I took a tour of my yard today to see how everything was looking. Other than a little late, most things were looking quite healthy. It seems I’m often focussed on the “little picture”, so it was nice to just step back and look at the “big picture”.
Starting in the back…
Hostas, sedum, peonies, windflowers, astilbe, heuchera, hydrangea, spurge and a River Birch fill this part shade bed that borders the patio.
Off the back of the patio is the Purple Ash that looks quite healthy this year after it’s treatment for Emerald Ash Borer last year (Attack of the Emerald Ash Borer: Part 1 and Part 2). I recently split and transplanted some hostas, ferns and sedum underneath it to make it look more like a garden rather than a dirt pile I also added 3 Purple Beautyberry Bushes in the corner to join some raggedy looking Red Twig Dogwoods. This also where my 2 new raised vegetable beds are located.
Finally, my Siberian Irises are blooming. Only 2 blooms, but better than nothing!
The back of the house is planted with Miss Kim lilacs, a Blackhaw viburnum, a Redbud, densi yews, an assortment of creeping sedums, creeping thyme, Russian sage, a few other perennial specimens, hostas, daylilies and petunias.
Johnson Blue Geranium
Tangerine Avens–my best guess is that it is Geum “Totally Tangerine”.
The side yard is undergoing some transition as the house next door is undergoing construction. What used to be sun/part shade, is now full sun. Along here are ferns, hostas, phlox, bee balm, wisteria, knock-out roses, daylilies, weigeila and honeysuckle. There is also a 15 yr old multi-stemmed Freeman’s Maple just outside the shot, but I’ll leave that for another day. But here’s a hint, it’s June and it’s casting almost no shadow…
Wisteria is starting to bloom.
All around the yard are these Columbines. They just pop up unexpectedly and provide some pretty spring colors. They’re a spreading plant that I don’t mind having out of place. These all came from a gift of one plant soon after we moved in.
Tomorrow… Continuing around to the front yard…
I love your garden … looking forward to watching those veggies in your raised beds and those beautiful containers growing on your patio! Thank you for sharing on #gardenchat so I could find you!
Thanks! I’ll have more on the containers another time, but I love the color they add to the patio. I’ve really been enjoying #gardenchat, too. What a great resource and community.
So beautiful. I did plant additional tiger Lillie’s this year to go with the one that was a drive by planting of my sweet neighbor. That, hosts’ sand ivy are pretty much the limit of my green thumb. That is why I enjoy yours so much. Nice job,
Thanks, Peggy. I love tiger lilies. I have some different ones getting ready to bloom, but there’s something really nice about the good old fashioned orange and yellow ones.
Your garden does look great. Love the tangerine Geum, and I’m glad your ash tree is holding up. What kind of beautyberry did you plant? I put in a dwarf Asian beautyberry last fall and it was chewed almost to the ground by rabbits, not it seems to be making a comeback.
Purple Pearls Beautyberry. It’s a cross hybrid (Callicarpa dichotema x kwantungensis). It’s supposed to be deer resistant (which I don’t have any to worry about) and hopefully not too attractive to the rabbits. I am so looking forward to the fall berries.
Your gardens look wonderful this year! The new raised gardens look great. Good job Steph!
Thanks! It’s so nice to have the extra space. Everything was always so crowded.
You have some amazingly beautiful gardens…I love the veg beds too!!
Thanks Donna! This is the best time of year for it. Once July sets in, I never know how everything will hold up.