What grows between

The terrace, walkway and low wall have been very satisfactory. However, the magic sand that was supposed to inhibit growth between the stones is losing its potency. Apart from the usual suspects which I'm pulling up pretty religiously are these three welcome visitors. In order, they are impatiens, growing under the table, beautiful moss which I hope will take over the terrace, and nicotiana which I can't resist allowing to grow a bit more.

 

 

 

What I'll be missing

While I'm in Oxford,I'm expecting several things to burst into bloom for the first time. As gardeners always say, "You should have been here last week" or "You should come back next week!"

The kirengeshoma is about to bloom.

 

The clethra is just starting to bloom, if you get close you can start to smell the heavenly scent - it's similar to lilies.

 

The sedum that has been quietly living in a clay pot on the front steps since I bought it from Martha Stewart at K-Mart three or four years ago has decided to burst forth. Somehow I'm expecting a yellow bloom. Will need to commission someone to photograph these while I'm away.

 

More odd critters

Despite all the rain, I hadn't seen any slugs until yesterday morning. This one was by the front steps.

 

And this elegant creature turned up in the kitchen (yes, I leave the back door open on cool days so all kinds of things find their way inside). I keep wanting it to be a leafcutter, but I don't think so. Sorry it's so blurry.

 

One week away

Back from the beach after a week away, the following changes had occurred.

 
The clematis bloomed! I just planted it this spring and did not expect very much. Worried, too, that it would not get enough sun on the trellis. But look!
 

Ditto the moonflower. My experience has been that it doesn't bloom until late, late summer, but here was a perfect bloom at the end of June. It hasn't bloomed in the week since, but stil...
 

And here's a not very good picture of the trellis with its three vines: clematis, moonflower, and the still-not-sure-about akebia. It's very clear that, despite the hostas which I really like in front of the trellis, it could use some socks.

Other changes in that short week are the day lilies in full bloom, as well as the hostas (the mundanes with the ordinary tall purple stalks - though yesterday I spotted a hummingbird feeding on one of them).

The hikers take a walk

Four of the five hiking girls met at the National Arboretum last month for a stroll around the grounds. It had been years and years since I was there, and it's definitely worth a trip. It starts at the water gardens by the entrance.
 

 

The Asian gardens had perhaps the best use of bamboo I've seen.


I made several Notes to Self.
 
This was a delicious combination of ginger and Hosta 'Halcyon.'

 
Kirengeshoma will get pretty big - I'm glad I have it under the oak tree instead of in the front garden.

 

I don't know Hexastylis, but it looks perfect for the shade gardens.

 
This plumleaf azalea is a native - worth looking into.
 

I loved the larkspur blooming among the balloonflower (though mine are just now coming into bud, so the timing might not work - nevertheless, get some larkspurs!)


There were a couple mysteries, too. What is this plant? The fruit left a heavy coating of orange pollen on my fingers.
 

 

And this is something ordinary, I think, but what? Elderberry??

More pix online here. Note the gorgeous lilies, poppies and larkspur by the Herb Garden. Delicious!

Rip it out

Along with the dogwood, the less attractive pink azalea is now gone, too, revealing the downspout tucked behind it and making the view down the pathway clearer. At the moment the plan is to plant poor 'Zepherine Drouhin,' who's been moved around the garden for the last month, in place of the azalea, bordered by the three bearberries I bought from the Tri-City people last month.  
 

I'm not sure the scale is right, with the azalea overbalanced on the left side of the steps, but we'll see. Also worried that the rose won't get enough sun, but again, time will tell.

Oh, the possibilities

The white dogwood that came with the house has been slowly dying back the last few years, and I finally had it taken out. Of course, the first thing I realized was how nicely it had screened the neighbor's driveway from view - not entirely, but just enough to give us both some privacy. But it also revealed that side of the front lawn as ripe for development!

Here are views from the house looking down toward the street (the weird mess at the top is the Soil Moist), looking up from the street with the neighbor's driveway at left, and up toward the house, with just a few branches of the maple in view at right.

 
 
 

It certainly looks bleak, doesn't it? Apart from the scraggly state of the lawn, I am most aware of the full sun that this side of the lawn enjoys. Many possibilities have been floating through my mind: a set of shrubs, including a lilac just for the flowers; a perennial border of sun lovers to include scads of lilies; a wee little vegetable garden bordered with low shrubs... But of course, the most important consideration is what would actually look good there from a design sense. How to make whatever garden is there flow with the rest of the space? And what garden should be created that will not end up being burdensome to maintain?

And don't forget Mom's advice to keep it low.