Happy Victoria Day Long Weekend!
Lazy Gnome checking in to wish all you gardeners the best as you battle crowds at garden centres to score that red geranium you want for your front planter...LG is taking (most of) the weekend off. (She and family members are heading to Jasper where LG is anticipating much cooler weather than here in the city—not that it has been HOT or anything!!
LG’s internal clock is off kilter: in some ways it seems way too early to get excited about planting annuals, and she is perplexed to see people combing over the racks of lobelia at Home Depot. On the other hand, because of the past 10 days’ activities, she rather feels she had DONE gardening this year.
So, update on the yard. Leaves are bursting out all over and the tulips are almost all blooming--LG is very happy she shoved those babies in the ground late last year as they add a wee bit of perkiness now....and if the landscaper had not yet returned, she can't imagine how bleak the yard would be by now--and covered in weeds!!
Last weekend LG transplanted about 20 shrubs and perennials from her neighbour’s garden where they wintered to their new homes scattered about the yard. LG was stunned at how dry that earth was over there--LG hadn't even thought about watering there yet this year and realizes she may have just saved some of the shrubs in time as there was virtually no dirt clinging to the roots of several, including the amur maple and the weeping crab. But, they all seem to be thriving from her watering routine! None of them went back to where they came from....things are very different in the yard now. Anyway, this was a good work out. But, as usual, there was a certain angst based on an inability to identify what some of these shrubs were: potentilla (which, honestly, LG is not fond of)? Spirea? Ninebark? So, placement was a bit of Russian roulette. The potentilla is a bit of an issue—somehow, of the three, it ended up where LG will see it as she works inthe kitchen, whereas the other three are around the side of the house.
Part of LG’s angst was about placement because even though she had the landscape design in her hand, things on the ground didn’t work out as the designer planned. For instance, the path along the south side of the house ended up a lot closer to the house, meaning the beds on either side are not the same depth. (And, in all honesty, the plan looks way off the actual space there.) And LG didn’t want to mess up the themes or patterns of the designer’s concepts, so this “found” area ended up with several of these shrubs which also aren’t on the plan, at all, but LG refuses to sacrifice. Except that she is not a fan of Potentilla, partly because she has never had luck with them....somehow, these bushes thrive in Wal-Mart parking lots, but LG can’t grow one to save her life...perhaps attitude adjustment is in order, but, well, it may be too late.
Anyway, LG has been mostly pre-occupied with watering the sod: all waking hours that she has been at the house for the past 10 days have seen sprinklers trying to spread the liquid of life for the sod. Nine of those days have been incredibly windy and likely hindered the success. The front lawn looks not bad from a distance, but the back is rather patchy. Sigh...she kinda hopes for RAIN!
Cheers for now, and happy Garden Hunting!
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