Renovations

My dream -- one of them -- has come true and the liriope is gone! Okay, not "gone" gone. It is still running along the property line on both sides of the front yard, and I actually replanted the stuff I dug out, with TREMENDOUS effort, on the eroding bank of the creek behind the house. But, as of lunch time today, it is gone from the borders of the beds in the front! Enthusiastic CHEER!

My enthusiastic cheer was followed, after lunch, by the dawning recognition that setting the edging stones is actually quite exacting, slow work. Walloping away at grass cemented into clay soil is exhausting but very straightforward. Still, I set a couple in today, and tomorrow I'm sure I will make Tremendous progress. And then I'll talk Ed into ordering a pile of mulch. And then my perennial seeds will have grown into beautiful plants, and then the yard will awash with beautiful blossoms and happy pollinators!

Finny will be Very glad when this summer's Large Project is done. 

He's had to stay inside while I dragged wagon loads of grass to the creek because an open gate is an invitation to him to play "you can't catch me." But he's been very interested in my efforts to grow plants. Particularly in the "Cow Pots" I ordered from Park Seeds. Cow Pots are, supposedly, like peat pots, only faster to decompose once planted in the soil. That part sounded really good but, what I didn't anticipate, is that they also, evidently, smell a bit of cow compost. Which Finny LOVES to dig in and sample when I use it in the garden. 

Speaking of pots and growing new plants, my efforts at plant propagation are having mixed results. The Solomon's Seal that a kind gardener gave me seems (fingers crossed!) to be progressing towards independent planthood. 

The spirea I clipped and dipped in rooting hormone....

not so much.

Clearly I need to read up on the process.

And we'll conclude with a couple pictures of some pretty things flowering in the back. And it's a good thing they flowered earlier rather than later, because, judging by the holes in the hosta leaves back there, we have a population of voracious slugs.

"Nature..., red in stalk and seedpod" (not to mention "stinger")*

*My apologies to Tennyson

Last night I learned something interesting about hellebore. In addition to being an early spring bloomer, shade and drought tolerant, and low maintenance, I discovered last night, after spending a while in the afternoon elbow deep in hellebore while cutting out dead and spent flower and leaf stalks, that it bleeds a really nasty sap. Once the burning rash was covering my arms I googled the subject...https://dengarden.com/gardening/poisonous-plants-hellebore-oleander-periwinkle

I didn't have anything like the dramatic effects that the writer of that article experienced (I wasn't messing with the seed pods, aside from accidental contact), and it's only mildly irritated today. But... dang! Between the yellow jackets and the hellebore, Nature was really out to get me yesterday!

Garden Plans, Possibilities, and Challenges

Many, many years ago, there was an outpouring of reminders in the homeschool mom corner of the internet I inhabited pointing out that most people, in their internet presentations of themselves, put their best foot forward. That their children might not always show up bright eyed and bushy tailed for lessons, that the dinners they served might not always include all the food groups in nutritionist recommended proportions, that their homes were not always "Better Homes and Gardens" ready. And those reminders were actually useful for me. I know that I'm a big liar, but I tend to take other people as they present themselves.

Now, you, undoubtedly, already knew this about people in general, and me in particular. But I am in a confessional mood, so humor me please. Pretend to be surprised when I admit that my garden, as pictured on my blog and Facebook feed, is a Potemkin village. I take close ups of roses in such a way as to hide blackspot damaged foliage. I showcase the pretty areas and fast forward through the unsightly bits. But no longer! In the interest of saving plans and soliciting recommendations, this post is all about my Real yard. Specifically, the bits that need improving.

Let's start with the biggest challenge. The far side of the house (the other side from the garage), and I can go weeks without going there. Narrow, overgrown with some sort of sprawling weed that comes through the fence from next door, no matter how many times I pull it out. I've imagined dogwoods and boxwood here, or maybe sky pencil holly. I really don't know.

This is a much bigger deal. The border in the backyard. The bamboo from next door keeps invading, and my trying to dig that out has created a gooey mud pit. Clay, laced with bamboo roots, and heavily shaded. This is where I transplanted some Jack-in-the-pulpits to today, from the front bed. I'm imagining a couple elephant ear sorts of things in the back, with more Jack-in-the-pulpits, ferns, hellebores, and heucheras. There are already some azaleas and hydrangeas.

The pool has a bit that drains into this part, but the mint that I put near the outflow doesn't seem to mind. Mint is very openminded.

The shed. I accidentally got it muddy while digging bamboo. I think a trellis with something flowery would be nice, going up the side.

And the back corner. I hope, someday, that we can move the fence to bring those two nice oaks in. For now, I'm thinking some sort of conifer. And... something.

*Notice the demon bamboo. Lurking.

Behind the fence is the creek. And a lot of weeds. And poison ivy. Also a few shrubs and hellebore we moved back there. 

I've been throwing my yard trimmings over the fence, including invading bamboo. And some of it goes down the bank. I know that might be a bad thing -- don't want to block up the flow of water, but, on the other hand, our bank is eroding rapidly, and I do want to stop that. If I were the Army Corps of Engineers I would build a sea wall (a creek wall?), but since my budget and manpower is more limited I am building a brush wall. And I think it's helping.

The inside view. I plan to put in a couple rhododendrons. And maybe a camellia? I'm not sure how camellias feel about damp clay.

And now to the front yard!

Here we need to remember that the deer can be ravenous. Hostas don't stand a chance, and roses only if sprayed fairly faithfully with Liquid Fence. 

Okay, so, to start, in this corner we have two tiny camellias. They survived being backed over with cars, but something, I suspect excessive sun and inadequate water, is keeping them from thriving. I plan to move them. And what will go in their place? I think a smoketree would look very nice.

You are thinking that the camellias would do better if they weren't so smothered by weeds? Possibly. But those are milkweeds. Our neighbors told us that, and also that milkweeds are important food for Monarch butterfly caterpillars. I don't think I've actually seen any caterpillars, but, just in case, I'm leaving the milkweed alone.

And a bit further up the driveway. When I can find some more penstemon it's going here -- the hummingbirds love those!

A work in progress. I was weeding under that crape myrtle today and accidentally bothered a nest of yellowjackets. Boy are they mean. Multiple stings, and they still hurt. Ed sprayed them, but I'll be careful there for a while.

And the rest of that side of the driveway. The problem here, aside from a lot of tree roots, is that the hose doesn't reach. Shady, rock hard, and dry.

And the front island. We're trying to get someone out to limb up the big tree a bit, so there wouldn't be quite such shade, but it's pretty dry and tree-rooty. The hellebore and jack-in-the-pulpit are very happy there, and we really just need some variety. Oh, and I'm thinking of moving some of those irises (lower left) and putting in something like "Golden Shadows" or "Summer Fun" dogwood. A bright sort of little tree.

Here you see my big issue with the front beds. The liriope will not behave itself. It wants to conquer the whole place for itself. Ed has taken to mowing it when he mows the lawn, but that does not damp its enthusiasm for domination at all. What I want to do is replace All of it with granite edging pavers. I have some picked out at the Home Depot. 11x7x4 gray granite blocks. I would/will put them in so that they are only an inch or two above ground level, and then we'll be able to ride the mower along them and save on edging. Of course, this is an expensive scheme, so it's a project for another time, but the plan cheers me while I'm yanking out wayward clumps.

And the border on the far side. Again, hellebore and jack-in-the-pulpit. And a tall something whose name escapes me. It does bloom, I can't remember when but it does, but I think we need less of it anyway.

There is a patch of mint here that I'm planning to remove. I'm thinking we need two more rhododendrons at the rear of the bed. A nice low conifer or two. A "Neon Burst" dogwood? An oakleaf hydrangea? Maybe some more peonies towards the front. And then... some perennials? It's a fairly dryish section, and it gets morning sun and afternoon shade.

Another view of the mint. Maybe a nice patch of astilbe there?

I have this spot in mind for one of those camelias currently by the driveway. There's one already, and it would be doing well, I think, if the deer would leave it alone.

And now we're done! The holly bushes are overgrown and maybe/probably should be replaced, but my immediate idea is just to plant some of those wonderful "Candy Corn" spireas in front, to bring in some color.

And the bed on the other side needs a bright yellow rose -- "Julia Child" -- and something in a pinkish-orange, to balance the colors. And, of course, the "Candy Corn" in front of the hollies.

And that's it. Well, not all of it. I have lots of other ideas (Ed says too many, but those are the most pressing issues.

It wouldn't be fair to finish a gardening post without giving credit to my intrepid garden buddy! He helps pull up bamboo, digs holes, and grabs my gloves when he can tell I need a break.

Here he is, hunting chipmunks.

And Then Time Stopped

In my head it's still late March. Ed turned 60 on March 1st, Katie is 18 as of March 4th. Both significant birthdays, and we Did celebrate them. Covid was looming then, but not yet fully the Thing. And then, a week or so later, it was all coronavirus all the time. No more plays. No more tutoring. No more politicking. No more leisurely browsing items in stores. Home all the time, or in the yard or walking -- always on the alert against the too-close encounter -- at the park.

And March goes on.*

But, it turns out, that's just in my head. Turns out it's nearly June! Good grief. Katie has been assigned a dorm and chosen a meal plan. Somewhere, we are told, a guidance counselor is looking over the list she submitted of classes taken and interests, and is planning her first semester's schedule. Online orientation is sometime in June, another "real" one in August -- tentatively.

Because, of course, everything is tentative. Whether she will go off to college. Whether she'll be able to get a summer job to help pay for college. Whether... well, just about everything.

I'd like to finish this first-in-a-long-time post on a cheerful, life-affirming note. Something about how I've been planting things in the garden, digging weeds and so on, and how it reminds me of the steadiness of the turning seasons, the determination of things to live and grow, etc. And... yeah. Sort of. Only the weather has been completely insane. Freezing weather in mid-May. I walked today in my heavy winter coat. The deer have been hiding (too many people walking about, with the lockdown?) and I've gotten slack about spraying Liquid Fence on my plants (Ed hates Liquid Fence) but then I lie in bed imagining that I can hear deer daintily stepping through my roses, devouring the blooms and new growth.

But today, excessively cold as it is, it's raining, and everything is very green outside. This weekend is supposed to be nice, and on the news this morning I heard that Covid cases are in decline in much of the country. And my dad and Ann made it back safely up to Maine, and my kids and Ed and I are all well enough and rattling around the house pretty agreeably together.

Maybe we'll do okay.

*I would like you to notice that I resisted writing "And March marches on." Well, at least in the body of the blog I did.

And some photos...

Church services are online, now, so Finny can attend. And attend he does!

We had a couple lovely warm days.

Ed, rocking his new hat!

And roses...

Oh, and Finn helping with the bamboo. Our neighbor's back yard is a dense bamboo jungle, and it launches endless invasions.

Dad and Ann are being very careful, as they should, but they did stop by once. Briefly. We kept our distance, no hugs, but at least we saw them.

I walk through a pasture on my way to the park, and sometimes I get to pat a horse.

The arch is actually more flowery now, but this gives you an idea. I'm pleased with it!