Fertilizer Friday . . .

It's Fertilizer Friday so be sure to go over and visit our hostess Tootsie and see what's blooming in everyone's gardens after fertilizing religiously every Friday! Join in on the fun while you're there too.

Tall Campanulas


Delphinium

A fuchsia colored Spiderwort - the purple one bloomed earlier - it was an experiement I put in a really bright location and they like part shade. The one in the sunny location is doing great so now I know I can put them just about anywhere.

Salvia May Night

Dwarf Snapdragons

Poppies

Purple Spanish Lavender


This Snapdragon stayed green all winter and is now blooming great. My other 2 I had died back but came back growing on the old wood. Sure has me puzzled.


Sweet William 'Sooty'

Weigela not sure of name - this one is full size where my other I believe is a dwarf


Yellow Daylilies

What's Happening In My Gardens

I think since I have so many plants coming now I’ll just do half. I don’t want to bore everyone with too many little sprouts and tiny blooms all at once. They’ll get bigger cause we’re getting sun this weekend to make everything grow.

I was very excited to see some new growth on my Hardy Fuchsia Santa Claus. I already had spotted some on Double Otto. Now I have 2 more to check on and hope they come back. They are on the graves of our two little dachshunds Prissy and Schatze. Up there I have Phyllis and Brutus. Phyllis has the slightest bit of growth starting to show so I'm pretty confident that Brutus will too. They are in a lot of shade up there so they take a little longer to bloom. But this was their first year so I was especially anxious to know if they made it through our harsh winter. I've also planted Columbines around our two little friends graves and they are doing well. We lost Schatzee last year and I wanted to make changes to the flowers up there.
Hardy Fuchsia Santa Claus

Another plant I was concerned about was not having seen any Hostas yet. Guess I was needlessly anxious about them because they are all peeking through in three different places. One we moved last fall and it wasn't looking good then so I'm happy to see it's back.

The Calla Lilies are finally peeking through and there's a viola that popped up next to them. I eventually plan on having Callas line the whole front of the house to cover the foundation and they will make a nice backdrop for other flowers.

My Japanese Painted Fern is also showing now.

Around the corner from them still in a shaded area I have Brunnera Jack Frost he's getting bigger but his leaves are still a lot smaller than usual when it's blooming. Usually they are around 6" long or more but this year are only half that size. Hopefully he'll be full size soon.

Pulmonaria Smokey Blue

Jacobs Ladder Blue Pearl

Dicentra Spectabilis or Old Fashioned Bleeding Heart

The Columbines in here are looking good and so is my Heuchera Plum Pudding - just a wonderful wine color with silver in the foliage.


Down a little farther where a little more sun comes into the bed is an Armeria loaded with blooms.


Down that side of the house are also some other plants I started and planted last year that are showing green. A Weigela, Abelia, Red Valerian, Sedum Linda Windsor, Sedum Autumn Joy.I was concerned about my Spirea Little Princess because she looked brown and pretty lifeless but she's got new growth on her so I can relax now.
Spirea Little Princess

Fertilizer Friday . . .

It's Fertilizer Friday so be sure to go over and visit our hostess Tootsie and see what's blooming in everyone's gardens after fertilizing every Friday! Join in on the fun while you're there too.
Self Heal

Campanula - in my treasure 'Hometown Hardware' wheelbarrow

Gee, the deer missed this Red Valerian - thank goodness I still have a couple to bloom.

More Campanula in an old milk jug


A different color Spiderwort

This Peach Leaf Bellflower Campanula Persiciflolia is my showiest right now - if I keep it deadheaded I think it blooms all summer.

Carnations you can smell a mile away

Catmint Walkers Low - to the left you can see the other Red Valerian stripped by deer

My cobweb Hens & Chicks with a bloom - don't know the name of these but they are the tiniest I have - about the size of a cooked pea.

My cobweb Hens & Chicks with a bloom - don't know the name of these but they are the tiniest I have - about the size of a cooked pea.

A pink Salvia my sister gave me no name also

Looks like the Lacecap Hydrangea will put on a show this year thanks to our acid clay soil. I was going to change it until people kept telling me it was such a brilliant blue and they loved it that way. So I went and bought a pink one and put in in a pot so I can keep the soil controlled.

The Phlox are getting ready to bloom.

Spirea Little Princess

The BBQ Recycled Twice

Years ago I recycled our old BBQ and filled it with annuals and a Sedum on each side to hang down. I loved the way it looked stuffed as full as could be but decided to change it year before last because of an upcoming back surgery not knowing how much I would be able to get outside and do. I put some Sedums in it and in a lot of my planters for easier maintenance. Now I wouldn't have to plant as many annuals on the deck. Here is a picture of the BBQ when it had annuals and then one after the change. The gray green one top picture to the left and to the right are Cape Blanco. And the one blooming in front I think is Dragon's Blood but I'm not sure. Behind that I added a bucket for some height and dimension and filled it with Sedum Tri-Color. Oh and the fern? That's a 'happy accident' that just popped out of the bottom in front.

Sedum Tri Color

Sedum Tri Color is sprouting out in spite of the snow and freezing weather we have been having this year. Below is how it will look in the coming months.

A Few More Flowers Showing

It was fairly clear a couple of days ago and I was able to walk around and see if anything new was peeking through. I didn't hold my breath as I had already posted quite a few. So I got a little surprise to find my Columbine Clementine Rose was doing well and some Creeping Charlie peeking out behind it. I always thought it was a little tiny Columbine but maybe it just didn't get very big at first because the tag says 14-16" tall. I guess that isn't real tall when I think of some I have that are over 3 feet but I think it was only about 10 or 12 inches if that. If it gets too tall maybe I'll take it out of the old wheelbarrow.
A small group of Crocuses - I believe the spring and fall blooming type. You know the ones that bloom in the spring and then lay all over the ground looking like crap all summer? Looks like something has really been chewing them.
A larger group of smaller Crocuses. Can't remember what they look like.
I stuffed this bucket with Tulips and Daffodils. At least the critters didn't bother them. 19 years ago when we first moved here I bought over 100 Tulip bulbs of all kinds and colors and planted them. Come spring I think I had about 3 show up. I never planted them after that. So this year a friend gave me some and I decided to put them in a container and cross my fingers. I did have 1 other one a friend in Missouri sent me when we exchanged some flowers and it bloomed 1 year. I still have a small bulb from it I stuck in here so I'm anxious to see if it shows.
Some Heather Mediterranean
And my Pulmonaria Smokey Blue I'm glad to see has made it through our winter. I love the way it blooms pink and purple. Perfect for my flower colors.