The Garden

The red peonies are open, and they are gorgeous.

Obviously, they're staying.

I'm happy with most of what's around the big landscape rock in the front yard. Yes, the rock looks like an alligator (or a crocodile). I do NOT like the cement head at the tip of it. It gives me the willies and if I could find somebody to take it away, it would be out of here. I like the Deutzia at the left. I've planted a river grass (Chasmanthium River Mist) to the right of the rock, and added three Dusty Millers and a Columbine in front of the rock. Most of the flowers in the front yard seem to be pink or purple - colors that attract hummingbirds, so I'm going to stay with that theme. I'm glad the pink front door fits in!

In front of all the other stuff though, it's a different story. The wild thyme that filled this space has mostly died because of all the road salt used last winter. Not much I can do to prevent that. I'll have to see if it comes back, otherwise I'll have to find something else to put there.

To enter my house through the side you pass under the carport. I've placed a collection of pots to one side to make it interesting (and also to prevent visitors from walking into the wind chimes.)

These are mostly different Coral Bells (Heucheras), but the pot in the upper right has a Hosta, some Phlox, a Pulmonaria and a Brunnera. The giant white Irises are behind these pots.

I've filled in all the holes in the Shade Garden, and I removed the garden cloth. I was worried it was preventing the soil around the plants from getting any water and drying out. They already look better.  There are fifty plants here, Heucheras, Hostas, Carex, Lamium, Columbine, Phlox, and some others whose names I can't remember.

And I got a gas grill (situated quite nicely next to a big patch of rhubarb),

because all this work builds up quite an appetite.