Rain, rain ... *sigh*

After a week or more of rain, the greenery is going gangbusters. This morning I weeded the first section of fence. I think about the long skinny flower bed in terms of fence segments so as not to be overwhelmed. 

There are 10 or 11 sections in the fence. If I do one a day they'll get weeded every 10 days. That's the plan, anyway.

The next photo shows the weeded section plus the three French lavender bushes beneath the bird feeders and the hummingbird feeder, which was moved to the fence. The lavender is growing nicely. In a few weeks it should be a foot or more high and begin producing beautiful, fragrant blossoms. I fell in love with the lavender when we were in France and had some in the Missouri garden. I'm so looking forward to it blooming!

Yes, the feeders are empty. I left them empty to discourage the shack bully pigeons who not only drained the feeders but stomped around beneath them and pretty well killed anything planted there. I've ordered a new feeder, one with a cage around it that is supposed to let in small to medium birds but keep out larger birds and squirrels. If it works well, I'll get a caged suet feeder, one that will keep out the starlings.

This morning I spotted a hummingbird at the feeder. It is maybe not the first one, as the level of nectar has been dropping, but the first one I've laid eyes on. Happy day!

The first section is weeded but not edged.

This view shows the raggedy edge of the flower bed. When I was in Missouri I had a step-on edger that made quick work of tidy edges. When we moved, I bequeathed it to my dear friends as I'd have no need for it in the condo. Well, life intervened. When I moaned that I could not find another -- it is out of production and nowhere to be found -- they generously offered to ship it back to me. Now they are even dearer friends. ☺ Can't wait for it to get here!

As I weed, I need to mulch, but first need to create a clean edge. [Note to self: see if Home Depot will deliver bags of mulch.]

 The next photo shows the weeding that lies ahead ... some areas are very dense with weeds and others not so much. The next section of fence is going to be a headache to weed, but it is supposed to be cooler with no rain tomorrow and the ground will still be relatively soft from the rain. 

On the patio, a new white planter, and along the fence a new birdbath.

The new planter with lavender and white calla lilies that were around the statue in the island. They won't stay here permanently. Not sure where they'll end up.

Now a trip to the island ... I wasn't really happy with the statue being semi-hidden among the pots of calla lilies and ferns. Then I found planters that are designed to to be used on a patio table on either side of the umbrella. Perfect! They will be settled into the pea gravel a bit so the tops will be level with the base. I think rather than adding dirt, I will put in small pots of blooms so they can be changed out as the season and my whims demand.

Just behind the island are the six Rose of Sharon bushes that were transplanted. Three are growing heartily, two are not quite so robust but are bravely leafing out, and then there is this one. It puts out microscopic leaves that seem to be there one day, gone the next. It must still be alive. I'm hoping it is busy putting out a sturdy root system and will direct energy to leaf production when it's ready.

The arrows are pointing to microscopic leaves. This Rose of Sharon is apparently alive but its growth rate is definitely not as good as its brothers and sisters. [Click on the photo for an enlargement. Sorry for the blur. The growths are sooooo tiny!]

Two more plants have been added to the landscape, a red stemmed dogwood to add a bit of winter color and a Tuscarora crape myrtle outside my office and studio, which will have coral colored blossoms. Mini update: the three paulownia trees are growing well. Photos to come.

A Tale of Two Trees

When we lived in Missouri, there was a plant in the garden that had me perplexed for several years. It  had a woody stem that grew rapidly and produced dinner-plate size leaves. It was not in a good place for my overall garden design, so for three or four years I cut it off at ground level, not being able to pull or dig it up where it grew amid some rocks. And every year it came right back. I finally searched out what it was: a Paulownia elongata.

With its promise of growing up to 15 feet in a year and producing shade and beautiful flowers, I thought would be perfect for my current yard. My local landscaper was not familiar with Paulownia, so I found a Georgia nursery that carried it and ordered two of them on line. (You can see the bare root sticks in the previous post.) The photo in their ad was of Paulownia elongata, as was the description.

As the twin Paulownias began to put out leaves, I was confused. Their leaves were the wrong shape and had a fuzzy surface, not the smooth leaves I was expecting. I queried the nursery, which never got back to me. (As of 9 May 2018, the page for their Empress Tree/Paulownia has been taken down.) Google helped me discover that there are multiple species of Paulownia, and what I had was Paulownia tomentosa. Who knew?

Paulownia tomentosa in my yard in Georgia

Meanwhile, the Russian pomegranate from the same Georgia nursery never did sprout. When I spoke via telephone to their Customer Service department, I was told that it was a very slow growing tree, that they'd had some planted for several months before they began to show new leaves. Ha. I know a dead tree when I see one. And I want something that will grow quickly!

I went online again and ordered a Paulownia elongata from a different nursery, this one in North Carolina. It it wending its way to me as I type this. When Joe showed up with his auger to dig a hole for a crape myrtle that is yet to be purchased, I had him remove the pomegranate and enlarge the hole for the Paulownia elongata. 

I thought I'd do a good thing and fill the hole with water, so the ground would be good and wet for the new Paulownia. That was before I read that Paulownias do not like to be over-watered. 

Hole for Paulownia elongata, about 7 hours after being filled to the top with water. Only about a third of it has soaked into the dense Georgia clay.

So the tree isn't happy to have its feet wet, and here I am placing it in a mini pond. (As of this morning, about 20 hours after adding the water, the hole is empty but still very wet.)  I have some Miracle Gro soil amendment to mix with the clay when the tree is planted. I'm hoping it will aerate the soil enough so that water will drain away from the roots when it rains. I'll be watering only sparingly during the hot, dry summer months. If it manages to live through the spring rains, it ought to be okay.

Meanwhile, I found some beautiful lavender and white calla lilies at Home Depot. I bought several pots of them, along with some ferns, for the mother and child statue. There is a weed barrier beneath the pea gravel, so they can't be planted in the ground. Until I find suitable containers, I'll dig the pots in so the bottom 2-3" will be hidden by the pea gravel.

The calla lilies are a beautiful lavender and white, which does not show up well in this photo.

The island is shaping up. The chairs are from Walmart, the tri-level table from Hobby Lobby.

The island is a pleasant place to sit in the morning, before the sun gets too hot. 

Yesterday three lavender plants arrived looking healthy and happy and ready to add fragrance to the garden. They'll be planted today, beneath the bird feeders.

The Garden Grows!!

Although our weather has had its ups and downs, temperature-wise, over the past week, the garden is growing. I have to admit I've been like a mother hen hovering over her chicks, checking to be sure nothing was wilting and looking for any sign of revival in the three bare root additions, the Russian pomegranate and the two paulownias. Today, a week after the great makeover --- partial success!

Empress Tree 1, a paulownia, has sprouted! It should grow quickly. This isn't a good photo for the background, but there's a hint of the iris blooming along the fence, and the azaleas by the house are blooming gloriously full and brilliant.

Empress tree 2, the other paulownia, has also sprouted, but not quite as robustly. It gets slightly less sunlight, which may be why is is a bit behind its sister on the growth spectrum. I've marked the two most obvious leaf buds with the arrows.  

The Russian pomegranate, on the other hand, has lost the few leaves it came with, and appears to be quite dead. I'm hoping to see some growth at the base in the next several days. 

Georgia: Phase One complete

After three days of 2-3 men working hard and me supervising, Phase One was complete. Hardscape finished, existing plants transplanted, and new trees and bushes planted. We did not accomplish everything on the initial Plan. It was a guideline, not a hard-and-fast plan. As the garden shaped up, I decided not to go ahead with some facets of the plan. I am pleased with how it is turning out. I can muster enough patience to watch it grow before moving to Phase Two.

The following photos were taken April 6, 2018. Click on a photo to see it larger.

This is the view from the back porch. Eventually those three lone Emerald Green cones will get as big as the one on the other side of the fence. They will form a screen of sorts. Jody warned me not to overwater them. Water the rest, he said, but the Emerald Greens don't want too much water.

The island is the focal point of the garden. It is backed by six Rose of Sharon bushes rescued from certain death where they were planted too close to the fence. The dogwood is difficult to see in this photo with its white blossoms against the white back fence, but it is centered. Two Empress trees (paulownia) are planted on either side of the dogwood. Those three trees will grow above the Rose of Sharon bushes and add some nice height (and privacy) to the design.

The tiny back porch and patio have seen the least amount of change. Buddha is sitting on his drum in the former fire pit, now dirt-filled. There was room for a few lilies from Home Depot. I have no idea what color they will be. Behind him is a small shed for garden tools and birdseed. This area needs attention -- some comfortable chairs and some kind of shade. The house next door is not nearly so visible when you're actually standing there.

The azaleas behind the house were not touched but for a little week-pulling. I'd thought about moving them, and still may, but for now they are resting in peace.

This view shows the widening of the planting bed along the fence. There are transplanted lilies right next to the patio. The bush beside them is a Japanese quince. Its beautiful coral-colored blossoms are finished for now, something to look forward to next spring. On this side of the quince are transplanted irises, then more daylilies. Not sure what the purple flowers are; left them there as they seem happy.

Backing toward the back fence, the long view of the transplants can be seen. The bush in the middle is a forsythia. Like the Japanese quince, it is finished for this year. The purple flowers in the foreground mark the end of the transplants. From there to the back fence there is an undisturbed clump of iris and five larger azaleas that Jody didn't think would survive transplanting. The dogwood is a Cherokee princess. It is placed so that when looking at it from the house (porch), it appears through a break in the wall of Rose of Sharon bushes. That brown spot to the right of the dogwood is a tree-to-be. It is Empress 1, a paulownia that will grow quickly from bare root to majestic. That's the plan, anyway.☺

Here's a closeup of the paulownia. Doesn't look like much, but like that silly old ant, we have high hopes. It has a mate of similar appearance on the other side of the dogwood, just outside the photo above.

Back toward the front of the house, opposite the Japanese quince, are two more forsythia bushes. They will be a lovely blaze of color in the spring. The white tag is on a Russian pomegranate, bought bare root from Tyty Nursery in Tyty, Georgia. It is supposed to be hardy enough to withstand our zone 7 winters. It looks every bit as dead as the two paulownias, but -- high hopes!

In the back corner are some sickly looking azaleas. They are different from the healthy batch up near the house. Their blooms are all on the bottom. I need to learn more about azaleas!

Across the way from the sickly azaleas there was a Knockout rose that was incredibly overgrown. It didn't appear ever to have been pruned. It was as tall as the fence, a good 6 feet. It has been cut waaaay back, but should revive. There was a little ivy vine hiding beneath it, as well as a baby snake about the size of a robust earthworm. There was some debate among the crew as to whether is was a copperhead, but no agreement was reached. 

And so it stands. Time to haul out the hosepipe and start watering. 

Georgia: Work in Progress

I am lucky to have a landscape gardener who comes highly recommended by my sister. Joe Graham and his workers from Graham Yard Makeovers, Dallas, Georgia, are the fellows in the bright shirts that you'll see in some of the following photos.

We  started out with a general plan. Placement of the new plants and trees was predicated on the view lines between the house and the houses to the right and behind the yard, most of which are two stories and peer down into the yard. Click the diagram to see a larger view, but if it is not readable, not to worry. All will be explained as we tour the garden. 

Joe and Tom with the auger. Not having any experience with the Georgia red clay, I was surprised to see the arrival of the auger. As Joe pointed out, digging holes with this machine was quicker than trying to hand dig, plus it turned the solid clay to a nice powdery texture, great for the new plant roots. This hole would be for the Japanese quince, seen at right.

They also used the auger to till the top few inches of clay where the iris and daylilies were to be transplanted. The loosened clay was mixed with a Miracle Gro product designed to amend the local dirt. The compost and fertilizer will make the transplants very happy.

Nearly all of the edger bricks were relocated to the island. Joe and crew put down a barrier mat and arranged three rows of bricks in a fluid oval. It appears to slant slightly to the left, which is good for drainage and not nearly so noticeable in person.. We didn't want it to turn into a wading pool after a hard rain.

The augering continued after the island was complete. The six Rose of Sharon bushes moved from along the fence to form a natural fence behind the island.

Here you can (barely) see the Rose of Sharon bushes behind the island. To the left you can see where some of the sod was removed to expand the planting area along the fence to accommodate the Japanese quince.

I had intended to take more photos of the work in progress, but I got so involved with the process that I forgot the camera. What followed this basic makeover was the relocation of the many iris and daylilies and the addition of more bushes and trees. In the next blog installment, I'll show you how that turned out.

The Move to Georgia and a Brand New Garden

Georgia: the Before Photos

This blog began in central Missouri, then moved to our condo in New Orleans. Lloyd passed away last year, and I moved yet again, this time to a gated community northwest of Atlanta, Georgia, where I am near my sister and her family. The house is great, just right for me. The front yard is well landscaped and kept by the Home Owners Association. The backyard, however, was unimaginative, to say the least, and suffering from neglect.

In the past, I've patiently waited a full year to see what a new yard has to offer before doing any major landscaping. This backyard, however, with its line of edger bricks parallel to the fences and much too close to them, plus a barren area dead center, has been grating on my nerves over the winter. The Rose of Sharon bushes are threatening the integrity of the fence, and the small clumps of iris and daylilies are scattered and looking lonely.

Click on the photos to see a larger view.

This is a Google view of the yard from a few years ago. The center of this deep yard has a large area of clay and stone with a sparse crop of weeds. It's really a mess.

Here are some before pictures, taken this spring.

This is the gate/entry area from the street. The fire pit is way too close to a very dry wooden fence. Poor Buddha is sitting on his drum where the movers unloaded him last October, on a concrete pad that held a small garden shed, which was removed by the previous owner. The shed will be replaced, as garden tools kept in the garage must be carried around the front of the house and into the backyard via the front gate. Not very efficient.

This is the long view from the patio. The back gate is about 70 feet away The line of bricks is visible along the left fence. There is also a line of bricks along the right fence. They are hidden in the shadow. Most of them will be taken up and used to form an island in the center of the yard that will cover the rocky, barren spot..

The brown area in the foreground is dormant Bermuda grass. This is a very popular grass in this area. Silly me thought the grass was waking up. Not so  The greenery is weeds. A lawn care service has given it an initial spray and will keep on it until the weeds are gone. It appears that sod was laid from the house to about where the line of greenery marks the end of the dormant grass. Whether there is enough Bermuda to fill in the clay and rock area beyond is debatable. We'll see.

There are four large Rose of Sharon bushes planted along this side; they probably would not survive moving, as with them so close to the fence, there is no way to dig a large enough root ball to give them a chance. They need to go. The plants along this east-facing fence receive more sunlight than those on the other side of the yard and are considerably larger. There are six much smaller Rose of Sharon bushes along the opposite fence; they will be relocated in the yard.

The small patch with the bird feeder in the foreground will keep its brick edging. Not sure what will be planted there -- peonies are top contenders at the moment, maybe annuals.

This flower bed contains azalea bushes, some kind of perennial that is just beginning to send out leaves, and numerous weeds. There is a hydrangea at the far left. This is the north side of the house. My initial thinking is to move the azaleas farther out into the yard, maybe making an azalea garden in the very back, and to plant hostas and other shade-loving plants here.

I have a general concept of where I want to go with this project. I want to add three or four trees and some flowering bushes As well as create some kind of island to cover the ugly center of the yard. Just eliminating the straight lines of the fence borders so it doesn't resemble a bowling alley will be a good beginning.

Condo Front Garden

It has been four years since my last post. We sold the house in Missouri and now live full time in our condo in New Orleans. I miss the big garden but not the grunt work needed to develop it and keep it blooming. I thought I could assuage my gardening gene with containers here. We installed our statue "Proud Possession" by David Nyanhongo in front of the condo and dressed her with potted plants.

Pots and containers just didn't make me happy. I envisioned a real garden. So ...  I borrowed a shovel and got to work digging up a plot. There was a bush missing, a part of the original landscaping that died some time ago, so the space was perfect. When I turned up the soil, I discovered the right side is almost pure sand and the left side was clay. I put garden soil on the shopping list. The ferns growing on the bricks are volunteers. In New Orleans they are called graveyard ferns.

On the right side of the sidewalk there was a deep depression. I filled it in with three bags of stones and more garden soil. This photo shows the first bag of stones in place.

After the stones and soil were in place, we had a hard rain. The runoff from the roof washed away a line of soil, revealing the stones below. I added a couple of pavers in the affected area. It's going to rain in a day or so -- the test. Meanwhile, this is how the right side looks, planted and mulched. It's a mix of pansies, salvia and snap dragons.

This is the way the front left side turned out. In addition to the pansies, salvia and snap dragons, there are a couple of lavender plants behind the statue. The lavender is a disappointment; no fragrance like the plants we had in Missouri. The ferns and palms were released from their containers and now are planted. There are some low, spreading  plants with white flowers in front of the statue. I don't recall the name and the pots have been taken to the dumpster already.

This is the long view of the front. How it lasts with the next rain is yet to be determined. We enjoy the café set. Lloyd often sits there to read or chat on the phone or just watch the passing parade of people.

To the right of the front door, behind that little bit of wall, is a niche just big enough for our ceramic drum and Buddha. There is limited light in that area, so I'm trying out some Salsa Red double impatiens. They appear washed out, on the pinkish side, because of the sunlight/shadow contrast. Trust me, they are bright red.

The next step will be organizing the back garden. The area outside the back door is paved, so it must be containers. It gets a lot of sun, so I'm thinking to try a tomato plant. And this is where Lloyd can address his love of cacti. He's been good about not buying any yet.