Season 3: lessons learned

No particular theme:

• The Salvia Reptans had to go. The flowers were too small to justify the weedy look. I replaced them with Caryopteris 'Longwood Blue' and 'Dark Knight'.
• The Salvia Leucantha got huge and floppy, and kind of dominated the bed.

Orange for excitement

Canna Pretoria definitely grab your attention with the orange blooms and variegated leaves.

Star of the Republic = best rose ever

I love the cabbage-y form of the petals and it smells like a rose should smell!

Hiding unsightly things

Decided to build a trellis around the AC unit outside. It's right by the patio and there's nothing pretty about it, or at least there wasn't until now!

The rose is New Dawn.

Bearded Iris - nuff said

Aloe, Bulbine and California Poppy

Find of the decade: Aloe Striata! It survived the winter and came out with these awesome blooms!

Season 3: Things are coming along

You can see 'The Fairy' rose starting to take off just behind the Lamb's Ear, some of my new plantings this season in my newly expanded bed. The Salvia Caradonna next to it is also new.

Marie Daley rose is taking hold, along with a new Artemesia.

My Knockout roses are doing their thing - I've completely ignored them and intend to keep on keeping on. I planted a few Canna Wyoming (dark foliage and orange blooms), we'll see how they do in this spot. The Salvia May Night are sure happy!

The lone Leyland Cypress lurks in the back. My Hardy Ferns look good, and my Planterfall is rocking it.

My Black Gamecock are fabulous. The Phlox next to it is chugging along. Behind it, 2 new experiments: Philippine Violet and Salvia involucrata ‘Bethellii’.

Mme. Berkeley is healthy and growing!

Less grass, more garden

The grass was dead anyway, so I decided to obscure that fact by creating a new bed and expanding an existing bed.

Okay that's not completely true, I just wanted to buy more plants.

In the new bed I planted:

• Salvia Leucantha (Mexican Bush Sage)
• Catmint 'Select Blue'
• Bicolor Iris
• Kentucky Colonel Mint
• Meir Y Teran rose
• Daylilies (transplanted from right back bed)
• Canna Pink Futurity
• Salvia reptans
• Veronica Speedwell 'Blue Charm'
• Buddleia 'Ellen's Blue'

But I DID get smart and install an irrigation system! (Slow but not stupid, mom always said.)

Season 3 Garden upsets!

Penstemon - GONE! They were beautiful but kind of finicky.

In their place I planted some Society Garlic, which I love because it's pretty and stinky in a weirdly appealing way.