Owha taygoo Siam

Category: FRED - the garden | Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 7:50 pm

Say that several times, faster each time. Ever play that on your little brother when you were a kid? I did and loved every minute of it but then I was somewhat of a mean older sister. I am a little ditzy this afternoon from being out in the yard

It doesn't matter when I start working on the garden, I am always getting a later start than I should have.
I started doing some things out back in January between cold snaps not realizing that those cold snaps would end in early Feb and early summer would arrive the very next day.

I am mainly working on a new Canna bed out front. Our front yard slopes down to the street which means when I water or when/if it rains, a lot of water simply runs down into the street/ into the storm drain and doesn't hang around to soak into the ground. So I am making a small 'rain garden' where the Canna will be planted. You can do a google search for Rain Garden to get an idea of what I am aiming for. It will be just a small one to begin with, eventually I would love to have it run the full width of the front yard.

I have decided that the first area to be planted out front will be a butterfly garden.
I have one Butterfly bush and plant on getting two more. I have white Liatris to move to it, Zinnia and Cosmos seeds to start. Then go shopping (oh don't you just hate to have to go shopping for plants) for Lantana, Penta, Parsley, Joe Pye Weed, Milkweed, Hyssop, Tall Verbena, Flowering Tobacco and Globe Amaranth.
After getting that bed started then I will have a better idea of where the plants from out back can go.

Also, I have been creating a shade garden under the pecan tree on the north side of the house. When we bought the house the previous owner had planted Hedera helix - the dreaded English Ivy there and let it grow all over the side of the house.
After a few years of pulling and thinking bad thoughts about the one who planted it, I think I have gotten it gone. We are still working on getting it out of the trees before they get strangled by it and that process is working pretty well.

For the shade bed we installed some above ground edging last month and I have been dumping all the pots of old soil and compost on top of a layer of dead leaves. The soil I am digging up to make the rain garden is going there too. I won't be able to actually plant 'in' the soil for a couple of years but plant stands and pots will eventually hold Impatiens, Spiderwort, Cast Iron plant and any other full shade plants I can find. I am going to cut the bottoms out of a few pots and use them for some Persian Shield along the wall. I also have two large containers I have been growing Peppermint and Chocolate Mint in for a couple of years, they need more shade than where they are now so they are going to get dumped out there too. The more bed they cover, the better. Oh, I also have some seeds for Blackberry and Trout Lilies that like shade.

In clearing off the dead leaves I have found all sorts of greenery coming back. These are all out back waiting to be moved to the front yard, oh have mercy, those areas are not even begun yet.
Fall Asters
Obedient Plant
Guara
Blue and Black Salvia
Pineapple Sage

These are greening up in the front bed I started last spring. I added some Hollyhocks to the area this morning.
Fennel, planted last fall but died back shortly after evidently the roots were fine.
Daisys
Mystic Spires Salvia
Red Valerian that I thought had died last summer
Texas Rock Rose
Hydrangea of unknow variety or color, unlabeled on sale table last fall.

And of course many that stayed green thru the winter. Some will be moved but most will stay out back.
Rosemary - one out back that is too large to move and one out front
White Autumn Sage
Lipstick Sage
Malva Zebrina
Lemon Balm
Iris
Penstemon - Husker Red
White Skullcap
Sweet William
Scabiousa Butterfly Blue

Still green in the front bed ...
Scabious - Black Knight
Missouri Evening Primrose, which will soon become a very nice ground cover whether I intended it to or not it would appear.

I have some pictures to get ready and will post them to the forum later today.

All these plans probably sound pretty extensive and may not happen this year since we appear to be in for a very hot and dry spring, summer and fall.
Remind me someday to fill you in on the vegie garden I have planned for the back yard.

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