Garden Ramblings

This year we have been inundated with rain. We've also had a few heat waves. Some of my container plantings were nearly wiped out due to slugs. But since I'm retired I got a lot done. Tonight I just moved some phlox from the front side garden. It was so overgrown I could barely walk through. I'm nearly finished mulching the back which had really been overrun with weeds the last few years. Removed all the very invasive ivy and then the weeds moved in. I moved two barberries to balance out the colors. It was disappointing that the two huge hydrangeas I moved last year had barely any blooms. I threw out the ugly white lacecap that I found growing out of the stone wall. Boy was it vigorous.

I was able to work in the shrub border, digging up holly that had layered and killing bittersweet that was entangling the rhododendron. I chopped down a holly baby that was not like the parent. I also threw away a hydrangea that never bloomed. It might have been a "florist" one. It was too crowded there anyway. I transplanted pieces of a Lovely Fairy rose. I saw today that I missed a piece. I also decided to move the Red Fairy rose baby in the front to the back, next to the Red Double Knockout which hasn't done well in quite a few years. They're about the same color. I also should move the butterfly weed I discovered in back next to its mother. I'm contemplating moving the Rozanne geranium because it got so huge, maybe to the path out back. For some reason I decided to dig up a huge (50 pounds or more?) rock in the path out back but then covered it up. I won't be planting anything there anyway so what was the point? I can always add more soil if I need to.

I have to move the arborvitae to the side yard garden and move two daylilies that are shaded out by roses in that same garden. I want to buy some millenium alliums and put them out back next to the right side of the arbor.

I bought a hedge trimmer which will help speed things up with pruning shrubs. I learned that if I fertilize the Endless Summer hydrangea it will put out blooms (I only had one this year). Also the balloon flower will rebloom if I cut it back. The Dutchman's Pipe finally scrambled up the trellis. I don't like the ironweed. It's two stalks of gangly, bent blooms. I also divided my grandfather's iris. I never know what to throw away and what to keep. You'd think I'd know by now.

Dutchman's Pipe finally climbed the trellis.

Bought crocosmia; the hummingbirds and I love it.

Sumac looking good. I pruned the huge smokebush.

The huge rock is at the top of the dark mulch path.

Lovely Fairy reblooming. Ugly purple Ironweed.

Hydrangea should be blooming soon.

Overhead shot.

Front side garden; love anise hyssop.

Mucho phlox.

Vanilla Strawberry hydrangea.