Category Archives: fence bed

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – May 2020

May 15, 2020backyard bed, bloom day, bulbs, fence bed, native plants, perennials, spring, the Lotjane

I just returned from snapping some photos around the Lot for today’s Bloom Day. After a gray, chilly weekend and week, yesterday it began to warm again with some lovely spring rains. This morning has been overcast, giving this gardener great lighting to record in photos what is blooming in the garden.

There hasn’t been much change in blooms for the South and Southeast beds of The Lot. I did get a great shot of some raindrops on one of the classic, red tulips though!

There has been a lot of development on the East side of the Lot. The rock cress is blooming, along with some labrador violets from last month. The bugleweed is setting buds right now. The epimedium is beginning to bloom. HOWEVER, I was quickly distracted from all flowers by last night’s raindrops on the Lady’s Mantle. LOOK AT THIS!

lady's mantle leaves with raindrops and masterwort

It happens to me every year when the perennials start to reemerge. I fall in love with this plant all over again. In the photo above, the Lady’s Mantle is snuggled up with a Masterwort. In the photo below, it’s hovering above that Bugleweed ‘Chocolate Chip’ I mentioned.

lady's mantle leaves with raindrops and bugleweed

Moving into the back garden, here is the bleeding heart in bloom. Everything about this plant is so visually delicate.

bleeding heart blooms, foliage, with raindrops

Here are some grape hyacinth poking up between some columbine foliage. Tricksy!

grape hyacinth bloom with columbine foliage

Here is another trying on some lamb’s ear foliage.

grape hyacinth bloom with lambs ear foliage

In a sunnier area of the backyard garden, the dwarf irises are just beginning to bloom. I have these little ones right up at the front of the border or they get quickly lost among the other plants. The blooms don’t last too long, but I enjoy the small, spiky foliage for the remainder of the season.

Here is a larger shot of the same bed. The geranium (cranesbill), more tulips, and yet even more grape hyacinth are blooming.

tulip, geranium, grape hyacinth in front of fence

In a shadier, raised nook of the back garden, the second Epimedium on the Lot is also blooming.

Here’s a closer look at the blooms.

A peek at the other side of that raised bed. The primrose is still going strong and looks nice with the geranium in the back.

primrose with geranium and creeping jenny

Here is Jack and his crew. Jack in the Pulpits are such cool plants. There are a ton of volunteers this season, pictured in the bottom right of the photo. While they are still small, I’m going to attempt transplanting them this season.

Jack in his snappy-looking pulpit.

The woodland poppies planted in the shady, damp area beneath the lilac are still blooming. The lilac just began opening.

Detail of the lilac blooms. It should be sunny and warm this weekend, so I’m sure the back of the garden will be smelling of lilacs.

Here is the Other Half’s favorite type of flower… the one that will bear him food. It’s the first strawberry bloom of the season.

strawberry blossom and foliage in dead leaves

This gardener is in such a better mood on this Bloom Day than the last one. Be sure to check out May Dreams Gardens to enjoy what’s blooming in other gardens around the world!

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – December 2016

December 15, 2016backyard bed, bloom day, fence bed, front bed, gate bed, southwest bed, the Lot, winterjane

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day has arrived on our frosty, snow-covered Lot in Zone 6a. At the beginning of last weekend the snow began to fall and did not stop throughout the weekend. At this posting we have settled into the winter routine, with the Other Half graciously clearing the sidewalks and drive with the snow shovel. The city has dug itself out and activities around here resumes as normal. The Lot is now covered in a powdery, white blanket which doubles as the poor man’s mulch to protect hibernating perennials from the brisk winter temperatures and harsh winds.

Snow Blooms

Full disclaimer right now; you are not going to see colorful flowers in this Bloom Day post. If you’d prefer those, and I wouldn’t be offended, head over to May Dreams Gardens to scope out some southern gardens. However, we do have some snow blooms to log, something that hasn’t happened since December Bloom Day 2013.

The Sweet Autumn clematis (Clematis paniculata) wasn’t around in 2013, but it has had a spectacular season on the Lot and continues to be beautiful into this month. I’ve left all the seed heads and vines in place (they’re just so darn purdy!), and when the snow fell it was light enough to create powdery blooms.

Check out the textures of the feathery seeds combined with the snow.

Always wonderful in the winter is snowfall upon stalks and seed heads of the purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).

The old rose at the southwest corner of the house is forming curious looking blooms resembling icicles.

Yes, I know. They’re icicles, but pretty neat looking, right?

The burning bush (Euonymus alatus) has a strong enough structure to hold the weight of most snowfalls and therefore regularly provides winter interest.

Other plants on the Lot do not. Here’s the false indigo (Baptisia australis) looking less than impressive under the weight of the snow.

The maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis) doesn’t look much better after more than a dusting of snow. I hadn’t secured the stalks together with twine as I had in years before.

Last but not least is this winter-themed hanging container I found while taking photos for today. UGH. You think you have everything in the garden put away for winter, and then you come across this!

So now a gardener goes back to her notes from the season and makes an attempt to bring the journal up to date. It’s a bit tricky to stay on top of the task during the growing season. However, this year involved a lot of Sherlock-ing some growing challenges, so I want to make sure I have those logged. Can’t wait to see what spring brings!

First Freeze and Snowfall

November 19, 2016annuals, backyard bed, fence bed, gate bed, house bed, loki bed, perennials, the Lotjane

Brr. That cold snap is turning into a day of snow. This morning I looked out the back window into the garden and noticed what looked like white blooms on the anemone.

111916_anenome

Upon closer inspection, the white “blooms” were the seedheads of the plant. This is the first year the anemone has been on the Lot, so I didn’t know that about this plant.

111916_anenomeseedhead