I spent the morning with my hands in the warm dirt all around my house today. The sun has been peeking in and out and it was a great morning for planting.
I put in a few new annuals in a couple of the bare spots on the side of the house…we’ll see how they turn out. Along the way I really took notice of how early some of my flowers are popping this year. Strange for Rhode Island, since we don’t normally have such an early blooming, at least not in MY garden, since my roses in the back are really starting to pop, which doesn’t usually happen until early June.
The red bush has been in the yard since we bought the house about 5 years ago and it’s an old fashioned rose - not one of my favorites, but quite hardy. I planted the peach roses next to it just 2 years ago and it has really taken off. Thank you Jackson Perkins catalog!
Isn’t this crazy? Second year growth and it’s already halfway up the house! I have to get a couple of new trellises to put in as it’s gotten so big so fast and I don’t want it to fall over.
The shade garden in the front is coming along quite well also, though there are a couple of bare spots that need a certain something, but I’m not sure what yet. I think we might take a ride over to Seven Arrows next week and see what we can find…they always have great stuff over there!
The hydrangea bushes are coming along quite well also…they are budding like crazy and I think I’m going to have quite a few summer bouquets in the house this year. Last year my lacecap didn’t do so well, but it’s grown a bit and is starting to bud so I’m hopeful I’ll get a few more flowers on it this year. If it still doesn’t do well I think I’ll transplant it to a sunnier spot, as right now it’s on the corner of the front shade garden.
The sunny side garden is getting ready to burst into color in a few weeks. These will turn a deep golden color, a nice compliment to the purple catmint that grows like crazy right in front of it. Wish the color lasted all year.
Speaking of color, it’s the first year my clematis has bloomed…I’m so excited! What a great fuschia it is! The rose next to it is going to be a creamy yellow and the long blades of the grassy bush next to it really compliments it I think.
And then the baptista on the other side of the yard is in bloom - it was planted last year so I’m thrilled that it’s come back. This was a great find from White Flower Farm on our trek there last spring, so now I’ll have to go back and find something wonderful to compliment it, as there’s still a bare spot right next to this.
Can you tell I’m really enjoying gardening this spring? It’s so great to have some time off to be able to play in the dirt. It’s such a great reward to have things burst into bloom when all you give them is a little sunshine, water and love.
And remember the peonies I told you about in yesterday’s blog - the ones from Robin Hollow Farm in Saunderstown? Well here are the cut stems I got at the open house yesterday - they came with some bells of Ireland and I mixed them with some of the baptista from my own garden and they’re sitting on my dining table and they look GREAT!
Ahhhh…spring in Rhode Island has been so great so far - can summer be far behind?????
