Zero-calorie Eye candy.

Hi Everybody~~ I'm sitting here watching a rerun of The View, something about Jersey Shore, the situation, condoms and Italian Americans. Random, wouldn't you say?

Just like this post. Random. I've been busy.

Ever skeptical and pragmatic Joy Bahar asks the shortsighted Jersey Shore cast if they've got a "Plan B." They're all like, "Duh...."

My plan B [sort of], get my butt in gear and visit my fellow bloggers.

A little more eye candy for any and all takers....photos from last summer.

Lupine 'Gallery Red' with Monarda didyma 'Grand Parade.'


My front yard rock garden. The Sweet Gum trees zap moisture from the ground, leaving a paltry few drops for the "lawn."


A montage in my courtyard featuring Acer palmatum 'Ukigumo' or "Floating Clouds."
Fatsia japonica towers behind it.


The Dahlia might be 'Dark Angels--Dracula' but I'm not positive. My fingers are crossed
that it survived the winter.


Just a peak at the imperfections. This poor Rhododendron, a "foundation planting of old"
has grown much too big for its spot. I'm always sawing away on it.


And finally Phuopsis stylosa ground cover extraordinaire.

"I've killed more plants than all of you."

Years ago Pacific Northwest garden guru Lucy Hardiman, spoke at a Master Gardener event I was privileged to attend. Memory being what it is, the bulk of her material has since faded. However one of her poignant confessions remains crystal clear. "I've killed more plants than all of you," she shamelessly confessed. I chuckled and thought, "Maybe." But the point is clear, if you're a plant grower you must also be a grower of thick skin to keep your sanity in the wake of the random yet inevitable plant demise.

I've got several casualties and I'm going to attempt to elicit as much sympathy as I can. So grab a box of Kleenex and let the eulogy begin.

'Nicki's Findling' Fuchsia [above] is not completely winter hardy so I'm not surprised that its woody stems show not even the slightest touch of green.

Coreopsis 'Limerock Ruby' once again, bit the frozen dust despite my attempts to keep its pot in a frost free area.

It's still too early to tell if my Dahlias will be back. Usually they survive my Zone 8 winter without difficulty but I'm not so sure this year. The low-growing, single pink variety pictured above is a favorite. If it's a gonner, forget the Kleenex, I'll need a roll of Bounty.

I should have lifted my Eucomis 'Sparkling Burgundy.'

I've got a fairly extensive Salvia collection. Many of the semi-tenders won't be making a comeback. S. 'Hotlips' [above] is one of them.

Salvia microphylla 'La Trinidad Pink' did really well after the brutal winter of 2008-2009. This spring, all of mine are toast.

Salvia involucrata or Rosebud Salvia isn't even supposed to be hardy here so I guess you could say you're looking at a victim of Zonal Denial.

Salvia spathacea has the most amazing scented foliage and drop dead gorgeous flowers and a prominent place in my memory bank.

I had two hardy geraniums in one container. Both look to be on permanent retirement. The one pictured above is Geranium cinereum 'Purple Pillow.' The other was Geranium sanguineum 'Elke.' Geraniums are supposed to be tough and hardy here so the death of these two has me somewhat mystified.

The Heuchera 'Midnight Rose' is fine but the dainty pink flowered Diascia integerrimus behind it may be MIA. I'm holding out hope. I have a D. vigilis that looks equally questionable.

Hebe 'Shamrock' is its most gorgeous in winter when its stem tip foliage turns a pleasant pinky-maroon. That is, if it's happy. Mine quickly lost interest in winter and quickly morphed to bare stems.

Semi-hardy bananas such as Musa 'Dwarf Cavendish' don't have much of a chance.

Blue-leafed Melianthus looking fabulous in this late summer photo, is, at the time of this writing, four twiggy, brown, leafless protrusions. I'm hoping it will return to life from its roots.

Loropetalum chinensis 'Razzleberri' [pictured] looks like a gonner but L. c. 'Pipa's Red' is still alive. Fingers crossed.

Despite my negligence last winter, my Phormium 'Sundowner' [pictured] miraculously pulled through and thrived. This past winter's chill was shorter in duration but packed a mean punch. It doesn't look good for any of my Phormiums except for the 'Jester' I just bought at Fry Road Nursery.

I was surprised that my lavender colored Verbena rigida 'Santos' [pictured above with a dwarf Dahlia and variegated Sedum spectabile 'Frosty Morn'] is no more than a tuft of crispy things that once posed as leaves. This species looks like a short version of V. bonariensis which is also subject to bad-winter death, but all of mine seem to have survived. Mother Nature's mysteries....

So, any major losses in your garden?

**Running Around in One Big Circle**

This is one of my favorite vignettes, however there is a bit

of a clash with the Hydrangea 'Forever Pink'

and the coral-rose 'Cinco de Mayo' rose.

On the left is Rhus typhina 'Tiger Eyes.'

To its right is Phormium 'Evening Glow' in a pot.

** ** **

Once again, I'm out of the loop but hope to

reconnect with you all in the next few days.

My first nursery jaunt of the year happened today.

Fry Road [sidebar] is a favorite haunt.

More on my acquisitions later.

For now, it's...

On with the tour.

We're now at the "South Lawn" area.

I'm starting on the west side, Bed number 9

and going clockwise around the lawn.

[Click on the Map tag above for perspective.]

Bed number 9 in late August.

Looking north...camera-shy felines.

Bed number 8. The pear tree is directly behind this bed.

The variegated towering thing on the left is Phlox paniculata 'Norah Leigh.'

Meliathus major there in the blue.

Miscanthus sinensis 'Cosmopolitan towers in the back, doing its best to hide the fence.

This is bed number 10 on the map.

Originally this area was going to be a white-only border.

However, restraint is required for such an endeavor.

This is my only shot of the raspberries that border the south side of the

South Lawn. See them over yonder?

And finally, full circle. To the left, through the arbor, is the final garden segment.

I'll save it for next time.

I've been dabbling in the creation of "Pages" as you can see from the tabs

directly under the banner.

I'm proud of my maps page.

If/when you've got a moment click on over and have a look-see.

And a BIG thank you for visiting.

Kudos to the folks at Google

Last year's early-spring tableau: Armeria 'Victor Reite,' Viola with Hens & Chicks.
*** *** ***

This will be a brief post. Next to me is a small bouquet with a big scent. Skimmia, hyacinth and daphne. You'd think the combination would be a major olfactory cloy attack but it's surprisingly refreshing.

It's been days since I've checked in with all my beloved blogger-buddies but I'm promising myself that tomorrow will bring opportunities for visiting.

As time allows I've been refining my garden map. Despite eye-straining tedium and esoteric software anomalies I have refused to be deterred. And then there's the weather, pleasantly springlike--evidenced by, among other things--the cacophony of frog-courting that has no mercy for my eardrums.

I have good news regarding the plagiarism: Today the good people of Google emailed me to let me know that the offending site has been shut down. I replied with a quick: "You made my day. Thank you!" Hopefully this made some hardworking computer person's day.

This is Corydalis solida 'George Baker.' I've got him in a pot because of his ephemeral tendencies. By July he'll be completely dormant.

I was elated to see berries on my Aucuba japonica 'Gold Dust.' [I know. Some of you consider this plant a royal thug but I like it.] Because the label wasn't specific and for years there were no berries, I assumed I had a male plant. Imagine my surprise at discovering he is a she.

My lovely Euphorbia myrsinities is starting to bloom, taking cues for its humble neighbor.

The Garden Tour, Pear Tree Area

Helleborus orientalis
blooming right this second.

* * *
On with the tour.


This photo was taken today.
The telephone pole isn't crooked but is an eyesore.

August 2009
The garden map at the bottom of this page is not entirely accurate, showing
a curvy pathway just to the west of the pear tree.
The accurate depiction is what you see in these photos,
a central axis, serving as a link between my north and south lawns.

Fuchsia magellianica, Irish moss and 'Bengal Tiger' Canna.

This photo is taken from my deck looking out
at a narrow pathway to the main axial pathway.
Fuchsia 'Tom West' with its delicious variegated foliage,
is in the hanging container.


The photo above was taken today, looking north.
What do you think of my "re-purposed" fertilizer spreader?
The cardinal-red spray-painted
bucket houses [dormant] Houttunynia cordata.
FYI:
I am not responsible for that unsightly blue thing
at the far end of my yard, okay? I think I'll leave
an anonymous green one on the neighbor's doorstep.

August 2009

Phormium cookianum sub. hookeri 'Tri-Color' is on the left.

Thank you to Christine of "Last Frontier Garden" blog.

And without further ado, I present
March's

A true sign of genius is choosing a tarp that
echos the color of the house's trim.

Doing my best to keep the humor,

The Garden Tour, North Lawn

Nasturtium 'Cherry Rose'
* * *
Onward with the tour,

Moving on. This installment is the second garden "room." The photos were taken in the summers of 2008 and 2009. Referring to my map at the bottom of the page, we're looking at the north lawn and beds 7, 5, 2 and 8. In this photo, the patio is just to the right.

Obviously this is 2009 because my lawn is looking pathetic. There was an unfriendly grass species launching a takeover and this photo shows my continued [and unsuccessful] attempt at eradication. Lawn is not one of my higher priorities, obviously.

The dark foliage just above the 7 is Azara microphylla a casualty of Winter 2008. It lived happily for ten years in my Zone 8 garden, with deliciously scented flowers in April.

The red Japanese maple is a seedling from my friend Carol's tree. It keeps its red foliage all summer unlike some species that darken and fade as summer wears on. How cool is that? In the container is Cupressus macrocarpa 'Wilma Goldcrest.'

Icky lawn.


These last two photos are looking north