Flower Overload

I want to thank you all for your well wishes to my speedy recovery. Looks like the "Seasonal Viral Infection with flu-like symptoms" has left - oddly enough as the seasons begin to quickly change. I showed you the backyard garden in the very early spring here, and now that more late summer - frost perennials have popped up out of the ground, the garden is finally starting to take shape.

I worked and worked and worked in the garden yesterday, and I'm still not finished. I did get a good deal of weeding and planting done, though and I feel good about the mature state of the garden in a few months. I know it doesn't look like much now - but I promise, in a few weeks things will start to bloom, and in a couple of months it will be a lush landscape of color: purple, oranges, yellows and whites - even some pinks and light blues. Yes - this year the garden has me very excited.

I had to move some of the stone in the garden to make room for additional planting - and wouldn't you know it - I still have tons to plant, and such limited space that I'm thinking about extending the garden yet again! Someone stop me, please! As soon as I'm finished planting and cutting back the sod around the beds in this area - I'll need to seed and fertilize the grass. It's taken a beating over the winter - but will hopefully rebound nicely just in time for the garden walk.

And the pit. Yes - it's still unsightly - BUT, if you remember seeing it here, you'll notice that a change (a good one) has been made. The wall isn't quite finished, but once the last two blocks are laid, a stone veneer will cover them giving it the visual appeal of a stacked stone wall - but the security and strength of a concrete wall. Arborvitae will be planted behind the wall, blocking the view to the street beyond, and the awful chain link fence we inherited. Of course - once that is done - the brick for the patio can be laid and perhaps, yes perhaps the backyard will begin to look as I intended.

Thankfully last year the perennials I planted did well, and came back with no problems. I've planted a few more this year, and hope that eventually the garden will fill in nicely. I've had to remind myself several times during this planting extravaganza that 1.) a garden doesn't grow overnight and 2.) I JUST started last year! This whole area was nothing but grass - dead grass at that.

Still, I'm a perfectionist - so I've found so much left to do - and even more left to come up out of the ground. I devised a way to stop myself or Scott from digging into areas that had bulbs planted already - a problem we had last year on more than one occasion ...

Some skewers, packing tape, and a black marker made for great little reminder flags. Now - for those of you are wondering just what these green stalks and leaves will carry, here's a sneak peak, The Yellows:

Yellow Cannas, Black Eyed Susans, Yellow Asiatic Lilies, Stella D'Oro Lilies (not pictured), Tick-Seed Coreopsis, Curry, Yellow Marigolds, Yellow and White Dahlias, baby yellow dinnerplate Dahlias.

The Oranges:

Double Orange Daylily, Orange Canna (with purple foliage), Tiger Lily.

The Whites:

White Coneflower, White Blazing Star (Liatris), White Asiatic Lily, Balloon Flower (not pictured), White Dahlias, Shasta Daisy.

The Purples:

Purple Coneflower, Baby Joe (Joe Pye Weed), Blue Star, Purple Variegated Obedient, Purple Blazing Star (Liatris).

So many flowers ... so little time. If only I had a bigger lot ... and a higher credit limit. Til' next time have fun in your garden!