerging of the great gunnerra that went in the ground a few weeks ago...i check for growth every day :)
I did hear an ad on the radio that our local home depot has 5 dollar coreopsis and hostas, so i may venture down there this afternoon. Tomorrow the forecast is thunder storms, so I better do what I have to do today :)
Thank you for the advice and ideas on what to do in the blank spot by my window seat. I decided to do a sculpture (the final product came from chatting about it with my Mother In Law). I didn't want to do another vine on a trellis because I thought that would be too symmetrical and matchy matchy. I love the idea of doing something fragrant...but the window on the window seat doesn't open...so it wouldn't get appreciated. The other thing I was really leaning towards was a nice evergreen, but I was worried how well it would do right up against the house. And, to get the instant gratification that I wanted, I would have to spend a small fortune to get a good size plant. So, a sculpture it is!
I took advantage of the after Christmas sales. The tall pole has a large Christmas ornament on top and all 3 have little christmas balls wired around them. The other 2 balls are "gazing" balls that I got at Old TIme Pottery for super cheap. The pipes are from the plumbing section at Home Depot. I think they pull in the iron on our shutter hardware in nicely.
I really am very happy with how they turned out! It will be fun to see how they weather. I also think I will get a clematis to grow up them. Or, I may do an annual sweet pea vine. And, the best part about going with a sculpture....no pruning or weeding. And, its drought tolerant! LOL!
So, I am NOT a morning person. Luckily my toddler usually sleeps till 8 or 8:30...a girl after her mom's heart. well, she must have been a bit off today, because she woke up at 5:30. Oi Vey!!! I promptly brewed a giant pot of coffee and then noticed that I rarely see my garden still fresh with morning dew. Very pretty!
Yesterday, my husband was so nice to drag out his saw and ladder and do some tree trimming for me and the backyard looks so nice and tidy :) I can see clear back to the creek from my kitchen window and it brings a whole new perspective on the yard!
The other project I finished yesterday was my bottle path. I used to have a bottle tree. It was the center of one of my veggie beds and the focal point looking through the arbor. Well, earlier this year, it bit the dust and fell over. So, I thought instead of remaking it (besides, now everyone has a bottle tree) I decided to make a bottle path.
It needs a bit more variety, but I am quite pleased with the outcome :) Too bad i never got around to snapping a pict of the bottle tree :(
I also drug some of the creek brush to the curb for the city landscape people to pick up. There is still a LOT more, but they will only pick up so much at once.
Not the greatest pict, but look at all that!
I spent a good portion of last night daydreaming about what to do by the creek and I am getting more and more excited!
I have a full day of garden chores ahead of me (once the pookie is napping) I will:
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