Garden Mode

I guess I've hit my garden mode for 2009. While we don't need any new beds (since I have enough trouble taking care of the ones I already have), I am always on the lookout for something new to plant, especially if it's unusual. So far this year, we've stuck with the basics. One bed at the driveway needed foundation plants so we put in 6 small boxwoods. They're advertised to get 2' high x 4' wide and that should be perfect for that site. Nelson dug up my balloon flowers that were already in that bed. They had never spread the way I wanted them to and without cutting back a couple of times, they got so tall they flopped over; very unattractive. I did replant 3 of the balloon flowers and hope they'll do well in their new home. I put them in a bed with peonies; that bed needed some color after the peonies finish blooming anyway. The balloon flowers will have the front porch to lean on so the height shouldn't be a problem there.

We also planted a pin oak tree and then realized it's directly under our power lines to the house. It will have to be moved to another site; good thing we realized it early enough it hasn't rooted into its site yet. We'll move it and plant 3 new loropetalum shrubs one evening this week. I've now got to remember to water these new plantings every day until they get established.

A friend gave me a big box of white iris that I got finished planting today. Now to find something to go in the very middle of that bed; maybe a crepe myrtle bush or something similar.

I could talk plants forever; I never get tired of looking and planning. What we really need now in our yard are trees for shade. We've been very lucky and blessed in that most everything we've planted has done really well and our landscaping looks very nice (even if I do say so myself). I want to add more things with color; there is alot of green since the front of the house has several evergreen shrubs as foundation plants. While they look nice and add greatly to the overall look of the property, they look dull in my opinion. My peonies feed my craving for color but they don't bloom long enough.

I'll share some photos as I get them tweaked for the web, some are below. My clematis is absolutely breathtaking. I can get rather dull to listen to when I get started on flowers and plants. Enjoy the photos and have a great week!!