Useless effort?

This past week, the New York Times ran an article about what happens when a home with a yard planted in natives goes on the market. In their examples, the properties sold for a premium. I have a feeling that is not going to happen around here.

Which led to despondency about my yard. I put a LOT of effort into growing natives despite living in a pollinator desert, which results in a sense of futility. And then there is the weedy look of the natives at the front of the house - not what I would call curb appeal. I'm tempted to transplant them all to the backyard where they can look as weedy as they wish, then update the front to look more conventional (within reason).

Part of my funk is because this is the lull before summer flowers, but that is beginning to turn around.

The penstemon lives on despite my efforts to irradicate it

The start of milkweed season

First coneflower

Honeysuckle vine starts early and goes all summer

Fading climbing rose (surrounded by thistle)

I'm still battling weeds, but at least the lawn has slowed down. The newbies need daily watering, while the hanging planters require it twice a day. I cleared the dams that form at the downspouts, so I welcome a heavy downpour just to see my effort pay off. I pick strawberries every afternoon for my evening yogurt parfait. Things could be worse.

What's it good for? Ragwort

When the landscaper selected Golden ragwort (Packera aurea) as one of the primary plants for the front yard, waxing rapturously about what it looks like in bloom, I shrugged because I had never heard of it. He is right about the blooming, but before and after, the stems look kind of weedy. In previous years, I cut back the stems, but this year let them go. Then I observed one use for this plant: food for goldfinch.

The plant is a natural for my yard, as it tolerates wet soil and both sun and partial shade. It spreads by rhizomes and by seed, already showing up in other parts of the yard with no assistance from me. When not distracting me with its yellow flowers (which attract pollinators), it makes a great ground cover. And the foliage is one of the few larval food sources for the northern metalmark butterfly (which I've never seen around these parts). So I guess I'll keep it.

(Most of my ragwort information is from this site.)

Meanwhile, around the yard....

The ninebark is blooming, something I had not really considered when selecting it, as I was primarily concerned with the foliage. A nice surprise, though.

I do believe this miniature forest is volunteer asparagus, something I have never observed before. I love asparagus, but let the patch go except for a few hardy plants. Now it looks like I will have plenty in the future. My neighbor says it is good frozen, which is something to consider.

All four of the green bean seeds germinated, but two of them never formed primary leaves. I will replant them and have a staggered harvest, completely by accident.

Every year I say I am going to remove the climbing rose, but then it blooms. Red is my favorite color.

The hairy beardtongue is the primary bloomer in the front yard now. Ordinarily, it would be attracting fat bees, but the weather has been so erratic lately that there are few insects out and about, even on sunny days.

It hardly feels like summer, as highs have been stuck in the 60's. But Monday and Tuesday promise to be HOT. The neighbors had their pool filled with water today, so it must be true.

Feels (almost) like summer

Some mark the beginning of summer with Memorial Day. The weather is almost there, but some cooler temps are in store for us this coming week. As I age, I find it more and more difficult to work under the sun. This morning was overcast, though, so just right for getting some things done in the yard.

I like my older honeysuckle vine but not how it is out of control. Hopefully, these trunks from the arborvitae will help corral it and send it up instead of out.

For the younger honeysuckle vines, I proactively set up trellises to keep them in check.

One other climber, the Clematis Paniculata which is still in a container, is being trained to climb up the pergola. (No pic, because the whole setup is rather chintzy looking.) The plant received a top dressing of composted cow manure today, to keep it happy.

And then there is the climbing rose. I've been looking for a trellis to arch over the gate in the fence, but it has to be at least six feet wide and six feet tall, which is expensive. While spraying weeds behind my privacy fence, I noticed the neighbors behind me had installed a trellis made from concrete remesh (or something like that) for their new climbing roses. So now that is on my shopping list.

Yesterday I managed to get the rattlesnake master into the ground before the sun came out from behind a cloud. This morning was overcast, so I tackled the beds in the front, cutting down spent ragwort flower stems (the hedge trimmer works well for this) and hand weeding. The Penstemon hirsutus (Hairy Beardtongue) is blooming there, along with the Heuchera richardsonii (Prairie Alumroot), which the bees are loving.

The Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks' (Rough Goldenrod) I planted last year is doing well, still in tidy clumps. The aster I planted in front of it did not survive an onslaught from bunnies. I'm debating on whether to replace them. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find any reference to the variety.

The serviceberry (a.k.a. Juneberry) fruit is ripening, right on time. The robins will be loving these shrubs in a few weeks.

The spiderwort is blooming well, mostly early in the day. Later on, it closes shop. The rain garden has been closer to a water feature this spring, and I'm not sure the plants that have been under water are going to survive. I'm wondering if some Siberian iris would do well there.

And to close out this post, my trio of suns. They are made from metal, and I purchased them at the annual home and garden show. The first on is on the front porch, the second one by the dining room window, and the last one on the back fence. I particularly like that last one, as its look changes with the changing light.

Have a great weekend!

Baby birds

The fledglings are everywhere. I've seen baby sparrows, starlings (which are VERY noisy), mourning doves, and bluebirds. Even though the young 'uns are almost as big as their parents, usually their coloring is a bit different and flying takes a lot more effort, as does sticking the landing. Fun to watch.

As promised last time, I transplanted the basil, tomato, and sweet potato vine plants to containers. I also transplanted some penstemon from a large container to the ground, as it had become too crowded to bloom. It's been hot and dry, so everything gets watered every day; the ninebark shrubs get a big drink when they start looking droopy.

I'm SO GLAD I had the landscaping redone last year. Maintaining it is now relatively easy. Every couple of weeks, I do some hand weeding, then treat the pernicious ones with herbicide. It's amazing what keeps trying to come back every year: burdock, trumpet vine, spearmint, forsithia, poison ivy, tree of heaven (should be called tree from hell - read about it here), etc. Very persistant.

One of the redbud trees is not looking its best. From one angle, it seems fine, but from another, not so much. I have some arborists coming to look at the tulip tree, so I'll ask about the redbud as well.

I discovered some calico scale on one of the witchhazel shrubs. Not sure if I should be worried about that.

On a positive note, here is a bee in the penstemon planted last year. It crawls all the way into the blossom in its pursuit of pollen.

Other current bloomers include the climbing rose that I periodically threaten to eliminate.

And columbine.

Flamingos are my thing, so I could not resist this patriotic trio from Menards. I'm sure some of my neighbors don't approve, but that's the point.

Otherwise, I have been busy with my summer job: chauffeuring my granddaughter hither and yon (this week, it was basketball camp). The heat has kept me mostly inside. Next week promises to be milder, although still no rain in the forecast.

Mowing and trimming

That's about all I do regarding yardwork, mow a couple of times a week, trim when I feel like it. I ventured into no-man's land - the area behind my privacy fence and in front of the neighbor's privet (which smells absolutely lovely right now, like lilacs or milkweed) - to see what it looks like. Thankfully, the neighbors have been keeping it mowed; I trimmed along my fence.

The 'Blue Muffin' viburnum is done blooming, and it looks like another fruitless year. I thought maybe the sparrows had been eating the blossoms - I've had that kind of problem with them before - and that was why I seldom saw any fruit on the shrub. I've been offering the birds millet, which they love, but that doesn't seem to make a difference with the viburnum. It's cousin, 'Chicago Lustre', is starting to come on now. I'm not sure either will survive the landscape update.

The climbing rose on the south side of the house, in an area to be updated later, is blooming its little heart out. Once I learned that it blooms better on horizontal branches, I made an attempt to make the branches horizontal. I was rewarded for my efforts.


I purchased some more sweet potato vine and a few geraniums for containers on the deck. By this time of spring, the pickings are slim at the local nurseries unless you want petunias or begonias. One pot contained some volunteer zinnias, which is what I favor when it comes to annuals. Next year, I'll have to start some inside.

While waiting on the landscaper, my SO helped me cut down mulberries - they were getting completely out of control and I'm allergic to them - and I treated the stumps with herbicide. They were starting to form berries. The serviceberry is absolutely loaded this year, but I've seen only a few robins and catbirds back there instead of the usual feeding frenzy. There is even uneaten fruit on the wild strawberries. I guess if my yard has an abundance of fruit, there must be an abundance everywhere.

Finally

The bamboo mini LED grow light garden is finally on it's way from Gardeners Supply. Or rather, the shipping label has been printed. You know how that goes, especially these days. Ship date promises are easily forgotten.

Another "finally" is the removal of the raised beds. I am *so* glad to have that chore completed, was tired of looking at that mess. Now I can focus on all the *other* stuff that needs attention.

I have never come up with an effective method of supporting the climbing rose. It doesn't seem to care, as long as it is growing more horizontal than vertical. This is another banner year for blooms (which are already starting to fade).

The wren house in the front yard is full of baby sparrows, not wrens as I had assumed. The parents raid the meal worm feeder for their young. That wren house is rather old, so the entrance must have expanded over the years. I'm sure there is a doodad I can buy that will restrict occupancy for future future.

The zinnias have all been transplanted, some into containers, some here and there in the remaining raised beds. I spread more stone on the west side of the house, along the deck. The dogs use that side of the deck as a launching point, so there is no point in growing much there. I've been doing some watering, as the pop-up showers have been hit-and-miss, plus no rain in the forecast.

The yarrow and catmint continue to bloom. The 'Blue Muffin' is done, but 'Chicago Lustre' is peaking. Smooth hydrangea is loaded with blossoms, as are the 'Betty Corning'. Stella d'Oro is starting up, as are the black hollyhocks. Last night we drove past a house with a postage stamp of a front yard, but it was *full* of colorful hollyhocks. Quite striking. One of my SO's neighbors has a similarly sized front yard full of natives. I may have to chat him up to find out what all is blooming there right now, as most of my natives bloom later.

Just can't resist

I haven't been posting many photos of my yard and garden this year, but sometimes one just can't help oneself.

Last summer, my SO and I attempted to shape the purple leaf smokebush. It doesn't get quite enough sun, so looks rather rangy late in the season. Our efforts paid off. This baby looks almost perfect. We will have to keep up the good work.

The Golden Spirit smokebush isn't smoking much yet, but it looks wonderfully lush. It is in a sunnier location than its cousin, so hopefully will not get so gangly.

I know I have already posted a pic of the Lemony Lace elderberry, but I just can't get over how great it looks this year. It's framed by mugo pine and cotoneaster. Some of my neighbors are probably shaking their heads, imagining my shrubbery as the perfect place for a creep to hide. Quite frankly, if someone manages to get into this shrubbery, I doubt he will be able to get out without a lot of thrashing around.

I forgot I had tucked a couple of extra black hollyhock plants next to the climbing rose. One is languishing - not enough sun - the other surprised me with these blooms, earlier than the ones in the garden proper. The rose is not very prolific this year, probably due to that harsh winter we had.

I'm still struggling a bit with my hip. My GP sent me to an osteo surgeon who had only one solution to offer: replacement. Talk about a one-trick pony! Most days I can walk without much pain, so I'm holding off. I'm following Pete Egoscue's skeletal alignment exercises and self-administering trigger point therapy, practicing some yoga poses and physical therapy exercises I've picked up over the years. So far, so good, although there are days when I wonder if I'm being too stubborn.

Be fruitful

I planted some cherry trees (two sweet, two sour) and apple trees a few years ago and pretty much neglect them. The other day I was taking a closer look at them while contemplating some heavy pruning when I noticed... FRUIT!

I think the apples are Pristine, a descendant of the Macintosh and Starking Delicious. The flavor is described as "sharp/refreshing" which I think means "tart/crisp", but the reason I chose this variety is its natural disease resistance (see neglect above). The apples look round which means they were well pollinated... I think. My intimate knowledge of apples is not very developed.

These cherries are definitely tart, which is why the birds haven't been feasting on them too much. I think this tree is the North Star Tart, a great pie cherry. Yummmmm!

Elsewhere in the yard I spotted a crabapple on my brand new Perfect Purple. There are also berries on the serviceberry but I couldn't get a decent photo - the camera kept focusing on the leaves and not the fruit.

The climbing rose has never been so dense with blossoms as it is this year, obscuring the fruitfulness of robins.

Until I edited this pic, I didn't realize there was an egg in the nest. See the bit of blue?

How fruitful is your garden?

A perfect day for gardening

The weather was just GORGEOUS today. If I had a sunfish sailboat and a place on a no-ski lake, that is where I would have been. Of course, as soon as I purchased a boat and a lake cottage, the weather would never be suitable for sailing ever again. Then the boat could keep my cross country skis company in the garage.

Ominous - it did rain a bit

The next best thing is a LONG walk with my daughter, granddaughter, and the three dogs we have between us. Mine is the least well behaved, but Watson was better today than on our last walk. It is only through repetition and exposure to a variety of environments that he will become the great dog I know he can be.

Happy hosta transplants

The NEXT best thing is working in the yard. The sun was a bit too intense for heavy duty gardening, but I did accomplish the following:

Mulched chokeberry and smooth hydrangea: I'm using Southern Pine bark this year.
Planted dahlia tubers: I've never grown dahlias before. In fact, I can't even say "dahlia" correctly. Betsy Beagle's name was originally Dahlia and I had to change it.
Transplanted hollyhock seedlings: These poor things were blown off the potting table onto the deck during one of our recent storms. Nine of them survived the trauma.
Started sunflowers, marigolds, and pole beans in peat pots: Using peat pots is a new strategy.
REstarted hibiscus: I am growing these from seed. Or I would be, if the seed would germinate. The first attempt was an epic FAIL.
Transplanted a few zinnia seedlings: I have lots of zinnias to brighten the yard.

Perky mountain mint

With all the rain we have had lately (3" last week, followed by 1.25" more), I have not had to worry about keeping earlier transplants watered. My broccoli seedlings succumbed to neglect, so I replaced them with some robust ones from a local nursery. I added some Walker's Low catmint to what is supposed to be the blueberry bed - common milkweed is taking over that space again. I'm down to two blueberry plants and the azalea didn't make it through the winter, so I just might let the milkweed have its way there.

Random acts of gardening

Sometimes I just want a lot of color in my yard, fast. This spring I grabbed some common annuals like geraniums and petunias at the local nursery for the defunct tulip containers. I even bought myself a pot of spill-fill-thrill at Kroger's. And that's okay. Not every plant has to be the latest-and-greatest or native or whatever. There are no gardening rules.

According to my SO, the front yard is now a "riot of color". A neighbor commented that my backyard must be a work of art, presumably based on what he sees out front. HA HA! It's a mess, but it's my mess. My SO did ask the other day if we are ever going to be done buying mulch/compost/potting soil. Um, NO.

One reason the front yard looks so colorful is the volunteer Canadian columbine that keeps popping up all over. It originated from a handful of plants I bought from Spring Hill Nursery oh-so-many years ago, a purchase that keeps on giving. There are fancier columbines, but I'll stick with this old classic.

Canadian columbine

Clematis 'Niobe' is supposed to grow 8'-12' feet tall and bloom all summer, but so far, it is lucky to even be alive. MY goal was for it to climb the front porch trellis, but it and the rabbits have had other plans. Maybe this year I will prevail.

Clematis 'Niobe'

In the backyard, I have been rearranging plants, moving some sad hostas to more shade and a few "ditch" lilies to more sun. Last year we whacked a couple of forsythia shrubs to the ground. They are still growing, but maybe I can keep them under control. The third forsythia received its whacking yesterday, so I finally planted the mountain mint I received at last years Garden Bloggers Fling, kind of behind where the forsythia was.

Catmint 'Six Hills Giant'

The above catmint is meant to fill the area behind a witch hazel, in front of some "ditch" lilies, between the forsythia and some viburnum. The variety is 'Six Hills Giant' and it does get big and wide.

Speaking of big and wide, 'Betty Corning' is again outgrowing its restraints. I need to come up with a better idea for supporting these. The blossom time is just beginning.

Clematis 'Betty Corning'

Another plant in need of proper support is the honeysuckle vine. It is making do with the privacy fence, but I would like to do better. One idea is mounting a trellis on the fence, to give it something to grab onto.

Honeysuckle 'Alabama Crimson'

Some iris came with the house and somehow I have managed not to kill it over the years. There is some in the hosta bed and some near the deck, and neither clump blooms much anymore. I keep saying, Come August, I will thin and transplant it, but August is also very hot and humid. I'm easily discouraged.

Iris of unknown origin (came with the house)

About the time I bought the above mentioned columbine, I also purchased a climbing rose. Over the years, I have often contemplated getting rid of it (and sometimes its thorns seem bent on getting rid of me), and yet it prevails. I think it has finally found its true calling, though.

Climbing rose of some sort

An arch! I have long admired archways in other gardens, but could never figure out how to pull one off in my own yard. Well, maybe I'll just try training this climbing rose to make my archway dream come true.

Incipient archway

It is my understanding that the climbing rose blooms best on horizontal branches. We'll see how that works out.