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bunnyjadwigaIt's embarrassing to be more or less an expert on period gardening and herbs and stuff and have a yard that is not very up-to-snuff. But it's true. My job and the junketing around the kingdom I've done doesn't leave much time for playing in the dirt, no matter how much I love it. And when you add the fact that my garden was, before I got there, a haven for all the old fashioned flowers that are old fashioned because they will take over the world if not dealt with firmly, it's an excitement.
Juergen and I cleared off the patio last Wednesday, and mowed the Lawn. I've been fighting a battle against the weeds in my spare moments after work. I may actually have mostly won the battle against the purple dead nettle, a plant I especially hate because when it first comes up, it looks disarmingly like lemon balm. However, there is still plenty of chickweed, cleavers, and some purslane as well as the usual obligatory plantains in the yard.
The yard is an L-shape, first a long narrow bed along the sidewalk out to the parking space, then a wider (maybe 6') strip along west side of the house, and then a fairly wide backyard. It's shaded on the west by the Monster Walnut two doors over, but gets good sun for about half the day.
In the narrow spot, I have some tansy, orange bergamot mint, and lemon balm. There was a spicebush on the corner but the landlord took it down.
In the wider bit, I am slowly disposing of the not-quite-grass and replacing it with Other Things. Right now, near the back door/patio there are lilies of the valley (I think they have begun to recover from my reckless misuse of them when I moved in). The peppermint that was in front of that may have bitten the proverbial dust. Every year I hopefully plant a balloon flower but it just dies. Further along may be some surving costmary but there is definitely lots of lemon balm, and an angelica, quite a healthy Southernwood and a small sucker off the rosebush from my mother's garden. And of course the obligatory violets, which self-seed all over the yard when I'm not looking. This year I will give up and just start cooking them for dinner, otherwise they will take over the garden. I admit in early May and late April they make a brave show with the white flowers, then the purple varieties-- but they are the scentless kind and they spread with great abandon. I hate to pull them out but can't grow anything else without doing so! I put in two pansies in that area and the rest will go in a narrow row between the lemon balm and the wall. The lemon balm will probably get trimmed heavily just on general principles and probably get used at All's Faire for strewing herbs.
There was a lilac tree in the middle of the long side of the square back garden, but my landlord apparently came by with his saw and took it down. Unfortunately, he didn't tackle the unsightly maple which is technically on the other side of the iron fence, or the prickly ornamental bush. He did do a hack job on MOST of the Rose of Sharons, which is good since Rose of Sharons are among the other plants I have to fight off, and the have very long strong roots. I still have at least 4 along the fence rows on both sides. On the near side of the nice little bed before the compost bin and where the lilac used to be, there is what may be a sorrel, and a lot of violets. Lettuces should probably go in there. Lemon balm and wild phlox fill part of the area to the north of the compost bin, shading slowly into a stand of mugwort and whatever motherwort I haven't disgustedly ripped out. To the north of this, and a bit into the lawn is where the forget-me-nots rescued from mom's garden path have gone. We will see which, if any, survive. There is also some soapwort and a stand of Wormwood which is quite happy. After 4 years, the bergamot/bee balm/Oswego tea which was in the northwest corner has finally given up the ghost, and I may yet replace it. The morning glories and sweet peas which attempt to claim this corner for themselves have not yet made any major appearance, but they will. They are so beautiful that I can't bring myself to eradicate them.
The back wall (there is a stone retaining wall that supports a sidewalk around the back of the house on the perpendicular street) area is mostly violets, with one or two fading tulips. Later in the year, the morning glories will romp in from next door, climb up the wall and any plants they can get, and crawl up the chain-link fence at the top of the retaining wall. If only they didn't choke everything they climb! The lovage I put in last year (or was it two years ago now?) is a dense, 2' high stand. The old rose I put in three years ago has come back and I expect to get several more blooms out of it this year than I did last year-- but I will be watching for it this year. Last year some flowers were half-faded before I saw 'em. The peculiar bush that grows out of the retaining wall has been cut back as much as possible, but it's still growing. I doubt it will flower this year but it is very vigorous. It has dark-wine colored pomponish flowers with an apple-y scent when it does flower.
The white picket fence along the east side is slowly falling down and being removed. The garage of the property next door still forms a partial border, and there are raspberries, vinca, and ivy along the side. A piece of patio sticks out there, and that is where my potted plants generally live.
The sage did not survive the winter; nor did the germander or hyssop. Some pinks are coming back, laboriously, and a number of the thymes, including English, creeping, and golden. Lime thyme, given up for dead, may still nourish life. There are of course chives, and a number of 'is this still there' containers of plants. I just planted a new rosemary bush in one of the planting pots, a large 2-3 gallon one ceramic one with a leaf embossed on the front. The (annual) sweet annie which will grow to be a pest all over the yard doesn't seem to be up yet, but the wild geraniums (I moan as I remember I BOUGHT the first one at a wild plant sale) have had to be removed from many places I don't want them, already.
The pansies I had originally bought to ornament the salads at Christopher's feast didn't get planted; I was able to rescue at least 1/3 of them today by prompt addition of water, so we will see how many can be planted. I also have the obligatory "I went to Deer Creek Farm and Bought Stuff" collection: cinnamon basil, lime basil, lime balm, germander, summer savory, Christopher's hops plant, parsley, calendula, rue, marjoram, and a chocolate mint to replace the one that died last winter. (Yes, I can kill mint.) The indoor plants, such as survived this stressful winter, will go outside, and I may actually plant things. In the ground. Seeds, I mean. We shall see.
Juergen and I cleared off the patio last Wednesday, and mowed the Lawn. I've been fighting a battle against the weeds in my spare moments after work. I may actually have mostly won the battle against the purple dead nettle, a plant I especially hate because when it first comes up, it looks disarmingly like lemon balm. However, there is still plenty of chickweed, cleavers, and some purslane as well as the usual obligatory plantains in the yard.
The yard is an L-shape, first a long narrow bed along the sidewalk out to the parking space, then a wider (maybe 6') strip along west side of the house, and then a fairly wide backyard. It's shaded on the west by the Monster Walnut two doors over, but gets good sun for about half the day.
In the narrow spot, I have some tansy, orange bergamot mint, and lemon balm. There was a spicebush on the corner but the landlord took it down.
In the wider bit, I am slowly disposing of the not-quite-grass and replacing it with Other Things. Right now, near the back door/patio there are lilies of the valley (I think they have begun to recover from my reckless misuse of them when I moved in). The peppermint that was in front of that may have bitten the proverbial dust. Every year I hopefully plant a balloon flower but it just dies. Further along may be some surving costmary but there is definitely lots of lemon balm, and an angelica, quite a healthy Southernwood and a small sucker off the rosebush from my mother's garden. And of course the obligatory violets, which self-seed all over the yard when I'm not looking. This year I will give up and just start cooking them for dinner, otherwise they will take over the garden. I admit in early May and late April they make a brave show with the white flowers, then the purple varieties-- but they are the scentless kind and they spread with great abandon. I hate to pull them out but can't grow anything else without doing so! I put in two pansies in that area and the rest will go in a narrow row between the lemon balm and the wall. The lemon balm will probably get trimmed heavily just on general principles and probably get used at All's Faire for strewing herbs.
There was a lilac tree in the middle of the long side of the square back garden, but my landlord apparently came by with his saw and took it down. Unfortunately, he didn't tackle the unsightly maple which is technically on the other side of the iron fence, or the prickly ornamental bush. He did do a hack job on MOST of the Rose of Sharons, which is good since Rose of Sharons are among the other plants I have to fight off, and the have very long strong roots. I still have at least 4 along the fence rows on both sides. On the near side of the nice little bed before the compost bin and where the lilac used to be, there is what may be a sorrel, and a lot of violets. Lettuces should probably go in there. Lemon balm and wild phlox fill part of the area to the north of the compost bin, shading slowly into a stand of mugwort and whatever motherwort I haven't disgustedly ripped out. To the north of this, and a bit into the lawn is where the forget-me-nots rescued from mom's garden path have gone. We will see which, if any, survive. There is also some soapwort and a stand of Wormwood which is quite happy. After 4 years, the bergamot/bee balm/Oswego tea which was in the northwest corner has finally given up the ghost, and I may yet replace it. The morning glories and sweet peas which attempt to claim this corner for themselves have not yet made any major appearance, but they will. They are so beautiful that I can't bring myself to eradicate them.
The back wall (there is a stone retaining wall that supports a sidewalk around the back of the house on the perpendicular street) area is mostly violets, with one or two fading tulips. Later in the year, the morning glories will romp in from next door, climb up the wall and any plants they can get, and crawl up the chain-link fence at the top of the retaining wall. If only they didn't choke everything they climb! The lovage I put in last year (or was it two years ago now?) is a dense, 2' high stand. The old rose I put in three years ago has come back and I expect to get several more blooms out of it this year than I did last year-- but I will be watching for it this year. Last year some flowers were half-faded before I saw 'em. The peculiar bush that grows out of the retaining wall has been cut back as much as possible, but it's still growing. I doubt it will flower this year but it is very vigorous. It has dark-wine colored pomponish flowers with an apple-y scent when it does flower.
The white picket fence along the east side is slowly falling down and being removed. The garage of the property next door still forms a partial border, and there are raspberries, vinca, and ivy along the side. A piece of patio sticks out there, and that is where my potted plants generally live.
The sage did not survive the winter; nor did the germander or hyssop. Some pinks are coming back, laboriously, and a number of the thymes, including English, creeping, and golden. Lime thyme, given up for dead, may still nourish life. There are of course chives, and a number of 'is this still there' containers of plants. I just planted a new rosemary bush in one of the planting pots, a large 2-3 gallon one ceramic one with a leaf embossed on the front. The (annual) sweet annie which will grow to be a pest all over the yard doesn't seem to be up yet, but the wild geraniums (I moan as I remember I BOUGHT the first one at a wild plant sale) have had to be removed from many places I don't want them, already.
The pansies I had originally bought to ornament the salads at Christopher's feast didn't get planted; I was able to rescue at least 1/3 of them today by prompt addition of water, so we will see how many can be planted. I also have the obligatory "I went to Deer Creek Farm and Bought Stuff" collection: cinnamon basil, lime basil, lime balm, germander, summer savory, Christopher's hops plant, parsley, calendula, rue, marjoram, and a chocolate mint to replace the one that died last winter. (Yes, I can kill mint.) The indoor plants, such as survived this stressful winter, will go outside, and I may actually plant things. In the ground. Seeds, I mean. We shall see.
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no subject
Date: 2005-05-10 03:44 am (UTC)I paid $25 for a nice lilac bush one year when I was rilly poor and planted it and took pictures of it almost daily when it was about to bloom for the first time - then my LL, who up until this time had been MIA, showed up and MOWED IT DOWN!!!!
Of course then he accused me of never paying a sec dep and told us we had 30 days to move out.
{{{sigh}}} I should get over it already...
no subject
Date: 2005-05-10 11:03 am (UTC)