Today's work

I pruned the daphne bushes and the abelia near the house.  I also pulled the weeds and divided some of the canna in the bed in front of the house.

I planted a variety of annuals.  Blue ageratum in the right retaining wall bed;  begonia Ambassador behind them and million bells petunia to the left;  Spanish lavender, salvia and celosia in the front bed next to the driveway.

Planting time!

Spent all day yesterday in the yard.

In the left retaining wall bed I planted orange and yellow french marigolds, one roma grape tomato, and one straightneck squash. The salvia seem to be doing pretty well; some of the black eyed susans are good, but most of the coneflowers seem to have not survived my dividing them.

In the right retaining wall bed I have planted six dianthus. The kniphofia, liatrus and pinks are doing well. I also planted 6 gerbera daisies that I grew from seeds.

In the small bed between the house and the patio I planted red salvia splendens next to the steps and two astilbe, a elle astilbe and a vision in pink next to the side steps. There are 3 garlic plants doing where there too. I also have rosemary and fennel in that bed.

I planted a asao clematis on the post for the porch swing, and 2 black eyed susan vines (thunbergia grandiflora) on the post at the pond.

I planted bee balm and yellow "harvest memories' bearded iris in the bed next to the driveway, between the aster and the other iris. I put the rest of the kniphofia plants on the south side of the yard, at the end of that iris bed.

We dug of a small bed on the south side of the house, between the ac unit and the fence. I put four o'clocks there. I also grew these and the black eyed susan vines from seed.

I put caladium bulbs in the planters on the south side of the pond, which is very shady.

I talked with the ag extension agent about the continuing problems with my gardenia. Now the leaves are quite yellow with some brown spots. He said it needed more fertilizer. He also said that if I want to keep this bush I will probably have to be a bit aggressive with the insecticide; that white flies are very difficult to eradicate and that it may also have aphids. So, I reluctantly sprayed it and the azaleas with malathion.

Next task will be pruning. Need to cut back the daphene and the azaleas.

Iris are blooming. They are one of my favorite. I took this picture last week. The azaleas have been beautiful this year.

Frustration

Last weekend I divided all my coneflowers. Now most are dying. They've had plenty of water and sun, but they just haven't survived the stress. I looked at Logan's, but I just couldn't stand paying $12 each for purple coneflowers. I've always gotten them from friends. I'm going to put some bee balm in that bed. I might have to get other new plants as well.

I bought some water hyacinths for our pond. The Logan's folks highly recommended them. I then read some very negative reviews. Apparently they can be very invasive. I think this just applies to large bodies of water, not our little pond. Also, in warmer areas they are perennials, while they are annuals here. Guess I'll have to keep an eye on them. They do bloom, shade, oxygenate and float. Sound perfect!

Irises are finally blooming.

Busy time

We've been busy in the garden.  One bed in the back had way too much red clay and too little good soil, so we removed the top soil, dug out the clay and put the soil and compost back in.  I, of course, use the editorial 'we' as my husband did the digging and moving.  I dug up all the perennials, divided them and replanted them.  Also moved the liatris to a different bed.  Some of the coneflowers I divided are looking a little peaked.

I've been weeding beds.  I've planted some kniphofia in the back bed.  Still have a few pieces to plan.  I've also planted some helleborus and more monkey grass.  The seedlings in the house are doing well.  I divided my aromatic aster and moved two pieces of it, and planted some more hyacinths in the front.  

Azaleas have been beautiful.  

And more rain!

Lots of rain. More than an inch this week, then .8 last night and more to come today. Maybe my grass will grow now!

I've got some nice seedlings coming up, inside: gerbera daisies, four o'clocks, moon flower. Lemongrass and black-eyed susan vine are not up yet.

I've been pulling up ligustrum seedlings and trading them for liriope. My two new rose bushes are beginning to show some life. Crepe myrtles and rose of sharon are leafing out. I am also seeing the very early signs of peonies. Hostas are completely up, and azaleas are in full bloom. The yellow rose bush is now budding.