A yard in the works

Even though I got to spend some time on my yard and flowers last weekend, most of the projects have yet to be "done."

I worked on moving seedlings outside, purchased a few spikes and viola plants, and also brought home some Carl Forster grass to use as a background in my front flower beds.

Because it will be a little while until my own seedlings start to bloom, I purchased a few bedding plants to get started on some color. The grass in the middle of the planter in the foreground is some kind of grass with 'toffee' in the name, and I love it. Those two planters I purchased this spring at Menards - they hook over a porch railing, so hopefully I won't have trouble this summer with Link knocking things to the ground below.

Three clumps of the Carl Forster grass are on the left side of the front stairs, and one clump is on the right side in the smaller, narrow bed. The logs for edging will be cut in half so they're not so tall - as it is my flowers would have to be 15 inches tall before anyone could see them from the street.

This grass is supposed to be low maintenance and get pretty tall, so I think my only concern is killing it with overwatering. It gets really pretty when it's had a chance to mature and send up multiple seed heads, which turn tan in the fall and add structure through the winter months.

So far the zinnias have stayed true to their hardy nature and have transitioned well to outside. The cosmos and gazanias, not so much. Having some pretty good death loss with them, and even some of the zinnias, since the last couple days were really hot, with a very strong sun. Today is cooler, so they should get some respite and establish a little better.

I have four pots like these with some of the zinnias in them. Like I said, after the heat I'll need to replace a few of the plants that couldn't take it. They're a taller variety of zinnia, so I put them with the big spikes that could hold their own when the flowers take off and grow.

This mystery plant started growing in my wheelbarrow planter, and I wasn't sure if it was a weed or the daisy coming back. Monday evening Tracy and Jody took a look at it, and confirmed that it is, indeed, a daisy, so I've started watering it and I'll put some of my seedlings in this planter, along with some vinca vine that Jody gave me that will trail over the side.

Of course the dogs were in the yard to help me whenever I was out there working.

And Link also participated in his supervisory role, as usual. The purple plant behind him is one that I overwintered, and I repotted it in a bigger planter to give it more elbow room. A few hours after repotting I thought I'd killed it, but luckily it came right back and is happy once again. I would have been very sad if it had died, because I love it with its purple leaves and delicate white flowers.

Scott also offered his supervision after arriving home Saturday from the McNabb horse sale.

Since the weekend there have been a few tweaks to the yard and flowers, but not much. I spent yesterday evening mowing and trimming, and this morning I sprayed the rocks on the street corner with Roundup to keep the weeds out of there.

The to-do list still includes planting the rest of the seedlings, digging holes for two new cottonwoods in the front yard, replacing the lattice in the front porch, artfully arranging the patio with our big stumps leftover from firewood serving as platforms for my container gardens, and moving the last of the firewood that we won't use until fall to the north yard. I think we're officially out of wood stove season! As much as I love the stove, I'm glad we no longer need it, if only for two or three months. :-)