A Blank Slate

I don't know which is worse, starting with a worn out garden or beginning with nothing at all.  I have done both, and I think the most difficult is rejuvenating an old garden - what to keep, what to discard is the continual question.  Most likely one is stuck with established shade trees (unless expense is not a problem) and huge evergreens, shrubs and low growing evergreens being easier to take out.

I will use my daughter's home as an example of long past their prime plantings.  Slowly, as her funds allow, I do a plan for each area, replanting the  gardens with plants that are easier to maintain and have great eye appeal. 

In the large perennial garden bed, we removed just about everything except some daylilies and the Sweet Autumn Clematis along the back fence (now being cut to the ground each year - see how large it gets with yearly cutting).  The garden has just begun and constantly changes, many types of daylilies and phlox, pink and red double knockouts, shasta daisies, gaillardia, rozanne geranium, may night salvia, russian sage, and autumn joy sedum.  The four rose bushes are the backbone of this garden and are blooming until the snow flies.  In the spring is is filled with hundreds of daffodils of many varieties - hardest part waiting for the tops to die down without pulling them or cutting them down.

Along her front porch and the front of the home were fifty year old yews that have been removed and replaced with Endless Summer Hydrangeas and Chicagoland Boxwoods, a new magnolia, Blue Dart Myrtle groundcover, Blushing Bride Hydrangeas, hostas, ferns and some saved astilbes that were on another part of the property.  Most of the plants were found at Home Depot at very reasonable prices

A large area along the side of the home has just been cleared of pachysandra, tree roots and overgrown shrubs.  I have done a plan for this area which will take awhile to complete because of the expense.  All that is there now are some new Green Velvet Boxwoods and a Limelight Hydrangea (they may be moved eventually).  I am going to really have to rack my brain to come up with a cover for those heating exhaust pipes!  Plantings have to be four feet away - any ideas?

At my stage, I want everything to be instant but a little bit done each year with planning and using the correct plant materials, becomes a very satisfying accomplishment.

Around The Garden

It has been a week of deadheading, cutting back, tying up and fertilizing.  I have always disliked July because things begin to look scruffy and like they are done for the season.  However, when I force myself to boldly cut back those plants that can take it, I am rewarded with fresh new growth and the motivation to continue gardening.  Many years ago, I used to want to give up this time of year what with the insects, browning leaves and lack of new blooms.

I know with all of the "super" annuals, it lulls us into the feeling that we do not have to do any maintenance on these plants.  This is simply not true, as they can become very leggy around this time of year and need a little bottom haircut.  If your plantings are climbing all over each other, don't hesitate to give a little pruning so each plant can show their beautiful blooms.

The Art Of Peeking In The Garden

For all season bloom it is important to use the art of peeking, especially in a small garden.  Sometimes it begins as an experiment to see if it works, like my plumbago under my daylilies.  Then there are some peekers you know will work such as Broadway Lights Shasta taking over for Red Rum Daylily (which will be cut to the ground when done blooming - will get a flush of new leaves but not as tall).

Gaura will bloom all summer from behind the impatiens, daylilies will bloom inside the Shastas, behind the roses.  Annuals in pots can peek out anywhere you need them, moving them if need be.  Nicotiana will take over for the daylilies by Rozanne and Perilla will grow quite tall to fill in around the Dahlias.  It's like a game called "What's Next," and with a little planning, you will always have something coming next into fall.

I am not real thrilled with some of the Clematis growing along the south side fence.  It should be sun, but it is not towards the back of the border because of the neighbor's foliage which I love so much in the spring.  I am going to choose more carefully such as bloom time so that the vertical garden is going all season. 

That's why gardening is such fun, there's never an end!

Major Storms And Tornado Warnings - Lilies

I took some photos of my daylilies and lilies late Wednesday afternoon before the storms hit.  I can't believe this weather, never before do I remember storm after storm without any let up.  Trains were stopped on the tracks, malls shut down, tornado signals shrieking to take cover and both sump pumps were working full time!

I don't remember a year like this with multiple storms, power outages and flooding.  I think we were lucky this time that we did not lose power.  I remember years ago when my children were little going to the basement with pillows and of course my purse.  Wednesday night I headed for the basement again, no purse, just my computer.

I had to cut back my Persicaria on Tuesday because it really took a beating in Friday's storm.  I deadheaded all of my roses, which have very little leafing out, and fertilized and trimmed back my annuals.  After the storms, I am sure there will be some further damage. 

I know there are some of my blogging friends that have been in the path of these storms, so I wish you only the best for your homes and gardens.  Thursday was bright and sunny, and I went about my garden work like nothing had happened.  Everything looked weeping and soggy but by midday were perking up and drying out.  Later in the afternoon I resumed my photo taking for Fertilizer Friday.  I am always amazed how quickly nature rebounds!

Thirty-Nine Steps

I think this was the name of an old movie, but it certainly became real for me as I climbed a hardly countable number of steps to my serious (serious because we do community service work) garden club meeting.  This was the last luncheon and meeting of the season, not beginning again until September.

The home we were at today is in a deeply wooded area, very high up, enough so that we were commenting on the lack of railings and our progressive eyeglasses.  This was a home without grass, which is a blessing in regard to mowing, but a lot of work considering the amount of plantings and the various levels in the front and back of the home.

Again, my anxiety level rises when I think of my ability to care for this type of landscape.  After lunch, we all trekked out to visit a member's garden close to my home.  It was a garden surrounding a 110 year old home, stained in a redwood finish.  This setting gave me a feeling of serenity, surrounded by natural meandering mulched paths bordered by large hostas, ferns groundcovers, daisies  and multiple woodland plants in various stages of bloom. 

Everything was small, contained, controllable and charming, even the small patio with potted plants and a dining table ready for an enchanting evening.

I have had small properties with definite planting restrictions and a large property where the sky was the limit.  I am now on a small property again, frustrated at times that I cannot grow all of the lovelies I see on blogs.  But, I remind myself that this is what I can handle.