Garden photos - quite a lot of them

Even now, when the garden is looking just about as great as it ever has or will, it isn't that easy to get good pictures. But for those who are interested, these will give you some idea of what's happening.

This is the brick front walk, and the "herb" garden alongside. That's a fig tree in the pot. Because a lot of herbs are pretty weedy looking, this garden has a lot of "fake" herbs in it, such as the little gold spirea, blue fescue, small hostas, baptisia, coral bells, lady's mantle and candytuft. There are lettuces, parsley, sage, alpine strawberries, a neat sort of basil, chives, lavenders, pinks, germander. Can you see the little squares? It's all looking very cute right now. This is the only part of the garden that I fuss over in any way.



Here's a recent impulse buy. On the day that the garage door crashed I had to calm down by going to the garden store. This star magnolia somehow jumped into the car, and now needs to be planted.
This is the "sidewalk" garden. Boxwoods and hellebores alternate, and, at the moment, they're underplanted with English ivy- probably not the best solution. It doesn't understand it's supposed to stay on the OUTSIDE of the fence. There are two big clumps of blue siberian iris about to bloom, some climbing white roses and 3 kinds of clematis, one of which you can see in the foreground.

Here's the "plateau", in the back yard with its lush hosta border. Hostas have become sort of a theme, as might be apparent.

I have even been potting them up! What could be easier?

Here's the "plant ghetto"; new acquisitions in the driveway, waiting to be planted. I've really bought very little this year. I did find a tree peony I couldn't resist. Otherwise there are some blue salvia (2 kinds) and cosmos (pink and white), dahlias (which I have never grown - that's the thing that's blooming in the back), a patio tomato, and 3 new kinds of clematis.

This hosta got plunked in its big pot last summer (it was outgrowing its spot on the plateau) and it came right back up this spring with no special attention from me. My first hosta-in-pot. I think I might try tucking some spring bulbs in around it this fall.

Lilacs are on the way out, and peonies are full of buds. These grow together around the edge of the deck.

The back yard is bisected diagonally by a huge hill that I got tired of mowing. It's now planted with daylilies, and the main project is swapping out the boring Stella d'Oros for more interesting kinds.

Herb garden vignette: chives, spirea, germander.

This is the "east garden", along my neighbor's driveway. There used to be a huge oak there. It was struck by lightning about four years ago. More hostas! And a good crop of sweet woodruff in bloom. Later there will be hardy geraniums weaving throughout.

Planting these aliums to look as if they are growing out of the hosta was a first-time experiment. In the fall I think I'll add some of the really big aliums. I like the effect!

Another view of the herb garden. You can see the last of the pale pink "angelique" tulips in front, planted among the "blue cadet" hostas, and more of them next to the rhubarb, a little further back.

And here's the area that needs the most attention right now. It's right outside the back door. Two of the new clematis are earmarked for the trellis in the rear where I've tried roses in the past without great success (not enough sun). The "east garden" is just on the other side of the trellis, in case you don't completely have your bearings. The big round bush is a white spirea which will bloom any minute. There are two sickly rhododendrons against the house, as well as a huge version of the dreaded Japanese knotweed (how did that get there?). Well, as I said - this is where the work is most needed!