Scotch Broom is nearly finished. I'll cut those back pretty soon to get them in bounds. They get pretty sloppy as they grow older.
Korean Lilac "Miss Kim". The Persian Lilac finished about a week and a half ago. I prefer the Persian to the Korean. It's closer to the old-fashioned lilacs that I miss from the north in both scent and flower form.
Siberian and Bearded Iris. Don't have as many Bearded Iris as I'd like. I think I'm down to just the two varieties. Blue/white and yellow/burgundy bi-colors. The blue/white is called "Stairway To Heaven". The yellow/burgundy is an unknown heritage variety that I brought with me from MI.
Daylily "Stella D'Oro" is just starting.
Weigela. There's one mature shrub, and some smaller ones that were added last year. I've come to appreciate this pink shrub for its fairly long bloom period that fills in the late spring niche.
Azaleas are going strong.
Creeping Phlox is winding down.
I'm making some changes. Again. The round garden in back has strayed from the original plan. It started out as the "White Room (with black curtains)". Then I planted red and purple clematis on the 3-sided domed trellis over it. Turns out the red and purples were transient. They bloom heavily in late spring and die completely back when finished. So the trellis is bare for most of the year. Added pale pink and white clematis to fill it in, but they've been slow to do so. Added scent with lavender and rosemary, and some other scented plants that weren't white or black. This photo was taken in 2007.
The rocky area was added later. It serves a couple purposes. It adds some architectural interest, and it's a place to toss the rocks I always find wherever I dig. After the fence was installed, I expanded the backside to the fence. I've filled the space between the garden and fence with flowering trees and shrubs, and big ornamental grasses. The whole thing is just a mess right now.
I got to thinking about a trend that includes food crops in landscaping. It's a design for suburban yards that have to display curb appeal, and may not have room for a food garden. Food plants can be included without taking away from the landscaping.
I don't grow a big veggie garden anyways. Just some salad stuff. Tomatoes, cukes, onions, and maybe some herbs. I have the raised beds I built for this purpose, but realized I could include these things in this garden. The tomatoes can grow on the trellis. The cukes can ramble through the larger perennials. Strawberries can be included in the groundcovers. I can add some blueberry bushes, and tuck onions in wherever they'll fit. I can still have the flowers and scents.
So that's the new plan. I'll be in the garden if you need me.
tnt
Natureschild
