Bless My Bloomers

For the last few weeks my mind and efforts have been distracted by my green thumb. The time of year when I envy the semi retired women making minimum wage at WalMart because they get to spend their days in the greenhouse talking about flowers. I love flowers and I LOVE gardening. It is one hobby that I have yet to get bored with. Maybe it's the challenge,the waiting,the hard work or a combo of it all. So what is happening in my yard this year you ask? I'd  be happy to tell you! (until I can post some current pictures)

The hens and chicks are continuing to overcome their' garden. Spilling out of old fountains,pots and small aquariums and climbing over stumps,beach rocks,drift wood and sea shells. A ceramic frog peeks at you out of his "good eye" as a pale ceramic fairy plays her tune on a mushroom drum. A few escapees have grown under the fence but they are such a cute greeting to passers by we can't bare to pull them. We have much faith that this will be the year the succulent garden will fill in and connect to cover any trace of the ground below. To think that when I met Vern 4 years ago I found this little garden of his unusual and now I am fertilizing to make it grow even more because I love them too!

The raspberries have exploded in a huge garden box. I knew they would be better the second year but holy moly it's growing like crazy! We just might get more than a few handful of raspberries this year,this pleases me tremendously!

Today I finally added blueberries to the large garden box next to the raspberries. I meant to do it last year and never got around to it. I may have just made up for lost time... and it all started with one plant..... called "Bluecrop" at Walmart.



Bluecrop



 Sweet,that was cheap and simple! Blueberry-check! But thennn... the gal working in the greenhouse said she had heard you need to plant 2 types of blueberries together to have lots of happy berries. I wanted to assume she was some kind of blueberry pusher but then realized WalMart only carried one type.I consulted my smart phone and learned she was right. We were off to Home Depot. This little project was suddenly growing but I was determined to finish it this time. Much to my surprise Home Depot had TWO other types of blueberries! SCORE! The "Duke" and "Pink Lemonade". The Duke being exactly what I needed (another "typical" looking blueberry)

The Duke

 and the Pink Lemonade

Pink Lemonade

 was something I had never seen before,it supposedly produces sweet pink berries...instant dilemma! I stood there,a bucket in each hand,my brain hurt,a horrible smelling dog had licked me (a story for another time) and I wanted to go home and get planting. $7 each,one 5 foot long planter to plant them in and fear of unknown future berry invasion...I threw caution to the wind and bought them both! I basked in my berry induced high the whole way home.3 different types of blueberries,go Me ;) I took special care prepping the garden box. I added a bag of my best potting soil,tilled it all up,tore out chives and Calla Lily bulbs for transplanting and fertilized. I spaced them just perfectly,covered them carefully and watered them in.I stood back to admire my work and then it hit me. I just planted THREE BLUEBERRY PLANTS! I looked to my left at the garden box of raspberries climbing the trellis and fence and growing more and more each week. What seems like hundreds of new sprouts coming out of the dirt...what have I done?! That was ONE plant.I look back to my right at the garden box of blueberries. Three sweet little innocent sticks coming out of the ground, covered in itty bitty green leaves....harmless right? Blueberries might not get as big as raspberries...right? RIGHT?! I am comforted as I remind my self that I knew well enough to contain them and that's also why I chose blueberries over blackberries. Too evasive for me and my small yard! Also I can prune the heck out of them so they don't get out of hand and they'll keep coming back. AND last but not least my "inner prepper" is also excited about all the ways I can cook with and preserve them! Tragedy averted...right?

The garden sits lonely and neglected for now as the huge blooming Rosemary steals the show on that side of the house. I think it has finally found it's forever home in the old dryer drum,with an old weathered window propped behind it to tie in my attempts at shabby chic. This small side yard is my only full sun area and will soon be full of all my precious sun seeking perennials that I purchased with the promise that they would attract butterflies and hummingbirds.For now it has the sprouts of a few newbies. A Parrot Vine is new to me this year,it will be exciting to see if this frail light green sprout will grow to a vine with Parrot beak looking red flowers. It grows next to a Mum from my friend Sonja who had the wonderful tea party for me last fall. She is always so thoughtful and such a dear friend. And in the front row are my 4 little mysteries. Somehow I lost their tag in transit so for now I am left guessing what will grow from these fuzzy,long,round leaves.It will need to be a bit spectacular to steal the fragrant show from the Lilac looming above.Finally after 34 years,I finally have a blooming Lilac of my own! No more stalking the neighbor's Lilacs out front,slowly walking by,strangely close to her fence to inhale the sweet aroma as deeply and discretely as tact will allow. It is so liberating to have one of my own to enjoy as often as I please,there are few smells I love more.

The newest addition to the yard is the garden bed Vern made me in front of the deck wall. Since this is where we put the fountain we decided to spruce it up a bit.Now it is nicely framed in with wood and filled with red columbine and some bright yellow and green grass that surround our big bubbling fountain.The lighted peacock that I scored at Christmas time has found it's place in there too. It's so unusual and beautiful at night as the blue and purple LED lights reflect off the water on the fountain.Off in the dark corner is the glow of a frog as he hides just a few feet from a funky wire and glass rabbit. My child like nature becomes so apparent when I get creative...

The other side of the yard has a similar flower bed but it is much longer and gets much more sun. This is where I try to get away with all my "Part shade" flowers. It's hit and miss at best. So far I have been lucky with some Geraniums that I picked up at the local Garden Club plant sale.In one year they have grown and spread like crazy which is fine with me because they are pink and purple.I also took a chance on some bulbs I found at Grocery Outlet last fall. They shocked me when they not only grew but have bloomed the prettiest daffodils with ruffly petals,a white layer on the outside and a peachy pink center. My faith in bulbs has now been renewed since I have had such horrible luck with them in the past. I filled the empty spots in this flower bed with a Dahlia (that I am trying for a third time) and another perennial I forgot the name of (but have bought before a few years ago and nearly killed but it's barely hangin on.) but so far it's bright pink flowers give me hope. (I am digging it up soon to put next to the other one and replacing it with a Daylily that I am giving a chance off the clearance rack (yes I am a glutton for punishment)). Last but not least in an attempt to tie in my love for french Cottage style gardens we added some short white columns we found at a yard sale last year. I topped them with  pretty urn shaped pots containing a combo of deco grass,sweet potato vine and fuscias to name a few.Now all I am missing is a few chunks of moss to put under the pots and give it that old,overgrown look. Moss...oh how I lovehate moss. I love it as deco but NOT in our lawn! We bought our first thatch rake today,again,I am aware that I am a glutton for punishment. This begins phase 3 in our battle with the moss. Now that we own miss killer and a thatch rake..I just might stand a chance. I don't know why it bothers me so much but..it does! Again,perhaps part of the appeal of gardening is the challenge.

As my mental tour contiues,over the sidewalk,past the succulent garden and over to the shade gardens I must confess that this area of the yard is where I almost have met my gardening demise. I learned to love Hostas,coleus and ferns as I accepted the slim selection of hearty full shade plants.It's also a great place for our old bench and a small wagon of driftwood that hides the pipes and utillity boxes.Aside from a very cute old wash bin full of flowers under the dining room window...that's it. So once again,I am taking my chances. I spread 2 packets of shade flower mix all over that shady flower bed. I also have 2 packs of Columbine seeds in the refrigerator getting ready to plant there too. I love Columbine and honestly...if only one grows..I'll be happy.

Perhaps we can explore the front yard another day but this concludes my tour for now. For those of you who read my ramblings here to the end,I hope I gave you a little vacation in your day :) I