Garden Tour

We got the pots planted this week.

I read somewhere that pots should have a THRILLER, a FILLER, and a SPILLER.

Last year, with mums and pansies, we had beautiful color in the spring and fall, and mostly just green, sort-of dead-looking plants all summer. So this year I'm trying for color and scent that lasts all summer, as well as thrilling, filling, and spilling, as required.  Each pot had some combination of the same plants.

In the middle is a scarlet geranium, to be the star of the show (the "thriller") and the main color.

On one side is a miniature white wave petunia (combination "filler" and "spiller").

The diamond-shaped plant is a white Cuphea, which is supposed to be a small, bushy, evergreen shrub with flowers that attract buterflies.  It is also supposed to have excellent heat tolerance. (Another "filler".) 

Between the two is Bacopa Abunda Colossal White.  It should "spill" over the edge, and also has tiny white flowers on it.

One of the pots has vinca vine in it as the "spiller" rather than the Bacopa.

We'll see how it goes!

Front beds starting to fill out.

Hydrangeas in back, almost all leaves out. Ferns coming up, hostas and astilbe getting big.

purple phlox and asters (in front of the daffodils).

Aren't these mini daffodils sweet?  I had forgotten I planted them.

Spring Vegetables

Everything's coming up!

Peas are in back, next to the trellis.

It's time to add dirt to the potato hills.

The beets are coming--I'm not sure when to thin them, as some are pretty close together.

Onions are growing, too. 

Yes, it needs to be watered again.  I've been getting out 2-3 times a week, but it may need it even more frequently.  It just hasn't rained much yet this spring.

Garden Tour

My first attempt at growing grass. I'm using the Scotts brand Lawn Repair stuff.  It kind of looks like moss or something.  You loosen the soil a few inches down, then put this over the top in a thin layer. I'm supposed to water it twice a day, and already I've forgotten at least 3 times. {sigh} I keep telling myself that even if only half of it grows in, it will look better than the big bald spot filled with dead crab grass.  Pretty much the whole lawn is weeds in back, too, but I just can't face it at the moment.  The things I will do to get our house sold...

I thought this was interesting: one branch of plain green leaves, and all the rest variegated.  (This is the euonymous bush out front.)  I love the bright green colors of the new growth.

Apple blossoms!  Hooray!

The apple tree is only blossoming on about the bottom third of the tree. I wonder why?

Peonies are getting bushy, and buds are growing fat and round.

This one has 8 or 10 buds on it!

These are the only tulips that have come back this year.

Chores This Week

This euonymous bush, which you can hardly see for all the weeds, needs to come out.

It hasn't done well ever since we transplanted it there 2 years ago.

Good-bye, and time for  something else to take its place.

Plus: need to water the garden, unless it rains tonight!

Garden Tour

Remember this flowerbed from last fall? 

Left to right: hyacinths, sedum, transplanted peony

The little white fence is to keep Diamond out of there--she had been using the mulch as a bed before the spring flowers had grown in.

Daffodils are starting to fade now--looking a little ragged around the edges.

The lovely, understated snow-drop.

Resident of the wood pile. 

There was a baby garter snake that Jacob and I saw in there as well, but I haven't seen it since.  It may have met an untimely demise.

Love it, Hate it

One of my favorite weeds--the humble violet--right alongside one of my least favorite.

It's the dry grassy-looking one.  I don't know the name of it, but it is pernicious.

It happened again in this picture! Violets, with the hated weed trying to get some of the limelight.