Garden Happenings

Lilac 'Sensation' is my favorite bloom of the three remaining lilacs I have. I did discover, shockingly, that I don't particularly care for the fragrance of two of the lilacs after I cut blooms to bring inside. How can that be?? Doesn't everyone love the fragrance of lilacs?


Last week, the dogwoods were just stunning. We'll revisit last week in this post. Herewith, my garden as it was then...


That's one side of the front yard looking from the driveway...


This is going toward the backyard...it was pretty damp that day...things are just beginning to wake up on this north side of my house...(yes, that's a dog by the gate)

Here's the pot ghetto...which has moved to the driveway...as of last week. You would not believe the change in one week...or, maybe you would...*grin*


Mostly what you see are daylily seedlings in boxes (approximately 1/3 of what I have to go outside)...a few new arrivals...and okay, maybe an impulse purchase or two.

Peonies are getting ready to pop....as I've said daily for a week...as of this morning, they are still on the verge, but since we're expecting rain (why does it always seem to rain when the peonies open??), I hope they hold off...


A What Not To Do entry...bel0w you see Japanese Iris...(ignore the fact that they are nowhere near water. They don't know it and we won't tell them)....this clump has been here for a number of years. Note the middle is gone...dividing them would probably be appreciated (Siberian Iris tend to do this also)...however, it's not likely to happen... They'll just have to make do. Hey, maybe they can seed themselves back in the middle (kidding, sort of)...after all, they've seeded themselves outside the clump. I hope to show you pictures of their seedlings, which are growing in this bed approximately two feet away... The ones they deposited in my neighbors' grass have been mowed.


The woodland phlox in the shady part of the backyard are starting to bloom...




I'm sad to say that most of the daffodils are now done (May 1st), but last week, we still had some going:

Mint Julep:


Satin Blanc:


Baby Moon:


Dallas:


Sidley:


And now...to one of my favorite subjects....daylilies...As I was wandering in the backyard among the seedlings...I noticed this:


Look carefully in the middle....there is seedling coming up with like five, six, or seven little fans. Very wild...especially when you're hoping for one. We shall see what this one does...

It's that time...spring...when daylily clubs have their sales. A great time to pick up daylilies very reasonably priced, grown by club members. I dug up a number of clumps...


I was pleased this year as my fans were good sized and I happy with what I had to donate. My soil amending is finally showing some reward(s). Of course, with red clay, it is a constant battle. Most of these clumps only had red clay on the bottom in the center (of the larger ones)...the rest had nice dark soil....which pleases me greatly...until I realized as I washed them off that my precious soil was going down the drain. Yikes! That is hand hauled in! At which point (a sight to behold) I attemped to wash them off over beds so that at least some of the soil would stay here...

And the result:


I drove them down to Lewis Ginter (Richmond) yesterday to be contributed to the RADS booth. (No, I did not buy a single daylily!) The sale continues there today and tomorrow. It's a great spring plant sale. Two vendors I always look for are Pine Knot Farms for hellebores and Rick's Custom Nursery for anything interesting. I came away with some hellebores (of course), some heucheras (yeah! two new ones!), a couple mini hostas (I am finding them interesting...), some tomatoes, some herbs, and maybe another perennial here or there...ha.

So, here it is May....a month known for how fast it flies by...