Viewing Maece's Garden Diary: Shade Garden Pictures

Thursday, June 14, 2007 My First Garden! My husband and I bought this house last June, so this is the first time I will be seeing my perennials coming up. I was especially excited about the McKana's Giant Columbine. I have loved this flower ever since I saw it in a catalog as a kid - but this is the first time I'd seen it in reality! I started this from seed last year, so it was a long wait. The lupine still will not bloom 'til next year. The sedum and wild onion I heisted from the National Forest near my parent's house. The spiderwort was already there, though I didn't know what it was in the beginning, and I was quite suspicious that it might turn out to be no more than grass. Good thing I was patient! The primroses were a birthday present, and the anemone was from a discounted $3 package of bulbs at the grocery store (none of them bloomed this year, and most of them either died or the foliage simply died back). Click to view Tuesday, August 28, 2007 Fall, Annuals, Mulch, and plans Sadly, the blooms of my first year are gone. Two primrose bloomed a little through July, and the red one even bloomed into August. The columbine gave one or two last blooms which blew apart rather quickly, and now the foliage is under attack from some kind of tiny caterpillars. My husband works in Woodland Park, and sometimes I visit him for lunch there. That is when I discovered Pasque Flower (I figured it was some kind of wild crocus, blooming in snow), and I took a few spent plants home. They lasted a while before finally dying back - I'm so eager for spring now, to see if they will return. Though it's hot outside, from a gardening perspective it might as well be winter. This sad predicament has only made me think harder about how to include blooms for all seasons. In the meantime I made do with a Begonia border (mere annuals *sigh* - but at least they were only $0.84 for 6!!!), and adding some attractive mulch. On the top tier I have slowly been adding pine cones collected from the front yard. We had a dead tree limb which was about to fall into our neighbor's yard, on top of their phone/cable lines. When we brought some one in to have it removed, they also brought (*delight*) a shredder and truck full of wood waste :D Unfortunately, I only had two small buckets to take some mulch, but it covers what I need for now. In addition to the begonias, I have collected a few other deals from Wal-Mart: 1 bag of discounted Hostas, 1 bag of discounted lily-of-the-valley (they look ed dead - from what I've read this might be normal, but only time will tell), and one bleeding heart. I am looking forward to spring already :D On 8/17 ordered several plants from Michigan Bulb (gotta love their buy $40 get $20 off deal!): HYACINTH MIDNIGHT (3 bulbs) LENTEN ROSE (6 bareroots) TOAD LILY MIX (3 plants of mixed color) CYCLAMEN HARDY (3 bareroots) CROCUS - EARLY BLOOMING (30 bulbs of mixed variety - only $5!!!) They are slated to arrive in September-October. *sigh* - why can't they just teleport my order here? However, the delay has given me an opportunity to change my mind and my order... twice *blush*. I also ordered 1 Jack-in-the-pulpit bulb and some Monkey Flower seeds from eBay. Though many of the above mentioned will give only spring bloom, I expect at least three seasons of display from the Hostas and Monkeyflower (mere annuals *sigh*). The Toad Lilies and Cyclamen should give that fall show that I'm lacking this year, and the Jack-in-the-pulpit should have some red berries about that time. My husband isn't particularly interested in my flower gardening efforts (and though he is pleased with vegetables - see other blog - he hardly considers it an economical alternative to the grocery store), however he does like flowers that smell nice. So, that's the impetus behind the hyacinth and lily-of-the-valley (though choosing the BLACK variety of the former was purely my own whim ;)). I will also look into some flowering tobacco seeds (annuals) to plant near the porch where we so often dine on dry evenings. I am thinking that in years to come I may upgrade to grape hyacinths, blue phlox and Casablanca lilies. I'm also looking forward to Hellebores next spring (actually, late winter, I'm told). That should shorten the prolonged wait for spring which is so typical of the Rockies, and that I found so unendurable last year :/ When I planted a few spring crocus last fall, I think the squirrels robbed me of some of them, and this spring I didn't get a single purple bloom. The grab bag I ordered this time had a picture that looked like it included several varieties that I was interested including: 'Blue Pearl', 'Cream Beauty', 'Zwanenburg Bronze,' 'Pickwick', and 'Lady Killer'. I've had an idea for foiling the squirrels: take a plug of grass out of the lawn where the crocus is to be planted, put in a bulb and some compost, top with a biodegradable egg carton section (1 egg-sized), then replace the grass plug. Think it'll work? (..."it would take a miracle" - Princess Bride). Next spring I intend to order from Gurney's (another provider to offer $40 minus $20): Top Hat Patio Blueberry Birch's Double Geranium Russian Princess Lobelia Poker Primrose Parrot Tulip Mix And perhaps from Park Seed: Japanese Painted Fern Black Four Leaf Clover Heuchera 'Caramel,' 'Marmalade,' 'Magic Color' and 'Sunspot' (@$15 per plant, I really should decide on just one!!) Crocus Zonatus (fall blooming dark pink) MAYBE I'll even get some of these special fascinations from smaller establishments (possibly trades? *hint hint*): Double Flowered Primrose 'Elizabeth Killelay' Primrose 'Forever In Blue Jeans' Spotted Dead Nettle 'White Nancy' Foamflower 'Crow Feather' Hardy Geranium 'Espresso' and 'Samobor' Trout Lily Dodecatheon meadia 'Pink Flamingo Plant' Click to view

» Maece's profile » Return to Maece's Diary homepage » Return to the the list of ALL member diaries