Bedraggled

The weather is just not cooperating with my gardening efforts. Too hot, too humid, or like today, too wet. I did clear out the asparagus bed and planted coneflower and rudbekia there. Now I am looking critically at other difficult-to-manage areas of the yard and garden to determine what might be easier to maintain. Like the "orchard" and the rings of castle block around the redbuds. I love my yard but sometimes it is overwhelming.

The leggy annuals are not putting on much of a show (yet), but the random blooms do look perty.

Giant Scarlet-Red Zinnia

Dyers Coreopsis

Torch (Mexican) Sunflower

The lance-leaf coreopsis is supposed to reseed itself, but this year there is just one lone patch. I *suppose* if I kept that area weeded better, there would be more. I think mulch may interfere with the reseeding, too.

Ignore the burdock

I really did weed the south side of the house but somehow missed the thistle growing up in this little patch of shasta daisy. It is one of the bedraggled-by-the-rain flowers.

Ignore the thistle

Another bedraggled specimen is the Stella d' Oro daylilies. They are busting out all over town, though, so hopefully mine will pull through soon.

Put the rain on 'pause' please

The goutweed, a.k.a. bishop's weed, is doing its thing. This bed is relatively isolated so (fingers crossed) it won't become a pest. However, if it keeps the weeds at bay, maybe letting is spread is not such a bad thing. (Can you tell I am tired of weeding?)

Soon the utility boxes will be hidden

This is its third season. First year sleep, second year creep, third year leap.

Seed on!

We were hoping to eliminate the weed pile in the driveway today but RAIN. I've been keeping up on the mowing and not much else. Right now the forecast is for a wet week, but hopefully we can get some things accomplished in between showers.

What's blooming now

My yard seems to have a gap in late spring bloomers, but now that summer is officially here, others are stepping up.

The cardinal vines planted in pots under the redbud trees are starting to blossom. The flowers are smaller than I expected (this is the first time I have grown these), so I'm hoping they make up for their size with profuseness. The vines seem to be doing okay in the clay pots but need daily watering.

The stalks of the yuccas shot up when no one was looking and are now blooming. I once tried to dig out these plants, but only succeeded in goosing them into multiplying. I give up and will cede the bed to them.

I plant bees friend in the vegetable garden and orchard, in the cement blocks that form some of the raised beds. I had never heard of this plant, tried it, liked it. More importantly, the bees really like it, especially since it is more resistant to fall frosts than other flowering plants.

A few hardy coreopsis continue to perform, this one 'Zagreb'. They need to be divided, but it was the 'Autumn Joy' sedum's turn this year.

That sweet smell I detect comes from the common milkweed that pop up here and there.

I have always had at least some milkweed in the yard, but I have NEVER seen a single monarch caterpillar. Maybe it is because of the occasional aphid infestation? I've read that monarchs will not lay eggs on plants like this one.

Not all the plants are infested, so I will try to eliminate the danger and see if that makes any difference. My expectations are low. Maybe there has to be a certain density of milkweed?

I had a vision of white shasta daisies blooming against a background of red climbing roses. Unfortunately, the roses are in serious decline by the time the daisies pop. (I don't know why some of the daisies flopped.)

But now I am thinking the daisies would play nice with the orange tiger lilies I divided this year. At least the bloom times would match. Anybody that tries to flop could be tied to the chain link fence.

Orange you glad we bloomed?

I read that the new Triumph Elm in my backyard may be susceptible to Japanese beetles. It's a good thing I plant hollyhocks as a trap for those shiny buggers.

I purchased the seed for black hollyhocks many years ago, so I was somewhat surprised last year when it germinated. Of the four plants I started, only one survived the winter. I'm thinking maybe I should start some more this year, as they are biennials that bloom the second year.

Maybe these would like to join the tiger lilies and daisies?

Before I forget

Here are all the things we did today:

Picked snap peas.



Finished lining the chain link fence with chicken wire, to try to discourage the rabbits.

Moved pots of plants around.

Weeded the area around the patio and beside the shed, transplanting some of the mint in the process.

Planted another hill of zucchini. I saw a squash bug on the first planting. Boo!

Planted another short row of green beans.

Transplanted a serrano pepper, Thai basil, and Greek oregano into a big planter.

Dug up two Sella d'Oro daylilies and some yucca for my daughter. She took some of the snap peas, and cilantro and basil, too.

Watered.

And now I am too pooped to write more. So here a a few photos for your amusement.

The picture of evil incarnate:



Japanese beetles like hollyhocks as well.

Bee balm:



And a young bluebird of happiness:

Inside out(side)

First, the floor is done.



I forgot to take a "before" picture, but basically what was there was neutral wall-to-wall carpeting. My daughter and I were concerned that the fireplace would clash, but decided it is okay. Daughter is also trying to persuade me to get a round table for the room, one about the size of that there card table. I'm seriously weighing that idea.



Meanwhile, I now have an acre of Durastone to mop.

The story with the upside down tomatoes is, one had a broken stem, which is why it looked parched even though it was supposedly well watered. I broke it off completely, stripped the lower leaves, and stuck it into a pot to see if it will take root and recover. I have not had this problem before, but it only makes sense because, even though the plants are upside down, they are trying to grow rightside up.

The heat and humidity have done in some of the bloomers - the clematis by the front door dropped its petals faster than a streaker in January - while forcing others out of their buds.

Dragon's Blood sedum:



It never looks as good as the photos in the catalogs, but it does well in dry conditions.

A red lily of some variety:



This one does not last long once it blooms.

Shasta daisy:



I finally figured out that deadheading this plant severely limits how well it comes back the following year. I thought it regrew from the roots, but actually it reseeds itself.

Some yellow daylily that was part of a collection:



I keep meaning to do something new with all the different lilies and daylilies I have scattered around the yard, but have yet to get around to it. It's not like they are going anywhere.

This is a small-flowered clematis - I can't find its name right now - that I think blooms most of the summer.



It has been moved and abused so often I'm surprised it is still alive, let alone blooming.

No vegetable garden is complete without marigolds:



Usually I select a mahogany-colored variety, but now I'm favoring orange.

This hosta gets a lot of sun, but doesn't seem to mind:



Behind it are Stella d' Oro daylilies.

I know the name of this tickseed:



Coreoptis Grandiflora 'Early Sunrise'.

And, now that the privet is done blooming, the volunteer milkweeds are serving as aromatic replacements:



Every year I let a few of these go, and sometimes monarchs visit, but I never find any eggs, let alone caterpillars, on the plants. Maybe this year.

I keep trying to capture just how lovely the barberry looks with its new growth. This is the best I can do.



It's even better in real life. Trust me.

And because no entry this year would be complete without a bunny pic:

Dingleberry

After all my hard work, chopping and bundling brush, I forgot to put it out for trash pickup this morning. *sigh*

The thrill of spring is giving way to the steady rhythm of summer. The honeymoon is over, but there are still a few interesting things around the yard.

Up close and personal, the milkweed blossoms await their pollinators.



This plant grows from a crack between the driveway concrete and a wall of castle block. The volunteers in the 3B garden are not nearly as robust, in spite of having real dirt to grow in and lots of mulch to keep their feet moist.

The burning bush is starting to make these little fruit? seeds? that the sparrows like.



Hmmm. I just did a little research. The burning bush does produce fruit which the birds do like, BUT it is also considered a non-native invasive. I did not know that. I have not noticed my bush doing any invading in my yard, but the birds may be spreading the seeds far and wide. In my defense, this bush was here when I bought the house.

Yuccas are forever, but this one is struggling to bloom.



If memory serves me correctly, once upon a time I planted three yuccas in this spot. When I added more plants, I tried to eliminate some of the yuccas, but like a bad weed, more keep popping up. What remains has to compete with the asplenifolia and sandcherry for sunlight. The flower stem is quite spindly and not full at all. Not sure if I will do anything about it, though.

The next two pix were an attempt to showcase the 3B garden but my photog skills are lacking.



3B stands for Bees, Butterflies, Birds. This garden is successful in attracting all three. From a distance, it appears meadowlike, very green with highlights of color. The above photo shows the catmint and daisies, the picture below yarrow, pestemon, and keys of heaven.



The 3B is prettier in real life.

The two-leggeds need to eat as well.



The first pepper!

And here is the Mad Rabbit.

Good News

One of the estimators I have been entertaining lately paid a return visit this afternoon, to discuss the New Plan. I had drawn up a picture of my Dream Room, which includes a half-bath at the north end of the house. He checked out this and that and proclaimed my plan Good. Now we will see just how much money it will cost.

This is the back of the house. The Florida room is in the center, and it would go away. An added bonus of this amputation is the family room and kitchen will get more light. The new room would go on the left and be as wide as the gable on the right, but jut out deeper into the backyard, measuring 24' x 18'.



When I first went house hunting way back when, I said I did not want a well or a flat roof. I wound up with both. Last year I hooked up to city water (the outdoor faucets are still on the well). With this remodeling, the flat roof will be history as well. So, in a way, I was right.

Yesterday I moved some daylilies from the back fence to the south fence. These daylilies are supposed to be what I call tiger lilies and some people call ditch lilies. They grow tall along country roads and bloom a long time. I see them in other people's yards but I don't know where those plants come from because every time I bring some home from a nursery, they turn out to be not quite what I want. I planted these last year, and I can't remember if they even bloomed. In their new location, they will get more sun and rain, so hopefully will grow tall and strong and beautiful.

Today it rained again, but just enough to wet everything down.

Let's go for a walk around the yard:

Here we have the first blush of yarrow.



Butterflies like yarrow because of the flat surface. This variety comes in several colors.

And here is the first of the Stella d' Oro daylilies.



The ones at the shopping centers have come on strong, but mine are a little late, probably because they get less sun. Mine also don't bloom for very long. This year I am going to try to keep the blossoms coming, by daily dead-heading. (Does someone do that for the parking lot Stellas?)

The privat is filling the air with its almost-too-cloying fragrance.



The bees love these blossoms, which made yesterday's relocation of the daylilies, um, a challenge. No insects (or humans!) were injured, though. Well, except for one deer fly, but I killed him in self-defense.

Every year, some milkweed pops up in my front yard. Monarchs come to visit, but I have never found any eggs, caterpillars, or cocoons on the plants.



This year there are some volunteers in the backyard. Maybe the monarchs will like that location better.

I have been trying to capture the beautiful new growth on the barberry. This photo does not do it justice.



Other varieties are less subtle than mine. These are still luscious, especially when lit from behind by the setting sun.

What I am trying to show in this photo is how tall the yucca stalks are.



It's difficult to see, but the top of the yucca stalk is about three-fourths of the way up the asplenifolia. I don't think I fertilized this bed yet, so this must be a fighting-for-some-light growth.

The surviving Shasta daisies are doing well.



What makes daisies seem so cheerful and innocent?

And the roses are still hanging in there. The hot and humid days have been somewhat balanced by some fairly decent ones, so they haven't crumpled to the ground yet.



Hmmm. It just occurred to me that maybe I should try saving some of the petals. Do they hold fragrance? Could I use them in sachet or potpourri?

The pestemon is still in its beginning stages.



Last year I was impressed with the way it swept up against the fence. Hope we get a repeat performance.

Up close and personal, individual flowers show fascinating variations. This scabiosa has delicate stamens in the center.



Scabiosa bloom all summer long. The flowers are supported by nearly naked stiff stems, and appear to be just hanging in midair with no support.

The petals of the 'Jethro Tull' coreopsis are fluted.



Get it? Jethro Tull? Fluted? I guess you have to be (ahem) middle aged to understand.