Late Spring

Burt is taking a break from helping Nick repair our screens (before the onslaught of the mosquitos) to assist me with some garden chores. All that driveway cement needs some beautification and between the painting and repairs to the house the poor garden has been left to fend for itself. Time to catch up.

I have to admit that I am a lazy, careless gardener. Nick trims the hedge, bunnies prune our shrubs, the flowers reseed themselves and the birds drop off whatever they've picked up around town. Even the oak trees in our backyard were planted by the squirrels, and the results were excellent.

Worse yet, I never have a plan other than planting the tallest flowers in the back. This is a

concept my wildlife assistants can't quite grasp, consequently the hollyhocks end up in the front.

There is a rule I sort of follow, to avoid planting anything that produces yellow flowers. It's been my experience that if a plant survives for awhile in my garden, one year it will eventually put out yellow blossoms instead of whatever color it was originally. Loud, caution sign, school bus yellow flowers!

  

Not that there is anything wrong with yellow flowers, it's just that given half a chance they will take over completely. Happily, it's late spring, not time yet for those summer flowers that seem more prone to becoming an autumnal-looking golden yellow. Guess I could get in there and do some weeding. 

Peonies generally stay the color they are supposed to be, as listed on their nursery containers, but is that some pale yellow sneaking into the center of this bloom? Maybe it's a trick of the light.  

Looks like this iris could be harboring that yellow gene, too. Sneaky plants.

Burt has his work cut out for him, looks like the lawn needs mowing, too.

A pre-Polar Vortex photo of the same spot. I did replant the roses and clematis on the

arbor last summer, guess it's going to take a lot longer than I imagined for them to grow back!

Hey Burt, this is an ornamental pond not a hot tub! I can't blame him for finding a way to

cool off after a long day of digging in the dirt. Typical Burt, always smiling, enjoying life

however it comes, with a beer in his hand. Not a bad idea, I may have to join him!

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Ok now, does anyone else see that hint of yellow at the top?

Thanks for dropping in!

So how does your garden grow?