The fun stuff

I spent a good part of yesterday weeding while waiting on the underground utility guy to show up (he never did). By midafternoon, I was bushed. By evening I could barely move. My gardening muscles have certainly atrophied over the winter. If my SO was not scheduled to come help me today, I might have laid on the couch watching golf with my eyes closed. But he came and we worked. But it was mostly fun stuff.

One task that definitely took two was installing a Coolaroo sun shade over the pergola. But first I tended to the pergola planters: coir liners, potting soil, and Margarita sweet potato plants (Ipomoea batatas). Last year's effort to grow something that would shade the deck was a big FAIL. I think these vines will work better, but we added the sun shade as insurance.

We noticed the difference the sun shade made almost immediately. Purchased at Costco, it's 7'x13' while my pergola is about 10'x10'. The sun shade fits between the main cross pieces, then hangs over one side, the side the sun will be on later this summer. I'm looking forward to enjoying late afternoon iced tea on the "veranda".

Even though the underground utility guy didn't come to mark the electrical and FIOS, the gas guy did show up on Wednesday, so I was able to plant the black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) and smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) shrubs I purchased earlier this spring.

I didn't take photos, but I also planted two more rattlesnake masters (Eryngium yuccifolium) in this corner of the yard. If I can ever get the creeping charlie under control, I think this area will be real purty someday.

I also didn't take photos of the madder (Rubia tinctoria) plant (the roots are used for dyeing fiber), nor did I document the removal of the yarrow from the native sampler bed on the south side of the house. My SO took one yarrow clump while I transferred the other to a raised bed where it presumably can't wander hither and yon. I moved what I presume to be a 'Husker Red' Penstemon into one of the yarrow holes.

I thought I had killed off all the Husker Red (by accident) a few years ago, but this one popped up in the sampler bed.

I know I said NO NEW BEDS in my last post, but I don't think this one really counts. Leftover lumber had been piled next to the deck, but that was not stopping the iris from trying to spread. We cleared it out and threw down a couple of delineating timbers. I'm not sure what I will do with this area other than reset some of the iris rhizomes come August. Daylilies? Sunflowers?

Elsewhere around the yard, the trees I planted last year are doing well, the Triumph Elm (Ulmus 'Morton Glossy') in the back and a hawthorn (Crataegus viridis 'Winter King') in the front.

I forgot that the hawthorn blooms. Pretty, but also pretty stinky. I don't care for the fragrance.

I need to mind the thorns when I mow around it. Yikes!

The tulip tree has been here since 2009 (?). It looks a little sparse in part because I have not yet lopped off the lower branches that the sparrows killed last year by stripping the bark for their nests. Actually, I blame the blue jays because they would wipe their beaks on the limbs, presumably damaging the tender bark. This spring the sparrows tried to pull off more bark but appeared to be unsuccessful. I also took a hiatus on feeding the birds; the jays can get their whole peanuts somewhere else.

Of greater concern is what I think is a weather crack. I first noticed this last summer. I'm hoping it does not prove to be fatal.

I wish I were better able to capture how bright and shiny the barberry is this year, a nice contrast with the gold mop. There used to be a burning bush where the flamingo is, on the left. You can't tell from this photo, but I cut out one of the barberry too. My hope is the gold mop will fill in the spaces.

I wasn't sure how the hostas would survive the fence installation last year, but I lucked out and two of them are on one side and the rest on the other side are just fine. There is a bit of volunteer rudbeckia growing around the 'Love Pat' on the right. The other hosta is a mystery.

I think this hosta is 'Golden Tiara' and I was afraid it was going to peter out a couple of years ago, the victim of home improvement. I shoveled some homemade compost on it a year (or two?) ago and it looks like it is recovering. I like it because of the small leaves.

There is still more planting to do, and some plant moving, which is almost as much fun as planting. Then it is back to the weeding and mulching.

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.

What is that bright thing up in the sky?

Last Friday was a dry day, so much mowing and trimming ensued (plus a little pruning). This past Wednesday was also fit for non-ducks, so I did some weeding and mulching. Otherwise, it's been gray leaky skies, day after day, until today. Clear skies are going to result in frosty nights, though.

Since things were still rather soggy in the yard, I felt justified in spending part of the day attending the Rural Artist Studio Tour. I didn't purchase any art, but ironically I did come home with some plants. One stop was at the Beside Still Waters Greenhouse where I snatched up a tray of Sweet Alyssum (no plant tag, so the variety will remain a mystery), to use in the tulip containers. Then after the last stop of the tour, we were just down the road from Riverview Nursery, so I picked up a couple of Rattlesnake Master plants.

Then it was home to mow and trim. I don't know if I am a good example or a bad one when it comes to lawn care. The perfect turf of some of my neighbors looks lovely to this child of the suburbs, but what I would really like is a lawn mixed with low-growing flowers. I try to spot-treat the dandelions to keep them under control, but otherwise let the clover and violets and wild strawberry have their way.

Not much to see yet

The weather continues to confound. Some days I am in hurry-up mode, other days it feels too early to get excited about gardening. I finally started some seedlings inside (late) while we (my SO and I) continue to plod along outside.

As stated earlier, one thing I wanted to do this year is show the progression of changes of the raised bed portion of the yard. I added a reminder to my calendar to take pix every month. Last month's are here. Below are this month's.

Looking SW

Looking NW

Looking NE

Looking SE

Orchard - looking SW

So far, the biggest changes involve moving concrete blocks. The old strawberry bed has been dismantled and those blocks doubled the height of the asparagus bed. The blocks for a smaller bed that last year hosted tomato plants is now the second story of a bed in the orchard where I plan to plant madder.

The redbud trees are still going strong, but other denizens of the yard are coming on. The rusty heron still protects the rhubarb patch. While cleaning out a cupboard, I found several jars of too-old-to-eat vanilla bean rhubarb jam. I may have to repeat that recipe, but share the results in a more timely manner (I can eat only so much of the stuff). There will be the annual May birthday rhubarb pies. AND I plan to mordant wool yarn with the rhubarb leaves. Fun stuff!

This Old Fashioned Bleeding Heart is not only big and beautiful, volunteers are starting to pop up here and there around the yard.

This northside bed fills up with hostas, coral bells, iris, and rudbeckia. Somewhere along the line, the landscape timbers got relocated. I need to figure out a way to redefine the edge, to keep the grass out.

After giving the 'Limelight' hydrangea a severe pruning, I was a bit nervous about its survival. It is starting to leaf out, though, so now I am more excited than nervous, to see how it turns out.

The 'Betty Corning' clematis continues to be a problem of excess. This year we are trying an open-ended approach to the trellis, hoping the prevailing winds from the NW keep it somewhat corralled, at least better than previous years.

With the removal of the picket fence around the raised beds and a judicious pruning of the nearby redbud tree, the view from the deck has opened up quite a lot. I didn't want to prune the redbuds yet, but yesterday was take-crap-to-the-compost-site day. Rather than start a new pile of trimmings so early, I whacked a few limbs here and there, despite the trees still being in their glory.

2016 view from the deck

2017 view from the deck

Otherwise, there has been much weeding going on, in an effort to uncover lost plants. Most of the time I mark their location in one manner or another, which is extremely helpful when it is difficult to tell the newly emerging plant from the weeds. There are still a few rabbits around, eager to wreak havoc, but I have not seen the local woodchuck, at least not in my yard, this year. Fingers crossed!

Still spring

The temperatures have cooled a bit, which is a plus for the spring bloomers. My SO and I and Watson (the dog) went for a wildflower walk at Bicentennial Woods a couple of weeks ago. No pics but we (the dog and/or I) did bring home a couple of ticks. Ugh. Last Thursday we stopped at Foster Park between rain showers, to view the tulips. Again, no pics, except for this redbud tree.

I wish I knew the history of this old thing. I've seen redbuds with thick trunks, but nothing like this convoluted writhing mass of limbs. I'm surprised the uniqueness was not pruned out of it a long time ago.

On the home front, my SO and I spent hours in the backyard yesterday, trying to get things under control. He does the heavy lifting, literally. I keep reconfiguring the raised beds - this time, doubling the height of the concrete block ones - which I would not be able to manage on my own. He also cut down the 'Wichita Blue' junipers, two of which turned incredibly ugly, two of which never grew larger. I joke that he makes my gardening dreams come true, which really is not a joke at all. His help keeps me from succumbing to gardener's despair.

We both tackled weeds, weeds, and more weeds, mostly this creeping crud that is able to leap raised beds in a single bound and spread across the top of mulch, rooting all the way. I don't like to use herbicides, but am wondering if spraying along the fence will send the poison spreading through this carpet of crap like a computer virus through a LAN. It would be an interesting experiment. (Oh, wait. I just looked up some info on ground ivy, a.k.a. creeping Charlie. It says it is not affected by broadleaf herbicides except dicamba. Hmmm.)

Inside, I have been starting seeds, better late than never. At least I'm late enough that many can spend time outside almost immediately. Less mess in the house.

April is busting out all over

This has been a great spring for early blooming shrubs and trees (with a few exceptions like forsythia and magnolias). I confess the redbuds are my favorite anyway. So pink!

And it is not just in my yard but it's everywhere, even along the edges of woodlands. Which brings up a question I have: ornamental pears have proven to be invasive, which is bad of course, but no one complains about volunteer redbuds, perhaps because they are native?

My fruit trees are not that old, but are making a great effort this year. Top photo is apple blossoms, bottom is cherry.

The serviceberry is already past its prime, but the sand cherry out front surprised me this morning. I hope the neighbor across the street comments on it so I can remind him that there used to be two in his yard. I missed them, so I planted my own.

My experiment of tulips in containers has not been very successful, or at least not what I envisioned. The bulbs were free, and maybe the species is not the best for container growing. Or maybe it was the weather or something about my technique. The colors are gorgeous, but the stems are short. It looks like many will not bloom at all. I can't even blame this failure on rabbits.

I have to admit I am not taken with the fact these particular tulips will not bloom again. For all the effort involved with fall bulbs, I would rather plant something that comes back year after year. I wonder how perennial tulips would perform in containers?

More time for fun

For over 20 years, I've pooh-poohed the need for a riding lawn mower, primarily because mowing was part of my exercise protocol. The past couple of years, though, it seemed like too much effort for too little return. Last summer my son did all the mowing, but he is not available this year. So I bit the bullet and purchased a Toro 'Timecutter'.

Given all the stuff I need to mow around, I opted for a zero turn mower. It's a little tricky to learn to maneuver, but I anticipate it will suit my needs. I still use the Personal Pace Toro for narrow margins and the string trimmer for up-close-and-personal work, but this 32" beast will greatly reduce the time spent on lawn care, which means more time for actual gardening.

I have three redbud trees, all the same type, all from the same source, all planted in the backyard at the same time, yet they each perform a little differently. Two are close to the house, one near the back fence. This one at the southwest corner of the TV room has the densest and the most intense blooms this year. The other two are pretty but do not have the visual impact of this over-achiever. I don't think of my yard as having micro-climates; apparently I am wrong.

The serviceberry has never achieved its full potential, thanks to rabbits that girdled it its first winter here. It looks more shrubby than treelike. As long as there is not a heavy frost, it blooms nicely. The robins strip the berries before I even notice them, which is okay. The cherry and apple trees are blooming too, although scantily. If I pay attention, I may get to the cherries before the birds.

The weather this spring is predictably unpredictable, with an unusual number of rainbows accompanying the April showers. I have yet to spot a pot of gold.

First customer of the year

I took a little drive to Spencerville a couple of weeks ago, to pick up some shrubs from Riverview Native Nursery. With the erratic weather, part of me wanted to GET GOING, while the saner part of my brain reminded me it was not even April yet. But by purchasing these shrubs early, I got the pick of the crop (so to speak).

It's impossible to tell from the photo that I have a smooth hydrangea, a chokeberry, and a spicebush.

Last summer I whacked away at the forsythia, cutting two to the ground, leaving one for early spring yellow. I assumed the scanty blossoming was due to the severe pruning, but as I drive around town, no one's forsythia looks good this year. I blame the weather.

Daffodils rarely fail, although they may flop a bit. The blooming rate is random, too, instead of the usual steady march through the varieties.

Gardening rarely lacks surprises, but I feel like I can't count on anything anymore.

Bed by bed

Anne Lamott wrote a book called Bird by Bird. It's mostly about writing, but maxims for writers can apply to gardeners as well. The title reflects how to attack a large project: bit by bit.

Native sampler

My yard is rather large, which I consider a good thing, but sometimes the sheer amount of work to keep it up overwhelms me. Despite my attempts to make things easier, they seem to get more complicated. But if I can take things one bed at a time, I shall prevail.

Native sampler getting fenced in

For several years I've contemplated adding another structure to the yard, leaning toward a screened-in gazebo. The new fence provides so much privacy now, that idea has evaporated. But my g'daughter has been trying to build a clubhouse of sorts in the bushes. This inexpensive resin shed should serve that purpose, plus give me some place to store lawn furniture in the winter.

Resin shed

The brand/model is Keter Manor (purchased at Menards), size 4'x6'. And it is a BEAR to assemble. It takes two people, and it is especially helpful if one of them is tallish with a certain amount of upper body strength. And power tools. My SO did most of the actual labor while I supervised/assisted. Be prepared to argue over discuss the instructions.

The garden proper evolves, and will continue to do so in the near and distant future. We removed the movable fence, then reduced the footprint by doubling the height of the raised beds and shoving them closer together. I have a reminder on my calendar to take photos from these five perspectives throughout the growing season, so we can track further changes.

Looking SW

Looking NW

Looking NE

Looking SE

Orchard - looking SW

Today it is rainy, so I'm glad I soldiered on yesterday. Not much is blooming - a few daffodils, even fewer crocus, the forsythia. Many buds look ready to burst on the early-blooming shrubs. Hope a frost does not ruin the show.

Wait! Wait!

This is the first time I have tried planting tulips in containers. I kept them in the garage, watered them sporadically, and all seemed well. BUT with the mild weather we have had UNTIL NOW, the tulips made an unreasonably early appearance. So I dragged the pots outside, in hopes that the wildly fluctuating temps would cool the tulips' enthusiasm. And I think it's working.

New growth seems to have halted... for now.

Now that my interest in big pots has been stoked, I'm contemplating removing the boxwood in front of the picture window and placing one of the pots there in its stead. Once the tulips start to fade, I can replace them with some summery annuals and let the creeping phlox have its way with that area. The mugu pine that is crowded behind the boxwood would probably appreciate more room, too.

I think one of the hardest gardening lessons for me to learn has been that it's okay to remove something that no longer works, no matter its size or health. The first thing to go were the silver maples in the backyard. I was sad to lose the shade but relieved to be rid of red buds and whirlybirds in the air conditioner, leaves in the gutters, and branches scraping the roof of the Florida room (which is also gone). Change is good, or can be. If I wanted a static yard, I would just grow grass.

Spending my children's inheritance

Oh, my goodness, where do I begin? I've started ordering plants and seeds for the coming season. In at least one case, the shipping charges exceed the amount of the order. After a lifetime of scrimping and saving for retirement, I want what I want and I'm going to get what I want.

The vegetable garden is basically all planned out, and it's not going to have many vegetables. Instead, I am going to cross over to growing plants for dyeing fiber. There will still be asparagus, strawberries, and raspberries, plus pole beans, zukes and cukes, and broccoli (which I've discovered is rather long-seasoned as one can enjoy side shoots for many weeks after the main head is harvested). I expect to have some tomatoes and peppers and herbs in pots. But otherwise, it will be dye plants.

Most dye plants that will grow around here yield primarily greens and yellows, not my favorite colors for fiber. But with certain mordants and after dye baths, one can obtain a variety of other colors from the following plants: dahlia ('Black Satin'), hibiscus (Hibiscus Moscheutos 'Luna Red'), hollyhock (Alcea rosea), madder (Rubia tinctorum), yellow cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus), dyer's coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria), dyer's knotweed (Polygonum tinctorium). Of all of these, I have grown only hollyhocks and hibiscus; the rest will be new to me.

Other dyes may be obtained from plants and trees I already grow: marigolds, apple trees (bark), cherry trees (bark), elm (bark), goldenrod, rhubarb (also a mordant), daffodils, Queen Anne's lace (I don't grow this on purpose), yarrow, even dead tomato plants. Once I exhaust myself sampling all these, I may just go back to vegetables!

In the non-vegetable, non-fruit, non-dyeing realm, I'm going to concentrate on adding more trees and shrubs to the rest of the landscape, Specific shrubs are black chokeberry (to replace the one that died from rabbit girdling), smooth hydrangea, coralberry, and spicebush. I can purchase all these from a local grower, Riverview Native Plant Nursery. For trees, I want a Prairie Fire crabapple for the backyard and a 'Perfect Purple' crabapple for the front.

And to make everything look pretty, I'm considering a power edger of some sort.

What are your plans for the coming season?

It's just WRONG!

I spotted the first of the daffodil sprouts BEFORE Valentine's Day. This is unheard of, as are tee shirts in February unless one lives much further south. It's discombobulating.

Not only has it been warm, it has been dry. Yesterday my SO helped dismantle the fencing around the vegetable garden. I anticipate fewer varmint problems this summer because 1) I am growing fewer vegetables, and 2) the helpful gardening dog loves to chase rabbits and squirrels and chipmunks and cats and presumably woodchucks as well.

Today I whacked at the 'Limelight' hydrangea. Depending on the source, one is supposed to A) just remove the dead blossoms and/or B) do some light shaping and/or C) cut it back by two-thirds. I have done A and B in the past, thought I would try C this year.

Helpful gardening dog

It's been almost two years since Betsy Beagle went to doggie heaven. After a hiatus from dog ownership, I decided it was time for a new pooch. Since moving to Fort Wayne 24 (!!!) years ago, I've relied on Animal Care and Control as my source for canines. First came Charlie, a basset mix, then Betsy, and now Watson, my constant companion.

They classified him as an English pointer mix, with the "mix" being beagle. He's 2 years old and tips the scales at 28 pounds. And he is one bundle of energy, which is a good thing. It is very easy for me to talk myself out of taking a walk. Now I feel compelled to make two circuits a day around the nabe with Watson.

He hates being left behind, likes riding in the car, and loves racing around the backyard. He barks but isn't yappy. Someone gave him some training - when the treats come out, he sits and comes, and in the backyard responds to a whistle - but he needs to learn better to walk on a leash and to leave the squirrels alone.

Watson has a great personality, is friendly and not aggressive at all, but the cats are not amused. Finn is smart enough not to run, but Beau either flees at rocket speed or puffs up every hair on his body, including the ones between his ears, giving him an electrified look. Watson whines and yips and wants to give chase. Someday they will all learn to get along. Right?