I turned my back for a few days

This past Saturday was spent mostly doing housework, Sunday was Mother's Day so family came over (hence the reason for the housecleaning), and Monday it poured, so my SO and I left town. Today I was surprised to find *more* flowering going on in the yard. (Please excuse all the weeds!)

Volunteer Canadian columbine are popping up all over the place

Prunifolium viburnum, a.k.a. Blackhaw

Aronia melanocarpa, a.k.a. Chokeberry

Chokeberry, up close

Prairie Fire crabapple, year ONE

Finding blossoms on the stick-like Prairie Fire crab was a delightful surprise. Not all color is from flowers, though. Two shrubs I planted last summer are fulfilling their promise of providing contrast to my mostly-purple-leafed front yard.

Lemony Lace elderberry

Golden Spirit smokebush

Not everything is doing well, though. It looks like the climbing rose bit the dust. Periodically, I would contemplate removing it, only to have it put on a great show. After deciding I would keep it, I planted shasta daisies in front of it for contrast. Now it is dead. At least the hosta bed survived the dog trampling, as has one coral bells plant; the other is questionable, as is the mountain mint.

Palace Purple heuchera

Hosta bed

Big hostas have big impact, but my favorite is this small-leafed Golden Tiara (at least I think that is the variety). The bed also has some volunteer columbine and violets (and dandelion, which I cropped out of the pic).

Golden Tiara hosta

I hope your yard and garden are just as full of surprises!

No new beds!

At least, that is what I tell myself when I see a plant I WANT. Today it was Ninebark 'Ginger Wine' at the Home Depot. It needs full sun. The best location for full sun in my front yard is the southeast corner. I've contemplated creating a dogleg bed there. Wouldn't 'Ginger Wine' look nice, with a couple of 'Fire Chief' Globe Arborvitae and a ground cover of some sort? Maybe next year. I need to get the current beds under control.

The best bloomer right now is the blackhaw viburnum, a.k.a. Viburnum prunifolium. It needs a little pruning to get it out of the arborvitae's hair. There are also some interlopers trying to grow right along with it.

We had some frost a few nights ago, so the blossoms don't look so nice anymore. I hope that does not mean no fruit. That would be a repeat of last year.

When the privacy fence was installed last year, I asked the crew if they could raise the garden shed, to help discourage the resident woodchuck. They obliged, but a side affect was difficulty getting the push lawnmower in and out of the shed.

My SO is handy with power tools and there is an odd assortment of pressure treated lumber from various other projects, so he whipped together this ramp. As Red Green says, " If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." (My SO is handsome, too!)

The rain has abated for a few days, the gas lines were marked yesterday, and the other utilities will be marked tomorrow. THEN I will be able to plant the shrubs I purchased in April. Only gardeners get excited about digging holes.