Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud)
Winter was a long time leaving and now Summer is intruding on springtime. After a beautiful and warm day, it is 87°F at 7:00 pm. Yesterday the Easter Redbud was opening against the deep blue sky.
Also yesterday, several spikes of Meadow Sage revealed purple-blue buds. Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine) was ready to pop open. Bumblebees were courting, a yellow butterfly drifted through the garden and a ladybug investigated a chrysanthemum.
Meadow Sage ‘May Night’
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)
Ladybud On Chrysanthemum
Mulch Update
Today the mulch project I began in early February was finally completed! The garden beds have all been weeded. There is still some cleanup to do to thin out some of the most aggressive growers (almost everything in the garden it seems). Nevertheless the garden looks tidier and feels ready for the green, the growth and the surprises that follow winter. And the patio is ready to be reclaimed for something other than mulch storage.
A few new Iberis ‘Purity’ and some Thymus serpyllum ‘Pink Chintz’ have been added to the center of the meditation circle in hope the mulch soon will not even be noticeable. The planting areas between the paths on the left are ready to plant tomorrow. I have used Angelonia there the last two years and it has performed great, blooming until October. It is an annual though and it requires trimming back several times during the summer in order to be able to comfortably walk by. I will try Dianthus year, an not very exciting choice–we’ll see.
Meditation Circle
New Plants
I ordered new plants from a mail-order company in Michigan in February and finally received them today. I expected them by mid-March, but was dismayed as the shipment dates were pushed back several times. Perhaps the severely cold winter affected the company’s ability to fulfill the order, but now the temperatures here are extremely hot and the plants will need extra care. I will try to get them in the ground early in the morning.
3 Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant, Orange Glory Flower
12 Delphinium x ‘Pacific Giants
12 Dianthus barbatus (Sweet William)
1 Clematis ‘Wildfire’
3 Veronica spicata ‘Rotfuchs’ syn. Red Fox (Red Fox Veronica)
1 Paeonia lactiflora Duchess de Nemours (White Peony)
1 Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
1 Digitalis purpurea ‘Pam’s Choice’ (Pam’s Choice Foxglove)
1 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Black Beauty’ (Nightlife Peony)
20 Anemone coronaria de Caen ‘The Bride’ and ‘Mr. Fokker’
pbmGarden 
What a glory to have your energy and enthusiasm in the garden – not to mention the strength to move all that mulch. Thanks so much for sharing your expertise. It’s inspiring to someone who lives close by like me. Best in the early heat, Linda
Linda, my garden is probably the result more of brute force than expertise, but I do enjoy it this time of year. Hope you’ll stop by when things get to blooming more.
Fantastic photos; I really enjoy seeing the projects of others, I am always looking for new approaches and inspiration.
Thanks. My garden is a very personal space, but I too like to see what others are doing.
It is definitely a lovely garden.. Thanks so much for sharing your expertise.
I appreciate your kind words.
Beautiful…
Thanks!
Enjoy the sunshine! That’s another wonderful list of plants. I love Sweet Williams as they have so many different colours and smell good too. 😀
I bet you’re glad the mulching’s done, as working in that heat would be unpleasant.
Cathy, you’re right–I am glad to get the mulch done. That dragged on way too long to be fun.
I don’t see Sweet William used much but I really adore them. Hope your weather is warming up.
Your garden is looking fantastic with all the mulch in place, you will be able to enjoy summer with no weeding to do, all your work is done now!!
Thanks Pauline. I’m so glad to be able to concentrate on something other than mulch. Now if I can be vigilant about weeding throughout the year it shouldn’t be such work next spring.
I am so enjoying seeing your garden come back to life. You have done a great job with the mulch! I understand completely what you mean about the plants arriving late, it happened to me when I ordered plants from the UK for spring – I won’t repeat that again. I really only plant in Autumn now except for things I know will survive the stress of spring planting. Chrisitna
Thanks Christina. I’m happy to see it springing back to life. I learned a lesson about ordering through the mail, but the plants do look nice so I am hopeful they will be ok, especially if our temperatures drop back down to normal.
Nice plant order! Something to look forward to. I don’t know that clematis so shall look out for it.
Exciting and daunting to get new plants. Such responsibility. The clematis looked pretty in the catalog. Hope it does well and I can post a photo for you one of these days.
Your garden really looks neat and organized. It has been way too cold in the north to be shipping plants. Not only was your mail order company probably under snow and ice but the plants would have frozen in shipment.
Good point about the shipping conditions, Carolyn. I hadn’t thought of that. I did finally figure out the weather up north was making it hard to get the plants ready, as it’s been so severe. The company kept telling me they would send the order when it was the right time to plant in my area and I think that time was two or three weeks ago. With a little luck the plants should still be ok.
My goodness that is too hot for April…we are having a typical spring in the 50s, 40s and 30s with some 60s making my snowdrops stick around a long time and the other bulbs linger long…I will take it as summer will be here soon enough.
Ah, enjoy those snowdrops as long as you can!
Mission Mulch: accomplished. I’m glad of that. You even managed to weed and tidy up everywhere, you really did a good job. I still haven’t started weeding yet, it’s still too wet to do it properly, although weeds didn’t stop growing at all…
Hey Alberto, Mission Mulch is indeed complete. It was only supposed to take a few days! The weeds here were worse than usual because we have had a lot of rain. On top of that, I have decided about half the plants I deliberately put in my garden are turning into weeds–they are spreading out of control. Hope your weather cooperates so you can start enjoying the Mission Weeds in your own garden.
Salvia blooming now? It seems so far away…..we’re still doing tulips and daffodils!
It has turned hot here, but the salvia does seem early. The last of my daffodils are fading now. Just saw some beautiful tulips peaking now at Duke Gardens–magnificent.