May happinings

The weather has been amazing since my last post.  We have spent every available moment out in the gardens.  Honey has really jumped in this year with tending to the gardens.  Here are a few of the flowers blooming right now.

Dutch Iris and Canary yellow Iris

 Purple Clustered Bell Flower

 The Hardy Begonia are continuing to spread, despite being dividing a few times.

 We purchased this Nikko Blue Hydrangea last fall, and she has been moved twice already.  Lets see if this is the right spot for her after all.

 Update on the Luna Hibiscus.  We have quite a few Hibiscus in the gardens, but this one seems to be growing the best at the moment.

 Unknown Iris

 The Water Lilies are doing well, need to be divided, and still waiting on the red one's to bloom.  Just sayin.

 The Stella Daylilies have finally started blooming.  This is their second full season in the garden.

 The Clematis always puts on a big foliage show, but has been dismal in the blooming department.  She usually blooms in August, so if anyone has any tips on getting this bitch to bloom, please let me know.

 I built the trellis a couple of days ago and planted some Hyacinth bean seedlings at its base.  I also planted a couple of Castor Bean seedlings in this bed and have some Castor volunteers.

 I created a couple of new beds in the front yard.  Yes, we needed some more growing space.  I used a rototiller on two of the beds to plant seedlings.  The third bed was created to hide a god awful stump that we have stared at for far to long.  I just loosed up the soil around the stump with a shovel, added compost.  I filled the bed with plants that needed to relocate.  I sat a large container on top of the stump and covered with mulch.  The fourth bed was the easiest.  Our non hardy tropicals needed a sunnier locale.  My solution, lay down some cardboard, arrange the containers, and cover the cardboard with mulch.  I was contemplating planting a perennial or two in the mix to soften the edges.  Thoughts?

 The Knockouts are doing well and even more importantly, the Knockout tree is on the verge of having a beautiful season.

 

This is one of the new seedling beds.  Can you see them?  This years seedling were pathetic, but I still planted them.  It took everything I had, not to say hell with it and run to the local garden center.  This photo was taken last weekend, and they are showing signs of hope as of today.  I also sowed some Moon vine seeds and they have germinated. 

 How cute is this little baby.  Every year we have baby bunnies in the yard.  I think they know that this is a bunny safe house.  I will chase off anything that wants to hurt these little guys, from hawks, snakes, to those damn neighborhood cats. I would just like to say to all of you cat owners, "keep your cats in your own yard and out of our flowers and off our cars".

 This explains why we have had 6 snakes in the yard this year. Yes, we ran across our 6th snake today.  A 5 foot long black snake.  This time it was in the dog side of the yard, with one of the dogs sniffing it. This pokes holes in the theory, snakes do not travel into dog territory. Of course I freaked out.  I was afraid our mostly blind dog Scooter was going to get bitten.  I wanted the snake to go away, but it wanted to take up residency under the dogs pool.  Not happening.  I am sure this said snake is responsible for the baby cardinals disappearing yesterday only feet from where I discovered the snake.  I digress, this is probably the number one reason the snakes are coming to the house.  The frogs are definitely ringing the snake dinner bell, and unlike the dogs, baby birds, baby bunnies and squirrels, these guys are on their own.  This is where the snakes need to hang out if they are going to persist on being in the yard.  Either that or at our neighbors.  Right, Melinda?

Hydrangea progress

Unknown Rose

The backyard fountain is looking more established.  It might even look better with something planted in the pots.  I believe it is on the list.

The first bloom on the water lilies.

If the buds on this Endless Summer Hydrangea are any indication, she is going to be a show stopper.

The foil hydrangeas that we got in the spring of 2009 have had quite the life. They were planted where I wanted them, instead of where they wanted to be and were even mowed down that same year.  Since then, they have been on the road to recovery and I think that both are going to bloom this year.  

This is the larger of the two foil Hydrangeas.  She also bloomed last year.

 

 This one gets more shade, but she is alive and working hard.

Hopefully I will be posting the photos of the blooms later this season.

Snake central

OMFG!!!!!

This is the beginning of May and I have had 5 snakes in the yard.  The first two were mid size garden snakes, oh well.  The third snake was only a baby snake.  I have no idea what type.  The fourth snake was a big black snake of some kind.  It was hideous and on our front porch.  I say hell to the no, you gotta go.  Then two days later...

ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.  This god awful thing was every bit of 6 foot long, if not 6, and on the damn front porch.  Now for all you people out there that think you should just let a snake be, that is fine, but when it is on my front porch, again I say Hell to the NOOOOOOOOOOO.  Sorry, but I can't possibly.  I have been walking around the gardens just freaking out.  Needless to say, all the plants around the front porch are gone.  I do not want any ground cover around the porch.  I want to be able to see anything sneaking up.  Aunt Mel, you are safe to visit, they are gone.

overdue post

It has been awhile since my last post and I apologize.  I won't dwell on the reasons, I will just dive in with the happenings on our little corner of the world.

First order of business, deer drama.  I have decided that I have no choice but to fence in our front yard.  My original idea, was to have horizontal cables about 2 feet apart running the property line, but then garden gods dropped 24 sections of privacy fence into my lap.  It will be a lot of work, but I plan on taking them apart and reassembling into something like this...

Now lets see how long it takes me to make it happen.

The weather has been crazy.  After a mild winter, everything got a jump start to the season.  Here are a few of the spring happenings.

I should just be happy that this Azalea bloomed, however, I think she looks leggy, and I am guessing she is not getting enough direct sunshine.  The fence and the house are located south and west of the Azalea.  I pruned her back when the blooms faded, and I am still tempted to not wait for fall but move her now.

 Bleeding Heart that does not get enough sunshine.

 The first yellow water Iris bloom.

 Flowering almond

 A surprise tulip.  I thought the deer and the squirrels had gotten all the tulip bulbs.

 Columbine.  All of the Columbine around the yard has been putting on quite the show.

 The view from the West lawn.

 This is the prettiest we have ever seen this little Crab apple.

 Only half of this Crab apple bloomed last year, so we were overjoyed to see she had gotten with the program.

 The deer had a late winter munch to half of this Rhododendron.

 The Korean lilac was not full of blooms this year, I knew I pruned her too late last year.  Remember to prune your spring blooming shrubs right after they bloom or you run the risk of sacrificing next years blooms.

 The little Bougainvillea we bought last summer had a couple of blooms already.  I actually took this picture from the outside, but the plant is in a window in the house.

 Was overjoyed that the Banana tree made it through the winter.  The original tree did not come back, but she sent up a total of 9 pups, which most are over 2 feet tall now.  I also received a couple more Banana trees, that I planted in the front yard.

 The West Lawn in early spring.

Clematis

Poppy

Canary Yellow Iris

Iris

Merlot Iris

Old fashion Iris

Yellow water Iris

Water Lilies

Hosta's in the West Lawn.

I would like to have Globe master giant Alliums, not to take away from our Alliums.

The Bee Balm is growing fast and furious.

I have to give a big shout out to our friend Reggie, for thinking of us when she came across this little statue.  This is a working fountain and even came with a working pump, now all I have to do is put it all together.  I am thinking of a pond less water feature.

Every garden is in need of a disco ball.

I planted Canna Lilies in three large pots, one of which I kept in the greenhouse, and the other two braved the elements on the front walk.  This photo was taken April 5th.

This photo was taken April 30th.  The greenhouse is a wreck, so I decided to crop most of it out.

This photo was also taken on April 30th.

The Woodland's are really filling out.

I have no idea what the hell this plant is, but I like it.  It was growing through a crack in the pavement at my cousin's house.  I am sure it is a weed but I love anything variegated, clearly.

The deer started munching the hosta in the front flower bed.  These are so close to the house it is surprising they are so bold.  I now have a secret weapon for the deer, that I have discovered recently.  All I had to do is the following.  Every time I walk through the house to the kitchen or bathroom etc, I walk by a window and take a peek outside looking for deer.  As soon as I see the deer in the yard, I slide on my shoes and grab anything handy, from a bag with a couple empty aluminum cans to a half empty water bottle.  Anything that makes a ruckus but not hurt the deer.  I swing open the door, come flying out of the house running directly towards the deer screaming and I throw whatever the hell is in my hand.  They scatter like maniacs, it is quite comical.  After a few days of this behavior, I noticed the deer walking around the yard.  How long it last is anyone's guess.  Deer can be dangerous so I am not telling anyone they should do this, this is just my experience.  I am sure the neighbors think I am crazy, and they are right.

I am still putting up the fence however.  This is what has become of our Kwanzan flowering cherry tree.  This is the equivalent to deer heroin.  They cannot stay away from this little guy.  I put the chicken wire around this so they couldn't get their faces through it.  Other than the deer drama, this little tree is doing well.  I have to give a shout out to my dad.  Yes dad, you have been telling me to put chicken wire around this tree for a year.  I hope this makes you as happy as it makes the tree.

Columbine, Iris, Poppies, Comfry and a couple Sedum plants.

Scarlet Hibiscus started from seed in 2011.

Swamp Mallow Hibiscus

Luna Hibiscus

The hedge is starting its second season, being dwarfed by the giant pile of mulch.  I will get the mulch spread one day.