In the May 6, 2012 Garden

I spent the day today in the garden.  There are so many chores to do but planting new purchases is  not a chore to me.  A visit to Peconic River Herb Farm and Felix Wholesale in Calverton and Riverhead, respectively, resulted in some great purchases at great prices.

I have been working on the memory garden.  I added three more pink Astillbes.  I also added an angel with wind chimes.  It is inscribed with "A Mother's Love is Forever".  The tulips planted are spent now and the bed is a bit empty now.  Soon the pink coneflowers in the rear on the right and left will grow and bloom.  Hopefully, I can find an Invincibelle Spirit Hydrangea to replace the one I had planted here. This one is a bit sadlooking.  While I bought it for $2 it is not what I want.  I really want the variety that gives $ to breast cancer research.  The one in the photo is just to hold the place.  Here is a photo.

On the left and right in the rear are the pink coneflowers, center is the hydrangea and the front are the tulips.  In between the tulips and hydrangeas and coneflowers are the Astillbes.  They are just starting to come up.

I also decided to add some patriotic spirit to my garden.  I have a blue macrophylla hydrangea in my corner garden. I added Soil Acidifier to it today to keep it blue.  It used to be in the exact corner of the bed but last year we installed a new fence along the property line and the corner moved.  I decided to move the Butterfly Bush to the corner and planted a Quick Fire and Incredibelle Hydrangea to the left of it.   In front of that are the Astillbes and Daylillies. Here is how that area looks:

Butterfly bush in the rear.  From Left to Right:  Quick Fire, Incredibelle and Blue Macrophylla Hydrangea.  Astillbes in the foreground.  Joe Pye Weed all the way to the right.

A close up of the hydrangeas.

The corner garden has daylillies, Heuchera and Autumn Joy Sedums too.  I am trying to make it more linear and formal.  I hope to buy some more Heuchera to finish the look.  Here is how the right side of the corner bed looks.  Soon the left side will look this way.

Heucherra and Autumn Joy in the front with daylillies behind.  I need to find a ground cover for the area in front of it all.

I did not weed the vegetable garden.  I need to.  I still have to plant the carrots, beans and tender vegetables.  Here is how the potatoes, garlic, peas and beans look:

Potatoes are up.

From left to right: Potatoes, garlic, pole peas and bush peas.

Potatoes.  You can see the garlic tops on the far right.

I also worked on the garden which is along the north side of my house.  It is a shady area that only gets morning and late afternoon sun.  The hostas, Solomon's Seal, Astillbe and Bleeding Hearts have grown significantly since I put them in 4-5 years ago.  I divided the hostas 2 years ago and the Astillbes every two years.  The Bleeding hearts were divided last year.  It is amazing how quickly they grow again.

Hostas, Solomon's Seal and Bleeding Hearts in the back. You cannot see the Astillbes from this angle

Bleeding Hearts

Bleeding Hearts, Astillbes, Solomon's Seal and Hostas

I continued added to the bed along the driveway and garage.  While this bed faces north, it gets sun for most of the day.  There is little to block its sun.  I added pink cone flowers, balloon flowers, true Geraniums, and Joe Pye Weed.  In the fall I planted the Alliums you see.  This bed is almost full but I want to add some more to really fill it in.


Looking from east to west.  Bailey is in the picture

L-R: Grass, Sedum, Salvia, Clematis, Allium, Grass, Balloon Flwoer, Geranium, Columbine

Rear L-R:  False Indigo, Alliums, Salvia, Pink Coneflower, Sedum, and grass.  Front L-R: Spent bubls, geranium, balloon flower, spent tulips and geraniums

A mix of Grasses, Rose, Columbine, Iris, Lamb's Ear, and Alliums

I finally finished the bed along my front fence.  It was designed by a Landscape Architect I know and I did the plantings.   In the fall of 2009, I pulled the grass out and planted a few hostas I found on sale.  In 2010 I planted the Crape Myrtle, hydrangeas, Nepeta and hollies. For 2011 I planted the Laurels, St. John's Wort, Hypericum and Weigela.  But, the Christmas Ferns had proven hard to find.  I found them on Saturday at Peconic River Herb Farm.  I planted the 5 of them and finished that bed.  After several seasons, I am happy with the results.  The older plants are really taking off and filling in.    I will have to take a photo of that bed to add here.