Front Flowerbeds: Pockets of Pretty

 

With the unusually hot June and July we've had, the front flowerbeds have started dying off in some places. It's easy to tell which flowers are the more self-sufficient types!

I have tried to get out and water once or twice a week, but for some that hasn't been nearly enough.

So I have little pockets of pretty here and there.

Hey, I'll take it!

 

Mums started blooming early, and the coneflowers certainly don't mind the heat.

My potentilla is as tough as nails--don't let those diminutive dainty flowers fool you!

The purple bellflower, which hasn't done much for the last 2 years, finally perked up and started filling in its spot.

We've got a glimpse of phlox, a little bit of salvia, and those coneflowers in the background.

See, from this angle it's lovely! 

I'm not sure what's going on right here FRONT AND CENTER, but the dead corkscrew rush and dying peony are not what I want to see in the spotlight!

 

This is a strange angle, in an attempt to get a picture of my William Shakespeare rose blooming again.

This pocket is more interesting than pretty, with the coneflower heads and dried drumstick alliums.

This salvia, which I'm fairly certain is the 'Rose Queen' variety, is kind of a thug. However, it's so pretty and long-lasting, that for now I'm letting it do its thing.

The seedlings are easy to pull out come spring. 

Lamb's ears with dead columbine.

Just keeping it real.

Oooh, look!

We found another little pocket of pretty!

Burgundy guillardia in the front with a few more coneflowers in the back.

Heat? What heat?

[Water? What water?... wait--that's my cue!]

Despite the catmint blooms being mostly seedheads by now, the bees are still determinedly going about their business. Next year I will probably cut it back much sooner.

Ah yes. The 'Quickfire' Hydrangea.

A little loveliness all by itself.

 

Containers Filled

As work on the garden expansion continues, I decided today would be a good day to get all my containers planted.

 

True to form, I did purples and pinks across the board.

Like last year, I put in a few perennials, which I plan to plant in my flowerbeds come fall. 

Here's what we've got:

 

#1: Tall & Skinny Blue Pot

This is all herbs this year.

I've got a pineapple sage (just for fun), plus one sweet basil and one purple basil 'Amethyst Improved.' I wanted rosemary, too, but have yet to find it for sale.

 

#2: Dark Blue Pot

Carpathian Bellflower (Campanula carpatica) in the middle, with 3 wave petunias spaced around it. Yes, it looks a little strange right now, but soon those petunias will start billowing, and I wanted something tall enough to still be seen over the petunias.

The bellflower will go in my front flowerbed this fall.

I already have the perfect spot picked out!

#3: Round blue pot

Loaded with pinks this time--literally!

Every year a dianthus practically leaps into my cart. This was the one!

Also in this one, 1 wave petunia in purple, light pink calibrachoa, and a few deep pink stems of stock.  I'm hoping once the dianthus is done with its main blooming, the rest will keep it going through the summer.

 

#4: Gray-Green Pot

These are "Regal" geraniums. They were each going to go in a separate container, but as the name might suggest, they did not play well with others. At least not the others I already had purchased. The pink has some deep red undertones that clashed with my other pink stuff, once I brought it home.

So they got their very own container, with only a few white lobelia on either side to share it with.

I hope Their Majesties are satisfied, and keep giving me those gorgeous blossoms all summer.

 

#5: Green Pot

 The tall plants sticking up are Snapdragons, 'Rocket Mix'. I have never tried snapdragons in a container before--or at all, actually. So I have no idea how this will go.

Also in there: white stock, deep pink & yellow calibrachoa, pink petunia.

I don't love it, but we'll see how it looks when things start to fill in a little more.

 

#6: Blue Boat

Last, but certainly not least, is the succulent boat.

No petunias this time to steal the show!

Clockwise from top left:

Blue Chalk Fingers 'Serpents' (Senecio vitalis). The tag says it produces white flower clusters and it's actually supposed to grow 12-18" high.

Jade 'Hobbit' (crassula ovate)

Zebra plant (Haworthia fasciata)  This one is my favorite!

Hens & chicks, which survived the winter in my back flowerbed.

Senecio 'Blazin' Glory' (Senecio cephalophorus) Supposed to have bright orange blooms

Aeonium 'Tip Top' (Aeonium arborescens)

 

I may move them a little closer together and put a couple others in there, as well.

And yes, I am planning to bring most of them inside this fall.

 

Do I really have SIX containers?

It's more than I thought, but still doesn't seem like enough!



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.