Waiting out the ice storm and having tulip dreams of spring. Enjoy.
Waiting out the ice storm and having tulip dreams of spring. Enjoy.
Too much time has gone by without a post– these new working hours do not leave much time for me to formulate a decent blog post!
Currently, I have been waiting for a seed catalog I requested– Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I just recently heard about it through Twitter from my fellow gardening friends. I heard it is a great catalog and I can’t wait to get my hands on it! My husband’s co-worker gave me a couple of seed packets and I would like to look for some others. I have to admit, this winter feels like it is going much faster, given the fact we have not received nearly the snow or have had to deal with the sub-zero temperatures that made last year’s winter so darn long.
So, as I sat at work yesterday, an idea came to me. I thought I would start a new mini- series that would lead up to the upcoming growing season– I call it “Consider This”. Giving a little snapshot of certain plants/flowers/shrubs/trees that you should consider planting in your garden and/or yard if you are able to! I won’t do it every week, but as I go along I will pick out a few different botanicals that should be given some serious consideration to your landscape.
My first plant I am going to highlight are ferns. I LOVE ferns. I try to get my hands on as many varieties of ferns as I can. The simple, elegant beauty that comes from these plants cannot be emphasized enough.
Here are some quick facts about Ferns:
Ferns are a woodland plant, so they thrive in shade. There are several different kinds, as I have stated above. I will give you the list of the ones I have collected over the past few years:
Maidenhair Fern
Japanese Painted Fern
American Lady Fern
Cinnamon Fern
Autumn Fern
Yes, as I said above, this is just a snapshot of the many ferns that are available. I absolutely love ferns and have always wanted to do a post all about them. I hope to keep adding to my collection, as long as I have shade, I will keep buying them!
Thank you for taking the time to read this long post!
Summer is just a week old, and you would think it was Fall the way the rain and cold has been pounding down. This weather is actually a blessing in disguise, because it forces me to get indoor work done that is usually neglected when it’s gardening season!
So, I just thought I would give you a rundown of what’s “growing” on in my yard this year.
First, I have to say that everything is coming along just wonderfully this year. I think this endless rain has helped speed up the lush full-grown landscape that surrounds my home. I also believe that it’s the rain that has kept the deer at bay– I haven’t had to spray my hostas and other deer delicacies only twice so far. By this time last year, I was spraying my plants every week!
As always, there is never an end to gardening. I always tell myself EVERY year that what I have done is enough and I don’t need anymore. Well, of course, I keep adding and keeping making new beds. I comb through garden magazines, peruse garden centers and research online all the different perennials I could add to my garden for my hardiness zone of 6a.
Well, these are the plants I have added this year:
Beautyberry: I have wanted one of these plants for a long time. In the fall, they will have these beautiful (hence the name) purple berries on its branches. They require part sun/shade.
Indian Holly Fern: I love ferns, as everyone knows at this point. So, how could I not add yet another fern to my back yard shaded area? This fern has light stripes running down the middle of the fronds.
Creeping Thyme: I purchased four of these plants for this little brick wall I made for the flower bed directly behind the garage. I hope they will start growing over the bricks and make for an excellent groundcover look!
Some other views of my gardens that are blooming beautifully:
Stay tuned at a later date for some more pictures of other plants well on their way through the season. I hope that these pictures will give you some ideas of what you would like to add in your garden as well!
Have a wonderful summer week!