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.

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