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I've got quite a bit of catching up to do here so let's get started!
Well, things have grown in so much since I wrote on this prompt in my journal back on May 9th, I now feel as though I should do it over! But, I won't, I'll go with what I already wrote.
A container garden looks incredible while it's in full bloom, but when mine isn't, it sure doesn't look like much except a bunch of messy pots to me. But, there's a lot of writing here and I don't want to make this post super long by adding a ton of photos. The point of this is prompt to me is to describe, not literally show, my garden, so that's what I tried to do.
In front of me is the "main" garden in my humble (small-ish) back yard. I already pulled out all the containers of dead roses and the half dead roses that weren't rooted to the ground. (Despite being in containers, they will often roots themselves anyhow, their roots finding their way into the soil through drainage holes). Those three red Knock Outs (which are more pink to me than red) now reside in the corner by the stockade fence gate where the hummingbirds visited them before Hurricane Irene in August, 2011, when I put all I had at that time in that back corner because it is at the highest level of the yard and I knew with twelve inches of rain on the way, the yard surely flood. (Which it does in a heavy rain or thunderstorm). The big question is if those KO's will bloom or finish dying. Each were half dead by Spring. The remaining pots in the main garden have been re-organized (though I know as Spring moves along, I'll be moving pots around again, as I always do, to keep this area looking lush and in full bloom), so aside from the ivy, which grew like gang-busters this Winter through the chain-link fence from the alley again despite the cold temps, it looks healthy here again.
The forsythia blooms are falling from the bushes, one pink azalea is blooming, the other is ready to go at any moment. The pink bleeding heart is starting to get past bloom; some of its' 188+ hearts are starting to fade. It's been a banner year for this bleeding heart! It's about three feet tall by 4 feet wide this year. It's made me so happy! Last year it barely grew back, sent out one arm of blooms and died off quickly. The purple butterfly bush and clematis are coming back nicely which is a huge relief because half of that butterfly bush was dead by this Spring and that clematis didn't bloom again after its' first cutting last year (when the front sun garden was combined with everything in the back yard last May). I wonder which of the peonies will bloom this year? They always get a lot of great foliage, but 'Cora Stubbs' (white/heavily scented) and 'Kansas' (fuchsia/no scent) tend to take turns blooming, one every other year though I think Kansas has bloomed more often over the years. (*Looks like Kansas will be blooming again this year). Like the bleeding heart, I think this will be a banner year for the hostas! I think they're going to be huge! Not sure what's up with my two hydrangea ('Strawberries & Cream'). They're not looking too well so far, especially the one which was half dead by Spring. (That damn Hurricane Sandy in October!) One is full, one is twiggy. All of the roses which are left are full of new growth but I've got black spot already! That's a first. Black spot before buds or blooms. On *all* of the surviving roses except one. (So eight have it). Craptastic.
To the right of this are is the grill. To the right of that is the little adirondack seating area with one light green chair and my old Provence/Tuscany tiled side table. (Poor thing, lost a few tiles so I resealed it hoping it stops any further from falling out and crumbling to nothing). Here there's also a large container of 'Autumn Joy' sedum thriving next to the grill, (the oldest plant in my garden, well over a decade old!) and another large container of lemon balm down in front of the side table. Behind the chair is another pink azalea (which needs re-potting this season).
To the right of this area is my only raised bed which surrounds my dogwood tree. The phlox is coming back to my surprise what with the way the darn squirrels dig around in there and I think that hosta next to the bird bath in the bed is going to be bigger than huge this year. Lemon balm and coneflowers are already starting to grow in the bed. The crocus actually bloomed here this year!
To the right of this area is what's left of a pallet of 40lb topsoil bags. Behind the pallet sits the bee balm (Monarda Pink Lace), salvia and what's left of the white butterfly bush. (90% of it was dead by Spring). Then you have those Knock Out roses I talked about earlier. Next comes the stockade fence gate and on the other side of the gate is another forsythia bush, the raspberry bush and a baby chiminea.
To my left, here on the patio is an old wicker table that's faded (another thing to pain this season), where Hubbs keeps beer in the winter and where my seed trays sit, securely covered & vented. Once Hubbs fixes the hole in the gutter again and water stops pouring down onto the table every time there's a heavy rain, I'll be able to fill the table top with small pots of annuals & candle holders like I usually do each year and I'll try a long skinny container of morning glory seeds this year which I hope will grow and cover the ugly lattice on that side of the patio! Next to the table is a huge square pot with one lone, pink tulip blooming. I'm thankful I'm getting to see at least one of the dozen tulips I planted here bloom. They made it all the way until Spring and *then* the squirrels decided to eat them as they started emerging from the soil. Argh. Next is the camellia bush, 'April Blush,' which I'm also relieved to have had many blooms since the squirrels kept eating the buds off of it throughout the Winter. Gladly the clematis (another 'Daniel Deronda') is doing well, even better than the other. I was worried. Not only was it cut last may when the front garden was combined with what I have in the back yard, Hurricane Sandy's winds mangled and snapped the arbor it was growing on in October. Here is where I have a small white bleeding heart as well.
Above my head is the deck upstairs. Which is falling apart. Rotting. And probably going to need new joists this year. Which means ripping open my kitchen ceiling and ripping up the kitchen floor of the apartment above us. Yippie...
Below my feet is the concrete slab of the patio.
GWG # 4 is coming up shortly! Stay tuned!
To the right of this are is the grill. To the right of that is the little adirondack seating area with one light green chair and my old Provence/Tuscany tiled side table. (Poor thing, lost a few tiles so I resealed it hoping it stops any further from falling out and crumbling to nothing). Here there's also a large container of 'Autumn Joy' sedum thriving next to the grill, (the oldest plant in my garden, well over a decade old!) and another large container of lemon balm down in front of the side table. Behind the chair is another pink azalea (which needs re-potting this season).
To the right of this area is my only raised bed which surrounds my dogwood tree. The phlox is coming back to my surprise what with the way the darn squirrels dig around in there and I think that hosta next to the bird bath in the bed is going to be bigger than huge this year. Lemon balm and coneflowers are already starting to grow in the bed. The crocus actually bloomed here this year!
To the right of this area is what's left of a pallet of 40lb topsoil bags. Behind the pallet sits the bee balm (Monarda Pink Lace), salvia and what's left of the white butterfly bush. (90% of it was dead by Spring). Then you have those Knock Out roses I talked about earlier. Next comes the stockade fence gate and on the other side of the gate is another forsythia bush, the raspberry bush and a baby chiminea.
To my left, here on the patio is an old wicker table that's faded (another thing to pain this season), where Hubbs keeps beer in the winter and where my seed trays sit, securely covered & vented. Once Hubbs fixes the hole in the gutter again and water stops pouring down onto the table every time there's a heavy rain, I'll be able to fill the table top with small pots of annuals & candle holders like I usually do each year and I'll try a long skinny container of morning glory seeds this year which I hope will grow and cover the ugly lattice on that side of the patio! Next to the table is a huge square pot with one lone, pink tulip blooming. I'm thankful I'm getting to see at least one of the dozen tulips I planted here bloom. They made it all the way until Spring and *then* the squirrels decided to eat them as they started emerging from the soil. Argh. Next is the camellia bush, 'April Blush,' which I'm also relieved to have had many blooms since the squirrels kept eating the buds off of it throughout the Winter. Gladly the clematis (another 'Daniel Deronda') is doing well, even better than the other. I was worried. Not only was it cut last may when the front garden was combined with what I have in the back yard, Hurricane Sandy's winds mangled and snapped the arbor it was growing on in October. Here is where I have a small white bleeding heart as well.
Above my head is the deck upstairs. Which is falling apart. Rotting. And probably going to need new joists this year. Which means ripping open my kitchen ceiling and ripping up the kitchen floor of the apartment above us. Yippie...
Below my feet is the concrete slab of the patio.
GWG # 4 is coming up shortly! Stay tuned!
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