Less progress than hoped for in back plot

I was feeling reasonably good about the back plot after planting three digitalis grandiflora (large yellow foxglove) yesterday and transplanting some of the wandering forget-me-nots to the other side of the topiary, and some of the sprouting lungwort offspring to the far side of the plot. But then I looked at the vision sketch, and where I started last winter, and where I was around this time last year, and I must say it's disappointing. On the whole I just want it to be bursting with life, and it's clearly not, even if the forget-me-nots and lungwort are gangbusters and the begonias are doing fine. There just needs to be more stuff, and taller. If the foxgloves make it, they'll help with that.

Early March, 2016. The starting point.

May 19, 2016

May 28, 2017

On the plus side: luscious lungwort.

And this person isn't disappointed. She drew chalk pictures of flowers, sun, and rain.

In the front, you see the self-seeded lungwort that I transplanted. Behind them left is a foxglove. Behind that, aster (I just don't even know what to make of that), and the stringy things behind are the alliums that DIDN'T flower. In the picture below, you see the two transplanted forget-me-nots.

Just one of the poppies in front bloomed, and it's awfully short, but still beautiful!

This little dude(tte) was just hanging out in the middle of our basement, blind and just-born groggy. 

Did I nestle him/her into a soft bed, give him/her a name, and lovingly feed him/her milk from an eyedropper? Hells no. I put it outside and fervently hoped a fox or bird of prey would eat it. Speaking of which....

This was circling the neighborhood on May 24. I think it is a turkey vulture.

Garden happenings

Cute chipmunks. I don't see them as a problem at all - they do make a few holes in the lawn but they don't dig up the garden (or yard) the way those wretched squirrels do.

This a photo of a chipmunk (bottom left) but note the allium on the right, not yet opened on May 17, in contrast to the photo below from today.

The begonias are filling out nicely and have not been attacked by deer. Yet.

Now to the front - the basil has caught its breath after swooning when first planted, and now it's looking robust. Portulaca behind it starting to bloom.

Brachyscome

Barry from Birch Hill Landscaping informed me that the one plant that didn't return last year was an anenome and he'd replace it. That was 15 days ago. Still waiting. Thanks a bunch Barry.

Fine-looking property, isn't it!

Hens and chicks seem to be doing great, and expanding.

I think this is a Siberian iris. It looks great.

Left to right: lavender, artemesia, brachyscome

Peony on the verge of blooming

Only one of the poppies (foreground) has a bud on it. I'm hoping the others might bloom next year. They do have some yellow leaves toward their base so I guess I should look into it. The baptisia, in the background, looks great.

The rhododendrons are in full bloom and gorgeous.

Rosemary and oregano, leftish, are doing fine. Begonia to right.

The sage (left) and parsley (right) seedlings are still wee, but making progress.

Verbena

Visits from warblers

I saw three unfamiliar birds outside the solarium today. One was brown and I didn't get to identify it. Another was a male black-throated blue warbler (no picture) and the third was a black and white warbler (obligatory blurry photos below).

And let's have a look at the progress of our back plot:

Annuals as far as the eye can see

I bought more annuals, having felt that I was in need of portulaca and basil. I got them at the Maplewood Garden Club's annual sale, which was fine - nice people, of course, and decent selection, and for a good cause, but I do prefer a big nursery like Williams.

I should probably be buying more perennials for the front but I will always need herbs, and I have a love of portulaca and brachyscome and (even though I did not actually purchase it) lantana, so it's hard to resist.

So everything is in the ground now save that I ordered three digitalis grandiflora (yellow foxglove) for the back plot that haven't arrived yet.

This is one of the plots in the back and I am realizing as I look at the photo of it that it looks bad. Left to right: struggling azalea in a shade I don't like, tiny new hydrangea that you can't really see, big hydrangea that has had a weak show of flowers the past two years, and bleeding heart, which is probably the only winner here. Still, at some point we'll redo the patio so there's no point in fixing this spot now.

I don't ever take pics of the azaleas in the back but they are very nice when viewed from the solarium. (These pics, of course, are from outside)

Here's the stuff I added in front. The brachyscome (foreground) I planted last week; the spiky thing is actually crocuses. Then I added basil and portulaca and you can't really see that I put the begonias left over from the back in that spot too, around the phlox. Side note: the Spanish bluebells in the back have been great long-lasting performers this year.

More portulaca, to the right of the steps as you're facing the front door. I'm hoping they'll grow to peek out from under the bushes.

Portulaca behind the verbena that I wish was lantana.

Groundhog and chickadee

(S)he was headed down the hill on the south side of our house. As many animals (deer, groundhogs, cats) seem to do.

And shortly thereafter this black-capped chickadee alighted on a rhodadendron.

Greenwood Gardens and mystery egg

Yesterday Team Aylward went to Greenwood Gardens in Short Hills, just minutes from our house. It was lovely and for most of the hour or so we were there, we encountered not another soul. I imagine this was a great time of year to go, before the bugs come out (it has a couple ponds) and when the lilacs and even some bulbs still are blooming. They managed to get tulips and hydrangeas blooming at the same time - impressive!

These were nice. See also below. Spotted geranium, Geranium maculatum, "Espresso."

LOVE these tulips.

Lots of whimsical details around the gardens. There is a whole row of these horses!

Unrelatedly: mystery bird egg from our lawn on May 4! It was empty (hole on other side).