Last winter was fairly severe in Lancaster. I lost a number of azaleas but most seems to have survived OK. The trees are doing their thing. I had a major pruning done by a local arborist and they are much less crowded than they were last year. I don't think the apple trees had been pruned in many years. The buds are just bursting into bloom.
This is our flowering cherry.
The spring perennials are coming up as well. I dearly love blue bells but they are so ephemeral.
The creeping phlox I put in last summer is in full display, Eventually I want it to completely front the small rose bushes along the wall.
Very pretty. My fruit trees aren't blooming yet but the yoshino cherry has already finished blooming.
Just lovely linuxogre. It was a horrid winter for azaleas here too. I'm so jealous of your creeping phlox. I've tried for 3 years to get some established and it just won't cooperate! Lucky You!
I got the idea of using creeping phlox from my neighbor who has a rock garden with massed creeping phlox. It is really spectacular in the spring. I'll see if I can get a pic of it and post it.
I have the worst soil imaginable. Pure clay loaded with stones. The local legend is that the builders scraped off the topsoil and sold it. Apparently some time in the past this area had been cornfields. When I plant anything I have to mix in loads of organic stuff and a bit of horticultural perlite. The spot where I put in the phlox gets a fair bit of sun. I would think if it grows here it should be happy almost anywhere.
Thanks, linuxogre. I hate calling anyone an ogre! This fall I mulched heavily in that bed with shredded leaves also gave it a top dressing of mushroom soil before mulching.. A lot of the mulch blew away, but that is a dry, windy, sunny area.
DSO was using my Weed Dragon in that area last fall to control the ever encroaching creeping charlie and grass and I suspect he may have torched some of it. (I found incinerated asters) There are still about 6 or so plants there, but they have not grown and are not blooming.
It's planted all along the front of this bed and if you look closely, you can see some of the plants, but they are doing nothing. This photo was taken on the 19th. The grey small plants on the left are Snow in Summer, which thrives and should enjoy the same conditions as the Phlox.
BTW. are you going to Holly's swap in Dover, Pa.? She is sending out directions tomorrow for all who have expressed an interest.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/956527/
Maybe your phlox is just a late starter. From the photo it looks like it is starting to green up.
I dug in a bunch of commercial mulch, as I remember it was Miracle-Glo Garden soil or the local nursery's equivalent plus some handfuls of perlite. I put in enough to where the soil had some tilth and didn't just make mud balls. This seems to tame my clay so that the majority of stuff I stick in the ground takes.
The linuxogre is an old handle from the days I set up linux based servers and poked a lot of abuse at the folks that were fighting with windows.
I figured it was a professional handle, but an ugly name for a nice gardener.
They surely must be late bloomers. I tend to amend only the planting holes in most of my beds, but that one is so poor that I add different things to it every spring and fall. The road wind reeks havoc on the top soil. It always needs more moisture and enrichment. I read in another forum that some people mix those polymer crystals right into the topsoil of their vegetable beds. I got a lot of them on a DG co-op and I might try it this year.Thanks for your suggestions.
Today isn't the brightest of days and the phlox is a bit past its prime. This is my neighbor's rock garden from which I developed my "lust" for creeping phlox.
I agree, linuxogre isn't appropriate for a gardening site but I didn't know I wouldn't be able to change it when I joined . Oh well, next time read the directions.....
That's quite nice, linux, but as your mature they will look so pretty spilling over your wall.
Linuxogre, I thought you would get a kick out of my late bloomer, one of only 2 so far.
My creeping phlox didn't really bloom all that well. It was suffering last year with drought or something. And I haven't been taking pictures. But I have been noticing a drifting sweet smell---today at the swamp I saw that honey locust is in full bloom AAAAHHH
Hey Gita!!!!!
Do you have this azalea at your HD?
I bought one without a tag and when I went back they were all gone.
Jen--
I only get out to Garden on Sunday AM's......Otherwise, when i work, i am am one of THE two Phone Operators.....
I try to walk the Garden at my lunch hour after i am done eating to see what we have on hand...as I trey to help the callers with simple questions.....Can't say i have seen this Azalea....
However-- all the plants provided to HD is NO LONGER in the hands of the HD--but private Nurseries that grow for them--different HD's may have different providers and plants in different areas/States in the USA....
Here in Baltimore--it is "Bell Nursery"! See who provides all the plants in NJ! Just ask!
Gita
Thanks for the info.
