Landscaping envy

I just thought this was pretty. It was a house neighboring one where we were at a party. I liked the trees overhanging the path/patio area. And the ground cover was pretty. This was actually the side of the house; I didn't even look at it from the front.

Frail flowers and flourishing fawns

While the plants in front are doing well on the whole, some of our perennials in back are muddling along.

The hydrangea's blooms are pathetic.

I guess our chewed-up mystery plants were coneflowers? I think? Not exactly thriving, but at least blooming!

I really should weed. Yeah. I really should.

And if they're not all doing great, this may be one of the reasons: here comes the next generation of garden gourmands! Cute, but naughty.

Two fawns and a doe

Unrelated to struggling foliage, I have had my eye on a brown mystery bird when it has appeared very briefly in the yard a few times. It drives me mad not to be able to identify it. I am lately thinking it is a type of wren - perhaps a winter wren? It moves around so much that it's hard to get a good look, much less a photo.

Tree removal

One of the four trees clustered at the base of our hill in our front yard was dead on (our) arrival when we moved in, though of course we didn't realize it until spring.

I got quotes from 3 companies to remove it: Fred at Pyontek, who said $1250, Joe at Trusty Tree, $1200, and Julian at Frank's Tree Service, $1000. So we went with Frank's, and while it took a few weeks to schedule, today the tree is gone, along with the dead branches on the adjacent tree. It was fascinating to watch.

They took it down in pieces.

Then the branches went in the chipper.

The trunk was cut into much smaller pieces, which got hauled off in a truck.

When the stump was only about 8-9 feet high, they cut it at the bottom and toppled it.

Cutting off one branch in another of the trees meant the guy climbed very high into the tree, chainsaw and all, and eventually let himself back down with a rope! It did not look fun to me, but he seemed to be enjoying it. I wish I had a picture of that.

Sun patterns - July 20

7:00am

8:30am

10:30am

1:00pm

3:15pm

5:15pm

Garden happenings

The wormwood has spread out nicely, although it's got some yellow parts underneath. Hmmm. The thing next to it with purple flowers, brachyscome, is also doing great. Two winners.

Most of the flowers did not spread out as much as I'd hoped, so the lesson is to plant more of them, spaced closer together, next year. Still, the begonias are doing great, and the geraniums are doing well. The stock has petered out. I'm not sure whether it was being eaten, or it just didn't thrive. I'll avoid that next year.

In the back, I think these were going to be purple coneflowers - four of them. I think it is deer that have basically kept them munched low to the ground, and then I spotted this beetle on them too.

This bud was cruelly chewed off the very night after I took this picture. It was literally nipped in the bud.

The hydrangea is a little anemic, but still it's nice to see some blooms. I panicked a little when the bleeding heart turned yellow but then read that that's normal and you just cut it down.

This is the front where all the ground cover was pulled out. If I ever get my act together, it's going to be a rock garden. I plan to put the rocks and soil down this year and wait to plant until next year. Meanwhile I'm waiting for Frank's Tree Service to pull down the dead tree.

The view up the walk:

The lantana has done very nicely. Must get more for next year. The lavender bloomed and now the blooms just look dead. I thought they would keep blooming? I am not pleased.

The moss roses/portulaca have been a great success and I just wish I had more.

Not pictured, some bug has completely razed the mint that was growing wildly in a pot. My basil also came under attack (from a caterpillar, I believe) but is now looking reasonably good again - I think the caterpillar became moths or butterflies or something.

Last note: I have decided I don't like the gazanias, though they are doing well. Too spiky and garish colors.

Groundhog and Woodpecker

Our fat friend was out munching on fallen leaves this afternoon. As a side note, this rhododendron is slightly behind its neighbors, just coming into bloom a couple weeks behind the others.

I think this is a downy woodpecker on our dead tree in the front, although it was kind of too far away for a certain identification.

Garden happenings

The basil is looking great- the scallions in the middle, less so. They really should have been direct-sown.

This was mint that I threw in the pot after I tore it out of the yard (a battle I continue to fight, but am winning!). I am pleased to have it (contained!).

The marigolds transplanted from seed are growing nicely, though the ones I put in the front were eaten right away - slugs?

The hot peppers and forget-me-nots transplanted from seedlings are still tiny. And desperately need thinning.

Rhododendrons in the back are at their peak, and gorgeous.

Lesson for next year: don't plant anything under what will turn out to be a very healthy, large peony plant! These stock plants are still doing fine, but they're literally and figuratively overshadowed.