I Want To Play Outdoors!

I feel like a bored kid with his nose smashed against the window wanting to go outside to play!

Last week we warmed up to 87 degrees and even the evenings were warm.  I knew it wasn't going to last so I resisted temptation to plant any of my annuals but not it's only 47 and rainy today and I would like to get out there and do something!

The extra warmth really gave a push to the garden though and I can hardly believe how much progress everything has made.  We added hardwood mulch to the beds which dressed them out nicely.  

I see lots of little flowers coming to life.  This Dwarf Nikko Deutzia has been slow to get going and look good.  I'm happy with it now and try make sure it gets watered well.

This Autumn Joy Sedum is coming up fast and looks great. 

Somehow some of my daffodils ended up over here!  

The iris are growing quickly too!

 I piled a bunch of stones around this bird bath because when we rinse it out the splashing water washes away the dirt around the base.  

My Annabelle Hydrangeas are making quick progress too.  

My little Primrose is blooming like crazy now- what a joyful little plant!  I need more!

The daffodils are blooming and what's left of my tulips are coming along too.  The other sedum by the rocks are growing nicely.

These daffodils have a very pale apricot center.  A couple of years ago the voles were eating things in this garden bed and then either a rabbit or a deer ate my tulips last year!

The Jack Frost Brunnera have double in size in a week!  I love them because they bloom a long time and their pretty periwinkle blue flowers are a favorite color!

The hostas are on the march too!

I whacked off one of my coral bells when I was cleaning the bed a couple of weeks ago…still hoping it will come alive yet!

 My first fairy garden is waking up.  Looks pretty scattered right now…needs some TLC!

 This Japanese Spurge (pachysandra) always does well and amazes me how green it is when the snow melts.  It was putting on a good show last week.

Sweet Woodruff mingles in here and there.  I believe this is the "Remember Me" hosta.  It has never gotten very big.  I moved it to a new location 2 years ago hoping it would respond better to the location.  

 I had a lot more tulips before- something has definitely thinned them out!

Pretty narcissus/daffodils.  Soft white with yellow ruffled centers edged in white.  I did not keep record of the bulbs I planted so I don't know their name.  These might be called Ice Follies.

The new birch tree we planted last year is awake and looks healthy.

The island has come alive.  Just a week ago there was barely any green out here!

The peonies are really coming up fast!

Zagreb Coreopsis- very reliable!

 Delphinium with Black Eyed Susan's mingling. 

 Columbines 

 This is the giant blue delphinium that has been coming back now for several years (yay)!

The Stella de Oro Daylily are really coming along nicely and of course the hosts.  The blue oat grass has been thinned but it needs some more coaxing to release the brown grass.  I just comb it with my fingers and pull and it comes out nicely.  I've already done it twice this spring but it needs another going over.

I bought this new coral bell which has been in full bloom for two weeks.  They told me to wait at the garden center since it's way ahead of the ones growing in our area so I will plunk it in the ground real soon.  I like the variegated leaf and hot pink flowers it offered.

I bought this pre-made arrangement at a small garden center that I need to remember to go to more often.  Their prices are very fair and I will have a nice re-usable basket for next year!

Orange will be in my color scheme this year!  I have new urns by the garage this year.  My other ones were literally coming apart.

I can't believe how green it's getting!  We spent a few days in southern Michigan this past weekend and their trees are leafed out more than us but we aren't far behind.  My lilac topiary tree is loaded with blooms- can't wait to smell it!  Last year I didn't trim it like I usually do because I was barely getting any blooms.  I gave it a trim right after the lilacs were done blooming and that was it.  This year it looks much better so no more shaving it into a shape!

I really don't want to rush through spring but I am anxious to get outside more and enjoy each step of the way through the blooming season!

 

A New Tree

Well a command decision was made and the Coral Bark Japanese Maple was removed. It was a very hard to make the decision, but after a good honest conversation from one of the garden center employees, he told me that none of those ever seem to do well up here and that was all I needed to confirm my decision.

This is the tree a couple of years ago- it was a nice specimen tree

This was it as of yesterday.  After taking a good look at it and realizing that even if I trimmed it I'd have a stub of a tree and at the ultra slow rate it's been growing it would be years before it would amount to anything so out it went!

I think this is a result of getting a tree that is zoned for zone 5 and above.  It was supposed to also have variegated leaves but they stayed more of a solid green and coral bark often looked gray rather than coral.  So enough of that and on to it's replacement.  I looked up some information on the tree and I read a couple of forums and a lot of people complained about this tree.  I guess it's just a delicate species.

I spotted this Dwarf Birch tree (Betula Nana) at the garden center and decided that it was what I wanted.  I've always loved Birch trees, but the regular Birch trees are too tall and wouldn't have the right look for this area anyway.  I fell for this little guy immediately.

We picked up two bags of composted manure and two bags of a blend that was recommended for trees and shrubs.  We also added some of our composted material from out back where the leaves go every fall  so it's going to be spreading it's roots in some real good stuff!

The ugly process of pulling back the (darn) lava that we put down in the 90's was no fun.  I would never put it down again for two reasons- 1) it's horrible to try and walk on when you have to get around  it to trim shrubs and 2) it's the worst to dig around or remove!  It's breaking down a bit as you can see the soil has a red cast to it, at least at the top layer.

 Dan decided it was too hot and there was no air flow so he went off to get a fan and I took a couple of pictures of the island out front.  Those blue spruces have grown so much I am just amazed.  

My peonies are in full bloom right now. Many other plants are coming up and should be blooming soon.  The Delphinium on the left are going to be huge again this year!

The lighter pink and white ones are flopped over on the other side.  There are shasta daisies that should be blooming before long in the forefront.

There was some old black landscape fabric that he had to work to get through and the hole got wider and deeper as he went along.  This area has some crappy dirt.  When they built this house we think they pushed in some cheap fill dirt because it's a mix of sand, gravel and rocks.  Way down lower it gets back to some good quality soil.  Anyway, lots of digging and then finally it was planted.   I was the official gofer (go for this, go for that) hole filler and waterer!  

 This looks a bit lackluster because the shrubs need trimming and the tree is short.  It will only grow to 10-12' tall but it will take a while for it to get there.  My main goal for putting a tree in this area is to improve on the look of the corner where the addition meets the original house. It needs some height and width, but it can't be too big.  I'll take  picture after I get the shrubs trimmed, but the Spireas are about to bloom and I try to wait until they're done.  I have some ornamental grass there too that looks out of place now… always something!

I was trying to rake out the hidden oak leaves I found hiding under the Spireas- they stick to that lava like fly paper!  My plants all look off center now too.  Now I want another Van Houtteis Spiraea to go on the left to match the one on the right that's near the window.  I believe the bright green Spirea's are called Lemon Princess.  I am not positive on the little one in the center, but it stays nice and compact.  Spireas perform well here so I don't mind using them.

Other than that it was an average weekend!  How about you- did you get any projects done?