Each Little World

Garden attack

Our hilly street doesn't have sidewalks or "hellstrips" and the land slopes up on our side and down across the street. The city, however, owns the first 16 feet of our property in case they ever wanted to add sidewalks. That's why we planted it with Geranium macrorrhizum and Hostas. If you enlarge the photo you can see that there is a gravel path behind the Geraniums that curves toward the street. You can also just see the edge of the water hydrant. You'll see more images of those locations. 

After living here 29 years, they're replacing the storm and sanitary sewer systems that were put in when the houses were built in the 1950s as well as new water and gas mains. They're also getting rid of the on-street parking lanes and using that space to create a shared bike/pedestrian lane as the city bases transportation on the safety of those two groups rather than cars.

This project began in April and runs until early November. Our lack of rain has been a boon to this project as weather has not affected their schedule. 

Every morning just before 7 a.m. the water truck comes down the street shooting water out of spigots on the front and back of the truck to help keep down the dust. 

The street is a mess and barely deserves the name "dirt road," though there is plenty of dirt. The view from our house east with the green pipe on our neighbor's lawn. The orange fence is a safety measure as it marks a deep hole where the crew is working. The orange signs in the far distance mark the end of the block where the cross street is located. 

Looking west. The Oak tree with the yellow ribbon around it is at the end of our driveway. The ribbon indicates this is an important tree and the crews need to preserve it. We actually had one of the city foresters here the day they were digging near it to keep an eye on things. 

The roadway and lawns are a constantly changing landscape of colorful spray paint marks indicating underground pipes.

We'd been watching the crew putting in the sanitary sewer pipes in the roadway. Now they were getting to our house to put in the new connecting pipes. They cleared their work area of greenery before we even realized it had happened. 

Next morning before the workmen got to our house Mark and I dug out all the Hostas and a bunch of the Hakonechloa grass to save. I realized all my special white daffs were now half gone and so I grabbed as many of those as I could as well. 

We cleared this area out and luckily the workmen were not going to have to remove our rocks that line this area of the path which will make it easier to know what goes where when we replant in the fall. 

We filled our largest wheelbarrow full of plants . . .

along with 9 buckets of shrub size. It seemed easier to take everything and make decisions later about what will actually get replanted.

Then the big guys came to our house. 

Getting ready to dig. The water hydrant is on the west lot line. 

I'm not sure how many scoops of dirt they removed to make the hole the depth they needed. When the installed the manhole in front of our hose near the Oak tree, they went down 22 feet!

This worker is removing a section of the old stainless steel gas line that was abandoned when the new plastic one was installed earlier this spring.

These pairs of linked street plates make a box that gets set into the hole to keep the dirt walls from collapsing on the workmen down there. For deep excavations like the one in front of out house they are stacked two high.

It is amazing to watch this work and realize that despite the big machines a lot of it is done by hand as the guys maneuvering the box show.

I've learned that despite guys standing around they are not just shooting the breeze. They are always waiting for the next machine or pile of gravel or whatever to arrive. 

The hole is dug and ready for the pipe to be inserted.

It's all marked off with safety fencing. 

Job done until the next stage of the project. I did notice that years of letting the Geraniums die back in place and putting down leaf mulch had created some pretty nice soil in this area of the garden which has been replaced with some pretty sorry looking 'fill.'  Trying not to think about that . . .

Mark has taken around 5000 of photos so far. He knows the members of the crew, the dump truck and equipment drivers, engineers and more. Putting that personal face on this project has made it facinating to watch and much easier to deal with than probably would be the case otherwise. I have been so impressed with the skill and agility of these workers, that it has completely changed my ideas about what happens on big city projects like this. 

I should point out that though I used the term "workmen," I've seen female dump truck drivers, flag-persons, concrete installers, and more than one city engineer supervising the work.

I'm with Anna

"A garden that is all flowers

is like a cake that is all icing."

— Anna Pavord — 

Garden designer and writer

. . .

Since the design of our garden was greatly influenced by Japanese gardens, flowers were not a major factor. The most floriferous area of the garden is way in the back where it is hidden until you come upon it.

Even for the flowers I plant, foliage is often the determining characteristic for which varieties I pick. 

I like Trycirtis 'Lemon Twist' (above) and Tricyrtis 'Lightning Strike' (below) best before they've bloomed. They're perfect just as they are right now.

Carexes and Hakonechloa varieties are spread throughout the garden. But I grow Mellica uniflora f. albida in only two locations and pull out any seedlings. If it was all through the garden, I think it would lose its delicate charm.

I've had good luck with most of the ferns I've planted. I planted my first Christmas fern (Polystichum arcostichoides, foreground) in 1999. Dryopteris x australis (rear) stands up straight all season and is about 4' tall and growing.

I have big sweeps of Maidenhair ferns and Japanese painted ferns and am adding more unusual ones as I see them. Most of the ones that I planted last year all returned; some more strongly than others. They survived the winter, now they just have to make it through this early heat and drought.

I'm adding more ferns — and more shrubs — to the Tea House slope to reduce maintenance in this area. (Most of the ferns are out of view in this shot!)

IVOM: This and that

Our former garden was sunny with a brick patio laid in gravel. The pinks adored that patio and seeded around madly. I miss those lovely little flowers and planted this one — 'Bath's Pink' — last summer.

The other flowers are from my oldest Heuchera; no id of course. But it never heaves out of the ground in winter and has multitudes of flowers. It's been divided over and over again.  This vase was a popular style when I first began gardening. I decided it was time to use it again or kiss it goodbye.

I intended this grouping to be more of an Ikebana style. But then I aded the Geum 'Totally Tangerine' and the dark Heuchera leaf on the left and it seemed a bit heavy for my Ikebana intent.

It did turn out to be a perfect way to use a few Hellebore flowers that had gone to seed and were drying on the plant. Plus I got to enjoy my first Geum flower in a bathroom bouquet which means it got a lot of attention.

IVOM: End of May arrangements

I made a lot of spring bouquets this year, but never any with my early Peonies. So I clipped a couple of the last ones to put in this rather Asian-feeling container. I put a little "frog" at the end to hold the flowers but it made the basket tilt.

I decided to add a dwarf 'Cherry Garde' Iris to pick up the color in the interior of the Peony. 

Alas, I waited a little too late to cut these. They barely made it through the night.

I spent a couple of years getting rid of Lily of the Valley that had colonized a major area of our property. But it is such a lovely flower and has so many memories for me that I planted them again.

The mercury glass vase is decorated with Dianthus. I planted a few varieties with white flowers this spring and hope to put them in this vase next year.

I planted this variety — Convallaria majalus 'Hardwick Hall' — for its historic association and its decorative foliage.

The Moon Garden

Mark went out late Saturday afternoon with his camera after he glanced up the steps into The Moon Garden and was intrigued by what he saw. 

The opposite side of the path in the above photo.

Paeonia japonica 

Malus 'Tina' at the peak of perfection.

The Yin Yang bed and the path to the West Gate on the right.

Looking back to the east side of this upper garden.

IVOM: GBBD 5.15.2023

I decided to combine the two memes as I've been bringing so many flowers indoors it seemed like a nice way to show what's happening in the garden. These vases have many of the same flowers used in different combinations. 

A bouquet for a friend

Tulip wittalli (left), T. sylvestris (right) and a pair of my favorites, T. acuminata.

Fritillaria pallidiflora on its last legs.

Fritillaria pontica waiting for a vase.

Currently blooming but not pictured: Various Brunnera, Trillium, and Peonies.

The last bulbs

I thought I had rescued all the plants I wanted to save out of my Traffic Island Garden last summer when the road work was postponed. Not quite.

I didn't realize I'd forgotten Muscari paradoxum until it appeared this week. This is a dense, dark and large Muscari that is a favorite of mine. 

I dug out a coupe of nice clumps and pulled out the forgotten orange Tulip as well. This sunny bed, with more gravel than soil, has been the best spot I've ever had for Tulips.

I just dashed out to grab the bulbs when the workmen weren't around and it didn't feel too dangerous to be working out in the construction zone. By the time that workman got back into the trench I was ready to head to the safety of my garden across the street.

I expect this raised planting bed will be a memory next week as they move closer to our house putting in the massive sewer piping. This week they ran the new gas line from the street to our house and hooked it up. I don't think those guys did so much as bend a leaf. No plant was damaged in that project. Pretty amazing crew.

Mood reversal

I clearly posted too early yesterday as it turned out to be a lovely day. It was cool, cloudy and rainy for much of the day. We got .52" which was enough to make the garden sparkle. The rain, coupled with the recent hot days, has the garden on overdrive. I walked around a number of times just marveling at the beauty. 

As much as I like flowers, nothing beats the greens of spring. Up or down there was something lush and fresh to enjoy.

And, yes, there are lots of plants in full bloom like this unknown Peony. Last year I noticed a small stem on a mature species Peony whose leaves were clearly different from the main plant. I separated it and decided to watch it. This spring it shot up with a big bud that is opening into what looks like a gorgeous flower.

In the morning I got together with my garden gal pals to brainstorm some trees and shrubs that one of the members of our little group could add to her garden for winter interest as well as screening views of her neighbor's property. All that garden chat is always a boost.

When I got back home treats had arrived in the mail: The 30th anniversary edition of Gardens Illustrated magazine. 

I've been reading this mag since it hit the newsstands. I used to have the first 50 issues. I still have plenty of back issues, but now I only keep the ones that I really want to look at again — and again. This one is the second issue published. Also in the mail. was a box of plants from Odyssey Perennials. Mostly different Primula varieties.

This is Aquilegia viridiflora var. atropurpurea, one of the mail order plants. This is the nursery website photo as the plant is quite small. I'm going to put it with a group of Geranium phaeum whose flowers are deep violet and whose leaves have splashes of the same color. Despite my cranky start to the day, it turned out to be pretty perfect. 

The wonders of a warm day

The garden suddenly looks like a garden! More plants are appearing every time I ramble around. I'm still waiting to see what damage the frost may have done to those plants that were fully budded. But things look good for the most part. 

I piled leaves on Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty' to protect it from the last frost. But she pushed through them immediately.

Syneilesis aconitifolia is extremely difficult to see when it first appears. I always leave the stems so I can find it in the spring. A garden friend aptly refers to this plant as "hairy thumbs." 

Its cousin — Syneilesis palmata 'Kikko' — in the front garden is much more obvious when it appears. It also comes up earlier.

I bought this one for its patterned foliage which disappears quickly. This is the brief moment when it looks the best.

The drama queen of ferns: Dryopteris crassirhizoma.

I believe this group is Polystichum retroso paleaceum.

I need to see if there is a tag buried near this fern as I am not at all sure of its identity. Though I am pleased at its early arrival.

My 'Arctic Alley' willow made it through its first winter and it starting to send out catkins.

Dutchman's britches (Dicentra cucullaria) is blooming throughout the garden. Nothing bothers this little beauty or slows it down.

Rain and cooler temps are forecast for the next three days. I'm good with that as I need to do some work indoors for a few days instead of exhausting myself in the garden. 

IVOM: Frosty spring bouquets

We woke up Saturday morning to a rain/snow mix and very chilly temps. The on again/off again overnight frosts finally had me covering a few things Saturday and Sunday nights. But mostly I've decided to just let nature take its course. I'll learn which of my early plants can sail through unscathed and which plants are not going to survive the climate changes in my area. 

Mostly I cut flowers for bouquets as we were having company for dinner Friday night, friends for a casual Saturday afternoon in front of the fire after they visited Mark's photo show and a few garden gals for cookies and conversation Sunday afternoon. 

My daffs, Hellebores and some Fritillaries are the only flowers that are prolific enough that I felt free to cut them. This group is from last Thursday.

I grabbed the first Muscari and a bud from Paeonia mairei for a vase above the kitchen sink. I think the Peony buds may have fatally frozen and are not going to open. I wanted to see if the warmth inside the house would do anything. So far it has not. 

A big bunch of Hellebores with an early Trillium sessile in a Richard Jones vase. The painting is by local artist, Chuck Bauer.

More daffs and frits. I love the pale yellow trumpets on these daffodils which fade to creamy white. I just keep adding and subtracting to this vase to keep it fresh as it's right where we sit and read.

Our neighbor's Forsythia often sends a stem or two through the fence — perfect for clipping. The big Fritillaria radeanna have been through a number of frosts and they still look quite good. I will definitely be adding more of them to the garden.