Simplify, Simplify, Simplify.

Photographing the garden makes me aware of its weaknesses. These are some reminders for myself:

My propensity to pick up a plant or two every time I'm at garden center results in a garden with lots of little blobs of color rather than continuity. I have way too many plants and way too many varieties. In all things, simplify, simplify, simplify. 

What next? The two low lemon-yellow Hostas by the bird bath don't work. They don't like the sun; worse the color doesn't work - they are just two blobs of yellow-green laying dead on the bricks. They'll bring some much needed light back in the shadows behind the bench where they belong. 

The rose-pink lily is too tall for its forward location. After it's done flowering I will move it back away from the intersection. Probably the iris too. 

The peony by the archway is a big plant in the wrong place. A great plant, but where? Maybe the entry garden? Do I really want to expand north across the entry path?

There are tall sedums, asters and yarrows that really should live down the hillside in the developing butterfly/native garden. The asters and yarrow for certain.

Colors work except for the blob hosta. 

This works. It's green and hard to screw up.

Stop by, I'll give you a plant or two, Gunnar

Reasons To Keep On Going

The early summer garden is filling in nicely as we move into the serious weed season. The first flush of roses is pretty much over, but it should be really colorful in about a week with the beginning of the Daylilies and Asiatic hybrids. I really should do some deadheading and remove the Hosta flowers, but the Hummingbirds seem to like them.... even if I find them a little distracting.

My friend Jane Ann has three Hostas that have been in pots for ten years. She covers them in her unheated garage over the winter. I liked the look so I bought a couple of glazed pots and dug up a Krossa Regal Hosta, divided it and potted them up. They look a little sparse this year, but they should fill out by next year. Should look terrific in ten years (if I make it that long). "Excuse me, I can't die right now; I am too busy, I have Hostas to check on and plants to divide. And the weeds!"

I want to thank Larry and Linda for the bricks they have given me over the years as they have redone their landscape. The old power chimney tower bricks didn't work for them, but they really define and make my humble garden just a bit special.

Keep on keeping on, Gunnar

Foliage Color and Texture

As the garden(er) continues to mature there are fewer flowers and more foliage. It lasts longer and the colors are more interesting to my old eyes.

Color, and not a flower in sight. What fun.

Entry Garden

I think the entry garden is filling in nicely, in various green tones and values. The Iris have gone by and the Daylilies haven't kicked in yet. No matter, this is primarily a green garden. The colors of perennial flowers tend to be soft and beautiful, most of the annuals are bright and fun, like so much colored hay, but the greens are restful. When I walked around the garden with a camera it struck me that the street view is not much, okay I suppose, but the real view is from our door and windows - a little hard to get a good angle on.

Climbers

Afternoon Rain Garden

Morning Sun Garden