Season 2: lessons learned

Overall:

• Right rear area gets a lot of shade, not good for Daylilies or Irises
• Gardening design decision: no white, yellow, scarlet or orange-red
• Hand watering only gets harder the more plants you have
• I have a mosquito issue, no idea why

Exciting new finds:

• Did I mention Bearded Iris?
• Bamboo Muhly - big, fluffy, easy
• Agastache - they smell like candy AND they're drought tolerant! What could be better?
• Knockout Roses - cheating but awesome
• Antique roses - just awesome. Why was I afraid of gardening with roses?
• California Poppies - cheerful and beautiful
• Artemesia - totally underestimated plant

Got the boot:

• Butterfly Bush - not sure why, just didn't grab me
• Russian Sage - too sparse
• Leyland Cypress - planted 5 in the Spring, lost all but one by Fall. I kept the one that lived just for a experiment.
• Mexican Mint Marigold - yellow blooms (see above)

I might be decent at this gardening thing

Some newcomers to the garden:

• Bearded Iris!
• Knockout Roses
• Leyland Cypress
• Butterfly Bush
• Agastache

• Salvia Mexicana 'Limelight'
• Gingers
• Elephant ears
• Russian sage
• David Fannick Phlox

• Lamb's Ear
• Daylilies
• Salvia Guaranitica
• Acanthis Mollis
• Madame Berkeley Rose

• More Penstemon
• Artemesia
• Salvia Clevelandii
• Marie Daley rose

• Winecup
• California Poppies
• Bamboo Muhly

"Planterfall" with Black Gamecock Louisiana iris

"Planterfall" - regular pots turned upside-down and and stacked on top of each other, mimicking a waterfall but without all the maintenance and mosquitoes.

You can copy me, it's okay.

Wendy discovers Schreiner's Irises

I am in love with irises

Season 1: lessons learned

Overall:

• It's really hard to plan for the size the plants will be in months/years.
• My garden is small, and still I didn't buy enough to fill the space I had.
• Hand watering takes a lot of time, and really stinks in the summer.
• Indigo Spires salvia gets HUGE and floppy, so cut back early!

Plants that didn't make the cut:

• Delphiniums: not in this zone
• Foxglove: not enough instant gratification
• Victoria Sage: powdery mildew, high maintenance
• Sweet Broom: eh.

June progress

I love my Star of the Republic rose!

The Crepe Myrtles seem happy to be getting some circulating air...

1st season garden in May

My new garden seems to be coming along nicely...

I planted:

• Indigo Spires salvia
• Mexican Mint Marigold
• Apple Blossom Penstemon
• Delphinium
• Star of the Republic rose
• Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia Leucantha)
• Bicolor Iris
• Yarrow
• Lavender
• Sweet Broom
• Victoria Sage
• May Night Salvia