As I enjoyed my “putz and pamper” time this past weekend, I had time to reflect on the gardens so far this year.

After a very long winter, and months of feeling like a horse at the gate, we are running quite fast now – both here and up north.

The cherry trees wrapped up their bloom here quite a while ago, but a pleasant surprise was that we got a  glorious “re-do” during one of our trips up north.  Such a treat to get multiple blooming schedules.

At the townhouse, sadly, my favorite long-lived bunch of purple tulips has faded.  They were an icon each spring.  I will try to find something just as iconic, but maybe a different species.  Not sure what yet, but it might be harvested daylily seeds.  Just thinking at this point.

The new tulips I planted here last fall were glorious this spring.

Now the blooming season of early clematis has also passed and the weigelia has hit it’s peak bloom.  Soon the asian lilies will start blooming.

What I did not expect was a hosta bloom so early – yet here it is, beginning to form.  And on the ground in that garden the forget-me-nots are beginning to pop up.

To watch here this year – two plants from 2017 harvested daylily seeds – both from ‘South Seas’ – one of my favorites.  We’ll hopefully see a bloom or two on them this year, and discover what we got with the help of our pollinator friends. What I know for sure is that daylilies are deer munchies, so I have decided they will not be making the trip up north, as divisions or as seedlings.

In pots, the hibiscus and the gladiolas here are squirrel favorites.  I have put chicken wire around a number of the potted plants and bulbs – not a flattering look – but needed.

The Aureomarginata hostas here are gigantic again this year, the daylilies I added last year are looking good, and the Blue Mouse Ears are more full than ever.

Which leads me to options.  Up north, the trail cams are showing us oodles of deer, a coyote, lots of bunnies, and a bear.  Makes sense – there’s lots to eat, including wild strawberries all over the property that just wrapped up their season.  I wanted to divide the Aureomarginata hostas and bring them up there but it’s probably not the smartest.  I will be fighting a munching battle that will only make me sad.

There’s also a sedum that has been crowded here for a couple years.  I wanted to bring it up north and put it in the sunny garden to let it shine.  But despite web lists that say sedum is on the list of “deer-resistant” plants, I am hearing reports that they too are tasty morsels up north.

What did work in the year one test garden up north is two types of seeds directly sown into the raised beds – malva zebrina hollyhock, and cinnamon mint.  Some free carrot seeds are also sprouting, and two asclepias plants have survived, so far. Coneflower seeds did not sprout, asclepias seeds did not sprout, and all of the kale and asparagus died back.  I think it needs more water than we can provide.  We are just depending on watering when we are up there, and rain.

And, after much deliberation, and my husband mentioning he doesn’t think he’d like the look, I have given up the idea of using a dog kennel as a critter-proof option.   Alas, I don’t like the look of chicken wire here.  I probably wouldn’t really like a dog kennel asthetic up north.

So the lesson so far is – some things will stay townhouse garden plants, and we will embrace what’s already on the land up north, plus seed sown additions that can survive with just rain, and that are not attractive to critters.

I heard lupines may be an option.  They do naturalize beautifully …