Deeper into Spring we go! I am very happy with how things are progressing. Beds that I started over a year ago are filling in well, but the mature beds are coming into their own. What was once overgrown evergreens, is not fast becoming a spring color bed with creeping phlox cascading over the wood wall and tulips among daffodils creating a vibrant palette.
The bird house is currently occupied again by blue birds. I counted 4 eggs as of last week, but will stop poking around to give them space (6 feet!). I am better at viewing the garden as art, rather than looking for issues to rectify and weeds to pull. During this time of quarantine, the garden has been a nice distraction.
After 10 years at the house, some of the mature plants are really looking good.
Funny how, with 1 exception, all of the creeping phlox is 1 color. We planted 4 different colors over the years, but only one has survived, and survived well!
I did not order mulch, but found an abundance of pine needles to spread here. I could use a lot more, but it works and should not break down too quickly. This bed could use a lot of cover since it gets a lot of weeds. I hope to add more lavender after all of it died, but will make sure to spread the lavender around the landscape, too.
A stand out tulip:
Another spring bed with bleeding hearts and more creeping phlox. Fountains, a spirea, and glimpses of what is to come stand amongst the color. This bed was the first to be planted; not well as we moved a lot around after not paying attention to proper spacing.
More to bloom here:
-Allium
-Bearded iris
-lilies
-sage
-coreopsis
-columbine
-astilbe
This spirea will have its first full year and has already grown a bit after a partial year in 2019. Its color is amazing and brings in some yellow from around other beds, near and far. This shrub started as a bright red and is now a gradient of warm hues. it is wonderful to see from the kitchen window.
The 4 season bed starting its first year:
Spring has crocuses, tulips, hyacinths, and the long lasting white daffodils, plus the fothergilla, and columbine blooms starting. The azalea will start, soon, too. I am still curious as to what color it will be. I moved it from the back edge where it was constantly being chewed on by deer.
Summer will have the blue shadow fothergilla leaves and a near by clematis vine that should spread along the new fence.
Autumn will reveal asters and some lovely varieties of chrysanthemums, plus the leaf colors in fiery colors of the red twig dog woods and fothergilla.
Winter will show off the golden evergreen and red twig dogwoods.
I am excited to see how my vision for this bed actually preforms. It is young, but in great view from the house.
The edging is done and puts the beds 2 inches below the grass level. I saw this being done during my tour of Scotland and wanted to give it a shot. So far, I love it. The plants look sharp against the new fence panels.
A few panels have mesh for clematis to climb on. The vines were getting a disease from what I think was lack of air flow. They were growing out from under the dwarf Alberta spruces. here, they should get full air flow and hopefully do better.
The mesh should be covered in blooms.
Two clematis vines grow behind the chaise lounges.
The moss garden and newly edged borders. I’d like this all to be moss one day.
The flowering trees are showing off. The crabapple has bright pink buds which open into a white flower.
Another favorite is this hardy geranium which keeps its mound shape through the winter. This has grown a lot over 1 year and I purchased more to have around the back edge.
Ferns. Always ferns. They unfurl gracefully and help anchor the shady areas from spring to the autumn.
And with the quarantine, I opted to have annuals delivered. Pots and planters around the pool will be a cool color pallet with blue fescue, blue lobelia and cascading dichondra. Some purple violas will fill out the pots latter. I may update the pots come summer heat, but they are looking sharp for the spring season.
hausemann 