Oh, my back

11 July 2004 by pat.

Yes, I’ve been delinquent writing here.

I’ve been delinquent weeding, too.

Initially, my excuse was that I needed to wait for all my bulbs I planted last fall to be finished.

That happened several weeks ago (it’s been a long cool spring).

It also became evident by the middle of June that a whole whack of roses didn’t make it through the winter. Sigh.

This past weekend I made up for the weeding problem, and spent 4 hours weeding the back yard yesterday. That wasn’t too bad, actually, but when I completed the weeding by plucking out yellowed leaves from daffodils, and cut the rest back the garden looked really desolate. So Ash and I went out to Humber Nurseries to buy yet more plants.

First, before I describe them, I should really tell you what else I’ve already put in this spring….In window boxes and urns, we’ve got petunias, ‘Mont Blanc’ nierembergia (lovely little white star-shaped flowers) nasturtiums, geraniums (Patriot — bright red), four different types of sweet potato vine (ace of spades, Marguerite, tricolor (which has some pink edging in it), and a variegated one), licorice vines, heliotrope, torenia, and some annual salvia.

Now to the perennials.I bought one pot of Saxifraga ‘Apple Blossom’ which is out beside the Othello rose. It’s finished blooming for the season, and is now just a tight little cushion of green.

Near it is a Marble-leaf Sea Holly (Eryngium variifolium) which must be one fo the strangest plants I’ve ever purchased. It’s prickly like a thistle, but is developing flower heads… It seems to be in some strange land between thistle and holly, in terms of looks. I’ll take pictures when it matures.

Over in the shady garden (the south little bed against the fence) I bought a Heuchera vesuvius (Coral bells with mahogany colored leaves), which was mature enough that I split it into two before planting it. It’s in flower now, and is lovely.

It works really well with a couple of foxgloves I put in (no flowers yet: maybe next year), a bleeding heart, and a lovely white astilbe that has finally come into its own. I’ve also put in a Heuchera ‘marmelade’, which is an interesting color, and two ferns: a Japanese and Korean fern. I have another Japanese fern the other side of the pond, which I thought had died, but showed itself in June.

In the sunny north garden, I planted three Persian Sheids (Strobilanthes) which have the most wonderful colors of green and fuchsia. Very metallic looking leaves: I’m waiting for them to get some height (they’re still only about 3″ tall, and should grow to 24-36″ in height, according to the tags… I want some lovely photos of this trio of plants.

Also, at the west edge of the north garden I planted 3 rose mallows. One died; one is in blossom, and one yet to come into flower. They’re a lovely, easy-to-care-for flower, as long as you stake them.

By the edge of the north garden, I planted a trio of Wolly lamb’s ear, within easy touching distance. One must hit all the senses in a garden, after all

In the herb garden, I planted a trio of rosemaries, two more lavender varieties, two sages (one purple sage, on large leaf variety), two oregano types, and a tarragon. I think I might pull up the bloody dock (lovely colors, but it does bolt, and we don’t eat it) and replace it with a couple of basils.

Then yesterday, Ash and I bought more perennials.All for the north garden, to fill the holes from the bulbs.

• A couple of pale pink primroses
• A trio of nicotiana, from deep red, through pale pink, to white
• A couple of phlox panniculata in a color that works well with the primroses
• Two more astilbes: one pink, one raspberry
• A pink baby’s breath
• Two perennial salvias (deep blue/violet)
• One perennial hibiscus (this should be a treat: lovely flowers, and we don’t have to bring it indoors over the winter) and probably some other plants that I’ll only remember after I file this and wander in the garden.

Anyways, that’s just about it for today…except to say: I GOT 85% ON MY FIRST TEST in Horticulture I! WWoooooo hooooo!

I’ll save information about what we did about the dead roses for my next posting.Until then, grow green!

Posted in Home gardens, Master Gardener in training, Gardening | No Comments »