YAY for Spring! Mulch is here!

It's such a great day because today I had 12 cubic yards of mulch delivered.  I wanted to share it with you via Flip Video.  Enjoy!

Bloom Day for November 2009

I'm a day late, but I have a surprisingly large number of fantastic blooms this month. We had perhaps one of the best days weather-wise this past Saturday. It was almost t-shirt weather.
Enjoy!

Here are some lovely annuals. The begonias above were planted in those pots in May. I can't believe they still look great!

Here is a purple coneflower that is trying to sneak in a bloom before it gets too cold.

This has been blooming since I purchased it in July and it continues to do well.

And this primrose, which generally only blooms in spring, decided to have come out once more for 2009.
Happy Blooms to all!

October Bloom Day - 2009!

It's already the middle of October! Even though it's been dreary and cold (44 today!) here, there is still a surprising amount of color in the garden.

Various Rudbeckia, grown from seed.

Lots of what is still blooming well are the annuals.

I especially like these marigolds, grown from seed in the vegetable beds. They are so tall they fall over!

Butterfly bush is still going strong -- both purple and white.

Finally, these are my favorite mums purchased this year. It is a Pelee Mum and this picture doesn't do it justice.

Happy Blooms to all!

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - September 2009

Here we are, already half-way through September. There are a ton of faded blooms and annuals that keep on giving. Here are just a few of what's blooming where I am.

Tall grass -- not exactly a showy bloom, but very fun.

Celosia -- grown from seed, thank you very much!

Japanese Anemone -- I love how they look like balloons before they bloom!

Other things still blooming:
Rudbeckia
Phlox
Butterfly bush
Orange Cosmos
Hostas
and more!

Project Digging: Labor Day Weekend Landscaping

I finally got the courage to make some substantial changes on the landscaping in front of my house. Since buying my home last May, I've not really cared for some of the plants in the front of the house. It's somewhat difficult to see in this picture, but up against the house were some low evergreen shrubs and in front of those were some barberry bushes (that didn't get enough sun). In the spring there were some old tulips that threw up a leaf or two and even fewer that actually produced a flower.

So for the past week, I toiled over what to plant in this area and finally came to a decision and a plan of action. First we got everything out of the way... including a huge tree stump left in the ground from years ago. And then went to work on the soil (and amended it with homemade compost) and planted some really great plants.

In the back are Hydrangea arborescens 'Incrediball' which will grow to 5' tall with a 4' spread. Best of all they produce 10-12" balls of blooms! In front of the hydrangeas are hosta 'August Moon' -- I chose these because of their almost lime green color. And finally there are some deep purple/dark green coral bells in the front.

I'm going to finish this with some allium 'christophii' amongst the hostas and some smaller bulbs in the front. The big containers are filler for this year.

Trip to the Biltmore!

While visiting North Carolina recently, we stopped by the Biltmore Estate. It was incredible. Here is a sampling of pictures from the conservatory and surrounding gardens in August.



Although it seems terribly expensive to visit the Biltmore ($55/person!!), if you spend the whole day there, it's worth it. Plus, free wine tasting.

These gardens have inspired me to grow zinnias and dahlias next year!

Zucchini in the news!

Interesting news out of New Harmony, Indiana:
The town is auctioning a zucchini on eBay to help repair a clock.

Here's an article from the Indy Star. And here it is on eBay.