bugleweed pieces

I mostly wanted to start groundcover under these trees- it doesn't look much now, but I had solomon's seal planted under the furthest one (something ate it), hostas around the foreground left (deer ate them) and sensitive fern planted around the foreground right (withered from bugs and/or heat over summer but is coming back a little bit now). To spread it out enough, I gently pulled and teased each pot of bugleweed apart into many little individual crowns.

The bugleweeds are so little, barely noticeable now- but if it's anything like the ones I got last year, will fill in soon enough. Narrow-leaved 'chocolate chip' around the tree that has sensitive fern (there's four visible in this pic)

'Burgundy glow' around the tree with the eaten hostas-

'Bronze beauty' around the tree on the shady sideyard slope

and 'black scallop' half circled by where the solomon's seal were.

Then I planted more of the 'chocolate chip' on the sunny sideyard, alongside a new row of stepping stones I'm placing there-

Most are in a row under shade of the large lamb's ears-

and gladiolas foliage

and two tucked between step stones

Only had one specimen of dwarf 'metallica crispa' and I put this one under the hydrangea by the rhubarb (yeah, I moved my rhubarb again. I'm a week behind updates here!)

Last of all, the dwarf 'chocolate chip' variety went around the lilac shrub out front. 

I put a new stepping stone down there- this old one in the middle was slippery

so I laid a different larger one that has rough surface but it stands up further above the ground so now I wish I'd had more of the standard bugleweed size, not got the little dwarf ones because they're so cute!

Look what I found when I was working in that spot- my aglaonema and apparently it bloomed this year, but I totally missed it- hidden under the daylily foliage.

planted

a week ago actually, but I'm only just now getting around to all the pictures. Beautyberry- between the base of the shady sideyard slope and the large holly shrub, against side of the house.

From the other side it's barely visible, but I hope it will grow out and arch over/through the railings, reaching onto the lower deck.

Oakleaf hydrangea to one side of the rear perennial bed-

I'm rather excited to have this plant. I hope it fills in a great blank space back there, and I love its foliage

not to mention the flowers will come. I fenced it against deer and rabbits-

I feel like it's already making a statement in the rear left of that bed

Just in front left of that main oak tree, I put the st. john's wort. 

Looks small now, but already I like its contrast against the hellebore.

View from other angle:

The wandflower went to the side near pannicle hydrangea, between smaller rue and the two jacob's ladder plants 

(all of them rather inconspicuous right now)

Up front I rather ruthlessly dug up all the echinacea that were next to my lilac- it was getting crowded

Also dug up the two hyssop here on the driveway edge- even though it's been doing splendid

I wanted to put these bright bold blanket flowers there instead

(there's still a few rudbeckia and marigold in between)

That meant moving the hyssop- and assuming it's part of the plant scent keeping rabbits from my garden, I figured to use it elsewhere. Replanted on top of the shady sideyard slope- in a curve around edge of the turtlehead patch and yellow salvia.

The two plants divided into four- one I pulled apart and the other broke when I was digging. 

Don't know how well they'll do here- probably not quite enough sun- but I wanted to try

Well now the lilac has all its space. Underneath it I've planted little plugs of bugleweed, but that's coming up.

fall lettuce start

I just sowed seed for fall/winter lettuce and tatsoi. If it's mild winter again, see how long they last. Started some indoors in trays, and sowed direct into the garden where collards left empty space too. Not sure how well the seedlings will fare against slugs, cutworms and squirrels, so the indoor trays are my backup. Tatsoi and the following lettuce types: webb's wonder, romaine/cesar mix saved off my own plants in 2017, romaine saved in 2010 (not sure if this one will grow), leaf lettuce saved in 2017, and simpson elite.

I made a thing

four things, actually. 

When at the nursery last week I mentioned in dismay how the deer ate all my hostas this year, and the nurseryman remarked "unfortunately, once they discover your yard, they'll always come back" and I thought: wait a minute. They didn't just discover my yard this year. I've found their tracks and droppings every season. Why did my hostas get eaten this year and not the ones previous?

Then I remember what I forgot to do. This year, I didn't put out chunks of irish spring soap. I guess it really was working! Dang. The plastic baggies I used before are all tattered now and some water pooled in them- so I fashioned this hanger thingy. I made a little mesh pouch, strung it on a loop of fishing line threaded through two tiny holes poked in a piece of plastic (from food container) to make a little roof. To keep off the rain. 

I hung them on the forsythia, on a rose of sharon (near the hostas that got eaten), and on each oakleaf hydrangea. Even though those have fencing around them now, this might keep the deer from coming to eat the hostas nearby.

new for the yard

I skipped my annual spring plant shopping this year. But just had a fall plant splurge last week! A modest one. Got a few plants I've been wanting- including a nice oakleaf hydrangea for the back

My happiest find was this beautyberry (though a bit disappointed the nurseries only have japanese beautyberry, I wanted the native one)

The berries are gorgeous- so vivid!

Its color scheme is so like the 'gay delight' coleus had to take a photo of them together

That one's been on my want list for a while. Also more bugleweed- I was particularly looking for this narrow-leaved one called 'chocolate chip'

also found a dwarf variety of same

and four other kinds I didn't know existed- 'burgundy glow'

'bronze beauty'

'black scallop'

and 'metallica crispa' (also a dwarf variety)

This blanket flower is a perennial native. I do believe it's the one a friend gave me seeds of- which I thought of as daisy-like. Its particolored flowers are so startling bright I'm putting it in a spot I don't see often- alongside the driveway (so tucked here between the hyssop plants it will replace). This one is 'Arizona sun'

and this (which is kinda sad right now- they were on fifty percent off sale) is 'mesa bright bicolor'

I only had two impulse buys- a 'siskiyou pink' wandflower

and this st john's wort. I have no interest in using it as a tea or medicine. I just thought the foliage was pretty, and can grow in shade- always need more of that!

Will put up photos of their placements in my yard later- I took advantage of one completely overcast, cool day to plant, and it was seven or eight hours of work (carefully separating all the individual bugleweed crowns as you will see). Had to get it all done because what followed was another several days of sun and heat straight. Sore muscles now, but very satisfied. However my wrist is aching from all the digging with hand trowel, so I don't feel like typing too much right now. It needs a rest.