Summer Catchup Post

It looks like I've neglected this blog in favor of my Fit Foodie blog. My gardens filled in a lot this summer and I had so much going on that I didn't get a chance to document and photograph it all like I have in previous years. Nonetheless, I'm happy with the way everything looks and I'm looking forward to a more crowded and cottage-like look next season.

I planted the last of my spring bulbs and some super cheap bare root astilbe I got on mail order today following our first frost of the season last night. I'm not sure if the astilbe will make it but everything else should be OK. I had gotten all my major transplanting done a couple of weeks ago and it rained almost every day after that so I was very lucky about not having to water much at all.

Our center "island" in the front yard is now completely moved - all that remains is a pine tree, the rose of sharon and the weeping cherry that are now permanent. I transplanted my Blue Prince holly next to its mate and so far it loves the new location. Also the peonies, which seem to be doing well even though I know I can't expect them to flower for a couple of years. And finally, I moved the giant butterfly bush to the back pool bed and I'm hoping that will do alright since I've heard they don't like to be moved.

I have a bunch of stuff blooming for fall and have taken no pictures, so I hope to do that soon. In the meantime, here are some random garden happenings from June and July - I didn't take any pictures in August or September unfortunately.

Lavender and daisies with cinquefoil, which flowered all spring and summer:

Full tea rose recovery, it also flowered all summer:

New addition - rose campion with blanketflower:

The pool bed mid-summer with daisies, astilbe, barberry and impatiens:

'

May Roundup

Everything is getting ready to pop in the gardens so I thought I would get caught up on the last month before I post the new combos. I am eagerly waiting for my clematis to bud - I gave it the correct food mixture this year (rose food) and am hoping that's what it needs to flower. If not I'm afraid I will have to replace it, I'm sure it's ancient.

Some late spring blooms:

And the lilac, which is also struggling to flower....

2009:

2010:

2011:

It did well last year and I can't find any decent pictures of it.

2012:

At least it looks much fuller now.

Spring 2012

Finally, some action in the gardens! The season has started out strong and healthy and it looks like all my fall transplants have made it. The only major casualty so far is the little sand cherry I had transplanted to the middle of the driveway bed below. It had been struggling in a shady spot in the backyard and never came back after the transplant. I'm going to get another ornamental cherry to fill the spot, I'm hoping to find one on sale within the next couple of weeks.

Driveway bulb bed:

New tulips!

There's not much going on in the backyard yet but the sedum angelina likes its new location. Barberry is almost ready to put out little flowers here, along with grape hyacinth.

The large sand cherry out back is putting on a nice flower show right now too, although I couldn't get a good photo of it. I'm slowly pruning out dead wood and trying to get it to fill out with healthy foliage and flowers. It also looks like the viburnum in front is finally healthy again after being diseased for the past two years. I'm not sure if it will flower but all the foliage on it looks good. There's a boxwood blight happening in our area as well, and I had to trim some dying branches off our shrubs out back. I'm hoping that will be the last of it and we don't lose them since they're huge and healthy.

October

At last, an entry in the correct month! This will probably be the last entry of the season too since my old fashioned mums are in full blast now and that marks the end of the season. It's been a great gardening year and I'm looking forward to an even better show next year of course.

Work left to do includes planting the 2 varieties of hardy tulips and crocuses I ordered, then dividing the huge old fashioned mums out front once they're done flowering. I also hope to finish painting the deck as the weather allows, I will do a separate picture entry for that when it's finished.