Memorial Day weekend saw much work being done in the garden. Thanks to Marenakos we found just the right rocks to build a little retaining wall for the final plantings around our new fountain. The solar fountain arrived from Silicon Solar Inc. and I already had the plants as relocations from my own yard or plants I had picked up at the local Lake Wilderness Arboretum.
I placed the rocks, poured in the soil, placed the plants, secured the landscape cloth for weed control and poured beauty bark. My husband assembled the fountain and pump and viola, the fountain is done! As a pleasant surprise, the fountain even came with underwater lights that turn the water silvery in the dark. We do have solar landscape lights on order as well, but for the time being we are very pleased!
Elsewhere, yesterday I planted some plants from my stockpile that every gardener always has such as a rhodie, a grass and some others that I’ll get the names of later. I also relocated a couple of plants that were being crowded such as one of my white roses. There is always more to do though. Next up I need more beauty bark so I can lay more landscape cloth around some trees and shrubs.
Here’s what’s newly blooming:
- Geum
- Exbury azaleas
- Columbine
- Iris
- Poppy
- Lupine
- Chives
The garden looks amazing after a weekend spent spreading 12 bags of beauty bark and installing our new fountain. Of course, the fountain includes new plantings thanks to my pick ax wielding husband and 10 new holes to welcome the plants. I also planted some annuals mostly in the front yard. These include petunias, snapdragons and impatiens. The fountain plantings include 3 hybrid tea roses, 4 Sarcococca (Sweet Box) shrubs and 2 clumps of Dierama pulcherrimum (fairy bells). There are still some plantings to add once I find some river stone to shore up the bottom of the planting beds as this is all on a slope.
Otherwise, the slug patrol continues and in addition to my ammonia dilution, I have resorted to slug poison around the newly sprouting dahlias otherwise there would be nothing left of the new growth. No shortage of slugs in my backyard!
Finally, here’s an update of what’s blooming:
- weigela
- lilac
- poppy
- saxifrage
- all rhododendrons
- species primrose
- blueberry bushes
- Fothergilla gardenii
As a mother to two toddlers I am quite busy and so I was thrilled that my wonderful husband gave me two wonderful Mother’s Day presents. The first was time with my pick-ax in the garden. I was able to remove a dead rhodie and plant a wonderful new lilac in its place- all without having to mind two children. I also moved a Maltese Cross, planted some lime grasses and pulled a weed or too. Then, it was off to the concrete store. Yes, you heard my right! My second Mother’s Day surprise was picking out a fountain for the back yard. We also got a very nice Japanese pagoda lantern for the flower bed and a little bear figure for the kids. The fountain will take some setting up, but everything else has a home and looks great. Finally, I was also honored with a bouquet of 30 cheerful tulips and some very nice cards. It’s hard work, but very satisfying being a mother. To all you mothers out there, may you be as satisfied and happy with your roles as I am!
