Front Landscaping: Bottom Terrace Shrubs & Plants

The Plan:

 

1. Complement but not compete with the blossoms in the middle terrace.

2. Add evergreens for winter/early spring interest.

3. Fill in & help soften all that rock, but not get taller than the next wall up!

(No pruning to see the flowers, please!)

 

So, here's what we've got:

 

Starting at the driveway.

 

Some of my gift plants!

hardy geranium, liriope, and purple bellflower 

 

Potentilla 'Primrose Beauty', moved from the back flowerbed. Why the move?

 

Its gray foliage against the strong blue of the house made it practically invisible back there.

Plus, it was fighting with tulips for space in the spring, and probably would be too close to the flowering almond when they both grew to full-size.

 

But mostly, it was invisible!

You could hardly see it from 5 feet away.

 

So, anyway, I'm liking it up front here much better.

I can actually see it, for one.

Also, it should be just the right size for this spot.

As a bonus, its wiry stems don't mind getting snow thrown on them in the winter, so it's perfect for right next to the driveway.

 

Moving down front more:

English Laurel 'Otto Luyken'

Prunus laurocerasus

3' tall, 6' wide

Cold hardy to -10 (zone 6)

Dwarf form, with showy white flower spikes and small black fruit.

 

1-2 more each of the bellflower, liriope, and hardy geranium.

Surrounding the water meter are purple bearded irises, transplanted from the back flowerbed.

I plan to tuck some bulbs in here as well.

I'm thinking mini-daffodils and crocuses would be charming.

Another 'Otto Luyken' Laurel

 

As these laurels grow to fill in the space, the irises will be easy to transplant elsewhere. In the meantime, I'm really hoping the foliage of the irises will cover most of that lovely water meter, while still providing access when needed.

Nothing like a big slab of cement in the middle of a flowerbed to improve aesthetics.

Moving left:

blue Siberian Iris (from VWGarden)

purple bearded iris (transplanted from back flowerbed)

pink daylily (in front--also from VWGarden)

 

There's at least 2-3 or each type here.

I hope they play nicely and look good together!

It will be interesting to see how bloom times coincide...or not.

After that they're supposed to provide some height, leaf shape contrast, and greenery the rest of the summer.

At least, that's the idea.

2 Boxwoods 'Green Velvet', 3-4' tall & wide

'Rosy Glow' Red Barberry (Berberis t atro), 3-4' tall, 2-3' wide

 

I'm hoping the barberry will echo the purple coneflowers planted above it, without competing.

 

This little section is very similar to the first one.

Siberian iris, bearded iris, and pink daylily.

 

I can't remember what kind of hydrangea this was and I've lost the tag.

If I find it, I'll come back and add the info.

I know it was not Endless Summer or Incredi-Ball.

Hmmm... ? ? ?

  

 2 'Green Gem' Boxwoods, 2-3' tall and wide

'Golden Ruby' Barberry, 2' tall and wide 

Closeup of the 'Golden Ruby' Barberry

 

The wall gets shorter on this end, hence the smaller shrub varieties.

 

 

Oregon Grape, or Grape Holly

Mahonia aquifolium

3-6' tall and wide

Evergreen.

Bright yellow flowers in spring, followed by edible blue-black berries.

This corner of the terrace gets a bit more shade, which should be fine for this shrub.

 

The only problem is it's small size (this was the only one the nursery had left!) Right now it's got a whole lot of empty space around it, but I figure I can always put some annuals to fill in until it grows up a little.

All this rain we've gotten the last 2 weeks has been great for all my new transplants.
I hope they get all settled in just in time for frost.

Gardening With Kids: Raising Butterflies

I have very fond memories of raising monarch butterflies, as a kid.

We had a whole patch of milkweed down in one spot on our Idaho farm, and there were always caterpillars to be found. My mom would help us get them all set up in a jar, with holes punched in the lid. We put fresh leaves in every day, and watched with delight as they eventually formed their chrysalis'. When they emerged, it was magical!

We would let them sit on our fingers, and "teach them" how to fly, by slowly moving our fingers up and down, as their wings dried.

 

By the way, Carolyn, over at This Grandmother's Garden, has recently posted some beautiful pictures showing this whole process.

 

So when my kids wanted a caterpillar for a pet, I had an idea where to go. No, we don't have any milkweed, unfortunately. We decided to head out to the broccoli patch.

Judging by the number of cabbage whites flying around, I was fairly certain we would be able to find a couple of candidates.

 

Sure enough, we found two: one big, one little.

They named the big one Jack and the little one Annie.

We got them all set up in their new home in a jar, much to the kids' delight.

Well, Annie didn't make it.

But Jack thrived and eventually made a tiny chryalis that stuck right onto the glass!

We were all impressed by that.

 

After about a week or so, my oldest came running out of his bedroom one morning, saying that there was a butterfly in the jar!

"Wow! Awesome!" he said.

Jack had emerged and was flapping around.

We knew we needed to get him outside to some nectar soon.

Butterfly on right.

 

Two attempts to get a picture of Butterfly Jack inside the jar were only marginally successful, as you can see.

Butterfly on left, broccoli leaf on right.

 

We took Jack outside and opened the lid.

Off he fluttered above our heads and away out of sight.

So long, Jack!

May you enjoy what's left of the broccoli patch.

Front Landscaping: New Shrubs up Top

Okay, I just braved the rain (and spiders!) to get these plant tags from the shed.

Totally worth it.

Especially since the spider in my gardening bag was not on any of the tags.

I think. EEK!

 

Top Bed:

 

So these shrubs are mostly background for the blooms below.

Also, the idea is for them to grow big and tall to help screen the house.

 

Elderberry 'Black Beauty'

8-12' tall and wide

Soft pink early summer flowers, edible fall berries.

Prune after flowering. Leave flower clusters intact for fall fruit.

 

* This is one I saw in VWGarden's yard, that I wouldn't have picked up on my own, probably. I really liked how it fit into her garden, with the darker foliage and stems.

I already enjoy the contrast it provides here, too.

Viburnum opulus 'Roseum'

Common Snowball

8' tall and wide

 

Abundant, ball-shaped clusters of double, white blooms in late spring.

Three-lobed foliage turns burgundy-red in fall, accented by red ornamental berries.

Cold hardiness: zone 3

Prune to desired size and shape.

 

This one is a sentimental favorite.

I have fond memories of a snowball bush outside of our home when I was little.

(Must have been really little, because it was pre-Alaska days.)

I remember picking the big "snowballs," then shaking them to see the "snowflakes" coming down.

I would love to give my kids the same experience.

May it grow quickly!

'Green Mountain' boxwood

5' tall, 3' wide

 

Fast-growing when young.

Leaves stay green through winter (we'll see about that).

 

 'Quick Fire' Hardy Hydrangea

Hydrangea paniculata 'Bulk'

6-8 ' tall and wide

 

Blooms about a month before other hardy varieties and flowers every year.

Flowers open white, then turn pink as summer progresses.

Prune late winter/early spring.

 

Here's the kicker: *once established, seldom needs watering*

Are we sure this is really a hydrangea?

I'll take it!

 

I planted this one behind the trio of peonies down below.

I'm hoping the bloom times will be staggered enough that they can play off each other--one giving more background green while the other is the star.

However, you know what they say about the best laid plans, and all that.

This spring will be the true test.

 

Daphne 'Carol Mackie'

3' tall and wide

 

Fragrant pink flowers in spring.

Prefers dry locations (check!) and fairly cool roots.

Do not overwater.

Fertilize in spring prior to new growth.

Prune to control size and shape as needed.

 

This little Daphne is on the end close to the walkway, so I didn't want anything too large or overpowering. I hope it doesn't look strange with the all the other shrubs being so tall.

 

Of course, right now, they're all about the same size, so it's all good.

[not pictured]
'Watercolor' rose

This was the one in the back flowerbed, far-left side.
It hasn't done much this year (the other rose I planted at the same time tripled in size this summer!), so I thought a new location might give it a boost.
Plus, I found a different rose to put in its place.
Anyway, it's not pictured, partly because I forgot and partly because it's not looking too great right now. If it survives, I'll get a proper picture of it next summer when it's blooming. How's that?
It's up top, as well, but on the other side of the evergreen.



Front Landscaping Renovations: Overview

We have really been working hard on our front flowerbeds the past few weeks.

 

Thanks so much to VaLynn from VW Garden! She's another East-side gardener like me, and offered to share some plants with me.

Well, I was like a kid in a candy shop!

It was such fun to talk plants and gardens with another like-minded person for most of an afternoon! And I could hardly believe the bounty she loaded me up with!

It was the most fun I've had in ages. :)

 

I can't believe I didn't get one single picture with her, or of the plants.

[sigh] And I call myself a garden blogger!

Next time. For sure.

 

My husband, meanwhile, got the low wall closest to the road finished, as well as filling it and the new top bed with dirt and rototilling everything.

I also bought several shrubs to fill in the space with, as well.

Cue the planting marathon!

 

Top Bed, Before:

 

 

Top Bed, After:

I'll do a separate post detailing the shrubs and what plants went where.

 

Lower Terrace, Driveway Side

Before:

 

 

Lower Terrace, After:

 



Again, the details of what I planted will be the next post!

 

Front Landscaping

Terraces Filled in!

 

Left-side corner

The plank terraces, trees, and corn you see in the background all belong to our awesome next-door neighbors.

Middle

Right-side

Thoughts and Plans:

 

My idea here overall was to have most of the color and blooming perennials in the middle terrace, with the top and bottom being more evergreen, non-competing, background-type plants.

 

The top is all shrubs: taller-growing varieties that will help bridge the gap between the flat ground and our very tall house, and also give us some privacy in the basement.

(The window in these pictures is our basement window. I should include a shot of the whole house sometime, so you can see what I mean by the height difference. It's significant.)

I may add a few crocuses to this bed, or I may just leave it as is.

 

The bottom is a mix of shrubs and perennials. I chose varieties that should get almost to the top of the wall behind them, but not cover it completely. I used a lot of repetition in this terrace, to avoid competing with the busyness up above, so I've got a couple of sections of shrubs, with similar plantings between them.

 

We keep waffling between putting in a sidewalk in the very front vs. planting grass.

My husband made sure the wall left room for either.

Now I just have to keep everything alive through this heat wave!

Nearly everything I planted should do fine without much water, once established.

Here's hoping our water bill isn't sky-high! 



September Bloom Day

Welcome friends!

If you're new here, I garden in Eastern Washington, zone 5.

 

This month has been mostly hot and dry, with a week of cooler rainy temperatures thrown in just to keep things interesting.

Right now as I type there's a loud thunderstorm going on outside with lots of pouring rain.

Yes! That means I'm off the hook for watering tomorrow!

 

Most of my blooms are coming to the end, except for this one corner of my front flowerbeds. I'm not sure how it's different than the rest, but the plants in this corner are really thriving, even with all the heat we've had. Perhaps they get a touch more shade?

 

Guillardia, Stella d'Oro daylily, 'Burgundy Iceberg' rose.

 

Guillardia 'Burgundy'

 

I have to laugh at this guillardia.

So this is the guillardia version of "burgundy," huh?

 

It's ironic, because I was debating earlier this summer if I should add that deep red-orange tone to the flowerbed when I had one (just one!) transplanted Asiatic lily bloom in the same shade.

 

It's doesn't clash like I thought it would with the true purples, deep pinks, and other shades going on, so it's going to stay. I guess it was meant to be!

 

For the record:

In back, my 'Yellow Topaz' rose has produced another flush of flowers.

The portulaca continues to bloom with little to no water, right along the house.

The sedum are close to blooming, but the blossoms haven't opened up yet.

I've pulled out most of the petunias from my flowerpots, as they were looking rangy.

 

Check out the other blossoms at May Dreams Gardens.

Happy Bloom Day!

 

Magic Purple Beans

Do you believe in magic?

What about the tallest beanstalk you've ever seen, with a giant at the top?

Well, those are different magic beans.

But apparently, magic runs in the species.

 

This magic is more of the home-spun variety.

Are you ready?

For this spell, you will need:

 

1 large handful of magic purple beans, 'Royal Burgundy' type

(a few regular old green beans won't hurt anything, either)

 

hot boiling water

* * * * * * *

 

Immerse the beans in the water for 4-5 minutes.

Or let them cook in the hot steam for about the same amount of time.

Don't forge to say the magic words!

"Ala-kazam! Presto chango!"

 

When you take off the lid, the purple beans will have disappeared, leaving green beans in their place!

 

This trick can be repeated many times, and it never fails to delight.

 

Disclaimer: This spell is guaranteed not to harm the beans or the bean-eaters.

In fact, it seems to impart a delectable flavor, judging by how quickly they get gobbled down at dinnertime. (A dash of magic makes all the difference!)

One Last Container

I've had these plant tags on my desk for 3 weeks now--time to get them recorded!

Yes, I planted a container in August.

Maybe not so savvy.

Quite possibly a waste of money.

But I have to admit, I love it!

 

Here's what's in it:

Coleus 'Plum Good' (trailing)

Oxalis 'Plum Crazy' --purple shamrocks, so cool!

Geranium 'Elegance Royalty White'

Calibrachoa 'Double Magenta'

For being mostly foliage, it has turned out to be one of my favorite arrangements. So maybe it was worth the end-of-the-season splurge after all. Next year I'll know just what to look for!