Six on Saturday

I'm a half year late in making the crossover from The Propagator where Six on Saturday first began, but now that spring has arrived, I do hope to pop in more often at Garden Rumination's Saturday Six.

The first red bloom to appear - Anemone coronaria De Caen 'Hollandia' - is a complimentary gift from one of the usual online sources that I purchase from. Now I'm not wild about anemones but when something is for free...

As usual, aubrieta gracilis are the first purples to show up, so full of tiny blossoms and doing really well in the current cool weather. Yes they turn rather tatty when it starts to get hot, but usually around that time the cosmos are up and running.

In the fall I sow broad beans (fava beans) mainly as a cover crop but those out in the garden beds rarely make it through winter (they're not under any protection). I just work them into the ground. Those in containers are somewhat sheltered, yielding enough of a harvest for a few meals. All I need is liver and a nice Chianti.

Lamprocapnos spectabilis

Bleeding heart (pink variety) may soon have a red variety and a white lady-in-the-bath one for company. It's a pity that they don't stick around when the real heat arrives. Still, they're another spring bloom that never fails to show up.

Peonies popping through - March 21st

I've read that peonies don't like to be disturbed and was concerned that this one dug up from my in-laws' wouldn't make it. I transplanted the large clump of an herbaceous type into a 45cm terracotta planter last fall, watered it well and mulched with dead leaves. It's a pink peony (variety unknown) that my mother-in-law had for at least a decade. Last year (before it was dug up), I got about a dozen and a half sweetly scented double blooms.

Here they are now a week and a half later. Very happy to see them come back.

Today's high: 16°C / 61°F

What's in the works for the yard & garden 2023

Forsythia

Here we are again. The end of another month and the start of a new one. I missed not being able to garden last year so to make up for it, I'm leaving no flower pot, vase, or container unfilled. I want the bees and butterflies to think they've come across the motherlode of pollen and nectar! April is National Garden Month so to get a headstart on what will be a busy season, I think it's best to write down goals in order that nothing gets forgotten in the garden shuffle. There are 2 projects that need to be addressed, one of which is this area which I call the rock garden:

Rock garden started in September '22

It's the hottest spot in summer when the sun's rays reflect off the wall and onto the yard. The grass always suffers in that particular location, so I thought to mark off a section with rocks and see how it works with drought-tolerant plants. The lopsided curry plant and 'Hidcote' lavender will stay, but the 2 heather plants will go. The lavender was planted last fall and I hope to see it fill out this season. I'm considering santolina (lavender cotton) and phlomis russeliana (Turkish sage) as replacements, with california poppies scattered in between. All of those choices should do fine considering the conditions.

The 2nd project is the back part of the apartment that has a reinforced retaining wall. This wall keeps the sloped garden from tumbling down into us, but oh to look at that ugly thing when I wake up!

Initially I was convinced of a climbing vine (not ivy!), maybe a gloriosa lily? But that would mean putting in a trellis or some sort of support - not what I want to see (bare wall and trellis) in winter with the plant cut back. The northerly position excludes late afternoon sun but at least it's in open shade. The idea of a small shade-tolerant tree in a large planter does sound good though... Let's see what my better half thinks.

Today's high: 10°C / 50°F.