The Sunny Side of the Street....ok, the Garden

The beginning--- my blank palette.

My first item to plant was a Japanese Maple I brought from Virignia.  Acer palmatum 'Garnet'

This is a small maple with a beautiful lace cut leaf.  At maturity it will be at most 10 feet tall.  Flanking the maple are two Amsonia.  One I brought with me A. hubrectii and one I bought, A. x 'Seaford Skies'.  This variety came from Pam Harper's garden in Seaford.  I figured I NEEDED to have this one.   Since Amsonia turn bright yellow in late fall I thought I should plant something to complement it.  I found two Weigela 'Midnight Wine' a new hybrid that grows to a mature height of 1.5 to 2 feet.  It is a dwarf version of 'Wine and Roses'.  I planted them behind the Amsonia.   The shrubs are really small now, but next year.....

The garden was screaming for color.  I wanted something to attract butterflies and humming birds.  I also had a couple more things from Seaford to plant.   From some of the plant sales in the area I was able to find lots and lots of great plants.  In the photo below are (going clockwise)-(3) Gaillardia 'Sunburst Scarlet Halo', (3)Lantana (unknown variety),(3) Helenium 'Helbro' Mardi Gras, (3) Gaura lindheimerii 'Gaudwwhi' Geyser White, (1)Serrisa Plena Flora,(1) Tanacetum vulgare 'Isla Gold', (3) Achillea 'Saucy Sensation', (3) Coreopsis rosea 'Heavens Gate', and (3)Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy'.  The number in front of the plant name is how many I put in.  Started to feel like it was the garden of three's.  These are just a small sample of what all was planted in the 'sunny area'. 

Additionally planted --Phlox 'Robert Poore' (from Racquel),  Yorktown Onions, Hibiscus 'Kopper King', one of three Clethra alnifolia 'Vanilla Spice', a no-named Japanese maple from a big box discount shelf, three Cinnamon Fern- Osmunda cinnamomea, a Callirhoe involucrata, various dwarf irises, one Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' and two Echinacea purpurea compacta (maybe 'Kim's Knee High' or 'Prairie Splendor').

In the tuteur is a Lonicera sempervirens 'Major Wheeler'

A view of the sunny area with the plants in the ground. Looks like there is a lot more room.....

Looking forward to next spring to fill in some of the open areas. 

words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Sunday Sunset

The afternoon sun just makes the fall colors glow. 

words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

The Plan and.... I Know, I Know You Told Me So.....

Above and below is a poorly done collage of the garden along the bank of the lake, I had to crop it into two pictures in order for it to be seen better.  I labeled what is planted and where it is planted....or was planted.  Click on each of the photos to see the various colors matched with the names of what is planted.  The big pink triangle below is 10 Muhly Grass babies.  I am planning for big color next year.  At the far right, ciricled in yellow are Miscanthus, I think it is Morning Light.  (for some reason I can't find that plant label)  Also kind of difficult to see below are some Elephant Ears.  I planted four.  

Notice I said 'was planted'.   A couple days ago I went to the lower part of the yard and noticed I had a shrub MISSING!  I know there are deer around, but I had hoped that the dogs would scare the deer.  Well, I saw some planted were nibbled on and started looking at the rest of the garden.  When I got to the stone steps, I saw one of the Loropetalum was missing...root ball and all.  Seriously???? 

This is what I found--

This is what I should have seen--

This is where the missing plant USED to be.  Today is was worse.  To date I am missing two Knock-out Rose bushes and two Loropetalum.  There have also been other roses and loropetalum nibbled on.  Deer repellent was purchased and applied this afternoon.  Rotten bastards.

I have not decided what I will do to restore the balance of the flanked stone steps.  I know deer will eat whatever they want, was hoping the tastier items were not in their sites.  I also was amazed that the entire plant was gone.  Maybe it was the beaver...he has been active lately according to neighbors.

Either way, deer or beaver, I was warned.  I know. Ok, my yard from hence forth will smell of putrid eggs. Ok?

One plant the bank has, deer willing, is the Fragrant Sumac, Rhus aromatica 'Gro-low'.  Right now it is three little sprigs along the bank behind the flagstone.   It is supposed to spread about 8 feet and get up to 2 feet tall.  Great for stabilizing slopes and doesn't mind clay soil  --win/win.  I love the fall color--red! 

words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.