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.