Garden Log

It's way past flowering time for most of my yard, but I wanted to document what's there now so I can remember next year and not dig up stuff I want to keep. But I also need help identifying some of these plants.

These cana lilies came out of nowhere.

They sprung out of the dirt and circled this Sweetgum. Note to self: Plant something in that empty spot.

Hanging on after all other blooms are spent, this is one example of the many kinds of hydrangeas in the back yard. I never liked hydrangeas until now.

Back left corner of the yard leading to the wood. That ivy is my nemesis. Believe it or not, I've cleared out a ton of overgrown stuff in this corner. Liberated that ailing crape myrtle and several hydrangeas from vines and weeds. And there's so much more to do.

I haven't a clue what that bush in the middle is, but it looks intentional, so I'm letting it live. The rest of those giant bushes are azaleas, and there's an unhappy magnolia back there, too.

More azaleas and a dogwood. I've cut these back, too, unbelievably.

That lamp post is one of two gas lights flocking what used to be a sitting area but is now choked with weeds and bushes. More azaleas, gardenias, mahuang hollies, and other strange stuff. Again, I cleared this somewhat back in May.

See? There's a part I've cleared leading into the sitting area. What I mostly pulled up turned out to be these gorgeous purple flowers. I'd like to build a pergola here with a bench and maybe a pond and give the vines a place to grow.

Here's the pretty purple flower I so thoroughly weeded out of much of the wood line.

Reaching the farther edge of the yard. Mountain laurel and that yellow-spotted bush thing that I like.

My wisteria shrine for Rachel MacNabb. Plus it makes me feel less guilty about the miles of wisteria I'm pulling from the rest of the yard.

I'm tempted to call this bamboo, but it's not growing so fast anymore. Anyone?

This fig tree is so large it originates in one (bad) neighbor's yard and takes up a good 20 feet of my yard and another neighbor's. Right now it's FULL of figs, ripe and not. Too bad I don't like figs. Anyone want some?

My weed mix. Vines that are everywhere, wisteria, and those funky "money-plant" looking things that are so ubiquitous I've been pulling them up every chance I get even though they're very cute weeds.

This funny weed on the border of my neighbor's yard is so pretty I don't want to chop it down. But I haven't a clue what it is. Sort of looks like a peanut plant to me. Anyone?

Leaves of said weed. Isn't it pretty?

Moving to the side yard, my compost bins (conveniently located just outside the back door so emptying kitchen scraps is easy), tea olive from ZA, and lambs ear from ZA, both about 3 years old. Someday, that ugly porch will be a chocolate mole color.

I think this is a geranium. These came up out of nowhere, too, and I'm afraid I weeded a few out before realizing what they were.

Pretty pink bells

These ferns all through the yard start springing up in April, and now they're about 3 feet tall.

My sad autumn ferns from Urban Gardener that have been transplanted 4 times over the last 9 years and split many times. They'll perk up and start taking over the flower bed again in the next couple of years.

Tea olive #2 and very sad dogwood. Plus Iggy.

I think these dogwood leaves are burned because someone (not me!) planted it in too much sun. Any remedy ideas? I'm afraid to transplant, and I'd love to have a tree here if it takes.

These Mexican petunias are one of my favorite flowers. I've always thought their color tricks your eyes into thinking it's dusk-- that moment of vibrant violet like spilt water on a magazine. This photo doesn't do them justice.

Tami's house warming gift is doing much better in the flower bed than in the pot. And it smells (and tastes) great.

Another volunteer plant. This portaluca came up suddenly after I had the holly stump ground. I wonder how long it has been hibernating, waiting for its chance in the sun. The color is off in this photo. The flowers are a really nice salmon color.

 

I'm desperately, seriously in search of the name of this shrub because I need 3 more to even out my front landscaping where I uprooted 3 ugly shrubs that didn't match. It's about 2.5 feet high, and has pale, pink, very fragrant flowers in early spring. Help!

I've wanted some of this red and gold lantana forever. It's not much to look at now, but if it survives the winter, it'll be gorgeous next year.

Not landscaping, but in case I need to remember what annuals to buy for this planter next spring.

My beloved rabbit's foot fern from Urban Gardener going on 11 years old. I had her split into 2, and Allison (at UG) snagged part of her to continue propagating. Overdue for another split, but I don't know what I'd do with 4 ferns indoors during the winter.

I have a think for sago palms. This is the only one I haven't killed, and it seems happy here. Wintering indoors is another story. My pets like to use his needles as toothbrushes. Oh, and that's my little rosemary back there, which I hope will grow into a giant rosemary someday.

ZA hosta isn't doing terribly well with this transplant, but I'm hoping it'll recover next spring. More of my mystery shurbs back there, but I can't transplant these to where I need them because of the tree roots.

 

This crazy vine sprouted from nothing in the spring and is just now beginning to flower. I don't have a clue what it's called, but it looks like some type of clematis?

Those pretty little flowers up close. I think they're trying to smell good, but they haven't yet achieved "fragrant."

I love these little flowers in sunny rock beds. A gift from my maman.

 

These were cut way back before we bought the house, and they haven't done very well this summer while everyone else's crape myrtles have been insane with blooms. I don't plan on cutting them and hope they'll do better next year.

 

I just had to show Mawmaw how well her squirrel spinner was doing. It was full in mid-July, and look at it now. I've seen a couple dozen different types of birds at this feeder.

Newly-planted black-eyed susans at the other corner of the front flower bed, plus fruit loop lantana, both of which I hope will flourish next year.

These little bushes I got from ZA never did well at the last house, but I hope I've got them planted in  a good spot now under my baby redbud. They don't look like much, but I love the tiny white star flowers.

Moby poses next to this odd plant for perspective. It was just a little thing until I cut down the hollies on this corner. It doesn't flower (yet), but it sure likes the sun. Right now it's only alive because I don't have anything to take its place.

Leaves of the weird bush. Anyone know it?

 

I've weeded this mess several times this year, but it turns out I was pulling up those tall flowers there, so I stopped. I hate to kill perfectly good flowers, but dang, what a mess. You can see Milo's little grape vine struggling up from behind. I'm going to have to trellis it over this mess in the fall.

Milo's little plum tree next to the rain barrel for perspective. I haven't found a good way to hook up these rain barrels to this house yet, but that'll be a fall project.

Whew! That's a lot of documenting, and it's still not everything. There are roses and vines and other fun stuff all around, but I guess there's not much chance of my planting over those spots before next year. I'll try to mulch well in the fall and get control over some of this so it won't look like such a jungle next year.