Category Archives: fence bed

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – September 2014

backyard bed, fence bed, front bed, loki bed, sidewalk bed, southwest bed

Today is Bloom Day where gardeners worldwide share photos of what is blooming in their gardens. The cooler summer is beginning to transition into the beginning of this Fall. That hasn’t stopped the blooms on our Zone 6a Lot.

Sedum

The sedum in the south bed has begun blooming. This is the first of the sedum cultivars that blooms on the Lot. This could be due to the full sun the plant receives the majority of the day.

Cosmos

Here are some cosmos which found their way over to the Lot from the neighbor’s to the west side of us. Last season I had planted some annuals in her front flowerbed to welcome her to the neighborhood. Then Nature returned the favor this season. I had almost lost hope with this plant, believing I was mistaken and it was instead a weed, when it finally bloomed.

Potentilla

Also in the south bed, the Bush Cinquefoil – Happy Face® (Potentilla fruticosa) is still blooming. We planted this little shrub last season and it has adapted well. Potentilla is winter hardy, tolerates poor soil, and displays butterfly-friendly flowers from spring through early autumn.

Toad Lily

Fall means toad lilies on the Lot. This plant is situated in the east bed beside the foundation and is sending forth a lot of blooms. The flowers are small, but stunning nonetheless.

Sweet Autumn Clematis

This sweet autumn clematis is blooming for the first time since it was planted on the Lot. I had debated this past spring whether or not to add it. This month I found out I had already done so in a previous season. And that is why I should keep up more on this journal and new plant introductions to the Lot! Though considered an invasive in states south of here, this plant has not been placed on the invasive list for Michigan.

Mum

Though the black-eyed susans are fading in the backyard bed, the mum still blooming.

Fence-Bed

The phlox, coreopsis, wandflower, and black-eyed susans are blooming in the fence bed.

Pumpkin

And even though it is not in bloom form, I wanted to include this lovely pumpkin the pollinators and the volunteer pumpkin plant have provided us.

Other September Blooms include the coral bells in Loki’s bed, the plumbago in the backyard bed, and all forms of coreopsis, the blanket flower, coneflowers, and black-eyed susans in the south bed.

Visit May Dreams Gardens to view many more blooms for September.

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – August 2014

backyard bed, fence bed, front bed, gate bed, loki bed, native plants, pollinators

Today marks another Bloom Day as garden bloggers worldwide share what is blooming in their gardens. Our pleasantly cool summer has continued as I strolled around the Lot to see what was blooming here in Zone 6a. Looking back on the Bloom Day post for August of last year, I noticed many of the same plants are blooming.

Coral Bell

The coral bells in Loki’s bed are doing their August thing.

plumago-butterly-bush

This season there were some renovations and additions to the beds near the back of the Lot at the rain barrels.  Some chartreuse plumbago on the north side of the house was not receiving enough sun. I moved it to one of the rain barrel beds and now it really looks great with the cascade of blooms from  the butterfly bush.

Lobelia

Another addition to the same bed is a Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), a blue counterpart to the traditionally red cardinal flower. This plant was purchased with others at a native plant sale this past April. It’s looking a bit peaked, though it still produced blooms. I’m wondering if the seasonally wet bed doesn’t have consistent enough moisture for it.

Hardy Mum

The mum in the backyard lot is larger than ever this year and in great need of being divided. It’s blocking a lot of light needed by the aster behind it.

blackeyedsusan-sage-plumago

And here is another one of those serendipitous seeds sowings Mother Nature provides. A sprig of black-eyed susans sprung up beside the plumbago and sage on the other side of the backyard bed. She has quite the eye.

coreopsis-sedum

In the fence bed, the coreopsis is looking pretty against the purple foilage of the sedum.

blackeyedsusan-savory

And more black-eyed susans are cozy with the winter savory that is in bloom.

hosta

The hosta in the shady gate bed is blooming.

081514_blanket-flower

Around front in the south bed, many of the same plants are in bloom as last month. Though the monarda has passed, the coreopsis and cone flowers are still going strong. Joining them this month are (even more) black-eyed susans and the blanket flower.

081514_hibiscus

Also in the south bed is this lovely hibiscus. I’m not sure if there is enough moisture in this hot bed for the hibiscus. However, since it is just recovering from being moved so often, I’ll give it another season here and see how it does.

081514_summer-planter

Finally, I thought I’d include a snapshot of a container from the front porch. It’s just a simple combo of some annual lantana and pentas, providing a summer treat for pollinators. This container may or may not have been a result of my dear Other Half forgetting to water the petunias while I was away in Portland.

That is all for the Lot this month. Visit Carol’s August post at May Dreams Gardens for more photos on what is blooming in other gardens.

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – June 2013

fence bed, front bed

This year, June on the Lot has brought the passing of the last of the Spring bulbs and the transition of the season from Spring to Summer. The first half of the month found the Lot blooming with peonies, iris, false indigo, poppies, spirea, wysteria, bleeding heart, coral bell, and thrift. Unlike previous years, I’ve begun to cut little bouquets of flowers for the Other Half and I to enjoy in our home offices. I also am having a lot of fun bringing flowers from the Lot to friends and family.

Now it is the 15th of the month and it is once again Bloom Day! This year, that means roses for the Lot. Three of the four climbing roses on the Lot were already established when we moved here. This first rose was doing poorly and suffered from black spot because of a downspout at it’s base. After trying to dig it out of the ground several seasons ago, this is what it appears like now.

Red Roses

At the southwest corner of the house is our largest rose. This thing is a beast. It tries to entangle and devour trick-or-treaters, mailmen, and at times our guests. Since the Other Half is in charge of mowing, he has a deep dislike for this plant. As wild and crazy as it is, I think it is beautiful. Right now it crawls over the edge of the porch, but there are plans for a hanging trellis in it’s near future.

Climbing RoseClimbing Rose on Porch

Here is a rose we planted in the backyard along the fence. I adore this “little one” because it is an offspring of my friend Mrs. J’s grandfather’s rose. Like she says, it has a pleasant scent of “Grandma Soap.” The four-footed garden helpers think the blooms made excellent bobbles to bop.

Backyard Rose

Last season Ms. A and I extended a south-facing bed in front of the house. The unusually hot and dry summer foiled attempts at starting many new plants in said bed. One plant that survived a move from the backyard to the new bed was this coreopsis that is just starting to bloom. Above it is the fading blooms of our fourth rose, a deep red one that is always the first rose to bloom on the Lot.

Coreopsis South Bed

Last Fall I hit the garden centers and brought home a small flat of Jewel of the Desert Peridott Iceplant (Delosperma). It is pictured above to the left of the coreopsis. The little groundcover is supposed to be super drought resilient. It made it through the winter, is now blooming, and should continue until first frost. Here is a closer view.

Peridott Iceplant

And last but not least is a plant purchased this season during the 2013 Annual Spring Nursery Crawl. This plant is also in the new, south-facing bed in front of the house. Check out this lovely Cherry Brandy Rudbeckia.

Cherry Brandy Rudbeckia

Remember to visit May Dreams Gardens to see what else is blooming this month around the world!