smaller sideyard

I've been working over here, too. Clearing weeds again, spreading leaf mulch- mainly because I have leaves to rake up, and the compost bin is full- need to turn and empty that soon- not because the plants actually need protection against the cold yet. I mulched around and behind the joe pye weeds, the black-and-blue salvia, the gladiolas. Had to tie a rope horizontal between the wood against the bank to a metal pole I drove into the ground further downslope, to prop up the glads. Made it easier to reach in there and mulch. 

And found that my soft gentle lambs ears are looking grand! I really feel that the effort I took a while back to pull out all the blackened old foliage from underneath the plants, paid off. It looked to me like had aphid leavings. And now the plants seem healthier. Or maybe the weather just agrees with them more!

The black-and-blue salvia I cut back is flowering again- 

though who knows how long it will last until cold hits. I trimmed back the one on the upper side of the bank, too.

Funny thing, this row of sedums did so poorly in this narrow strip between my driveway and the neighbor's lawn- that in previous years I dug some up and moved to the opposite end of the main front bed. And planted coleus here in between the smaller sedums. But this year they're doing fine!

small wildlife and things

in the yard. When I was digging compost out of the pile (still a lot to spread) I startled a leopard frog. I reached for the camera in my pocket but in the few seconds it took to lift up, the frog was gone.

But I did get a picture of this little toad that was under the weeds in my garden bed 7. I think it's a Fowler's toad.

The other day I was out picking dandelion heads from the smaller sideyard (just so the poufs don't scatter seed everywhere) and saw a narrow tail disappearing under the stepping stone. I thought it was a baby snake and wanted to see- lifted the edge and there was a fat skink! pressing himself further away from me and then dashed out into the open, scrambled into shelter behind a shrub so fast it made me laugh. The stones have a hollow underneath and I wonder if the skinks shelter there in winter, which pleases me. Though it probably makes a nice place for slugs to stay, too.

Today I found another brown skink, it had fallen into an empty bucket. So glad I found it while still alive. Called my husband to come see it up close (would have hollered for my kid but she was at school) and then set the bucket down laid sideways to let it go. It sat there very still as if stunned on the decking for a moment then ran down between two boards, so quick. Yesterday I saw a very small skink with bright blue tail, on the railing up top. So lively again.

My daughter looked out across the yard and said "oh, is that my favorite weed?!" at the ajuga. I'm not sure if it's the one she's thinking of- she said it grew at our previous house, and she liked to pop the "bumps off the stem in a row." Maybe it's the ajuga she means, when it has buds or seed formed? I just thought it was great she has a favorite weed. Who else but the child of a gardener.

Although I'm dismayed to learn that once again, I planted something that's considered an invasive in my yard. Both the vinca here growing among the bright purple bugleweed.

At least the lamb's ears opposite are not invasive, just alien.

more work today

I cleared more weeds, gathered up last years' leaf mulch (and respread it on the empty garden beds), and hauled three buckets of compost up to the front. Fed the daylilies (again, they didn't get much the first time around)

cleared up some and scattered compost over the black-and-blue salvia- no sign of emergence yet but I do see one gladiola spear coming up! and the lamb's ears on that side look particularly nice this spring

Out front I've more or less cleaned up the front perennial and flowerbed (I had to spread the work over two days). Divided a few allium clumps to spread out- I hope I haven't done this at the wrong time and ruined their chance of bloom. They stood up to the disturbance pretty well, haven't wilted much

these two are next to a tulip

Behind them you can see the fat shoots of peonies arising!

I also moved a few young columbines- they look pretty small yet!

To extend the row of older plants- it gives something to look at in the back of the bed when not much is growing yet, and then later when they're done flowering and died back, the plants in front hide the gap

I can tell now what things I do actually matter in the garden- my raised beds that didn't get composted and mulched properly in fall, the ground was hard, not all loose and soft and dark like other springs. I didn't come out and heavily mulch or cover plants against the cold (except the black-and-blue salvia and the lemon balm) and now I can see the usual mulch and leaf cover was enough for most of them. But I lost a few brunnera- here's one that did well regardless

There's only two mums showing new growth so far in the bed, and of the wild geraniums (cranesbill), one has revived, the other nothing growing. If I've lost it, that makes me sad.

Two or three of the clary sage also died, but I have enough left it's okay

My 'espresso' wild geranium in the back near the garden seems okay though

and next to it the hyssop in a container is doing great! 

I can also tell that scattering hair clippings and irish spring soap shavings was keeping the deer from eating too much of my euonymus and hostas. Because in fall I did none of that, and this winter the deer ate back so much of those shrubs against the house they look awful. I'm going to have to trim them back to reshape, and have started scattering deterrents again.

more pics later

plant swap!

This was great. Local gardener's plant swap was today. Here's what I took to give away: two young tomato plants, three pots of sorrel divisions, a half dozen coleus, one african violet, a small pot of miniature geranium cuttings, three pots of jade cuttings, 

a pot of tradescantia 'bolivianus', some rooted spider plant babies, one pot of cuban oregano cuttings.

And here's what I brought home! The obvious: another ostrich fern.

Two Lysimachia Lanceolata var purpurea. They have purplish leaves, and will bloom yellow.

Four strawberry plants

a sad-looking handful of lamb's ears

Salvia lyrata (I think I got this plant before from swap, don't think it survived, hope to do better)

Red Monarda 

And what makes me most happy: some young trees and shrubs! American Persimmon:

Two Spicebush:

One Pawpaw (!!) (I think- it wasn't labeled)

and seven little Redbuds (!!!)

flowers etc

Hyssop in the container

and in a bed- behind them, nicotiana 

Lavender

Rue is flowering-

Yesterday I saw a small, velvety black butterfly with white spots there

It has plump orange upper legs-

In the rear perennial bed I found a volunteer- its leaves and flower shape look like the cranesbill in the front yard, but this one is orange.

Largest borage by the mailbox was flowering-

but it was actually off to the side, in the grass. On a rainy day I took a slim chance and dug it up to move into the bed space, but broke the taproot (of course). 

Well, there's plenty more not far behind it.

I moved the rumex from that spot. Also too late in the season- it wilted severely even though I transplanted it during  a week of rain. It wasn't doing well out front. Too much sun I think, and unwell in a spot too hot for it, was beset by whitefly. I sprayed an insecticidal soap, pulled off the worst leaves, threw out the worst two plants. The remainders

they're now around the rhubharb flanking one panicle hydrangea

Here's the turtleheads I dug and moved much earlier in spring-

on the newly-sunny sideyard. Which has such a long way to go.

On the other side, my milkweed have all come up-

Black-and-blue salvia looks great so far

Looks like the dark blue salvia will be okay too

Lamb's ears recovered from their move (just two of them)- the row is tidy now-

and the ajuga in front of them is filling in pretty quickly

Next year it will be as thick as this! previous year's bunch under the hydrangea (with a bit of mock strawberry mixed in there)