Garden Tour…Front Walk (Early August)

Since my front walk is my most finished area, I thought you might want to take a peek with me… and see what is blooming….  This is Pinky-Winky Hydrangea…it is new this year for me, and I just love it.  It is right by the garage doors and one of the first things you see.

In the metal bucket is a rose bush I need to get in the ground, but it is blooming happily for now…..  yes, the sun is behind me…lol.

The ferns in my window boxes are great again this year.  They look nice with the hostas and hydrangeas.  This is my shady spot, it only gets morning sun.  There is foxglove, delphiniums and hollyhocks here too, they are not blooming this week.

My Nikko-Blue starts, I hope one of the three make it!  I should have done this in the spring….but we will see…..

A bit of blue with my bachelor buttons but tons of foliage…..

My big Nikko blue that is not blooming this year.  I think a late frost got them.

But that is okay, I love the shades of green and all the different textures.

The burgundy is Plum Pudding Heucherella and Red Sedum.  It adds a bit of color.

Some sweet Alyssum from seed adds a bit of white and smells so nice.

A purple coneflower has popped up near the front, but I have yet to move it. 

I love all the color in this bed, it is wild…but fun I think.

Here you can see both sides better.

I just cannot get over how much it has grown and filled in.  Last year you could see huge areas of mulch and spaces between all the plants.  I love it this way, but another bonus it to divide and start more new areas….lol.

I have several fall blooming things, so my garden really kicks into high gear this time of year.  And hopefully we will have more time to enjoy it.  The girls go back to school Thursday, so maybe I can start working in the mornings again.

Hope your weekend is going well….Brooke

Another lovely butterfly…..

Came to visit us this morning….

 

And I was lucky enough to shoot a few pictures….

He was too busy with the sweet blooms….

To pay much attention to me.

Happy Gardening….Brooke

Pretty Pink Roses….Finally!

After cutting my rose bushes way back in June…. I finally have some blooms again.  This is Queen Elizabeth I think.  The veining is from all of this rain…. it beats the petals off before I ever see them.

This one is a bit blurry…. Kordes Pertecta, a pink rose.

I had so much trouble with blackspot that I cut them back to about 12 inches and removed all the leaves, now they are coming back and look decent again.  I still have a few spots, but nothing like before.

Coquette des Blanches is the name of this one.  It looks almost white from a distance.  It’s blooms are tiny, it is a miniature.

Rugosa Rosa and a ton of bees….they love this flower, the hummingbirds do too.  So bright and cheerful.

As you can see, they are all wet.  We had another storm yesterday and lost power for a bit.  High wind and lightning.

Today was a bad day, a stray dog got up on my patio table and shattered the glass.   It was a HUGE mess and dangerous.  I never dreamed it would break like that.  We cleaned the deck for over an hour, but will have to be careful to not get splinters still.  We filled a 5 gallon bucket with tiny pieces of glass.  So glad it did not break when the girls used it, it was just a freak accident.  Now I need a new table….augh.

Anyway, school starts in a week now.  And maybe back to work, but I will be surprised if I am called in the first few weeks.  I usually don’t get busy subbing until Mid September.

Hope all is well and thanks for the nice comments…..Brooke

Wordless Wednesday….Beautiful Butterfly

Photo information: Cannon A590 Digital Camera

Subject: Male Eastern Swallowtail Butterfly (to the best of my knowledge)

Taken by me on 8.4.09

Rain every day brings beautiful blooms…..

Without a doubt it is beautiful here….Red Heart Althea

By this time last year the grass was brown and crunchy….Snow Fountain White Guara

But I have to say… I haven’t had the hose out in weeks….Mister Lincoln Rose

And thing still look happy…. we’ll sedum would be happy either way….Red Sedum

Especially my grasses…..Karley Rose Fountain Grass…..  Oh I love this grass!!!

These are the best they have ever bloomed….Rudbeckia Goldstrum.

I will have to thin them out this fall…. they are taking over.  Last year they were 4 little patches of yellow….lol.

Autumn Joy Sedum is turning colors…

Huge Mallow blooms…..the leaves are really getting tore up from bugs.

My favorite for last…. Countrytime Rose and Phlox! 

It just dances in the sun…. and waits for the next drops of rain!

Here is what I am talking about-----

 

Perfect garden weather… I have no excuses.

But still so much to do…. but have you ever heard of weather like this in Southern Indiana…..  weird….but nice.

Happy Gardening…….Brooke

Butterflies love me…..

 

Because I sit on this bench and enjoy the butterfly bushes I planted.

This is my one and only from last year.  I so enjoyed all the visitors, that I went crazy and planted 7 more this spring.

I know some think they are a weed… but isn’t everything in my garden?  :)

It looks so pretty against the green grass, water and sky.

There is a pink one down at the fire pit I love….

But this one is my favorite…. is it Black Knight… I think it is….

They go well with the altheas that are blooming….

Everything here is late summer blooming into fall in shades of pinks.

Most all of the shrubs are one year old, and tiny when I bought them.

But as you can see…. they are growing quickly.

It is so hard to get all of this in one shot… but it is butterfly heaven.

You can just sit on a rock and watch the show!

Happy Gardening…..Brooke

Ever Changing Landscape….

 

This is to the right of my front steps.  It has always been one of my favorite spots in the border.  Probably because you are looking toward it as you walk.  It is a “focal point” I guess…..  But I thought it would be fun to see it “Change” today.

This is it in 2007… when we started our landscaping.

This is in 2008….when more things we’re added.

Fall of 2008 from another direction….things are a bit bigger.

April of this year, the birdhouse was added.

May of this year.

June of this year.

July of this year….

And now….  so what have I learned….patience pays off….things spread….and my garden is always changing!

Oh and one more thing….annuals from seed are soooo worth it.

I will go from seed every year from now on.

More pics to come….Brooke