I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year. I love late spring, I love the first blooms, the signs of new life, the return of perennials like family. Nothing beats the joy and triumph of plants that come back strong, and motivated to please. On the other hand, this time of year means lots of empty space between plants. With the plants still so small, I begin to second guess my choices of placement, combinations, etc. All of my beds are young, and in many cases are works-in-progress. I have to fight hard the urge to move all the plants around. I know in my heart moving things too much means smaller, less prolific plants, and I'm not patient... not patient on any level. I spend so much time staring at things, visualizing a month from now, trying to remember where I put the nasturium or zinnia seeds, whether or not I like the cosmos in that spot last year, deciding what volunteer seedlings are keepers or weeds, bla, bla, bla... .
I'm posting some picture of what I see when I look at the beds in part of my garden today.
This is my back border, far left hand side. I have 3 phlox, a centranthus ruber, and lysimachia that decided to not return at all, a coneflower in a place I don't remember putting a coneflower. I'm praying the hollyhock seedlings grow. I'm wishing the old daylilies and hostas in the back were moved. I'm urked that the Butterfly Bush takes so long to get started. And there are mystery seedlings in the back. Tall ones.
This is my walkway in the back border. The rabbits do a number on the creeping phlox here, and it's taken 3 years for the honeysuckle vine to get 3 feet tall... I'm hoping it decides to leap this year. I also gave into the urge to grow morning glory back here, and I watch everyday as more seeds germinate. Thank goodness.
This is a new front walkway bed, and I can't help but over examine my choices here also. Two roses, 3 happy returns daylilies, creeping speedwell, campanula 'birch hybrid, painted daisy, phlox, and tomato soup echinacea... and yet they still look so empty, so slow to fill in.
The front corner of my lot is also a new bed... no edging yet. In fact, I have to get out there and clean up the edging. I have a lilac, forsythia, rose, iris, monarda, sage, yarrow, mums, and annuals seeds plugged in here... I'm so impatient! I can't wait to see how things come out here.
Finally, the spot in the yard that is making me the most nutso is this new side door entrance garden. It's so empty. I had so much debate over this space b/c it gets bth heavy shade and full dry baking sun. I had to decice what sun-loving drought tolerant plants to try toward the curb, and what shade loving plants can handle the spots against the house, while still provding height. I wish I had more money to buy more mature plants, and nice trellises to cover the air conditioner and meter. Day by day more stuff gets tossed into this bed. Eventually three clematis, jackmanii, avante garde, and comtesse de bouchaud will cloack the arbor, along with ramblin' red and climbing white dawn rose. Three more roses will be in the foreground, incluing Bonica, Carefree Wonder, and Heirloom. Several ground covers, incluing pinks, speedwell, moss phlox, thyme, and sedum are all planted here. Perennials include 4 lillies, scabiosa from seed, painted daisies from seed, lamb's ear, siberian iris, conflowers, russian sage, sea thrift, phlox, hibiscus, and more...
Consider this the "before" post. Later, when things fill in, and I chill out, I'll share the results, mishaps and celebrations and all.
Happy Gardening!
