Visitors to the Garden

They didn't realize this daylily is the result of a cross made by my Handsome Son between seed I now know Dr. Darrel Apps may have sold to Jung's and 'Stella di Oro'. Handsome Son wanted to try his hand at daylily hybridizing after I had explained to him what our then new neighbor did/does for a living.


Yesterday, I had visitors to my garden. I don't know who they were. I didn't invite them, nor did I talk to them. They were observed by me, but I was lurking, watching them from inside my home.

My street is one block long and runs from the library to the Presbyterian church. I have the sidewalk on my side as the village is on a one-sidewalk-to a street diet, and only in the older part of town.

The woman was in a wheel chair being pushed by her grandchildren (or maybe great-grandchildren). When they came to my house she asked them to slow down. She liked the daylilies the best, but she obviously wanted to take it all in. It's the whole storybook pink cottage thing surrounded by flowers and vines, like an illustrator might have a go at. My house is what you think of when you say, "county cottage" (versus the lake cottage).

They didn't get to see any of the scenes I posted the other day, hidden as they are behind my gate. Not did they get to see the slightly weedy potager, or taste the first strawberries or blackberries, as guests may have been invited to do.

They didn't see this bergenia leave catching water up close.

Unnamed daylilies, for the most part, ('Mildred Mitchell' is lurking in the mix, too) in my front daylily bed.

Nor do they realize that like the daylilies, which are unique to my yard, many of these hosta were also grown from seed by me.

They didn't get the running commentary about how I hate the threadleaf buckthorn, how I will be yanking it out and replacing it with a Korean lilac. That I have very little garden art in my front yard, a pink crackle glazed pot on a pedestal and a smaller armillary.


They won't learn this hydrangea is 'Quickfire', and if grown in the sun would have red stems. It blooms will fade to pink.

They won't hear about the correct way to prune a privet hedge.

They will not learn what the umbrella-like tree is in my front yard.

But...they will see enough, and if they are not avid gardeners, their eyes will not glaze over before they have escaped my clutches.

Welcome to My Garden

The beginning of August is typically sort of a down time in my garden. A couple days ago, though, one of my neighbors came to my door to tell me how much my front yard means to her. She is the mother of four children under 10 years old. I can't imagine how she juggles her life. Some days when both my two-year-old nephews are in my care are taxing and I always find the days I substitute for kindergarten and first grade wearing. I don't know how she does it 24/7 and remains so upbeat.

Andrea, the inspiration for this share is all on you!


A borrowed view of my neighbors' Queen Anne.





Some wave petunias I planted by my blue hosta' Abiqua Drinking Gourd'.




This is the path to my side yard.

This pot on my front steps. With the rain and the heat, I have yet to give a few things their yearly coat of paint; this front step included.






This is my side yard. The forsythia will take over unless I cut it back. If you can think of a flower it is probably in this side yard border (seriously!). Not all the plants are happy or bloom here. You have to be mega invasive/aggressive to make a go of it under these conditions.


This pot has pink Dragonwings begonias. It sits in front of an akebia quinata and a nice Fried Green Tomatoes Hosta.






Rattlesnake Master on the left, the Ironweed is taller than the photo.

This my Austrian Black Pine. I choose it for my yard because unlike a white pine it retains its lower limb. Unfortunately it was the victim of a sapsucker this last winter. A lot of the lower limbs have needles that are half brown and half green. I don't know if it will make it. I try to give it an extra drink when we don't get regular rain. To illustrate how stupid that sap sucker is I found it going after my treated two year old pergola which is painted with solid color stain.
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The tiny orange flowers are belcamda lilies which I grew from seed. The blue are an old-fashioned tall balloon flower.
Sedum 'Matrona' and daylily 'Apricot Sparkles' are also in this picture.

Just a short tour of some areas of my garden from which I typically don't post pictures. My lot is 44' by 140' and bordered by street or alley on three sides. My house is tiny so a cottage style is more appropriate. Not pictured are the areas in which I grow veggies, nor the edible landscaping and screen hedge where I have asparagus, an espaliered cherry tree, my grapes, a pear tree, rhubarb, and asparagus.

I hope you enjoyed the tour.