Lazy May and June this year

The most perplexing thing about the year has been the inability to find plants. Most of the nurseries usually brimming with baskets and the like have been slim pickings for the most part. Hard to start planting and get our pots loaded up wit nothing to pick from.

On the hosta front I finally relented and put up a rabbit fence to let my babies grow without having every leaf stripped. The are doing fantastic. It also helps we have a fox living in the holy out front this year. I guess when we are gone the yard gets taken over by turkeys and all kinds of wildlife.

So last eyar I placed a few irises and have been pleasantly surprised with the result.

most effective rabbit fence

Iris Bumble Bee

Iris Starship Enterprise

Daylight shots

The pond in early bloom just the start of late spring, early summer.

Chillin

Chilling in the world's most comfy chairs on the patio. Smoking a cigar with my buddy Mike...

Healthy specimens....

Mackenzie gave me a gift card to order irises online. I used the card and this is what I received:

Wow they are in great shape I can hardly wait to plant them. I am especially excited because one is called "Bumblebee" and another is called "Starship Enterprise". So cool. Loop the Loop, Destination Fabulous and Midnight Oil rounds out my initial collection.

 Pots are doing well this year and the baskets are in constant bloom. Life is good.

As the summer wears on...

The baskets at the starting point

New to the yard this year...Solomon's Seal

Pond is clear and looking good

Bella Lugosi has lots of blooms this year

Rabbit troubles

It came to me as my hostas outgrew the cloches I made for them that I might need something more permanent and better built. I got to looking on line and things are pricey and don't look like they will last a season or 3 but there was one inspiration. A bell shaped cloche in wire with a chicken wire wrap. I got my old tomato cages out but found them tough to cut. Had to buy a bolt cutter which made quick work of it, then covered it in this plastic coated wire. Neato.

Cut to the top of the third ring from the top. Left plenty of stake length and could actually use the second half to make a smaller cage. Laid it out on a 2 ft wide poultry netting and folded the top over about 3 inches. Secured the sides a bit then set in over my hosta that is taking a beating at the moment.  Plenty of room to grow, open top so I can still enjoy the plant and the leaves can breath. Yay me!

My New Iris bloomed!

Yay me!

Potting Up and rabbits are getting fat

Bird of Paradise, Torenia and Begonias

Just starting to plant the buckets this year and starting to mix things up a bit. A lot more begonias especially the Angel wing variety with big double flowers as they seem to do well in the back with mixed shade.

we found a new trailer we like, Torenia, blooms in bright purple,  pink or white flowers like a snap dragon and trails down the side of pots. We did find our favorite, Mezoo, trailing red at one off the nurseries but you have to look in the succulent section. Its still a little pricey but it does winter over in the upstairs bathroom quite well.

Rabbits are in full force this year, moving barriers over plants and taking out whole hostas not even leaving the root stock. I have a vole in the front garden too that removed all traces of Asiatic lillies that bloomed so well last year. The critters are eating everything and anything except irises and weeds. Last year the took out nearly all my Moonbeam coreopsis, any Echinacea they can find and any lily that pokes up.

Spring 2016

These lovelies always seem to do their job. Bright pink blooms early in the spring and that cabbage- like foliage is tops.  Bergenia.

A little sad this year after a trip to the Hosta Farm last year and none of the plants returned this spring. In addition I lost all my super large plants to a virus. Nobody showed up this year. Not sure if I can replant there or not. The good news is the neighbors are growing another bumper crop of thistle and seeding my yard. Yay me!. 

Orchid Re bloom

Pond in the late summer

Water Lettuce and Water Hyacinth is out of control as usual for the hot weather. I found a  large glass bowl and placed several on the table  as a centerpiece. Been removing a lot of it to the compost heap and it still keeps coming. That is Joe Pye weed arching over the water and it attracts lots of bees and butterflies but its a bit of a nuisance this time of year. When it rains it nearly touches the water.  

Late Summer

Nice basket combo this year, Dragon wing begonia, potato vine and bacopa

Boston Fern...I wish they grew inside this well

Lillies are the order of the day

Bella Lugosi

Nice dark red

Ruffles

peachy orange

The Potting Cabinet

Looking for the perfect piece to use as storage on the covered patio to store all the garden implements that get out of hand we found this cabinet at At Home. Not the nicest piece of furniture but great for this purpose. With a few baskets inside, it keeps all my gloves, pruners and Spray bottles neat and out of sight as well as the fish food and other things. Should stay pretty dry all summer and need a cover in the winter. Probably needs a bit of paint in some green color to make it a little more outdoorsy?

Growing season

Happy Hydrangea

Happy fishes growing like weeds

ice plant going crazy this year

Progessive show

This pot is doing well despite the frequent foraging by squirrels and foraging for God knows what.

Miniature Lillium Asiatics

The first Coneflower blooms with more mini Asiatics

Thermacell Convert

Its only been 2 evenings of sitting outside but you would think there are no insects out. I bought a Thermacell form Cabela's as Walmart was out. They are in the camping section and come in a variety of colors so I got a pink camo one cause it was cheaper. I'll never change.

So you load a butane cartridge up and place a blue pad on the little plate. Turn it on and hit the starter. It puts out a little heat, dissipates whatever is impregnated in the pad and presto, no bugs. I mean none not even a fly! I am in love with the outdoors again!

Mosquito invasion

It's been a long wet spring and early summer so the mosquitoes have been out in force. It makes sitting in the yard unpleasant to say the least but what are you to do? I almost hate the spray on products as much as the bites. We do use a Lemon Eucalyptus product from Cutter that at least smells OK but I did a little research on natural products that might help.

I was surprised to find that Lemon Balm, a noxious weed in our yard is actually great for mosquito repelling. I am sorry I sprayed so much of it out now but it is hard to kill and I did notice it is staging a comeback. Lavender seems to be a popular repellent also and I can get on board with that.

Cabela's sells a  little device ThermaCell that operates on a butane cartridge that appears o work also. I may have to stop and pick one up today.

Love your yard

Have I told you how much I LOVE being in the yard despite the new rush of buzzing insects that have apparently arrived?  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. It is so tranquil and quiet in our neighborhood with most of our residents being our age and the occasional grandchild can be heard squealing but for the most part, just peace. We have new neighbors directly behind us and I was so excited to not see a swing set being set up! I know that is selfish but the unbroken silence nearly every weekend is like heaven on earth. we have literally made the back yard a haven. Softly tumbling water, greenery abounds and the occasion spot of flowering color. Read, nap or dine we do it all back here.

Hosta inventory

Big boy this is Blue Angel and he is massive this year. I believe Earth Angel is beside getting crowded out a bit

Another large species Winter Snow

Picked for the bright leaves to brighten up this darker spot

Another large hosta might be Drinking Gourd?

Blue Angel with Liguilaria

Assorted unamed as of yet specimens

Patriot

A view from the other direction

Late afternoon sun on the falls