almost done
We managed to plant almost all of the new plants today. This is the last batch of new plants until fall, so it's a bit of a relief to be approaching the end of planting season.
We're trying to be sensible and not plant too late in the season this year. Gardening is not a summer activity if you live in the south. Sure, a lot of plants BLOOM in the summer, but they don't want to be planted, transplanted, or divided in July. We're installing drip irrigation in all of the new beds (and maybe some of the old beds if I'm not burned out by the time the new beds are done). We'll have numerous new shrubs and trees that will need to be watered by hand until they get settled in, but I'm hoping that we can keep the hand-watering of everything else to a minimum.
Other than watering, most of my plants just need to be dead-headed or cut back during the summer. The roses will need to be sprayed, but I'm cutting back on that this year, and Adam has agreed to do some of it. I'll likely cut the back lawn because I trust the lawn guy with the front lawn, but am pickier about my backyard - if I've let you put shovel to dirt, I think you have a clue. I guess it's probably weird to be pickier about the backyard, but that's where I hang out. I plant in the front yard to make the house look nice. I plant in the backyard because I want a garden in which I can sit or walk. I sometimes sit in the front yard - it's fairly private as front yards go, but my backyard gardens are my babies.
Blooming:
We're trying to be sensible and not plant too late in the season this year. Gardening is not a summer activity if you live in the south. Sure, a lot of plants BLOOM in the summer, but they don't want to be planted, transplanted, or divided in July. We're installing drip irrigation in all of the new beds (and maybe some of the old beds if I'm not burned out by the time the new beds are done). We'll have numerous new shrubs and trees that will need to be watered by hand until they get settled in, but I'm hoping that we can keep the hand-watering of everything else to a minimum.
Other than watering, most of my plants just need to be dead-headed or cut back during the summer. The roses will need to be sprayed, but I'm cutting back on that this year, and Adam has agreed to do some of it. I'll likely cut the back lawn because I trust the lawn guy with the front lawn, but am pickier about my backyard - if I've let you put shovel to dirt, I think you have a clue. I guess it's probably weird to be pickier about the backyard, but that's where I hang out. I plant in the front yard to make the house look nice. I plant in the backyard because I want a garden in which I can sit or walk. I sometimes sit in the front yard - it's fairly private as front yards go, but my backyard gardens are my babies.
Blooming:
- Blue Skies lilac/Syringa has been blooming for about two weeks - it's in full bloom now
- Palabin lilacs are just starting to open
- Columbine/Aquilegia - the seedlings are a pretty purple
- Geraniums just starting to bloom
- Mountain Bluet/Centaurea montana started a few days ago - they are about 8-10 times the size they were when I planted them last summer.
- German irises and little irises from Wendy are about to bloom
- Salvia (May Night for past few weeks, Snow HIll just starting, and Caradonna (in less sun) thinking about it)
- Giant allium - not quite full globes yet - how they open up to be full spheres is just weird
- Ajuga blooming like mad - works great as cut flower for tiny vase with sasifrax (?) stuff from Adam's mom and Lady's Mantle/Alchemilla