The Parking Strip: 4/12/16

We're headin' down to the sidewalk in today's post.

All the creepers outside the fence are bloomin' their little faces off.

I can't remember what half of them are called, but they sure are pretty.

The creepin' phlox is finally doing something for me this year.

I have lavender and pink.

I have no idea what the two whites and yellow are.

Aubretia?  Arabis?  

I think the white peeking out in the above photo is Arabis.
I think.

I know one of you will set me straight on the other two.

I've bought Lithodora more times than I can count and have always killed it.

I have no idea why.

I think I FINALLY got it to grow for me.

It survived winter, anyway.

A cute little Geranium that Grace gave me last year is just starting to bloom.

I'm fairly certain it was lavender last year, but I could be wrong.

I have an old one in the backyard that sometimes reseeds as its original color, and sometimes I get white on the new plant.

Down in the hell strip, everything is comin' along.

The two rhubarb plants squealed when I gave them compost.

On the other end, the Pineapple Sage is comin' along.

I'm so glad both of them overwintered.

I seriously love that plant.

Looking the opposite way, we've got Spiderwort, Iris, Crocosmia, Phygelius, Delphinium, and Echinops.

Here's the same Iris, Peony, Penstemon, the same Spiderwort, a grass that I don't know the name of, Yarrow, and Gladiolas peeking out.

 This guy, that I know I must have planted, but can't for the life of me figure out what in the heck it is.

I'm thinkin' it must be something I adopted toward the end of summer.

Any guesses?

Also on this side, another Geranium from Grace, 'Sky'-something or other, same as the one outside the fence, and one that I adopted at the Blogger Plant Swap.

I don't know why I didn't get a good picture of the pretty leaves.

Too excited to find it blooming, I guess.

On the the other side, the 'Hot Lips' Salvia is just starting to bloom.

Her friends are Hellebore, another unknown grass, Naked Lady Lilies (Amaryllis Belladonna), Allium, Boxwood, Rudbeckia, Linaria, perennial Lobelia, Iris, Arum, Rock Rose (Cistus), a Dahlia, and Candytuft.

And last, I was gonna do a whole post on this last year, then never got around to it.

So check out this Rudbeckia.  It's been here for three years.

Extremely happy, spread like gangbusters from a 4-inch pot.

I've shared a ton and I've moved it all over the rest of the yard.

Happy, happy.

Now check out this Rudbeckia, from the same mama.

This, my friends, is why I preach the good soil gospel.

Amend, amend, amend.

I took the grass out of this little spot last year.

It's the parking strip on the other side of our driveway.  The neighbor's parking strip continues to the left in the above photo.

I added compost and steer manure when I first took the lawn out and stuck the plants in, but that's all the good stuff it's ever had.

The main parking strip has had compost every year since taking the sod out.

If I could remember, I'd tell ya how long that's been.

I'll guess five years.

Let's look again at the difference, shall we?

Good dirt.

Crappy dirt.

I piled on the compost as high as I could without it spilling onto the sidewalk.

Here are the rest of the poor struggling babies.

'Autumn Joy' Sedum.

The poor guy.

A sad Salvia, getting ready to bloom in spite of his misery.

Even the Liriope hates it.

And yes, this is the plastic animal garden.

Another clump of Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm.'

Compost, it's a good thing.

Amend, amend, amend.

Your plants will thank you.