When Impatiens Last in the Dooryard Bloomed

I'm not the Great Emancipator,  I am the Great Botanizer; and I have brought forth on this continent a superb garden, conceived in marvelousness, and dedicated to the proposition that I am amazing.

I've done a tremendous amount with the the front of my place since my last post. The result is something approaching perfection.

There is still more to do, but there in rough form is my plan for the front. The impatiens around the front door really add to the cottage style of my place. I've added a rhododendron with white flowers to the spot vacated by the hydrangea that I moved around the side of the house. I will probably put in another one next year when I decide what to do with the other hydrangea. I've incorporated some annuals via the planters that there are now room for in the bed. Finally, I've almost finished trimming the whole bed in concrete block. I still need more mulch. I'd also like to raise the slab that the hose caddy is on to keep it well above the level of the mulch.

Before we take a closer look at the front, let us marvel at my glorious chives plant, moved out front to take advantage of the superior sun and to show off its blooms.

Here is a close in shot of the hanging impatiens bags on either side of the front door. The one on the right stays in almost complete shade, so it will be fine, but I am somewhat concerned that the one on the left will get too much sun and melt. We shall see. If that turns out to be the case, I have several good spots in the backyard for it.

A close up of the planter I did on the steps. I tried something different this year. I like the color combination of the orange flowers and green vase. In the back you can see some Wishbone flowers destined for the back yard. They are probably my favorite annual. For some reason, I had a tough time finding them this year, so I had to settle on ones a bit smaller than I would have liked.

Here is a view of the front garden from by the steps. I have to admit, I'm afraid visitors will be mesmerized by view and be unable to actually enter my house. 

Another view. The concrete bricks really help the garden to appear much neater.

The Rhododendron is about a week past its glory. I look forward to the annual really spreading out.

That is one handsome dog. The Westminster people beg me to enter him.

Looking down the side of the house. The Rose of Sharon is starting to take the tree like form that I have in mind for it.

Continuing down the side, I wanted to do a little bit more here, so I purloined a cutting from a neighbors hosta and planted it here. Thus far, it is thriving in the low-sun environment and providing some marvelousness to a previously plain area.

A close up of the hosta together with an astilbe.

I transplanted some Black Eyed Susans from the back to underneath the Rose of Sharon to take advantage of the better sun. No doubt they will grow with vigor here.

Now around to the back. This is the last spot that will need some more concrete bricks and then the border will be done. The transplanted hydrangea is doing excellently here.

The Azelea in the back here was faltering badly, but I've been able to bring it back from the brink and its future looks bright. In the foreground is a cutting from one of the hydrangeas that had gone to root. It is settling in nicely and will really start to bring some life to this area in the years to come.

Here we are in the Shangri-La that is my back yard. It is somewhat of a mess from the droppings from the big Alder tree in the back yard and the torrents of rain we've gotten in the last few days. Of course, it is still marvelous, and I will be tidying up once the sun comes back out.

A close shot of my dianthus. It has taken off nicely since I moved it into this pot. If it continues with this superb growth, I may find a spot for it in the ground in the front garden.

On the bottom there is a Shasta Daisy that I overwintered from last year. I'm not sure how much vigor it has in it, but anything I get from it is a bonus.

Sadly, it doesn't appear that it will flower this year, but this Colossus shames that of Rhodes.

This Astilbe may need to be moved if the Climbing Hydrangea continues its rapid advance.

Branch number two from the wild Hydrangea I took a cutting of last year. It has settled into its new home.

The Bansai Bench. That is some fine alliteration for you.

Its comeback secure, the Sand Cherry awaits its return to the ground.

This back garden has been ravaged by a deer or some other pest. Some of the Winter Creeper was eaten, the smaller Sedum is completely gone, and so is all of the Spiderwort. Only the one Sedum and the Astilble survive. I will need a new plan to return this area to maximum marvelousness.

The Creeping Phlox has had a nice run and is beginning to near the end of its season. Once it goes dormant I may give it a spot in the now-vacant back garden.

Lo, this mighty planter is back for its second year. I decided to do only white Impatiens this year. I think the mono color will be a superb look.

The Petunias are starting to fill out.

Coleus brings some of its wild color.

This Hydrangea is starting to fill out. The variegation is spectacular and this guy has great flowers.

Another tremendous loss. The great Astilbe located here was done in, presumably by the 3+ feet of snow which piled up here this winter. The Bleeding Heart here survives, but only in the pathetically microscopic form just evident at the top of the bed. This was my most mature bed, and its lost has been a cruel blow to the marvelosity of my back yard.

This planter and its usual impatiens.

A new addition, a mint plant to supply fresh mint for Kathy's mohitos.

A Run Around the Maypole

In order to give the sun thanks for his glorious return I spent all day today running around my mighty Maypole. My people and I are so happy that the Sun has decided to return once again we are planning on sacrificing a virgin to him later tonight.

Of course, being in a garden so marvelous that it made the druids abandon their sacred oak grove, my Maypole is now decked out with even more amazingness. Joining the creeping phlox that I've introduced already is a fine multicolored petunia and an exotic coleus. Only one more spot atop the crown of the Maypole remains. It will have to be something extra sublime to be worthy of the apex of this colossus. 

Below is my mysterious and beautiful wild grass joined to its right by a bleeding heart plant. As you may recall, I feared that my original bleeding heart had been smote by the winter, so I picked up this new guy and went to plant him in the old bleeding heart's spot, only to find that the old bleeding heart survived. That meant I needed to find a new place for this fine specimen, so I put him in this spot where I've unsuccessfully attempted to grow hostas. 

I don't think words are even necessary.

The newest astible is fitting in perfectly.

Hark! I hear the bonfire being built. The sun must be thanked for his bounty. Off to the sacrifice I go, but I leave you with the following amazing pictures.

What dreams may come? Marvelous ones.

Having endured the sleep of death that was this past winter and cold spring, my marvelous garden is back and ready to answer Hamlet's question. And, if there was any doubt, my garden has answered that question the way it answers all questions: Marvelous.

Glorious:

Regal:

Magnificent:

Lazarus like, he rises from the dead:

Native brilliance. Like John Sassamon.

My brilliant new creation takes shape. I'm sure Sir Isaac Newton felt the same way after creating calculus.

One of the branches from the hydrangea still in the front had been buried in mulch and had taken root. A snip and a transplant gives me one more brilliant hydrangea plant.

What a fine addition. This international man of mystery has already begun to delight with its beautiful coloration.

One of last year's excellent additions. The variegation would make Monet cry.

Being Marvelous Isn't Easy

Having beheld the wonders that constitute my garden, people naturally assume that much like Tantalus I am beloved of the gods, and was born with my incredible gardening skills.

While it is true that I am a gardening prodigy whose skills know no equal; nonetheless, I must still labor to create my my splendid plantations. This spring has, indeed, been one of gardening labor. As I've discussed in great detail, this winter was one not seen since woolly mammoths roamed the Earth. Consequently, I've had to do much work to get my garden up to its usually glorious standard.  Not only has it required Herculean labor, but it has also occasioned much mental anguish. Plants took beatings they may not recover from, ones usually up by now have yet to stir, and some may be gone completely. Such is the case with my stately bleeding heart, featured often on this blog. There is no sign of it even though many others from around the neighborhood are already 7 or 8 centimeters tall. Alas, I fear that its light may have been snuffed out.

 Luckily, other plants are, Rip Van Winkle-like, beginning to wake from their long slumbers. Below, is my sublime Climbing Hydrangea. After its slow growing youth, characteristic of its species, it has reached its quick growing adolescence. It nearly doubled in size last year, and I expect even greater things this year. Perhaps, we may even see its first bloom in a few months.

(Note: these aren't going to be the best pictures. My fiancée is leading a school trip to that sceptered isle Brittania, and she has the camera. I took these pictures with my iPhone. I remain confident that the incredible marvelousness of my plants will show through, regardless of the camera.)

A Peony rises, Kraken-like, from my freshly mulched bed. This Peony was newly planted from root last spring and didn't do much. It will be nice to watch its progression this year.

There it is, the most indefatigable of plants, my chive. Nothing can stop it. Like the hydra, taking cuttings to supply wonderful flavor only encourages it to grow more robustly.

What can I say, I love Astibles. Easy to grow, don't need much light, provide great color and stay in bloom for a long time. I have many. Peeking through is the most recent one that I planted and the only one that is up thus far. It is a white one that I planted near my Climbing Hydrangea, a shoot of which is visible in the background. I expect these to colossi to compliment each other well.

Below is a new addition. 

A couple of weeks ago a scrub meadow near me was cleared by the town to do work on a water culvert that runs though the area. Growing throughout the now cleared meadow, I noticed tufts of a beautiful purple tipped wild grass. My dog the Woo and I took a walk this morning and dug up a small tuft. Despite consulting my gardening tomes, I have as yet been unable to figure out exactly what it is. For all I know, it may be a common crab grass. Never the less, I highly enjoy the look of its blades, so for now, I have a beautiful new container addition to my marvelous garden.