In the Garden

In February of 2012 I began digging new flower beds in Mom's backyard.  I had to dig up the clumpy grass that was growing there and then dig deep enough to work the soil and get the roots out.  Mom had made a first bed, years ago, around the base of the redbud tree.

That's the inner circle immediately around the tree.  This is not a good photo, but it will do for now.  Mom edged the bed with chunks of asphalt, which I thought was ingenious.  The city was tearing up a street somewhere and she loaded and unloaded and carried those pieces to make the edging.  It looks really good.  Planted in it were mostly white marguerite (or ox-eye) daisies and yellow daisies of another sort that grow about a yard tall, falling over themselves before they've finished growning.

I marked off some areas, outside of that original boundary, to make additional beds and pathways. 

First bed in was a "dry" bed.  We transplanted a lavender - I have no idea what variety - except that it has large, bright, red-purple flowers.  Two sage bushes were moved and a lot of spring bulbs.    To that I added thyme and more lavender - Provence this time - all around the outside edge of the bed.  This was a bed that wouldn't need as much water as the others, would last pretty much year-round, and be in the full sun for most of the day.  It works.  Some things I planted didn't survive, some did but just didn't do well in last year's drought and have recovered with the plentiful spring rains this season.

This is the transplanted lavender.  

The dianthus didn't do well last year in the heat, 

but has done beautifully this spring.  

The thyme in the dry bed didn't do more 

than hold its own last year; it has thrived and spread nicely now.

This artemesia (Powis Castle) I planted in the Spring of 2012.  It is in full sun and takes the heat well.  I planted three pots that came from Skyridge; I trim it regularly so that the rocks show underneath.  It is now about two and a half feet tall and an irregular strip about 4 feet long.  And it smells so good!  

I try to plant what will:

Withstand our summer heat

Be interesting in the winter

Smell good

Look good

Last spring I planted in the dry bed two Achillea - or Yarrow.  They struggled.  With the rain this year, they flourished.  Two photos show them earlier this year and then recently.  They have done well, and I will probably plant more in a bed all to themselves.  They are tall and tend to sprawl, so I have propped them in places.  They have kept their color for a full month now, at least, and are a lovely gold.

You can also see the Provence lavender in flower

 at the back edge of the bed.

Here are the Provence shrubs before flowering, 

while still filling out the space I gave them.

The stand below is in the original bed.  Leftover pieces from the porch posts were tied and a hand-turned bowl from my brother added to hold birdseed.  It was too deep for the seed and didn't get used, so we planted in it.  The Creeping Jenny, though, didn't like the heat we've had so far, even though it was in the shade for most of the day.  I'll have to find a replacement.

I've recently discovered Bethlehem Lily.  We had some in our own yard two years ago, then I began seeing it every time I turned around.  I was surprised to find some near our new beds last year and marked it with stones to protect them.  One of these days, when it cools off, I'll work this little circle into a larger bed along the pathway.

Mom's yard has honeysuckle in several places - along a chain link fence and attached to this stockade fence in the corner of her yard.  I love honeysuckle:  it covers, it smells, it looks good, it lives and lives and lives (with an occasional trimming of dead vines).

Another view of that unknown transplanted - - - wait, I'm on the Internet; I can look it up!  Well, it's Spanish lavender.  Learned something new today.

Besides all the perennials I've moved or planted, we spend lots and lots of Mom's money on annuals.  We've discovered some really nice ones this year.  I'll tell you about them another time.

Closing for now with a photo from the summer of 2012

 -- geraniums in the original bed.