A gardener's wish comes true

Last week I complained about how dry it has been here. The rain gods must have been listening because we received 1.5" one day, then about another 0.5" on another. Everything is well watered now. The temps dropped, to the point I had to turn on the furnace last night. The plants may like it warmer but I don't.

Every year, after I have scheduled AC maintenance, I hustle to clean up the area on the west side of the house. This past Monday I moved the daylilies and Asiatic lilies that were next to the AC unit to the bed by the front sidewalk. Then came a layer of newspaper and bag after bag of pebbles to complete this rather sterile but practical landscape. The problem has been chipmunks and dogs digging for chipmunks. Now there is no place for those wascally wodents to hide. More containers will be added.

I've whined before about how the junipers under the windows of the den were too big. I've tried pruning them which seemed to only simulate them to greater heights. So a few days ago, my SO helped me whack them down. (The jury is out regarding that Alberta spruce in the middle.)

I'd like to replace the junipers with something evergreen but more controlable. Perhaps Ilex glabra 'Compacta'? Also known as inkberry, it likes it damp and there are two downspouts and the outflow of the sump pump in that area. However, inkberry prefers acidic soil, so that would need to be addressed. Perhaps two females here and a male to fertilize them around the corner?

Canada thistle is a constant thorn in my side (a little gardening humor there), but once in a while, something unusual like this sow thistle shows up. Of course, it is not welcome, either, but it's nice to see something different for a change.

My order from Bluestone Perennials arrived in good shape; I plan to install the plants tomorrow, when the blasted wind dies down. They are: Clematis Paniculata, Buddleia ' Purple Haze', Buddleia 'Pink Micro Chip', Agastache 'Kudos Ambrosia'. These are all going into containers. The only one I am concerned about is the clematis, as I won't be able to move it into the garage come cold weather. I hope I can protect the roots well enough for it to winter over.

I think the hummingbirds we saw last week were outliers, although another one appeared yesterday. In my experience, they usually don't show up until June. I'm giving up on the oriole feeder, at least for now, unless someone convinces me otherwise. Both wren houses appear to be populated.