Yesterday

I just did two of the many tasks on my list, and it was enough to wear me out again, sigh. Because I actually mowed half the lawn a few days before that, which got me really beat. Cleaned up a bit in the rear perennial beds- cut out older leaves from under the hellebores, and cut back all the dead stems of monarda from previous season. Pulled up some volunteer viburnums and japanese honeysuckle. Noticed that my spring beauties are a bit more numerous this year, and the mayapples are coming up!

Admired my little patch of lysimachia purpurea- it's hard to notice unless you look close- but the leaves do have a nice delicate blue-green edged with red. I hope these spread some!

the arum has got nice and thick

I love seeing the new leaves unfold on the oakleaf hydrangea. They make me think of candles when the light hits them in late afternoon. Hope next year the plant will be tall enough I can remove the fencing that's keeping deer from eating it.

From the kitchen window or deck, can actually see the younger euonymus shrubs I moved back there, finally filling in (to the right and behind the hydrangea). There's three more on the other side of that tree, but they're much smaller- eaten more by the deer, or don't get quite as much sun I think.

Under the panicle hydrangea, rumex is coming up again-

All the shade areas have yellow salvias growing back in thick and fast. I've gotten a bit tired of this plant and started actually pulling it out where it's spreading too far.

I do like seeing how thick the 'autumn joy' sedums come in though

Sad that in the front, I still only have one cranesbill growing in. The other shows no signs of life although when I push aside the mulch there's a little center shoot left, so I hope it can regrow eventually.

Ajuga is showing bright color under the trees- but in some places it's not staying in a tidy area, spreading out into the lawn. Just an opportunity to dig and move some.