Did it – with big help from hubs

Weekend four on the ten week countdown dawned rainy, but the forecast correctly predicted clear up by mid morning. Good thing, because the week four list was the heftiest list by far. Some coffee, the word from hubs that he was ready, and we were off and running.

First up was a dig out. This is an at least 7 year old Purple D’Oro daylily clump that has been languishing in the increasing shade of hostas under the linden. The hosta garden is a look I love, but that daylily definitely needed new digs. The past 2 years it did not bloom at all and the few years before that its bloom was sparse. It deserves more love – a bit of dividing (into three clumps) and full sun. It may miss its sibs but it is just moving across town to hang out with some Stellas in the historic cemetery garden. Maybe make some new little D’Oros. And be amongst other sun lovers like daffodils and sedum.

So – daffodils … I know I said probably no more daffodils at the historic cemetery, and no more buying for the townhouse gardens. But, well …. You see …. We have Sir Bunimous Rex (a gigantic bunny) who roams the neighborhood at all hours of the night, and baby squirrels with voracious appetites and zero manners, and maybe a deer, although we haven’t seen it yet (but what else eats seed pods without even slightly bending the scape?) Anyway, the assumed trifecta that we actually do enjoy are having a field day with my seed pods, which, ok, is fine. They have mostly eaten failing pods. And the process this year has been beyond fun, I am building quite a knowledge base just from trial and error, plus it is free. Additionally, I actually would like to see a deer roam through here. I miss them from our little house up north, and their nighly parades. My husband probably is relieved, near term, that the assumed trifecta probably has eaten enough seed pods now that I probably don’t need to add on to the inn (the daylily seedling box) next year. If I ever got super serious about this hobby, we could get a well up north. But, here and now, given we know the munching issue, we need a bit ‘o prevention, and protection, for new plantings. So daffodils and coffee grounds go around all new plantings here and at the historic cemetery (where there are moles), and then ongoing peppermint oil is also being used as a deterrent at the townhouse. I HAVE found infrared deterrents, but, sigh, they also deter dogs, and sigh, I need my dog to go outside …

So back to the Purple D’Oro – my husband dug it out, I divided it, and it went in a bag to the historic cemetery, along with the 2024 Purple D’Oro self seed seedlings (from 2023 harvested seed), where I planted them, and some languishing Asian lilies, along with daffodils, today.

And with that, the left side of the historic cemetery garden is a wrap. That just makes my heart so happy – even though there is no rain in the forecast for the next week, and that means daily trips to water them. The next 90 degree day in the forecast looks like a week out. A daily trip over there will be fine, short term.

What’s left at the historic cemetery garden? Waiting for the (right side) daylily order to arrive in September. And weed and trim each side alternately. Have I mentioned how AWESOME the mulch is? Sooooo easy to weed. Not necessarily so fun in heat and humidity, but way easier than the rock and heaving plastic that was there before. And people absolutely love it! A couple stopped to talk again today when I was there. They said they can really see the passion for gardening that we all are putting in there. Wowee Wow! Very humbling, and rewarding.

You may also notice I am not saying “fence garden” anymore. The large overgrown garden has been donated to the rain gardens at the historic mansion in town. They needed things that were budget friendly and would come back every year. Yes, and yes. So the only garden at the historic cemetery will be the formerly known as “fence” garden. Woo Hoo! Now if this “crazy lady” can stop coming up with new projects! Hahaha! I think I’d better. The current state is “just right”.

But wait! Why was weekend four so hard? Dig out a daylily at the townhouse and go dig and plant four holes at the historic cemetery? Big honking deal! Oh no, no, no, no! That was just the cemetery part.
Back to yesterday, I had other daylilies and seedlings, and fairy ringed hostas to dig and divide and find new locations for. Swapping locations for sun scorched Blue Mouse Ears and sun starved Purple D’Oros. And moving a failing set of Asian Lilies (they went in with the daylily divisions and the daffodils-layering-to the cemetery). And then last was moving a regularly stepped on Praying Hands hosta. I’m thinking the stepper-oner is four pawed and goes by the name of Bunimous Rex. That Bun does not eat it, I am amazed.

So today wraps up weekend four of the townhome side of the 10 week countdown. We did it! Hallelujah!!! So glad that is now done! And so thankful for ibuprofen and a nap!

I leave you with some end state pics at the townhome.

More to come, and yes that is chicken wire around Tender Love. Bun broke off and ate the scape with the cross from Pink Tirza. No more for you, Bun!

What is the data telling me?

I am a (relevant) data junkie. And I admit, yes, I am one of those people that have to bite my tongue when I need answers and I am being fed baloney sausage. Thankfully, there is no baloney sausage in the garden. Oh I love it so 😊

The data from 2024 is telling me the hostas under the linden are healthier than ever. They are giving me that woodland garden backdrop I so love, with mostly shade and dappled sun.

They are a bit affected by the Japanese beetle bugs about this time of year, but I can’t do anything about that.

The data is telling me the Purple D’Oro daylilies under the linden don’t have enough sun any more. The ones that can be dug out are on the 10 week countdown.

The data is telling me the Blue Mouse Ears hostas need dividing, and they would probably be happier with more shade. They will start to do a swap-a-roo with the daylilies under the linden and are on the 10 week countdown.

The data is telling me that, although some daylily crosses were initially looking successful, some daylily type’s pods consistently failed. I soooo feel a delightful spreadsheet coming on to identify all the patterns. Notes and verbiage are great, but this girlfriend likes to plan intelligently too. All those crosses deserve analysis. For sure, I know I can can cross Marque Moon X South Seas and Marque Moon X Just Plum Happy off the list. The pods get to a point, and then start to deteriorate, and it is like a beacon to whatever is eating the pods to pull the whole scape down. But the healthy pods seem more chomp safe. Go figure. Still, the data says so.

The data says I need to put chicken wire around shorter, late season bloomers. Because the data says the baby squirrels seem to think they are gourmet.
And the data says Pink Tirza and Coral Majority (yes, intense Coral Majority) have crazy good pollen.
And the data says, even though I thought I had successfully typed Hello Yellow, it started to look a bit like it was dying off after a couple weeks, and then something got the pod. I tell you, failing pods are like a munchie beacon.

So, the data also says I need to buy myself some reference info that gives me a deeper dive, and maybe join an organization to knowledge share. Nothing too intense. But better than unfruitful internet searches.

It’s all good. Next July will bring another level. Who knows what crazy crosses I might try in 2025. Hello Yellow x Coral Majority? Egads!!!

It’s a wrap!

This morning I have a half day of PTO, so I got a chance to putz around a bit and take inventory after a sleepover weekend with the oldest grandson. No gardening when he is here, yet. But he does show potential. Mama is a gardener and he helps her dig lol.

So this morning after grandchild-ville got packed up and tucked back into storage until next time, I went out and did the last crosses of the season – Tender Love x red dailies.

I was thinking the two would not bloom together and that mid-last week was going to be the last crosses, but I got one last chance. We shall call it an opportunity to compensate for a bit ‘o damage the squirrels/bunnies/potential deer have done to the seed pods. Not too bad, but eyes on you now squirels/bunnies/potential deer in the format of trail cams to figure it out.

And now also starts transplanting. Next up on the 10 week countdown is planting seedlings at the historic cemetery – and one division has been added. There are boatloads of Stella D’Oros over there, and we are planning on a low profile, so I have thoughts on crossing Purple D’Oro and Stella D’Oro. But that means I have to bring Purple D’Oro over there, because there are none. I’ll bring one transplant and some Purple D’Oro seedlings to start and see how it goes. It also means the taller daylilies (like the South Seas seedlings) are out as options over there, so I’m adjusting that plan for which seedlings go where.

See? If you wait a bit, the plan always refines.


In the moment

I just love Saturday mornings in the garden, a slow start, just relaxing and taking it all in, getting up to take a pic, making a daylily cross, letting the dog back in the house, or back out again lol, watching the birds, the squirrels, thinking about fun stuff. It’s the best!

Last Saturday morning I got to do that. No deadlines, no strict agenda. Just enjoying what is happening in the garden. There were 2 Pink Tirza blooms, the second to last Marque Moon bud bloomed, a couple Naomi Ruth blooms, a few red daylily blooms, the last mystery yellow freebie bloom of the season, and two glorious Tender Love blooms. And the beautiful hostas are continuing to bloom.
Some daylily crosses were done, some trimming and cleaning up was done, of course a whole lot of pics were taken, and a whole lot of sharing and catching up and rejuvenating.
Sunday was an historic cemetery garden morning. I love early mornings in that garden too. They are very different though. When I go over there, I have planned, I know what I want to accomplish. I don’t sit and relax and daydream. I “do”. Last Sunday I brought the 5 sedum rootings and got those planted. I watered them as I went, I discovered as I dug – where rock was still a bit under the landscape fabric, and plastic under that lol. I discovered ant colonies too, oh yeah. That was definitely “in the moment”. No snakes this time though haha!
The end product for the morning didn’t look like much, baby sedum rootings amid a sea of beautiful mulch, but this morning as I looked at my 2014 – 2023 “this day in years past” photos, it reinforced to me exactly how fast things grow. My 2014 gardens at the townhouse barely resemble my gardens there today.
So on Sunday they looked like this

but they grow fast. Next year at this time, conditions permitting, they will look much fuller and taller.
Next up for planting at the historic cemetery is the daylily seedlings. Then the one side will be done for the year, with space to grow for quite a few years. Don’t forget space to grow 😊
The other side cannot be planted until this year’s daylily order arrives, should be in September.

After I wrapped up the planting at the historic cemetery last Sunday morning, I did take time to wander, the full length of the fence garden, a few times, and when I went to empty the rock I dug out, I also took a look at the large overgrown garden that will be (hopefully) removed this September. That moment will also be very special, a transition to just the fence garden go forward. A good moment. A long planned and awaited moment.

Over the past week, the daylilies in the townhome garden areas have really wound down.

The diploids are getting some crosses with Tender Love.

But the best surprise of all in the past couple days, so far, fingers crossed, is that mystery yellow freebie might actually be a diploid. The start of a seed pod from a tetraploid cross very quickly failed, overnight literally, so the next morning I decided to cross her with Pink Tirza. That now has a seed pod that doesn’t look like it is failing, yet, fingers crossed. Lots to go but that would be very exciting.

There are so many seed pods and so many crosses and so many notes and hundreds of pictures, but the daylily season is winding down now and will soon be a wrap.
So far I am seeing a few seed pods from Purple D’Oro and some Marque Moon crosses fail, but Pink Tirza, Naomi Ruth, Just Plum Happy, Cedar Waxwing, Coral Majority, Tender Love, and the red daylilies have all been very successful. And the self seeders are Coral Majority, Just Plum Happy, a bit of the red daylilies, and one Pink China Doll. What I will do with those seeds is tbd. The historic cemetery will be full, the garden areas at the townhome are full. I think the self seeds will have to go up north.

This morning, as the dawn arrived and I took a look at what the new day had brought, I am very thankful for so many things. For the gardens here, today, in the moment, I am thankful the last Pink Tirzah bud of the 2024 season is starting her one day bloom on the same day as the last two Naomi Ruth buds of the 2024 season are beginning to bloom and a Tender Love bud has already also started to bloom. If I want to try another cross with the red daylilies, they are still blooming too. I have many choices this day, of many types of diploids.
Only one tetraploid is still blooming – Coral Majority. South Seas bloomed her last bud of the 2024 season yesterday, no crosses.

Turnabout and rest time

I have gone gonzo with the daylily crosses this year. I seriously had all good intentions to keep things minimal but I definitely failed at that. It was just so fun to see the early successes.
The daylily I probably taxed the most is Naomi Ruth. She will definitely need daylily food. And next year she needs to be only a pollen provider, like Pink China Doll got to rest this year. South Seas and Cedar Waxwing also have a lot of seed pods from crosses. All of this has made me realize, I am reaching the end of my free knowledge gathering era and I need to start investing for deeper dive info. Things like I know the good pollen providers in the gardens here, but from my reading online it looks like not all daylilies are good pollen providers. And things like exactly how much does seed production tax the energy of a daylily? A recommended number of crosses per scape? A percentage related to the bloom count? And what truly is the longest time worth waiting for a seedling to bloom?

Today I only did crosses with Naomi Ruth (pollen). The Pink Tirza out front has three successful crosses from Purple D’Oro but there are so few buds left that I can now easily keep track of the two from Naomi Ruth, and that will be that for crosses to Pink Tirza. Same with two red daylilies, both on one scape and no buds left and no self seeding on that scape. And I have LOTS of notes and pics this year.

Tender Love has two scapes. One scape has already been earmarked for crosses with Pink Tirza. The other Tender Love scape will be earmarked for crosses with Naomi Ruth (Naomi Ruth providing the pollen). And did I mention a sister Tender Love is on the way this fall? Need … To … Stop (maybe next year)

Cedar Waxwing also got a rest yesterday and today while she wrapped up. Today she bloomed her last bud of 2024. Rest well dear Cedar Waxwing. You shall get some daylily food for sure too.

The cross with Just Plum Happy and mystery yellow freebie looks like it is forming a seed pod, so it looks like she is a tetraploid, which I suspected. Dang! A cross with Pink Tirza was SO in my mind! Mystery yellow freebie will bloom her last bud tomorrow (I know her very unusual pattern now), so unless the previous cross clearly fails overnight I will assume it is a tetraploid and hope Marque Moon blooms tomorrow. I want to see about taming some of the curl and ruffles, and South Seas probably wouldn’t do that … although it would be a pretty combo.

mystery yellow freebie (below)

Marque Moon (above)

South Seas (below)

Oh, did I mention, a free Marque Moon is on the way this fall? I know, I know. I said I wasn’t going to buy more Marque Moons, and I didn’t. I seriously didn’t. OK, maybe I did see I could get a free one and tailored my order to match that level. But I was already getting more than enough (for the historic cemetery garden) to qualify. It actually ended up being a “take things out of my cart” situation to get the Marque Moon. So that’s good, right?

Meanwhile, back to seeds, either Bunimous Rex (very large bunny) or a very naughty squirrel saw to making my decision for me as to whether or not to harvest the Purple D’Oro self seed pods. Clearly the answer was yes I was going to harvest them or I would have trimmed them off lol. Anyway, all 3 seed pods are gone. Little evidence remains except below. I suppose it is their fair share. I suppose I should consider it my easy out.

Tomorrow is going to be warm and so it will be a work in the townhome gardens morning. I can do some pulling of forget-me-nots and I have the 10 week countdown (now nine weeks left).
Fingers crossed, early Sunday is a planting morning at the historic cemetery. Cooler weather and some rain is forecasted the early part of next week, so far, so I’m hoping that holds. If not, I can just weed.

Final daylily blooms of the season, testing ploidy, long awaited latest bloom

The long awaited Tender Love bloom has started.

Fortunately, very fortunately, Pink Tirza is also blooming. It may be my only chance this season to do a cross, so cross it was.

It looks like our first daylily seedling to bloom in the townhouse gardens is a tetraploid. I crossed her with Just Plum Happy and it looks like it was successful, so far. Many more mile markers to go but she has a seed pod.

Monday morning we said Sweet Dreams to Pink China Doll. She bloomed four buds on Sunday and now she is done blooming for the year. Well deserved wind down for her.

Monday the large Just Plum Happy bloomed profusely and yesterday the sole remaining bud bloomed. The same on the medium Just Plum Happy – the last bud bloomed yesterday. So yesterday was the last day of bloom in the 2024 garden here for Just Plum Happy. She truly has been a joy again this year. We are leaving all three in place, no dividing, for next year.
And the last bloom of the medium Just Plum Happy was crossed with the mystery yellow freebie, to see if the mystery yellow freebie might be a tetraploid. I suspect so, but I am wishing for a diploid. But doubtful.

If the Just Plum Happy cross fails, there is one more mystery yellow freebie bud, and I will cross that with whatever diploid blooms on that day. If the cross with Just Plum Happy succeeds, I will have much less choice for another tetraploid cross for the last mystery yellow freebie cross – maybe Cedar Waxwing, maybe South Seas. Or maybe Coral Majority lol! Could be nothing.

The diploid cross between Pink Tirza and the red daylily succeeded, so I did two more yesterday, same scape.

And at the historic cemetery we have a wrap up plan for the excess irises and daylilies from the large overgrown garden. They will be going to the historic mansion in town. There are two rain gardens there that have room. September should be a good month for that activity.

So now we begin August. The beginning of August always feels to me like a mini version of the first week of January, when the holidays have wrapped up and we throttle back to a more “normal” routine. But there is so much more of gardening season left. 3 months 🥰 Still lots of daylilies to bloom, but not July’s intensity, all of the remaining transplanting and then new planting work, the 2024 seedlings need to be planted, the remaining hostas will go to bloom, the sedum, the seed pod work … plenty still to come. Just a bit of a slower pace again now.

Bold

Today has been a bold day.

In addition to normal maintenance – trimming, weeding – I am now working on my 10 week countdown checklist. That is my planned garden adjustments, broken down into bite sized pieces. That list is bold. Digging things out, moving them around, even some disposing. Some annual adjustments are easier than others, for a number of reasons.
So week(end) 1 was to dig out three self seed daylily seedlings from 2022 and plant them at the historic cemetery fence garden. I put this as week 1 because they are getting bigger and are now in my husband’s direct path to the hummingbird feeder.

Oops! And oops again. Too hot to move seedlings this weekend. That clover companion would never survive. (Just kidding! About the clover 😉) I was optimistic with some nice weather we had been having, but carting water to the cemetery at least once per day so I could check that item off the list? Heat wimp here. Aina-gonna happen. And then I will feel bad they didn’t do well or even died (like up north with only rain). Nope. They can stay in the ground with their clover buddies while I keep an eye on them here. Move that to week 6 and move week 2 up.

Week 2 was pulling out stuff. This was another wimp week because I knew I would hem and haw and feel bad tossing them out. The items were a failing hosta and a failing clematis. I was going to “feel better” by transplanting a clematis without a trellis into that spot. Here’s how that went. My husband had a theory that the issue causing the failure was lack of rain getting in that spot due to the roof and gutter overhang. I doubted that because I had a huge (5’) Aureomarginata (hosta) in that spot years ago and it had gotten that big from a very small plant bought at the garden store. Apples and Apples, right? Those Aeromarginatas moved out of my gardens as a donation to some other gardens in the association. I have gone through a variety of plants in that spot since then. Some were mildly successful. But in thinking about it, the Aureomarginata was more forward, and the sprinkler range at that time was hitting the windows (since then adjusted). So, back to the list. Pulling out the failing part of the current hosta was not bad, and pulling out the failing clematis was not bad, but the clematis I was going to transplant into that spot – not so much. Dead-a-ronio. I know how that happened too. But we shall not rehash that trauma. Cross that transplant off the list.

Told you today was a bold day lol

So week 2 is now done and I get a free week because it looks like we are in for heat for another week at least. Transplanting other things will resume after this hot spell subsides.

On to another bold thing. Hello Yello, the year 2, first year to bloom, yellow self seed seedling bloomed its last bud for this season. Right next to it, the smallest Just Plum Happy, the one I used for the Marque Moon x Just Plum Happy crosses that were so successful (100% so far), was just smiling away, sporting its last bloom of the season, happy as could be. They looked so cute together. I am assuming Hello Yellow (her name so far) is a tetraploid, but I need to test that. So – Just Plum Happy x Hello Yellow today.

Both are their last blooms of the season, no crosses with Hello Yellow so far, super easy to track. I hope it is as successful as my other crossing whims. Still laughing about Coral Majority x Cedar Waxwing. Just watch! That will surpass expectations, be way nicer than the other planned crosses …. Hahaha!

No Marque Moon blooms today. But Pink Tirzah keeps blooming away and today there were two Naomi Ruth blooms so I made those crosses. At this point Naomi Ruth has so many seed pods – x Purple d’Oro on one scape and x Pink Tirza on the other. Hopefully the seed is good. So many points still to pass.

And for a final boldness. Pink China Doll is blooming her last four blooms of this season today. No self seeding on either plant, with multiple scapes and a plethora of blooms. I deadheaded her spent blooms this morning, and one was particularly strong. I cringed. “Maybe it was going to self seed”, I thought. But last year I had 38 seeds from various seed pods after Marque Moon x Pink China Doll crosses, and 11 of those made it to seedling. I am hoping to see the results in 2025 or 2026. All that to say, I probably don’t need Pink China Doll self seeds. I can probably let that idea go. And then, having done my week (2) project, in addition to trimming, weeding, and cleaning up, as I was sitting sipping my tea in the shade, I saw I missed deadheading a Pink China Doll bloom. I did not get up off the reclined chair. “That one gets a chance to survive in case it happened to self seed”, I thought. You never know. Here is that view I was enjoying, minus the spent bloom that has since fallen off 😂

See, sometimes it works out to just sit and wait!

Seed pods galore! And so much more!

Oh goodness!!! What have I done? The Coral Majority x Cedar Waxwing one-time cross experiment succeeded. So, since I have to add on to the “inn” (seedling planter) next spring anyway, I added two more of those today. And then, what the hey! Since we have a 1970s colors theme going on, I crossed Pink Tirza with the red and yellow daylily. Seriously, there are few options now that I haven’t tried, unless I want to totally confuse myself. I have a few more planned crosses if the stars align, but then it is probably done for the season. I am hoping Tender Love blooms while Pink Tirza and Naomi Ruth are still blooming, but that will be tight. I REALLY want a cross between Pink Tirza and Tender Love, so fingers crossed. Bloom wrap up is like bloom start up, kind of hopscotch, skip a day, miss each other. And peak daylily season here is definitely wrapping up.
But, seriously, if every cross that has gone to seed pod makes viable seed, get ready for an “inn” expansion next spring. Our boys bought the last kit for me for a milestone birthday and then put it together and made the bunny and rabbit proof cover. I can ask for a repeat.

The Marque Moon x Just Plum Happy experiment was a 100% success. I have already mentioned the Purple D’Oro x Naomi Ruth success – multiple seed pods there. Pink Tirzah x Naomi Ruth has also been successful. And I thought the two seed pods from Purple D’Oro x Pink Tirzah were failing but so far, although I have seen those fail in previous years, so good. The Marque Moon x South Seas has good success as well. And I already spilled the beans about Coral Majority x Cedar Waxwing succeeding. Good grief!!! That will be a crazy combo! The doggonedest thing about Coral Majority is I really like the exterior color of the bloom, but the interior color and pattern is a bit much for that garden area. We shall see.
The red daylilies have some self seeding, as well as the Purple D’Oro and the large Just Plum Happy. So lots of seed pods. No idea where I will put them all if the seeds go to seedling, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it.
Yes, I did mention I placed an order for more (new to me varieties) daylilies that will be shipped for fall planting. Yes, about a year ago I said we do not have a cabin up north (just a camper). Sooo, a 1 year later update, we bought an Amish shed and my husband is building it out into a cabin. Yes, I am very concerned about what I will do when I retire. Maybe we need to get a well put in up at the cabin and clear space for a greenhouse and fence in a daylily growing area. I don’t know …. We have done weirder things. I suppose we will take things as they unfold lol
So back to the present haha — true to late July here, the fully spent scapes are starting to grow in number, and the remaining buds yet to bloom are less and less. Today I trimmed all the spent scapes that don’t have seed pods and I did some cleaning up of spent blooms in the rock. The larger Pink Tirza and the largest Just Plum Happy have had so many blooms each day the past couple weeks that they were overlapping. It was pure abundant wonderfulness! But then spent blooms need some cleaning up or everything starts to look like a sink full of dirty dishes lol

While I was cleaning up I noticed the beautiful new yellow self seed seedling is getting squirrel attention ugghhh.

Below: the evidence (bunnies don’t crawl up on the covered seedling planter)

And the hostas that throw short scapes are starting to gain bunny attention. (I have sat and watched them do this in previous years, and taken pics, so I know it is them.) Oh well, their fair share. They are very entertaining. And the scapes were pretty for a day before they got them.

I am surprised they haven’t gone after these yet.

We came home from grocery shopping two days ago to see Bunimous (giant bunny) happily eating away on the front garden. Brazen Bunimous!!! It hops off a bit and just keeps eating.
And at the historic cemetery, LOVE!!! The mulch is sooooo good! I can micro weed one whole side in a little over an hour. Huge difference in the look too! I like to go over for a couple hours, and that gives me time to trim and do some clean-up, so things are not overgrown and going to seed.
Last year there was a LOT of donating going on – things just showing up, planted, in the refurbished garden. This second year those things are much bigger and fuller and soooo pretty, and keeping them well trimmed has helped the overall look quite a bit.
Still to be done there – there is that large overgrown garden that I have been transplanting into the fence garden, but we are approaching “plan full” for the fence garden, and there is talk about selling the surplus from the overgrown garden at some point. TBD. No one has the energy to keep that big garden weeded and in shape, and it is overcrowded and in the wrong sun exposure with the big oak trees providing so much shade. It is just a matter of time until it is fully removed.


Here’s some more pics to enjoy.

Above: Stella D’Oro Haha, I see I missed a couple self seed pods. Next time …

Above: This expanse is planned for daylilies and tall (Autumn Joy) sedum. To be planted in September.

Above: These were donated last year. I came to work on the garden one day and there they were! These are Sedum, but the kind that spread out, not get tall. I have some at the townhouse too. I wish they did not “part” like that in the second half of the season, but they are pretty. I have my thinking cap on for what could be done for the donut hole, of sorts. Like I said, same issue with the ones at the townhouse.

Above: This open area could be for some more iris transplants from the overgrown garden that is being disassembled. Irises need to be divided every 3-5 years, so optimal planting is at ground level, which I have done with the new iris bed on the other side, but this might work for a little iris patch.

Above: The hostas are doing mostly well. Some are sunburning, but for the most part they are doing well. And there are 4 yarrow plants on that side as well. They are mostly done blooming and I am starting to deadhead them.

And then it goes into a Black-eyed Susan’s and hostas and ground cover.

It is really looking so nice, and the other side as well. Just need to transplant a bit more from the overgrown garden, plant a bit more and it will be nice and full, with Spring-Fall color and variety. So fun, and quite a pleasure!!!

So that is my download. Lots going on but all pretty fun. The afternoon is going to be indoors. Too hot!!!