Bare Beds of Spring will soon leap to life!

This morning, I planted my first Spring bed. As bare as it looks now, I know it will be bursting with color in a few months. The only new perennials I added were 3 'Spring Magic' Blue and White Aquilegia. They only grow 14" tall. In front of them, I planted a few Super Elfin Violet Impatiens. There is also a taller Barlow Blue Aquilegia behind them that has been there for a couple years. On the side of the bed that gets more sun, I used Babylon Blue verbena and some white alyssum as edging plants. Most of the front beds are edged with these same 2 annuals. That's about as close as I come to continuity and repetition in the garden. Of course a few other things manage to get along the edges too. I also planted some winter sown Chinese Delphiniums towards the back. Hope these will do OK in this location. I've grown them before, but never in the front garden. Mary Collier Fisher and Destined to See are the two daylilies. I took out a large daylily clump from the middle last fall that I think will be replaced by Lavender Heart Throb. Still waiting for it to arrive. I also planted some small bulbs of Sarabande lilies towards the back last fall. So far, they are not growing, but I'm sure hoping they made it through the winter. I'll post more photos and the bed changes over the seasons.

Susan

This bed is beside my driveway and the side walk that goes to the front door, so I get to enjoy these plants up close every day. There is also a dwarf Iris, daffodils and allium in the bed.

susan

Very nice Susan. I can't wait to see the progression!

Wow! Same here . . .

Doesn't it feel good! It's going to be gorgeous.

Another bed is almost planted. This bed is to the left of the bed in the first photo. both are along side the driveway. Lots of daylilies, some butterfly blue scabiosa, raspberry vinca, white alyssum, lavender verbena, a few Iris, a background of shrubs.and assorted other things. This photo gives you a good idea of the small size of my front yard. It does have a lot planted in a small space.

susan

This message was edited May 2, 2007 2:07 PM

Another shot of the same bed looking towards the street planting bed and the park.

It looks great Susan. Things are really starting to emerge now. I can't wait to see things bloom.

Susan, It looks just like SPRING! Very promising, y'know? You live on a real pretty street, too. I love that park or whatever it is across the street -- it gives such a nice background to all your pictures.

Suzy

I also was admiring the lovely street - lined with trees . . . right off of a post card!! Nice job, Susan, of planting - those will be spectacular!

Susan, I know I've commented on this before, but you have such a lovely front garden!
What are the shubs you have planted in the middle of your front yard for height? Are they all evergreen for winter appeal?

I thought I was the only crazy planting out annuals before the middle of May! LOL

toofew

I always get in a hurry to plant and most of the time they do fine. The wine colored shrubs are berberis and the others are some type of evergreens. They seem to make a nice background for the blooming plants and also give me something to look at in the winter. It has been very, very wet here this week, but if things ever get to dry out a little, I have 3 more flats of plants plus a few daylilies to get planted. Sure wish I had more time.

susan

This message was edited May 8, 2007 8:02 PM

I got some more planting done in the front garden today inspite of it still being muddy from the downpours we had last week. Nothing worthy of comment in these photos. I just took them so I would have something to compare later photos to. Here is the front street strip looking East. Some of you may remember how lush it looked last fall. Afraid that almost all the mums died over the winter.

And the same bed looking to the West. Normally at this time of the year the varigated Iris foliage is very bright and pretty. The late frost did some damage to the leaves, but they are looking better this last week or so. Still need to plant a few more things along the street edge.

Guess I posted the same photo twice. Here is the view to the East.

Dianthus 'Bath's Pink' and a yellow flowering sedum are blooming along the street now. Not the best combination, but at least some color.

This tiny bed is along the walkway leading from the driveway to my front door. Impatients are about the only plant that seems to do well here. Sometimes I also grow foxgloves in front of the basement window, but they did not come back this year.

A Blue Barlow Columbine is now blooming behind the Spring Magic ones.

This is part of the bed on the other side of the front walkway. Lots of daylilies, some Iris, Heleniums, Foxgloves, Lilies, Verbena, Allysum, Heliotropes, Pentas, Vincas and Veronicas along with other plants.

Susan, wonderful gardens!!!!!

Just beautiful.

Thought I'd add a few photos of the back yard while the beds are still rather bare. A couple daylilies are blooming. The bright one here is a species daylily, Middendorffi. It has been blooming heavily since May 5. Always the first to bloom and blooms again in the fall. On the far left by the fence there are some Valerian in bloom. The arbor is new this year. I bought a couple Red clemetis to grow on it. Still need to get them in the ground. The back garden is mostly reds, yellow, gold, orange and purple, but a little of every color sneaks in here and there.

This message was edited May 26, 2007 9:12 AM

Lilies are shooting up all over and will be in bloom before too long. What little color there is in this shot is from newly planted annuals.

Saratoga Springtime is another early-early daylily. No bloom open today, but it should bloom for a few weeks now. You can see a tomato cage behind the daylilies and there are also some sweet green, yellow and red peppers and some cucumber to climb on the fence. May Night Salvia in by the daylilies and there is a Black Knight butterfly bush just starting up by the fence. Also more lilies and a lilac bush to the right. The columbines reseed here and there and are usually a pure white.

This message was edited May 26, 2007 9:01 AM

This message was edited May 26, 2007 9:09 AM

Another shot of the center back. I'm redoing the corner to the far right behind the ornamental grasses. Planted some Black Beauty elterberries and a Seven Sons tree. I need to redo a lot of things by the back fence, but can't seem to find the time to do it all.

Susan

This message was edited May 26, 2007 9:07 AM

Looking to the area behind the garage. Middendorffi in foreground with a Butterfly weed behind. I cheated and bought it with buds on this year, otherwise it would not be blooming this early. Daylily foliage has recovered well from the late frost. Goat's Beard is just about to bloom in the upper left corner.

This message was edited May 26, 2007 10:32 AM

It's lookin' good Susan. It's great to see the progression. The photographs and narratives are wonderful. I've taken a few photos of my garden, but can't even begin to write the descriptions. Thanks for sharing!

Tricia

Sensational, Susan!