Garden happenings

Mary tells me that I have azaleas and a hydrangea next to our solarium - the former is starting to form buds, and the latter has bright green new leaves.

And this is a beautiful surprise - a bleeding heart plant, which is apparently deer-resistant. (You can see the hydrangea next to it on the left.)

I have been attacking the lower lawn in back because it has a little crab-grass and a LOT of mint. It is war, with this mint. I pulled out a bunch a week or two ago and there is already more even in the spots I covered. It has a root network throughout the patch.

We have now twice seen a groundhog, who must have just emerged from hibernation, and we have some alarmingly large groundhog droppings in the lawn. Neither of us has the stomach to remove it yet.

Finally, I don't know what this is - probably a weed, but it's pretty. There is some in the middle of the back lawn, too. I suppose I ought to pull it up. UPDATE: it appears that this is Lesser Celandine, an invasive weed.

Sun patterns - April 25

8:30am

10:00am

1:00pm

3:00pm

Tulip!

They're red! And they have not (yet) been eaten by deer! Too bad there are only 2. You'd think I'd have moved the dead leaves aside for the photo, wouldn't you? Well it was starting to rain so I was in a hurry.

Two days later, on April 25:

Garden Happenings

I found a tag to tell me what these half-dead shrubs are: English dwarf boxwood. I have pruned off the dead parts as if I have any idea what I'm doing.

Magnolia = Magnificent

I only hope deer will not eat our two tulips before we get to see what color they are.

Garden Happenings

This week I trimmed the bushes in front. They haven't been pruned well over the years - very leggy on the bottom, so I didn't have much to work with. They may need replacement. 

Well hello, adorable little primrose that appeared from nowhere!

These are my "greenhouses." The basil has sprouted! Still waiting for the others. The yogurt containers, with clear tops, seem to provide the best environment - the others dry out a little more.

There is a lot of forsythia in the back yard.

Plants to, um, plant

lupine
pink yarrow
alyssum
Chinese wisteria (climbs and tolerates shade)
Climbing hydrangea (tolerates shade)
Marvel of Venice pole beans (climbing)
Morning glories (climbing)
Sweet pea (climbing)
Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Hatsuyuki', ALSO KNOWN AS: HATSUYUKI ASIAN STAR JASMINE (climbing, sun to part shade)
rhubarb: http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2010/04/how-to-plant-grow-harvest-rhubarb/

rosemary

ranunculas

moss roses (portulaca)

lilacs

daffodils

primroses (perennials; grow in part shade; sow seeds in winter!): https://carolynsshadegardens.com/tag/primrose/; https://awaytogarden.com/best-primulas-for-our-gardens-with-primrose-author-elizabeth-lawson/

redbud tree
hibiscus

Lemon Gem marigold

nasturtium (good for kids to garden)

CALAMINTHA NEPETA SSP. NEPETA' (calamint - perennial)
BRUNNERA MACROPHYLLA 'ALEXANDER'S GREAT' (siberian bugloss)
Rose campion (rock garden)
Solomon’s Seal, which goes by the rather unfortunate botanical name Polygonatum cyrtonema. variegated foliage, and dangling white bells that appear in May.
Solidago sphacelata ‘Golden Fleece’ (native plant)
Silene caroliniana var. wherryi 'Short and Sweet' (native plant)
Bellflower: Campanula carpatica 'Weisse Clips'
Geranium 'Rozanne' (perennial)
geranium cantabrigiense hybrid (perennial)
Geranium macrorrhizum (perennial)
Epimediums (for shade)
Vernonia lettermannii
Monarda bradburiana
Bletilla orchid
Phlox carolina ‘Kim’: 2-foot-tall, prolifically blooming phlox that doesn’t get any disease, doesn’t get any kind of powdery mildew or leaf spot
Sea Holly 'blue glitter' (eryngium planum - "air-ING-ee-um") full sun, deer resistant. 2-3'
For ground cover in full sun: creeping thyme 'magic carpet.' Deer-resistant

Back plot:
Baptisia alba is tolerant of partial shade
Convolvulus (silver bush)- for border in back plot
D. Grandiflora yellow foxglove would also work - shade-loving and deer resistant. See http://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/10/style/delicate-spiky-unloved-by-deer.html
Maybe hibiscus? Weigela? Viola (Halo Lemon Frost?) or primroses for a perennial border. Are any of those deer-resistant?

For border with Goldbergs' yard: boxwood interspersed with 'Sky Pencil' Japanese Holly

Pink pussy willow: gracilistlya 'Mt Aso'
See http://www.willowsvermont.com/order-form.html
From "A Way to Garden:" And then there is the pink pussy willow. ‘Mt. Aso’ is by far the most popular willow I sell; I sell hundreds of that. The buds start developing in July and August, so you have these pink buds all winter, and you can have them flowering for Valentine’s Day. Just bring them indoors three days before, and they will be in flower for Valentine’s Day.

Blue phlox: Phlox divaricata 'Clouds of Perfume'

For area outside the Solarium: Stylophorum diphyllum (Celandine poppy)

Pennsylvania sedge (grass)

Plumbago: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/plumbago/growing-plumbago-plants.htm

Herbaceous perennial clematis to use as ground cover: Clematis recta; Clematis durandii (see https://awaytogarden.com/pairing-clematis-with-proper-partners-with-linda-beutler-of-rogerson-clematis-collection/)

Bellflower 'pink octopus,' for partial shade. https://www.selectseeds.com/perennial-plants-2/bellflower_pink_octopus_plants.aspx


Perennial sweat pea: Lathyrus vernus

Salvias for late-season blooms: https://www.gardenista.com/posts/salvias-late-season-saviors-in-the-garden/

Shade groundcover:

• http://blog.wavehill.org/2017/05/04/plant-of-the-week-erigeron-pulchellus-var-pulchellus-lynnhaven-carpet-robins-plantain-cultivar/
• https://www.northcreeknurseries.com/plantName/Carex-appalachica

nerines (Guernsey lily, Jersey lily, spider lily)

Sun patterns - April 11

9:00 am

11:20 am

3:15 pm

6:00 pm