Green Thumb Sunday!
It’s Green Thumb Sunday!
Okay, my posts for GTS have been woefully sporadic. It’s been chaos at the house, what with cold and flu season, our uncooperative heater and the revenge of the plumbing gods… But I have been out working in the yard. And perhaps next week, I’ll have photos that I actually took to share.
For now, you’ll have to rely on this photo from easywildflowers.com:
It’s beautyberry. I purchased a beautyberry bush (my first ever) in September and have kept it in a pot since. I know that it prefers to be planted so with the threat of frost not so far off, I decided to plant it in the yard over the weekend.
The planting was part of a mass of plantings, prunings and other fall maintenance in the yard - it was desperately needed, I might add. I have four full garden bags full of yard “debris” plus some in the garbage can.
What did I do?
I moved a butterfly bush whose size was interfering with the sidewalk - it would do better in the back corner, I think. I replaced it with some lavender plants that had been overshadowed by an overzealous hibiscus and some out of control (but pretty) lantana.
I also moved an azalea bush. It’s the second time moving it - it’s never taken off for one reason or another. Lyle was trampling all over it from before and it was crowded by hostas and hibiscus this summer and didn’t get enough sun. So it’s in its third location now, let’s hope that the third time is a charm!
Two daylilies were relocated to the back - they were being overgrown by giant tomato plants. Yes, I know that the tomato plants won’t be there in the spring but the lilies just looked so unhappy after doing beautifully the first year that they were planted (yes, this photo is from my garden):
I decided that the lone clump of hostas near the vegetable garden just looked sad, so I moved them back over to be social with their hosta friends. I removed a lot of weeds and dug up onion grass (the bane of my existence). I also spent a lot of time digging up a plant cover vine that turned out to be ridiculously invasive (the name of which I don’t even remember).
I divided the peonies last week but decided that the original spot in the back yard near the table wasn’t such a great idea because it was subjected to abuse from the children. Instead, I moved it over near the forsythia - bright yellow and pink, how pretty will that be?
I planted a small Japanese maple near where the peonies used to be. I think it will provide a lovely burst of color while we eat. In the back of the yard, I planted yet another tree - a sourwood. Slow growing, but attractive. It will be a great addition!
I desperately need mulch for the yard and some hardscaping. We also got a nice quote for fencing this week. The crazy neighbor’s poison ivy is baaa-a-ck despite my best efforts to chase it away, so a new fence is absolutely necessary.
Sigh. A gardener’s work is never done… I am excited for the garden for next year!
November 4th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
I’m not sure what’s up with the comments not posting correctly… I’ll check it out (again).
But 2LWannabe - beautyberries are supposedly best zones 6 and above. I’m in 6/7 - used to be 6 but the rezoned zones kind of put me at the border.
Supposedly, they grow 4 to 8 feet tall.
November 5th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Beautiful pictures. I do have a fondness for Japanese maple…For just about anything Japanese.
And let’s all remember to vote tomorrow. It’s both a civic duty and a thank you to all those who fought for our right to exercise the franchise. Our foremothers and forefathers.