across the front

My front bed has needed a lot of cleaning up. So many weeds and young volunteer trees to pull, mulch to spread, things to trim back. My clumps of clary sage have lots of bug holes-

 But I was pleased to find, next to this baby cranesbill, a new clary sage as well! At least one of them self-seeded (even though I cut the flower stalks back to try and get a second bloom).

A few catmint have popped up here, too, next to the brunnera. Those traveled far!

Even though I only pinched back the mums once, they grew quite thick so I hope flower without flopping over too much this year.

In the other front corner by the driveway, I've weeded and mulched around the daylilies- and you can see that little pink lily is still here!

Some of the lyreleaf sage I planted under the lilac are finally looking okay.

And this one is grown really thick and lush. I think it might be one of those ajuga actually getting a foothold now- it looks very much like the lyreleaf, I won't really be sure until it blooms in spring. Feel silly not recognizing my own plant, but hey.

I'm dismayed my lilac is still apparently dying. The right half is still bare, in fact the barren branches seem to be spreading. And there's very little bug sign on the foliage this year. I'm stumped. Is it the encroachment of the black-and-blue salvia I put in the corner behind it? Did I really overdo it with leaf mulch those early winters, and it got rot down in the root crown? I just don't know.

some flowers

It wasn't as hot today, so I actually got some work done in the yard. The nicest surprise was finding this lily in a corner by the driveway- I thought that plant was long dead (photo from yesterday after rain)

I mowed, pulled crabgrass and other weeds around the garden and milkweed patch. Still no sign of monarchs. But I did see a swallowtail on the turtleheads which are finally blooming, 

and not so poorly as I expected- and a hummingbird buzzed close by!

I found quite a few swallowtail caterpillars on the dill that self-seeded all over bed 4

Here's a younger instar and an older one together-

The blue sage is outdoing itself with color still- and I'm glad to see a younger clump of the same plant nearby. Going to mulch them and clear out the space between to sow with more seed.

Sad that my rhubarb suffered in the recent heat- it's almost completely disappeared just one leaf left

the corner

So here's the corner between my front yard driveway and the neighbor's lawn. A spot I wanted to fill with plants so I don't have to mow it. I think I'm getting there.

I put that little wall in place so I don't get upset when their lawnmower person runs over my echinacea anymore. In fact, the day I put this line of edging bricks up, I heard him starting the machine and went over there to make sure my space wasn't getting run over again. I asked him "Please can you be careful not to mow over this corner, I have flowers growing here." He smiled and said "Sure," but at the same moment was stepping on one of the plants. I had doubts how much care would really be taken, so I said "I'm going to put a little wall here just to make it easier" and I did.

The echinaceas I was protecting. Eventually I think the lilac (which looks fantastic, lots of buds) will shade them out, and I'll find something else to grow around the base of the shrub.

The sedum 'autumn joy' is more full and lush than last year. I think all the plants really appreciated the leaf mulch I put down.

Daylilies looking grand! Starting to think I could divide this and put some on the other side of the yard.

In front of them, surprised to see not only the alstroemeria, but also the asiatic lily growing back.

Hyssop in the corner is big enough to be noticed now. I'm hopeful it might even bloom this year.

on the deck!

I have a lot more container plants this year- because some of them just do better on this upper level that gets more light, and it's more or less out of the bug zone in the garden. Left to right: stevia, rue, fenugreek, asiatic lily, rosemary, winter savory, coleus, basil.

around the same corner to the door: cucumbers, sweet basil, coleus, fig, geranium, amaratto basil, choc mint, chives- in front the cuban oregano, lemon balm, japanese maple seedling, another rue, thyme.

Other side of the door: bay leaf, geranium, nasturtium and ginger mint

Nasturtium flowers:

I like the peachy hue when they start to fade-

Of note: still haven't eaten any fenugreek. Brought an Asiatic lily around from the front- whatever was eating its head off left it alone up here. Two buds!

The fenugreek flowers look similar to clover

Corner behind the chair: sculpit, coleus, basil that doesn't flower (I haven't eaten it yet)

'gay delight' coleus looks really good this year

I had two sculpit plants- the one down in the garden died. I'm not sure if conditions were wrong for it, or it was out-competed by nearby parsley and other plants? Well, the one up here has pretty blue-green leaves

and is starting to make the balloon flowers!

Cucumbers sprawling-

view from over the railing

and down below

Lots of yellow flowers- a few tiny cukes starting to form.

Lime-and-orange (red) coleus is also doing great-

Fig tree is growing rapidly. My friend has the same kind, and hers (although smaller) has small fruits forming on it. Mine doesn't. I guess I have a male tree.

Amaratto basil is flowering!

This is the wild mint I dug out of a friend's yard. It wasn't doing great last year- pot sat down by the lower deck. Refreshed with new potting soil, mulch with bamboo and moved to the upper deck. Better now.

Ginger mint also doing better up here (it was down by the garden last year)

and of course, my favorite chocolate mint. I'm clipping from this nearly every day to steep in my green tea. So far no pests.

today in the yard

first clematis bloom!

Lilac is not far behind

I am starting to plant things around it, because I really hate mowing this wedge of the front yard- small corner off to the side of the driveway. So far I have stonecrop sedums behind it against that wall that drops off, and against the house are the daylilies with patch of vinca spreading around them. Eventually I will put some low groundcover around the stepping stones and remove all the grass here.

Now behind the lilac on one side I've put the black-and-blue salvia. It wasn't doing well in the mailbox spot. Too much full sun all day I think. Some leaves starting to look scorched and it was often drooping. It will get shade in this new spot for at least half the day.

Front side of the lilac I've put the 'autumn joy' sedum. I divided it into several plants- not sure if they're spaced out enough but I can always dig and spread again in fall or next spring.

I had once again forgotten that I have a few asiatic lilies in this corner! because last year I accidentally mowed over them and didn't see the plant again all year. I'm glad they survived that. With grass reduced enough in this corner I won't be hitting it with the mower again but trimming by hand (scissors) nearby, so it won't have that kind of mishap again.

I kind of like how it looks with the vinca growing in around it.

Down along the other edge of the side yard, the row of gladiolas are coming up. There's a few on the end of the row smaller and grouped closely- I wonder if those plants grew from seed that fell? Look younger. Cool. Behind them the sweet peas in corner are coming in thick and strong- I didn't even sow any of my saved seed for those, all came up on their own. I'd like to build some kind of support so they are displayed better instead of tangling around each other...