Frost Damage Shows Itself

The frost damage is revealing itself all over the yard. Boy, that was really a hard one. The astilbe is done for the year most likely. The leaves will be ok, and it will come back next year, but the flowers will not appear this year. My very favorite hosta, the one that I bought last year at the Gardens of the Fox Cities sale and paid more than I thought I should for, had about 10 leaves killed off. I think it will recover, and I hope it will be the dramatic focal point I want it to be. But this is a setback. I am amazed how hard the joe-pye weed took it - tips of most of the shoots are blackend and weeping. It will interesting to see how it adapts. I hope it won't become a bushy short plant instead of the tall drama queen it is usually. Everywhere I look, something has taken a hit. All of the alliums were drooping yesterday, but they seem to have recovered. The hydrangeas each have nipped leaves. There are several oriental lilies that seem wilted and unhappy. The only way to avoid this would be to plant only extremely hardy plants. And that would be boring. So, I'll do the best with what is here, replace the things that can't hang on, and hope for better years.

The rain is still not here, but all signs seem to say it will come. In fact the predictions are for more than they said yesterday. Lin says she heard up to 2 inches. I've seen 1 predicted. We could use 3 or 4 without any problems, so I'll take whatever comes.

The Orioles were all around the yard again today, I saw them two or three times and heard them almost constantly.

Blooming now for the first time this week: Bachelor's Buttons, Allium, wild Geraniums, absolutely beautiful Dogwoods, Lamium, Lily of the Valley, Columbine, . Buds swelling on the iris and the peonies. Flower stalks coming on the Statice and the lambs ears. Asparagus is providing a meal every three or four days. Rhubarb is still young and sweet.

Waiting for Rain and Warm Weather

It is getting so dry that the grass is going dormant, and burning out in the front near the road. There are cracks in the yard a half an inch wide. The garden beds are hard as a rock, which keeps me from planting. This may be a good thing, since the weather is still so unsettled. It looks like we will have above freezing temps for the next week or so, and that should be the end of the killing frost for this season. But I think I said that a couple of weeks ago.

There is rain supposedly coming tonight, and then clouds and more rain possible for the rest of my vacation. I'll take rain, but it may mean that I can't get the planting done.

I saw the female Oriole today at my grape jelly feeder. I was standing just a few feet away when she swooped down to the gazebo and let out a joyous cry. I turned but didn't move much as she flew over to the feeder and ate for a few minutes, then up to the library honeylocust tree and off again into the woods. I think it is quite possible that we have a nesting pair this year.

Yesterday I missed a chance to catch a shot of the ducklings that have hatched and are swimming up and down in the creek with their mother. There are 7 or 8 of them, and my goodness they grow fast. They will be out of here soon, but for now they are very cute.

Frost did come

The frost last night was significant. Even though we covered everything up on the deck and put plastic pails over the cannas that were out around the gazebo, I fear we have lost many of them. Some will be fine, others will just be set back a bit. I do worry about the cannas, and it will be hard to tell for a day or two how much real damage they sustained. Miraculously, the impatiens up on the front porch seem just fine. And the Rex begonias also look as though they came through ok. Would have been a shame to have lost them after bringing them through the winter in the basement under lights.

Saw a beautiful little warbler in the brush along the creek yesterday. My best attempt at identification makes it a Yellow warbler, perhaps a Pine warbler. And nearby a small wren scolded. Lin says the oreoles have been around for a couple of weeks, and we hope they are nesting nearby. I saw the male the other day, singing out from on top of the willow tree, then sweeping down to Lin's grape jelly feeder in a streak of bright orange.

Planters

One beautiful warm day, and I lose all my resolve and go ahead and plant. Did all of the planters on and around the deck yesterday, even though the weather report says this weather won't last. Dad wanted to watch me plant things, so plant things I did.

The planters around the deck are planted thus this year:

In the big new one that Bill built to replace the old hot tub: Cannas - the nicer striped leaf orange flowered ones I bought three or four years ago form the back side which will become the visual screen for the summer. Then the plant I've been bringing in for at least ten years as a cutting, and growing over the winter that grows so strongly all summer outside once it gets hot - I'll try to remember the name - went into the center of the planter. A red and a green sweet potato vine on each front corner. A Victoria Regina Salvia between the sweet potatoes and the ? wild grower. I hope that they will get a good start before the other rampant growers get going.

In each of the two round white plastic pots, surrounded by Bill's cedar encasements I planted a clump of purple fountain grass Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum', with two licorice plants, Helichrysum petiolare, one white, one yellow. And a Lotus 'Amazon Sunset' . It has flowers that are bright orange red, which doesn't really go with my purple and pink and white yard. But they are so dramatic and lovely, and the leaves are so nice and subtle offering nice contrast to the grass and the licorice that I find them hard to resist.

The three rectangular planters at the corner of the deck have been variously successful over the years. Sometimes I overdo them at this time of the year, and they become overgrown early and not very pretty. I've had to try to hold back to some extent, but also to buy good specimens for them. I purchased the sun coleus plants awhile ago in Stevens Point on the way home from the WAPL conference. Now they have been planted out where they will live the summer. I wonder if I should try to overwinter them - But I've not been successful at growing them full and robust inside. Two varieties this year: 'Pink Ruffles' and an unnamed one in shades of green and maroon. Other plants in these planters are Laurentia 'Beth's Blue', Tricolor Rhoeo discolor, Callibrachoa 'Callie Painted Coral'.

In the big blue pot near the grill I planted another Calibrachoa hybrid 'Superbells Pink', Lobelia 'Laguna sky blue', and an African Daisy - Arctotis stoechadifolia 'Summertime Blueberry'

And the little fake pickle jar that fits to the right of the back door has another sun coleus 'Amora', along with an allysum and a Helichrysum.

Now, after all that work yesterday, it is predicted to freeze tonight. I can cover things, but a hard freeze will get them whatever I do. It just doesn't stop this year. Not only is it very cold very late, but also it is so dry that the soil is cracking in many places, the turf isn't expanding into the dead spots and is even showing signs of burning out in some places. This is not a good omen for May. Every year the drought comes earlier lately. I was hoping for a wet year. But it seems not likely.

We put covers over the cannas out in the yard. And sheets over all of the planters on the deck and the front porch. It was kinda fun to try to figure out how to cover things and not weigh them down - we found old plant stakes and circular supports that we haven't used in years. I hope they work. As I write at 8:30 it is still 51 degrees outside.

I took these photos to record the beginnings, and to be able to compare these beginnings with the results in a month or so. I will enjoy looking back at the potential, and remembering my hopes for the future.

Shooting Stars and Iris Blooms

The shooting star is at the height of its beauty now. Soon it will fade and we won't even be able to find the plant in another month. But now it is spectacular.

And the white iris is also at the top of its form, with the first blossom on each inflorescence open and the others swelling. Very lovely. The iris season sneaks up on me each year. It seems that no buds can be found and suddenly they are all open. I know this is usually around the first of June, as I have often given a bouquet of them to Terry for his birthday. The whites come earlier than the others.

As noted earlier, there are 8 yards of wood chips in the driveway, and the big chore for this Memorial Day weekend is hauling them around the yard and spreading them out. Its easy in the beds where I have been disciplined and haven't let too many things grow in every little space. But there really aren't many places like that in this yard, so the spreading is slow going, fiddley bits. For the most part, Bill hauls and I fill in the bare spots with shovelfuls, though he did get into making a new border for the bed under the bird feeders and while he dug and installed the edging I hauled a couple of wheelbarrows full.

The east side of the house had become overgrown again with ferns and daylilies. My intention is to clean up that area, and we planted several new hydrangeas and hardy hibiscus, as well as some clematis to climb the new trellis. So today, now that I have given away many of the ferns and ensured that there were enough growing in the woods to keep Bill happy, I cut them all back again and spread a nice thick layer of chips. I'm sure I'll have to keep them cut back for some time, perhaps even spray a bit of herbicide eventually. But that garden does look neater now.

The lilac is blooming, the tulips are mostly fading, but the alliums are coming on. The night temperatures are still not getting above 45, and sometimes down to below 40, so I'm still reluctant to plant things out. The greenhouse is still up, and most things are still safely inside of it. I hope I can plant before the week is done.

Mid May Thoughts

The pasque flower and the Darwin tulips in the miniature evergreen garden bloom together this year. It will be interesting to see if they always do.

Well, today is the 19th, and we had frost or very near it last night. I guess there have to be some frosts later than May 15th in order for that to be called the "average date of last frost" for this region. But I really hate to see it get that cold this late. I had to stuff everything that was still in pots into the little greenhouse and then hope like heck that it would make it through the night. Can't really heat that house, have to depend on the ability of all of the soil and pots to hold the heat stored over the daytime.

This morning things looked like they survived, even the cannas that I had no room for in the greenhouse and had to just cover with a little burlap. I do hope that is the last time I have to be so careful this year.

I was off for a three day weekend and of course the weather wasn't as great as I would have liked. Used the first day to shop, doing my annual trip down to Fernau's in Oshkosh. I really like that place - everything seems locally grown and well cared for. Even given that, the prices are lower than they are at most of the "bring 'em in for the season and staff the joint with people who don't care much" places. Stopped also at some of those and bought most of what I'll need for the initial round of planting at least.

Saturday was my annual plant giveaway day. Several people from work were able to stop and pick up the extra plants that have sprouted around the yard. I really like to do that, and people seem to like to come. In between I was able to do some weeding and bed preparation. Getting ready for the transition from spring to summer. Bill roto-tilled the vegetable garden. We got all of the major pots filled with good soil ready for nice plantings. I really should do something to mark the places that need new tulips and daffodils so that I remember next fall. That chore always seems to fall through the cracks though, there is so much to do.

We ordered 8 yards of bark chips on Sunday, for delivery some time this week. That should be enough to get things going this year, though we will probably need another 8 yards or so later. There will be plenty to do this weekend.

The picture here is of the tree I call the 'mystery' tree. It grew on its own, and is now about 9 feet tall or so. Pretty white racaemous blooms in the spring. 5 petals, like an apple or cherry or?? Beautiful redish leaves in the fall. I haven't been diligent in keying it down, and I don 't know what it is. Maybe a wild cherry? Maybe this post will force me to figure it out before someone puts up a comment that makes me feel stupid.

One evening this weekend, can't remember which, the light was so beautiful at sunset that I had to take some pictures. Dark clouds to the south, but bright sun coming in at a very low angle.

The Hardening

Things are starting to "harden" into their summer forms now. Funny how fast that happens. One day it seems so vulnerable and malleable, and the next time I look things seem to have taken on a permanent form for the year to come.

But at the same time, I am just discovering the last of the perrennials as they emerge from the winter sleep. And the spring bulbs are still blooming, though many have gone over in the last week.

Leaves are filling out on many of the trees, though the honey locusts are still pretty bare. The Serviceberry is in full bloom, and the apple trees are starting. The Magnolia is beautiful, but the Japanese maples, including Mom's tree, are still not relaxing into leaf spread.

This is the time of a million shades of green. I drove to the Chicago suburbs last weekend to be at Nancy's retirement. I saw what the coming two weeks or so will bring. Her maple tree is in nearly full leaf-spread, while mine is just beginnning. I love this time of potential.

This evening, when I finally got home, I went out to look around. There were two ducks in the front yard - I'll miss the ducks when they finally move on. I hope that I get to see a batch of ducklings this year. The trillium is still in full bloom, and the jack-in-the-pulpits are really taking over the wildflower show this week. I was thrilled to find the first shoots of the butterfly weed Asclepsis tuberosa. This plant is always so late that I almost give up hope. Then it comes back. This seems later than usual, and I really had just about written it off. But today I found at least 20 sprouts from what must be a pretty substantial underground structure. Looking forward to being able to photograph it in full flower, but the link above is to many wonderful shots of this spectacular flower....

Some photos below: The American Chestnut, the "mystery tree, and the Prairie Smoke in full bloom.

Spring in Full Swing

Last weekend the tree swallows returned again to check out the neighbor's birdhouse.  Lee and Lin had taken off the wood block covering the entrance several days ago, and no birds had been anywhere near it for some time.  But Saturday morning, suddenly as I was giving Lin some mallow clumps that I was taking out, four swallows began to fly around the house, occasionally landing on it and looking into the hole.  As soon as one of them began to settle, within seconds an English Sparrow flew in to harass him.  It came out of nowhere with no warning.  go figure.

Spring is really coming on now.  Even the Blazing Star (Liatris sp.) and the joe-pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum) are starting, finally, to sprout.  And as I walked around the yard tonight, I found things coming up that I had forgotten entirely about planting.  A bleeding heart plant that was almost a foot high, joe-pye in a place I thought had been devestated by voles, liatris in several new places. 

On the east side of the house, the ferns and lilies are coming on strong.  I have every intention of killing them off, but may wait until I have my annual plant giveaway to finalize the demolition.  The things I planted last fall are mostly coming back,  I have purchased some clematis and passion flower for the arbors.  Need to have the courage to "just say no." 

The magnolia is beginning to bloom.  Many buds seem to be frost damaged.  May be a sparse year.  But the front yard is looking very nice.  As I walked around admiring things a ruby throated hummingbird just sort of appeared at one of the pulmanaria plants under the birch trees.  As I stood there, it sipped nectar from pretty much every flower on the plant, and I was able to take many shots.  Then it flew up and landed in one of the birch trees, where I was able to get a shot of it in a still mode.  None turned out spectacular, but it was nice to have a try. 

 

 

The trilium near the sump pump outflow (my one and only) is blooming, and near it are a few of the many jack-in-the-pulpits that are coming into their own.  I found the small remains of the marsh marigold I planted years ago barely showing along the creek.  I doubt if it will bloom this year, but there is still hope. 

 

 

 

 

I have some favorite shots of the yard, that I take over and over as the light and the plants change.  The Willow is the subject of many of them.  Just something you gotta love about that tree.  

Foggy Early Spring Evening

Went out tonight just before dark, really not realizing how close the nighttime was.  Took a bunch of photos because the light was so beautiful.  It was foggy and still, having rained about a half an inch today, with more on the way.  Here is one of the pictures I took. 

 

There are many things going on this week.  Things are really starting to grow.  But it does seem quite uneven.  The primroses are up and beginning to bloom.  The wild ginger is just beginning to sprout.  Still can't see the butterfly weed or even the joe-pye weed or the latris.  Spring Beauties are starting.  The buds on the Magnolia are swelling and turning color, and the apple trees will have many flowers this year.  Hostas are just beginning to sprout, but astilbes are up 3 or 4 inches.  Can't find many Jack in the pulpits yet, but the trilium near the sump pump effluent is almost in bloom.  Most of the pasque flowers are blooming now, and the yellow darwin tulips are opening.  Daffodils are almost done, tulips are just beginning.   Spotted the Rue Anenome today, it seemed to sprout up overnight.  Prairie Smoke is beginning it's humble show. 

The Spring Hunting and Buying Season Begins

The buds on the trees are starting to open, and this is the time when we see a million shades of green. Even now, at 7:40 PM as I write looking outside at the dying light, I can see so much life.

On the way home from the WAPL Conference in Stevens Point, I got a chance to stop at one of my favorite garden centers. I don't even know the name, but it is about a half mile west of the conference site. Some way, almost every spring, I find a way to drive through there and shop. They have so many unique specimens. Today I found a new Clematis that I've never seen before, called 'Blue Light'. It is supposedly hardy to zone 4, so I hope it will work on the east side of the house on the new arbor. Also found a 'Blue Bahama' Passiflora, sold as "Passion Flower". We had a very persistant passion flower vine on the south side of our house on Green Bay Road - one of Gaga's favorites. I'm not crazy about the Christian symbolism this plant is burdened with, but it is a beautiful, complex, unusual flower and I connect with it because of the part it played in my childhood.

Also found a new Thyme plant and a new Sage plant. For some reason that I don't really get yet, these two herbs that I've had forever didn't make it through this winter that should have been easy for them under all that snow. A new Rosemary rounds out todays perennial and herb purchases.

It seems too early to pick up the tender annuals, but I may not get back to that greenhouse again this season. They have the best selection of hybrid Sun Coleus around, so I picked up a few of those as well. And also a nice starter pot of just sprouted Basil. The Coleus and the Basil will remain in the house for awhile, but the rest went out to the temporary greenhouse.