Category Archives: sidewalk bed

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – July 2019

alley bed, backyard bed, bloom day, front bed, native plants, perennials, pollinators, sidewalk bed, the Lot

Even though it has been horribly hot and humid on the Lot, we have had some overcast days. This allowed me to take pretty okay photos for a Bloom Day post! “What is Bloom Day,” you ask? It’s a day gardeners from around the world post pretty pictures of what is currently blooming in their gardens. Then we all swap links over at May Dreams Gardens. So let’s do this!

Gaillardia - Arizona Sun

The city removed the failing norway maple in the verge, so this spring I created a new bed. During the winter we have a lot of salt thrown up from the road by the snowplows. So this bed is a bit of an experiment as I’m testing salt-tolerant plants. One of these is now blooming, the blanket flower (Gaillardia ‘Arizona Sun’).

Echinacea

Also up front, the native coneflowers are beginning to open up in the south bed. These blooms attract oodles of pollinators before offering seed to the finches in the autumn. Behind the stand of coneflowers, the little shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla) is producing its cheery, yellow blooms.

coreopsis

I often wonder if gardening is a gateway hobby to entomology because HOW COOL IS THIS LITTLE BEE? It is quite tiny, as the bloom belongs to the tickseed (Coreopsis) in the front bed. Tis the season for tickseed on the Lot as all cultivars are currently in bloom.

lilies

I have to admit, I wasn’t much of a daylily fan until I actually had some on the Lot. These lovely blooms, planted in the southeast corner of the house, are from a friend who was losing a battle with lily-loving deer.

masterwort in bloom

On the east side of the house a bed receiving morning sun and a slight blast of sun in the in early afternoon. Then the shadow of our home passes over the plants and gives them a break from the really hot mid to late afternoon sun. The white bloom is from the masterwort (Astrantia). The yellow blooms are the fading lady’s mantle (Alchemilla).

little hosta with hedgehog

In the back garden, there is a lot in bloom right now. Here’s Fini with a Hosta ‘Mouse Ears’ on the left and a dwarf bellflower (Campanula) on the right.

Blazing Star and Balloon Flower

I’m pretty excited about the white blazing star (Liatris) pictured above. I finally have arranged the planting in the bed correctly so the plant has enough sun to bloom. The purple blooms just now opening are balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus). I also learned balloon flower belong to the larger bellflower family.

Butterfly Kisses Coneflower

Also in the back garden, these little coneflowers (Echinacea purpea ‘Butterfly Kisses’) are blooming. They serve as a part of a ‘living mulch’ to help keep the roots of a clematis cool.

The main sun bed in the backyard garden has a whole lotta stuff happening. Both the yarrows (Achillea millefolium) are finishing their blooming. The butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is in bloom and hoppin’ with pollinators.

Himalayan Cinquefoil

This is another plant I’ve had for awhile and it just didn’t receive enough sun to bloom. It’s now tucked behind the yellow yarrow in the main, backyard bed. Love the blood red bloom on the Himalayan cinquefoil (Potentilla atrosanguinea).

Rooguchi Clematis in Bloom

If plants were sorted into Hogwarts houses, this pretty purple clematis would be in Hufflepuff. The clematis ‘Rooguchi’ is a rambling clematis that doesn’t suffocate other plants and provides blooms from about May to late autumn on the Lot.

Threadleaf Coreopsis Blooming

As mentioned earlier, all tickseed is in boom right now. This is a threadleaf variety planted back by the water barrels and receiving a hot blast of afternoon sun.

hydrangea in bloom

Hydrangeas are another flower I wasn’t very keen on when first beginning to garden. However, they are beginning to grow on me. This one is a more compact variety, only growing to 4’x4′.

Bee Balm Blooming

Also blooming are all 3 varieties of bee balm (Mondarda). This one is from the pollinator bed I created last autumn. It is conveniently located on the south side of our 2 veggie beds. In addition to insects, I’m hoping to see a few hummingbirds this season.

Blooms of Rattlesnake Master

These final blooms are opposite the alley bed. They belong to the rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium). The plant belongs to the parsley family and is native to tallgrass prairies of eastern and central North America.

I planted the rattlesnake master with the idea of creating a larger bed catered to ground-nesting bees. The area is at the northwest corner of the Lot by the alley, where not many neighbors walk. It would have the sun it needs and also be more safe for the bees. However, the plant selection is dwindling as the maple on this corner matures and the bed gets more and more afternoon shade. I think we can still #makeithappen, it just won’t be as large as initially imagined.

Slowing Down to Smell the Flowers

Something I am trying to consciously do this year is to slow down during these warmer months. Heat makes me cranky, and then it is not so fun to be in the garden. I’m aiming to spend any time deadheading and weeding in the very early morning and the early evening. Otherwise, I am attempting to sit and be still to enjoy the Lot and all the creatures visiting it. I’m seeing insects I’ve never noticed before. With a cool drink in hand, it’s been pretty fabulous so far.

So that is all for July’s bloom day on the Lot! I’d love to hear what is blooming in your garden.

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – October 2016

backyard bed, bloom day, fence bed, front bed, loki bed, native plants, perennials, sidewalk bed, southwest bed

October Bloom Day is here! By this time each season the garden seems to have gone wild and the amount of daylight required to maintain control is dwindling . (The gardener is also tired and beginning to eye her knitting needles.) Looking back last year, we had some warmer-than-normal weather in October. So far this year we’ve had a ton of rain in September after a hot, dry August. The lankier plants have been beat down by the heavy rains. The days are cooler and rainy, but there are still some “blooms” to be enjoyed on the Lot.

We can always count on the toad lily (Trycyrtis hirta) to bring some delicate speckles of color to the Lot in the Autumn. I’d like to find another fall-blooming plant to accompany this shade-loving perennial in the east bed near the foundation of the house.

101416_toadlilies

In the expanded bit of Loki’s bed, the swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is becoming streaked with color because of the cooler nights. The lavender it shares its bed with is still blooming and is way larger than the gardener had planned. Rats.

101416_swampmilkweedlavendar

The new anemone is still carrying on its show from last month. I like the backdrop of the blue blooms of the plumbago. The silver foliage of the sage is pretty as well.

101416_anenome

This joe pye weed (Eupatorium rugosum) is in its second year on the Lot. The white blooms look great with the darker stems of the plant. Apparently this cultivar grows to a max of 4 feet tall. I found this out just now as I looked up the latin name to post here. This must be why the plant is not  growing to the 6 feet I expected. Oy with reading the plant tags! You’d think I’ve learned to do so by now!

101416_joepyeweed

This is more than likely the last, frazzled bloom of Echinacea purpurea ‘Butterfly Kisses,’ a dwarf coneflower.

101416_butterflykisses

Here’s a droopy aster I rescued from beneath the mum when we expanded the backyard bed this past Spring. I’m looking forward to seeing how it likes the new digs next season.

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And here is another batch of aster currently peeking from beneath the foliage of a false indigo.

101416_asters2

Here is the monster mum in the backyard bed. It has not been divided since it was planted. I was going to do so this Fall, but read the Spring is the best time to do so. Therefore, the task has been shifted to the Spring list.

101416_mums

The next few shots aren’t necessarily blooms, but still some fun colors in the garden. The yew in the front South bed is covered in small red berries.

101416_yew

This year the rose at the southwest corner of the Lot was not pruned back, but allowed to form rose hips.

101416_rosehips

There are some other perennials still blooming on the Lot, including the various sedum and some coreopsis. Just fading are the snakeroot, heuchera, and the tall phlox.

Be sure to visit May Dreams Gardens to view all the other lovely blooms for this month!

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – July 2016

backyard bed, bloom day, containers, fence bed, front bed, gate bed, house bed, perennials, sidewalk bed, the Lot

Happy Bloom Day! Every month May Dreams Gardens host Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, a day in which gardeners from around the world share what is blooming in their gardens.

First up is a shot from the Lot’s gate bed which is in the shade the majority of the day with just a touch of afternoon sun. The astilbe is in bloom, nestled among the hosta, maiden hair fern, and maiden hair grass.

071516_astilbehostafern

This next bloom is a dwarf coneflower, Echinacea purpurea ‘Butterfly Kisses.’ This little guy helps to keep the roots of the clematis cool in an area exposed to full day sun.

071516_butterflykisses

And out front in the south bed are the standard purple coneflowers. I noticed these plants aren’t as prolific as last season. I will have to get in there later and see if there is any disease or other factors stunting the growth.

071516_coneflowerstand

Here is one of the hanging baskets from this season, containing zinnias, snap dragons, and kale. I really dig how the blue green foliage of the kale is working out here.

071516_hangingbasket

Here is a container put together by my gardening friend Miss A.

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In the north bed by the house, the ligularia is blooming.

071516_ligularia

And on the east side of the house, the masterwort and lady’s mantle are both showing color.

071516_masterwortmantle

This next bed I’ve struggled with ever since beginning to garden on the Lot. Who knew common milkweed grew so tall! Blooms include tall garden phlox, balloon flowers, and coreopsis.

071516_milkweed

I picked up this mix of succulents, great as a ground cover,  from a neighborhood plant exchange. I used them to fill in some gaps here and there in the full sun bed in the backyard.

071516_mixedsedum

Finally, here is the ornamental oregano just added to the Lot this spring. It is near the purple coneflowers in the front, south bed. I saw this plant draping over a rocky border during the 2014 Portland Garden Bloggers’ Fling. I’ve wanted one ever since!

071516_ornamentaloregano