Spring has Sprung!

August Garden Update

Until mid July the garden was looking pretty puny.  But somehow, in the middle of a heatwave and with ungodly amounts of watering, it all took off and now we have plants aplenty. 

Impatiens and coleus did fine at the edge of the driveway where the house gave them a little shelter, but in the front beds it was really, really hot for them.

On the other side of the drive, the alyssum and dianthus got full sun all day long (and less water than everything else since the hose doesn’t like to stretch that far!), and they really stood up to the heat and full sun. 

The petunias in the front and the black eyed susan vine devouring the shepherd’s hook were both started from seed in my kitchen this spring.

The front curve of the garden never really did fill out.  Next year I’ll plant something bushier through here.

Japanese beetles really hit the roses hard, but the zinnias behind them bloomed like crazy.

This little corner on the side of the house gets just a little afternoon shade, but it was enough to keep the coleus and impatiens happy.

Now that I know what grows well in our garden, I’ll do things a little differently next year.  Here are some things I don’t want to forget when it’s time to start shopping for plants this spring…

• Salvia attracts lots of moths, butterflies – and bees. These were like giant bushes and there were always a lot of critters buzzing around them.
• Endless Summer hydrangeas bloom on new wood AND old wood… this winter I’ll leave the sticks so there will be plenty of blooms next year.
• Vinca really takes the heat and sun and never droops.
• Impatients and coleus don’t take the sun… they need to be in the little beds beside the driveway and on the north side of the house.
• Our soil stinks!  Before the mulch, we’ll lay down a thick layer of manure to give the garden a kick in the spring. (It’ll still stink but at least the flowers will get going before July.)

The beds are planted… now what?

Saturday before we left to go camping, I made one last run to Miller’s and picked up a few more annuals, then came home and planted all our beds.  Now that it’s all planted, I feel almost disappointed… now there’s nothing left to do but wait.

Can any of you Ohio gardeners give me some help with my Victoria Blue Salvia?  I planted six of these this weekend, and they’re just six inches tall with one stem. As I’m walking around our neighborhood, though, I’m seeing huge masses of these plants already in full bloom.  Were these planted earlier this spring, or is salvia a perennial?  When should I expect to see my new salvia plants spread and look as abundantly blue as the other salvia I’ve seen here in Delaware lately?

Ah, Spring!

The begonias on the front porch were beautiful this morning. Everything is starting to green up and get nice and leafy here in Delaware, Ohio!

M. and I are planning one of our “One Tank Trips” this weekend.  First we’ll be checking out the Village Valuables Sale in German Village, and then hopping over to Hilliard for their annual Plant Swap & Potluck.  Hopefully I’ll find a few new plants for the garden.  As with any One Tank Trip, I’m sure we’ll come home with good pictures and great stories, if nothing else! 

I dig gardening!

Here in beautiful Delaware, Ohio, one of my favorite places is Miller’s Country Gardens.  It’s close to home and has a beautiful greenhouse, plus an indoor shop with lots of great Ohio-grown veggies and Amish-made food products.  Cute outdoor decorations and yard ornaments, too.  In the fall they have pumpkins out the wazoo and a fun harvest festival. On Route 37 just West of Houk Road.