Garden Progress

Although it has been raining daily, we didn't let that stop us. Here's a quick tour of what's in and what's new. Three rhododendrons, one of which is still in bloom. Behind it is our new pink dogwood, still in its nursery pot. I will find a nice big blue one for its final home. Behind it are heuchera which are also awaiting new pots.

 I love blue in the garden so that accounts for my excitement over the Baptisia starting to bloom. I have two blue ones and three more on order, coming from Pennsylvania, which is still thinking Spring has yet to come. White Bleeding Heart and three dwarf Hollyhocks are in. I have two more pink Bleeding Hearts there too. I planted Hollyhock seeds too in another part of the bed, to transplant all over the yard, as they are not dwarf.

 The Koi Pond, as it were, now the Japanese Maple garden, with 5 new hardy geraniums, aka Cranesbill geraniums, in purple and pinks. I am still looking for a Johnson's Blue which is really blue, and to add a brunnera, a perennial forget-me-not. This year I discovered Grace Ward Lithodora, which is glow in the dark blue, and hard to capture on camera. Love love love this plant and now I have six.

 The hydrangeas got moved to the back yard in a semi shady corner, and are starting to show signs of life. I will have to get some acid-y soil to make them blue, but for now we'll just enjoy pink blooms.

 Now here's what I am thinking/doing with this long bed. I divided it up into 15 sections, separated by little zinnias, and begonias. In each section I have planted SEEDS. Yup. If I am going to be a real gardener, then seeds will be my Proving Ground, which I will call this long bed. I do have one section with Gaillardia and a tiny daisy, called Darling.

 The cubbies in front are holding back the tyrannical Wave petunias.  Here's what I hope to see soon. I have tried to grow these in our country garden and while they bloomed the first year, sorta, they didn't return, no matter where I put them. So third time's a charm, I hope. They'll have plenty of sun and no voles and great soil, so what could go wrong? heh heh heh.

The big trough we moved this year is up against the fence, for the benefit of four clematis and our fave hyacinth bean vines. Since clematis like to have shaded roots, that calls for large plants in front of them. Enter Delphiniums or as I like to call them: Del-finicky-ums. I pray these will love living here, and grow perennially. Also in this bed are blue salvias and new plants which are also spiky blue, and who's names elude me at the moment.

Such a pretty blue.

These seedlings are from last years saved seeds. Hyacinth bean vine. I will have to pinch out a few, eh? Or not. I hate to kill an enthusiastic plant.

Tomatoes and Swiss Chard, which I have never grown and which I have never eaten. I will find out all about them this year. On the other side of this trough I have a line of beets, in seed, waiting to see them erupt. Last year I made a big mistake and planted sweet potato vines in all the troughs, which took over and robbed nicer plants from light and water. Not this year. 

In the front bed, I have some gorgeous coleus waiting to be planted. And the hosta are opening as fast as can be.

So happy to see the returning Celandine Poppy in bloom. I stuck a few sprigs of Creeping Jenny in spots and already it is moving in happily.

And here is the Ivy that ate Hixson. We got this pot at the Signal Mountain Nursery, and it weighs a ton. Two shepard's hooks plus bungies are needed to keep it up. I hope the spot is shaded enough not to burn it up this summer.
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As soon as the fog lifts we are off to get more mulch. Our yard in back is squishy from so much rain. Mulch really helps.