No Man's Land

There is an area behind my back fence, in front of the privat, that belongs to me. When I first moved in, the neighbors behind me were using it as a dumping ground. I didn't realize this until, while I was cleaning up the debris, they came out and apologized profusely for the mess; I had assumed the previous owners of my house had left the junk behind. These neighbors and I took turns mowing that stretch. When they moved away, the new neighbors and I had a few "discussions" about the privat and their fence, with me discouraging them from cutting down the privat and them trying to get me to do the trimming by their fence. Now I am the exclusive mower of the area, but I decline responsibility for the grass growing along their fence. These same neighbors share a swath between their fence and the fence of the people next door to them. Neither party seems to want to take responsibility for this area, so it gets a little ratty looking until finally one of them (I'm not sure which one) runs a mower through it. Do you have no-man's-land areas in your neighborhood that become passive-aggressive battle zones?

The weather forecasts are reliably unreliable, so yesterday and today were mowing days for me. Yesterday was also car washing day and garage cleaning day. Everyday is deadheading day and, since it hasn't rained in a while, water something or other day.

The weather this past week has been delightful, highs in the 70's, lows in the 50's. Today it climbed into the 80's, so I turned the AC on for a while. These temps have allowed the climbing rose to just keep going and going.



There is almost not enough room on the canes for the thick clusters of blooms.



I still haven't gathered any rose petals while I may. Sometimes enough is enough.

The early bird hosta is inching closer to full bloom.



Hummingbirds like these.

This photo does not do justice to the range of pastel colors in the yarrow.



There is white and yellow and pink and lavender.

A neighbor's yucca has burst forth with bloom while mine is just barely starting.



But his does not have to compete for sunlight with an asplenifolia.

I've been cruising the nurseries and nursery departments, looking for more 'Jethro Tull' and, since I inadvertently destroyed the last of the scabiosa, I have also been keeping an eye out for a replacement. Tonight I found both at Lowes.



This is Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' aka purple fountain grass. Now that I am taking a closer look at the plant tag, I realize I did not buy what I thought I was buying - this stuff is supposed to get huge. I may have to rethink where I plant it. (That pesky lack of mindfulness thing bites me once again.)

Several years ago, I received with a mail order plant shipment some free lilies. I stuck them in the ground here and there, with the intention of moving them someday. You know what they say about good intentions.



Here is this year's first bloomer of this group. It is growing in the pink and white flower bed, but it looks like a good candidate for the yellow and maroon side of the house. Since I will be planting 'Jethro Tull' tomorrow (weather permitting), maybe I will move this guy and replace him with some coneflower.

Maybe.