How is your garden looking today?

And some of the nicer spots on the property:

In the yard of my grandparent's home, in which i was raised, there was a lilac hedge. It was already well-established when i was a child, the bushes being from five to six feet high. I always associate the smell of lilacs with early springs, and miss it sorely now.

l'k - that is looking soooo nice

I love Solomon's Seal. Can't imagine a shaded garden without it.

Really nice looking, littlek.

Gorgeous!

littlek, Looks real nice. Good work!

Thanks all!

Set - I'm thinking about adding a lilac to a seperate raised bed at the side of the neighbor's yard. It's the only place I can control planting that has sun. Or maybe peonies. Hmm... could I get away with both?

Beth - solomon seal is a great plant. I loved that variegated variety.

Neko, that photo was gorgeous.

Littlek, beautiful. Please send more pics when you plant the side yard.

The heat here has been in the 90's, unusual at this time of year. Some little plants I got for a planter pretty much withered after I put them in. I think the shock of going from a nice greenhouse to this heat was too much of a shock. One is trying to survive, but I think the other has already given up the ghost. It almost feels like a little friend has gone. Sob.

The two lilacs that I bought a couple of years ago when a garden centre was closing down, set bud for the first time in the fall, and are about to bloom. I'm excited and scared (damn allergies).

I couldn't decide where to plant one of them, so I've just been dragging it around in its pot for two years. I better figure out where it's going soon.

aw, sorry Diane. I know it's hard to lose a little green friend.

Beth - pots prolly work for lilacs - for a while.

BBB
I gave Diane several bulbs (day lilies and calla lilies) and plan to give her some dahlia bulbs to plant in her bulb garden plot, which will make up for some of the sunburnt plants.

BBB

That's so good of you, BBB. Everyone who moves to a new city should have a gardening buddy who knows what grows easily there.

Are there any native perennials that would work with dys and diane's garden?

ehBeth


Yep, WEEDS!

We've had so much rain this Spring that weeds are taking over the world.

My daughter sent me a tape she made of a California TV show called "California's Gold." I intend to invite Dys and Diane over to see it. It is a tour of Death Valley with rare scenes of water filled lakes and ground covered with plants and brilliant flowers.

Actually, one plant that grows (and spreads) like a weed is lavender.

Osso Buco was delighted to find one of her favorite plants that I've used, Nandina (Heavenly Bamboo), in my garden. The Purple Passion variety is thriving.

I was disappointed to discover that several of my favorite plants in California don't do well in Albuquerque. Podocarpus (Fern Pine) is only one example. However, my Chinese Magnolia is growing well but the Spring Winds arrive at the same time of it's lovely tulip-like blooms and blows them to pieces. Sigh.

Other plants that are good choices for Fall color are:

Salvia greggi Furman's Red
Nassella tenuissima
Solidago Wichita Mountains & sphacelata Golden Fleece (dwarf goldenrod)
Mirabilis multiflora
Salvia Texas Violet
Agastache cana Texas Hummingbird Mint
Novac-angliae Purple Dome (New England Aster)
Panicum virgatum Dallas Blues
Miscanthus sinesis v. purpurascens Autumn Red
Helianthus maximiliana Santa Fe
Rhus trilobata (Three-Leaf Sumac)
Rhus aromatica Gro-Low Sumac)
Prunus besseyi Select Spreader (Sand Cherry)

Prennial wildflower bulbs for naturalizing your garden:

Galanthus elwesii Giant Snow Drop
Anemone blands Grecian windflower
Scilla siberica Spring Beauty (Siberian Squill)
Hyacinthoides hispanic Spanish Bluebells & Pink flower Sanish Bluebells
Chionodoxa lucilae Alba White Glory of the Snow
Chionodoxa sardensis Turkish Glory of the Snow
Iris bucharica Juno Iris
Iris cycloglossas Afghani Iris
Camassia leichtlinni Blue Danube
Ipheion uniflorum Wisley Blue
Fritillaria meleagris
Chionodoxa forbesii Pink Giant

BBB

I remember "California's Gold". That was a cool show. If I lived in a sunny arid climate I would grow tons and tons of lavender. Love the stuff.

I'm kind of at the opposite extreme now -- shady and wet. I've been looking for someplace to put lavender and just can't find anywhere. Not sure how much jursidiction we have over the strip of grass between sidewalk and street -- might do some sort of raised bed thing there with lavender.

Diane: Here's a side view of the developing lilac hedge. This year I'll be doing some lifting and dividing of crocuses and primulas to place alongside the promenade. the objective here is to have them form a continuous border along the path.

This shot was taken from a spot by the butterfly garden, which consists of asters, zinnias, daylilies, and cardinal flowers,which are all coming up nicely.

Wowee neko!

Quite a cat, too.

Uh-oh. Sorry about your little friends, Diane.

We've been having a heatwave here, too. It was 87 degrees yesterday and some people say it will be higher today. I just transplanted a lot of stocks (Virginia stocks) this week and I may need to push them into the shade. This weather is glorious though. The weatherman called it Chamber of Commerce weather!

I bought 12 packs of sky blue lobelia to plant in front of my mums. Home depot was supposed to have 14" flower pots for sale at $10, but they didn't have any. I wanted to buy 3 or 4 of them to put on the deck. When the backyard gets shady, I'm going to plant those lobelia. Also bought four sacks of redwood chips to conserve on water.

I seem to remember flax, or something like flax growing like a weed in Santa Fe.