Lupines and Liatris on the back slope

 

After all my plans of planting a dwarf willow in this ugly bare mud spot at the top of the garden terraces, my husband vetoed the idea. He pleaded for plants that were a) less expensive and b) not as deeply rooted in the soil. He has seen the Hill of Death claim too many of my shrubbery dreams in the past. Despite my reluctance to give up my plans, I could see his point.

 

So instead, I may have talked my neighbor into planting a dwarf willow on their side of the mud patch. Ha!  And I got to work filling in our not-so-charming patch with perennials that I know can take straight clay.

 

My first choice were lupines.

We have wild lupines that grow on the slope already, so I know they can take it.

At least, I'm hoping the cultivated ones have inherited some toughness from their genus. I bought 6, all pink. The wild ones are all purple. I have hopes that they will someday hybridize and give me lovely lupines in many shades of lavender. If they survive, I mean.

I am more determined than ever to let every lupine live that tries to grow.

The 2 little lupines on the bottom left in the picture above are wild. Yes!

 

The wild lupines come in two shades of purple, currently.

Some are lighter purple, like this (from last summer),

but there are a few that are deep purple as well (below, last summer.)

 

 

I also put in 2 clumps of liatris (one 6-inch pot divided in half).

This variety is Liatris spicata 'Floristan Violet.'

From what I've read, it is also supposed to take clay without flinching.

We shall see.

I refuse to get my hopes up too high.

 

I also transplanted some daisies earlier in the spring that still seem to be alive. As I mentioned in the last post, I will start moving Echinacea starts up there as time permits as well.

Hey, at least the transplants are free.

Purple Coneflower Babies!

 

I have hundreds of these little guys popping up all over my flowerbeds!

(And the walkway, and the other terraces nearby).

 

I love Echinacea, but I also like having a little variety in my flowerbeds.

 

Last year I just ended up weeding out most of them.

This year I wised up and sent out an email to my church group.

The group you see in this picture has all been dug up and sent on their merry way now.

 

Whatever is left will get transplanted up to the slope.

They're supposed to do okay with clay soil and I wouldn't mind having them up there to break up the monotony of the weed grass.

 

I will probably leave the very smallest ones alone until next year, then dig them up and transplant them...or give them away.

Anyone in Eastern Washington that wants some Echinacea?

I'll save you some!

Ninebark and Lilacs: Eastside Terrace

 I got some shrubs planted along the lower part of the East-side terrace wall.

I hadn't planned on the ninebark, but those purple leaves just jumped in my cart.

I really like how they echo the purple leaves of the ornamental plum behind the house.

 

Overall plan: ninebark on each end, with lilacs in the middle.

 

Physocarpus opulifolius 'Lady in Red'

5-6 feet tall and wide

zones 3-7

Clusters of small bink blushed single flowers in early summer bloom atop bright red foliage.

 

 

Syringa vulgaris 'Ludwig Spaeth'

10' tall x 8' wide

 

It was the picture of the blooms that got me on this one.

Rather than pale lavender, like many lilacs, these are supposed to be a deep reddish-purple.

Should look good with the ninebark foliage.

 

 

I transplanted this lilac (front) from the slope, where after 4 years it had grown maybe 6 inches.

I guess the "well-drained soil" on that plant tag wasn't just a throw-away line.

Syringa vulgaris 'My Favorite'

Grows 6-12 feet wide and 8-15 feet tall.

 

The lilac in the background is a second Ludwig Spaeth.

 

So here's looking from our backyard out to the street.

I'm hoping these will grow to fill in this terrace and provide a sweet-smelling, lush corridor as you walk down that side of the house.

 

p.s. Can you believe how green that grass is? It is still struggling almost everywhere else, but on this side, just look at it go!

 

Now I have the far end of this terrace to make a final decision on and get planted.

I've talked about doing a billowing perennial garden of whites and pastels.

I have also thought about hot colors.

Or I may just make it my cutting garden.

Onions, After All

 

Exhibit A

 

So, remember how I had sworn off planting onions?

They never get big so they're annoying to use, etc..

Well, as it turns out, my husband's coworker gave him a bunch of onion sets, which he brought home to me. I couldn't let them go to waste. I just didn't have it in me.

 

Here's to my reluctant onion patch.

May you far exceed my expectations in every way.

 

p.s. Any tips for growing 'em big? I'm all ears.



May Bloom Day: Geums and snowballs

Welcome, Bloom Day friends!

I don't know about you, but my list of spring chores just keeps growing, while my time to do them stays about the same.

 

I love the month of May!

Everything is so green and beautiful flowers are bursting open every day.

 

Here's a peek at my garden:

 

Back flowerbed:

 

My geum 'Totally Tangerine' really sparkles this month.

In fact, it pretty much carries the bed between tulip die-off and rose bloom.

Every year I think I need to fit a few more in back there.

 

Do you see what I see?

Huge fuzzy poppy buds! I'm so excited!

I watched a little girl the other day who, unbeknownst to me, picked some off. No doubt she was also delighted with their fuzziness. I was very sad when I found the buds on the deck later.

I have not yet reached poppy abundance, where the loss of a few buds doesn't matter, but I hope to get there someday!

Dwarf iris 'Bubbles' just starting to bloom, with hardy geranium in front.

Back flowerbed, long view looking toward deck.

The lilies in the foreground were a Mother's Day gift.

I can't remember the name offhand.

I'll have to check the tag and get back to you.

This iris is not supposed to be in the back flowerbed.

They all got moved up front, except this one.

I have no memory of deciding to leave it or plant it here.

Ah well. Now that it's blooming I guess it can stay for a few more weeks, at least.

Fruits and Veggies:

 



Strawberry blossoms.

June is coming!!

 

 

(above and below)

Tulips on the back slope.

They're all bent over following a rainstorm we had.

 

 Front flowerbeds:

 

Sem False Spirea (Sorbaria sorbifolia) with columbine.

The colors echo so nicely, it almost looks planned!

Front tulips, lamb's ears, and candytuft in the background.

These flowerbeds face north, so the bulbs here are about 2 weeks later than in back.

I like it--I get to enjoy the tulips longer this way.

Snowballs in spring.

This shrub is quickly becoming a favorite.

I'm impressed with how heavily it blooms here in its second spring.

 

A few mini daffodils.

I'm not sure which variety this is, but it is the latest to bloom of all my daffodils, by at least 10 days.

Wide view of front beds.

Okay, I had to include this shot, because you can see the iris buds better.

So close to blooming!

Any day now...

Front bed, next to the house:

My dicentra is still going strong.

It's right next to the front porch, so I get to check in on it several times a day.

 

Lovely little heuchera ('Sweet Tart', I think), with oakleaf hydrangea, astilbe, and euonymous foliage in the background.

 

I didn't include the shade bed this time, but I may get out there to take pictures for a separate post.

I have a volunteer forget-me-not blooming right now, which is just delightful!

 

To see what else is blooming around the world right now, click over to

May Dreams Gardens.

 

Thanks for visiting! See you again soon! 

Tulip Dilemmas

Dilemma #1:

 

Red tulips!

They're bright, and well, they're bright.

Also, red just doesn't have a place in any of my flowerbeds right now.

Granted, these are growing rogue near the steps (planted by previous homeowners), but that just means they will get mown down. Assuming the grass actually grows at some point.

 

I might see if I can pawn them off on my neighbor.

If she doesn't want them, I don't know.

There's got to be a place somewhere....

other neighbor?

 

Dilemma #2:

These lovely tulips along the top of the garden wall.

Along with all the tulips on the slope, in general.

Only about half of these came back this year.

I know it's a clay death trap for tulips up there.

I don't want to lose them entirely, but on the other hand, they're so pretty and cheerful peeking out amongst all the weedy grass.

 

So I go back and forth.

Dig them all up and put them in actual flowerbeds with decent soil?

Or just leave them and enjoy them as long as they last?

 

Still haven't decided for sure.

In the meantime, they sure are pretty up there.

Maybe I need to research spring flowers for clay soil and get something in to replace them that will love it. Then move them all down where they'll be happy in my flowerbeds.

Boxwood up on top

On the very end of the top front terrace, I used to have this:

 

a lovely little daphne shrub.

[picture from last spring]

 

However, I decided that I need more repetition along there.

Plus, now that we have a sprinkler system in, that corner gets sprayed regularly, and from what I've read Daphne's like it dry.

So I dug it up and gave it to my neighbor...

(Hey, I can still visit it! Wait--would that be weird? Ha!)

 

...and replaced it with this handsome fellow:

 

Another 'Green Mountain' boxwood, to match its neighbor 2 shrubs down.

It is quite small, but ever so much cheaper than the bigger ones.

They're the same variety. It will grow.

 

 

 

And as much as I liked Daphne individually, in this grouping I'm already liking Green Mountain better. Just that one replacement has made it much more cohesive.

 

Farewell, daphne.

Please don't die off any time soon at the neighbors!