Somebody Stop The Madness

Decisions, decisions.

Easy for you maybe but anyone who knows me
knows I run things over, under and around in
my mind, even in my dreams at night until a final
decision is made on anything.
Starting in the Spring when the first flowers are
being potted or sown I am already starting a list
for the fall planting or next winters seed list.







Every new posting of the blogs that shows a flower
that is so pretty and that will grown in my zone 5
garden is added onto the never ending list of prospects.
I say never ending because just when the list is just
being whittled down to size a new variety of echinacea,
phlox or hydrangea appears on the gardening world
scene.







To add to the clutter in my mind the gardening
catalogs started arriving earlier this fall.
They all naturally have the glaring words
"New For 2010", "Spring of 2010" on each issue.
On cold, rainy evenings (when the house is clean)
we look through every page folding the pages on the
corners and marking another potential new seed
or plant that would look wonderful in the garden.
We go through them over and over again adding
some to the now 'Monster List' of plants.

And then it happens. The day fast approaches
when we have to sort through the list and finally
decide what will be ordered for winter sowing.
We set and ponder in our minds the layout of the
garden beds. Which flower will go best with the
plants we already have? Will the colors clash?
How tall will the new ones added get and where
can they be placed in the beds? Does it need more
or less sun? Will it take some partial shade?
How much room does it need to grow well in?
When is its blooming period?






Do not forget the plants in the basement.....




and the ones over wintering in the house have to
be accounted for in the decision process.



Then do not forget all of the seeds blog friends and
seed swap friends have sent are to be included
into the seed or planting frenzy.
Decisions now have to be made, it is crunch and
countdown time.
Draw up a diagram of the beds and try to
pencil them in with the plants that are already there.
Do not forget the bulbs and roots that are planted
in the bed too. You don't want to dig into them.
Scratch that seed. Cannot find a suitable place for
that bright flower, so cross it off.
But, you moan and groan "I really love that one".

Somebody has got to stop the madness!!!!

So like all practical and knowing gardeners
the decisions, diagrams, and plans are ready and
your mind is finally made up.
It is really quite simple .......

you just make another new flowerbed.




Happy Gardening Everyone!

Time to Take an Inventory

Although I dislike the thoughts of impending Autumn
and what comes next it is time to take stalk of the
flower beds. Time to see what needs divided, moved,
or added.
Looking over my flower beds and really seeing them
was an eye opener. I saw that I had stuck in randomly
flowers that I loved but not necessarily go well with
the surrounding flowers, so the back drops were sometimes
not ugly but a jumbled mess of colors.
So I took note and decided that I had to move quite a few
and really match them up so that they would blend with
each other. This is going to take a while ;-)
Yes, it was that bad.
SO, I intend to move flowers this fall and tidy up the beds.
I also saw that I needed an infusion of some other colors
in my beds. I have tended towards the royal colors of red,
pinks, blues and purples. But I do love these colors.
So the new garden catalogs coming in now in abundance
will be used to add more color and blends. I am determined
to have color divided in sections in the beds.
Now that I have set my mind to this project it is really
getting fun and I see many new different of varieties of flowers
that can be added to the garden.

Yesterday was spent digging up the old old fashioned
irises that were in one flower bed.




From the looks at the divisions in my old wagon you can
see how long it had been since they were divided. Sad sight.
By the way the wagon is old and Dad had built a wooded bed
for it years ago. I use it for everything around the garden though
so it is a real back saver for me having not to lug around
everything. The poor thing needs a new bed now, but since
Dad had built it for me and he is now gone I hang on to it.

Anyway, I ended up with 56 divisions which was put into
a fifty foot section in of double rows behind my lily bed
along the woods. Do you think the irises will help hide the
lilies from the deer? I am hoping it will help.



Also I had to go around the beds and pull out this terribly
invasive flower that springs up everywhere. I received it from
a friend years ago and the once love for the dark foliage and
little pink flowers have run from love to pure hate for the thing.
I cannot remember what the name was now so if any of you can
identify it please let me know.
The stuff is even coming up down in the woods now so I
will be fighting with it forever because I cannot denude the
woods. It is such a shame because it does have beautiful foliage.



The 'Brandywine' tomatoes have been ripening fast now
that we had a hot spell. I was wondering if I would ever get
any after such a cool summer.
I am not going to plant it next year though because the vines
grow so large, too large for my containers. I had to start pinching
off the tops when they reached 6 feet because I could not hold them
upright above that in the containers. Also I have tasted a lot more
better tomatoes. Maybe the weather had something to do with the
taste but I will try a bush tomato next summer.

On the agenda today is moving the three Heath plants to
a better location along the garage bank. They just so not
look good now in their location and I do not want to just pitch
them. Changes are going to happen around the beds and
more plants added that will also bloom later in the season
to keep the color going through the summer.
Also I find that I am in need of using more annuals in
my garden and more of a variety. This all will be in my
garden notes so next spring when the seed catalogs come
pouring in I will choose new annuals instead of just the old
standbys.
So is everyone taking a new look at their garden beds and
making changes also? I would love to hear about your
evaluations and moves.

Happy Gardening Everyone!

Happy 4th Everyone

The Land of Liberty

I love my country's pine-clad hills,
Her thousand bright and gushing rills,
Her sunshine and her storms;
Her rough and rugged rocks, that rear
Their hoary heads high in the air
In wild, fantastic forms.

I love her rivers, deep and wide,
Those mighty streams that seaward glide
To seek the ocean's breast;
Her smiling fields, her pleasant vales,
Her shady dells, her flow'ry dales,
The haunts of peaceful rest.

I love her forests, dark and lone,
For there the wild bird's merry tone
I hear from morn till night;
And there are lovelier flowers, I ween,
Than e'er in Eastern lands were seen,
In varied colors bright.

Her forests and her valleys fair,
Her flowers that scent the morning air--
All have their charms for me;
But more I love my country's name,
Those words that echo deathless fame,
"The Land of Liberty."

Sunday Sparkle

Some Sunday Sparkle and Glow.















I do not know what these little critters are on Stella
but they really love her.

Have A Wonderful Weekend!

Yarrow Time

I have several yarrow plants that are starting to bloom
now. Two pink varieties, 'Oertela Rose' and 'Richard Nelson'
which is just a more neon pink, and the standard
white yarrow to brighten up the flowerbed. I have a new red
one 'Paprika' but I do not think it is going to do much this
season for some reason. Maybe it needs more time to
settle in.



Meet 'Oertela Rose' Achillea.



Meet 'Richard Nelson' Achillea.








I think one of these has to be moved because my kids
cannot see through the yarrow and I cannot see
the kids for the yarrow.
It will most likely be the kids since the yarrow is happy
where it is.

My Brandywine tomatoes are blooming.
Now where are the honey bees??




Happy Gardening Everyone!

Columbine Rose Barlow

My Columbine, aquilegia ' Rose Barlow' is blooming now.
She is pretty and a welcome bloom in the Spring.
My only improvement on the flower would be that the
blooms or heads did not droop but bloom more upright.
She is dainty and lovely regardless of her drooping blooms
though.





Jack Frost Brunnera is almost stopped blooming now
and its leaves are getting larger and more beautiful.



I love this time of the year when so much many flowers
are starting to bloom.
Now that the 18th of May is upon us warmer weather will
settle in and the days of harmful frosts or cold spell will be
no more, so now I can get my Brandywine tomatoes
planted out along with other warm weather veggies.

Happy Gardening Everyone!

Now in Bloom

Garden Update

Even with all of the rain this week I got some new plants
planted or stuck in the mud.
I had been wanting some variegated leaf tall phlox to add
to the flowerbeds because I love phlox and if they had a
variegated foliage it had to be a plus.



I purchased three 'Nora Leigh' Phlox paniculata from
Butterflybushes.com or Rose Franklins Perrenials & Herbs.
I was so impressed at the well established plants that came
from there in the mail and the care at which they took in packaging
them.

I also planted some white Candytuft iberis semervirens along
the edges of the sidewalk.

I had saw a picture of Lynn's from Flower Gardening
Mahonia Oregon Grape Holly 'Mahonia aquifloium' when it was blooming
this spring and its beautiful yellow flowers. So I found them and planted two
this week in the woodland garden bed since they do well in shade.
They get grape like berries on them that the birds
will love.

Also since I had lost two rose bushes this winter, the ice
storm must have done them in or disease, one was replaced
with an ' Almost Black Rose' which I am hoping will do well
here in the flowerbed.

I had received free from an order with Springhill Gardens
a Paeonia suffruticosa 'Zhuang Yuan Hong' tree peony
so it was stuck in the mud.
With all of the rain there was no need to water the new additions
to the flowerbeds.




Update on the computer problem: My hard drive was ruined
in the old one so it was going to have to be replaced. Guess
what I received for an early Mother Day present. I was so
thrilled at the generous present. The new one runs vista so
it will take a little while for me to get use to the new bells and
whistles on it and a few old programs I had will have to be
updated but I am all set now.

Going to go with my daughter and mother up to Sugarcreek, Ohio
in Amish country this weekend. I am hoping the rain will at least
hold off so we can enjoy the sights and get some pictures.

Happy Mothers Day and Happy Gardening everyone!

A Small World

It's a small world in the Garden