The Third Week Of May In The Front Yard

As threatened, I'm back with yard pics from out front.

Let's start under the Flowering Cherry tree.  My neighbor gave me a piece of this iris years ago.  It desperately needs to be divided. It didn't bloom at all last year and this year it only has a few flowers.  It needs some attention, but I love, love, love it.

I posted pics of this whole area last week, but here are a few more.

There's another piece of that same peony from the back under the tree that has buds.  The tree was smaller, so there was more sun when I put it there, but it's stayin' for now.  I also got impatiens planted in the pot that covers up the Magnolia stump.

I found a new baby to add to the bare spot in my wagon.

'Glowing Magenta' Oenothera knuthiana.

I have one flower on my teeny tiny Columbine.

I don't know why I can't get these dang things to grow well for me.

You see them growing like weeds in other yards.

Another new to me plant, 'Lumina Salmon-Shades' Lychnis x haageana.

The tag says it self seeds, but isn't invasive.

I may regret planting it.

The Oxalis is starting to bloom.

Baby chicken.

I saw these Globe Amaranth last time I was at the nursery and hadn't grown them in years, so of course I had to buy a couple to bring home.

This one is called Gomphrena globosa, 'Buddy Purple.'

I also got my porch pots planted.

Clearly I took these pictures before painting the house.

I would have painted the porch over the weekend, too, but it poured down rain all day on Sunday.

Update:  I got the porch painted today.  And the driveway side of the house finished.  And the back steps painted.  And the back and front doors.  Woot, woot!

So this pot has Nemesia, 'Black Dragon' Coleus, and some fuchsia-colored Alyssum.

I left the Grape Hyacinth and Primrose from spring.

I also stuck one of the same Nemesia in the window box with the Ivy Geraniums.

Another pot has the same 'Black Dragon' Coleus, an Angelonia, and Silene uniflora, 'Druett's Variegated', which I've never grown before, and white Alyssum.

My "Tina" rose is naked from the neck down.

Damn black spot.

She's still purdy, though.

A few days later, with the flowers more open.

I love this rose.

A pot of Ivy Geraniums.

A white Iris where I took the one big Rhody out.

I haven't decided if I'll leave the two colors of Iris in there or not.

Here are some shots before the Rhododendron demolition.

And after.

It will be very obvious why I immediately felt compelled to scrape and paint the whole front side of the house when you see these photos.

The poor Iris' are floppin' all over the place.

If they do stay here, they'll need to be replanted a little better.

I gave the Japanese Holly a little pruning, but he needs some more work.

I know it's not much to look at at this point, but it feels so much more open out there now.

And I couldn't resist, I stuck a Penstemon down in the corner.

This one's tag said 'Riding Hood Series.'

I couldn't pass up the pretty fuchsia color.

I'm thinkin' I might like to have a Korean Lilac somewhere in there.

Maybe under the kitchen window.

We'll see.

I need The Dad to get my window boxes built.  :)

While I was out there with the loppers, hedge trimmer, and reciprocating saw, I went after the Forsythia, Weigela, and the big green beast.

It's a Lemon Cypress and he has outgrown his welcome.

I gave him a major haircut, but I'm not convinced he'll stay.

You can see it behind The Girl in this next pic.

They look so much better in their natural shape.

I dunno, we'll see.

Okay, moving outside the fence, the climbing red rose, that I threaten to dig up every year, is blooming.

I'm pretty sure this is Sandwort, aka, Arenaria montana.

My mom gave me a varigated Holly early this spring and I stuck it in the pot by the back door that always had Fuchsias in it.

Muuuuch better.

Here's the last man standing - the only window box left out of the ones I made from the old picket fence twelve years ago.

I did touch up the trim when I was painting the house on Saturday, so that looks better now, but ignore the purple window.

The new one is sitting in the driveway.

Where it has been since we bought it - six years ago.

Same goes with the living room window that you see on the front porch.

We don't like to rush these things.

Anyhooooo, among other things, this one has Fuchsias in it for summer.

In addition to random windows that need to be installed, I also have a potted raspberry in the driveway.

It's been in this pot for three years now and seems to like it just fine.

It's got flowers and baby spiders.

I had to teach Baby the fun game of blowing on them.

I'll save the parking strip area for a separate post, 'cause I've already got picture overload goin' on here, but here's a peak at it from up in the yard.

All the new babies are in and I moved the big ass stump from the yard down there.

I need to plant the holes of it.

I also need to get some mulch - I can't keep up with the dang weeds.

My lack of weeds in the rest of the yard is more than being made up for in the parking strip.

I swear they breed overnight.

There's still quite a bit of dirt showing, but the new plants will fill in quite a bit and the mulch would help it look more tidy and finished.

Some more big rocks would help, too.

Until next time, happy gardening!

Update:  I couldn't stand leaving this post with photos of the house looking like that.  It's the neurotic side of me showing its ugly face.
So I went out and took pictures Sunday afternoon in the pouring down rain, of the front and the porch side of the house painted.
I got the whole driveway side scraped and primed, but the rain wouldn't allow me to put a final coat of paint on.  I did all the trim, too.  Boy do the outside windowsills look better!  Well, the whole house looks better.

Phew, I feel better.
I can't wait to get that new open bed planted.

Shameless plug alert:  

Just a little reminder that you can purchase my floral photographs in my Etsy shop.

If you see one in a post that isn't in the shop, shoot me an email and I'll list it for ya.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/RindyMae

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