Garden Update

It has been such a dry summer so far that most of my time in the garden during the week is spent just keeping everything watered.

That has left little time for weeding or other chores, like putting all these plants that are sitting around in pots into permanent homes. I am desperate to get that completed this weekend and intend to press the two men in this family into service with some shovels. I will especially need their help this weekend because I’m still suffering from a wretched case of poison ivy. The doctor loaded me up with helpful drugs, but it’s still a matter of waiting it out. Miserable.

The perennial borders are starting to look more mature. These are some fabulous peonies I transplanted from the other side of the garden to this spot last year and some foxglove. That’s sedum sandwiched in between. Don’t look too closely because there are also some nicely established weeds I’m going to have to do battle with tomorrow.

You can’t see it in this photo, but that’s yet another strawberry pot of hens and chickens. I’ve been pulling out the babies and plopping them into the ground under the bench when I’m sitting there. By the end of the summer there should be a nice hens and chickens bed under there.

Oh, and that’s the house in the background (House #4) where our bluebird family is living.

I’m really going to have to discipline myself with whatever new plants I drag home because I’m simply running out of room inside the Colonial Garden. Happily, I’m discovering all sorts of new shade plants that I can use to fill up the shade garden I’m putting next to the turnaround. I’ve even been flirting with getting some more container roses from Antique Rose Emporium, but, sadly, they’re out of the Cecil Bruner rose that I want.

This is one of two clematis that I have. Pruning clematis is tricky, so if you ever buy one, make sure you make a note about what kind it is so you can look up to see if it is in the A, B or C category. Each of them require a very different pruning method.

I’ve started reading Dominique Browning’s Paths of Desire, about her time in her suburban garden. Browning is editor of House and Garden magazine. Her writing style is very calming, so it’s just what I need right now.

I see an early bedtime ahead.