Why I Oughta...

Yesterday, I posted a photo showing the six new Ajuga 'Burgundy Glow' plugs that I stuck in the front of the border by the little colony of Hellebores in our backyard.  I talked about how I wanted to 'keep going' on groundcover this year mostly with a mix of Ajuga and Carex.  Why?  Because those are the two groundcovers that I've had the most success with over the years.  I also should list sedum because a few of those have worked, too.  #1 on my 2026 to-do list was to 'stop fighting nature' and #15 was focus on repetition vs net-new things and #20 was to 'keep going' on groundcover.  When you combine all three of those things what do you get?  The answer:  more Ajuga 'Chocolate Chip'.   There's plenty of reasons to shop at your local nursery over a big box store parking lot temporary nursery, but the prices on their groundcover plugs is NOT one of them.  Thanks to the folks at the Home Depot, you can buy a tray of six Ajuga plugs...

Amongst the excitement of the temperatures warming up and planting season arriving, I often need to return to my annual 'to-do' list to remind myself of the priorities.  #20 on my list was to 'keep going with groundcover' - something that I've been working on the past few seasons.  Well...groundcover AND conifers.  Because I was lacking BOTH.   My groundcover of choice has been Ajuga.  Mostly of the 'Chocolate Chip' variety.  But, I saw this tray of Burgundy Glow plugs on the bench at Menards and I figured I'd give these another run.  I say 'another run' because I've had Burgundy Glow before, but it didn't make it. I bought it for a Fairy Garden and transplanted it late in the season in the back .  It didn't survive Winter .  I also planted a single plant IB2DWs .  That one, too is gone.   This time, I'm planting six plugs.  And, planting them earlier in the year in hopes they can get established before the heat of Au...

I found this dwarf blue spruce on a high graft - or 'on standard' a week back and I went back for it the next day and brought it home.  Named Picea pungens 'Glauca Globosa'.  You can see the bright spring growth on the tips of this thing in the first photo below.  Is this a tree?  I don't think so.  Let's call this an evergreen shrub, so it won't go on my [trees planted] list.  But, being up 'on standard' almost makes me call it a tree.   Here, below is the front/back of the plant tag showing the blue color. I have three other blue spruces - two in front IB2DWs and one in the back.  The two up front are doing good (one better than the other) , but the one in back is in severe decline.   Blue spruces add an interesting color and texture to the garden, so my brain made the connection between the 'blank spot' I had been staring at for a few weeks in the [kitchen curved] bed and this dwarf conifer.  When I brought it home, I plop'...

Last Summer, I planted our second Korean Maple tree named the Arctic Jade from Iseli Nursery that is part of their Jack Frost Collection of cold-hardy trees.  In late May, I posted the first "Getting to Know" post about the tree that highlighted the features of this tree .  And, in early June, I planted it in the backyard .  The tree seemed to do great in its first season and put on a nice Fall show.  Here's a full-tree picture on November first and here's a close-up of the colors in the foliage a few days later .   This Spring, however...has been a different story.  The other Korean Maple - Northern Glow ( planted in 2024 ) arrived as expected and has leaf'd out as it should have the past few weeks.  But, the Arctic Jade Korean Maple is stuck in neutral.  Just two leaves, down near the base of the tree.  Here, below are some photos showing this tree.  First up, the pair of leaves you can see below.  Also note...the root flare...

Something that I included on my 2026 to-do list (#15) is to focus on repetition vs. planting net-new things.  I wrote this: 15. Stay focused by using the concept of Repetition vs. new.   I had this same one in my 2025 list . This is a reminder to future Jake who is staring at the tables at the nursery this Summer. Stop. Focus. More of what we have, not wandering diversity. See #1, #3, #8. That means: Sun Kings, Autumn Ferns, Ajuga, Sedums, Carex, Autumn Moor Grasses, Hakonecholas, Astilbes, Nepeta and annuals. For shrubs, it means Viburnums. Well...this here is 'Future Jake' and I'm here to report on what I came home with from the annual Morton Arboretum Plant Sale. And the report contains good news: I bought more of things I already have including Sun Kings and Hakonechloa Grasses. Below are some photos of the plant sale signs and the trios of one-gallon containers that I bought of each kind: These are the third collection of Sun Kings that I'll have in the backyar...

The clumps of spreading (kind-of) groundcover named Ajuga 'Chocolate Chip' are at their peak in early May this growing season.  After a period of foliage growth in April (that followed a seemingly mild Winter) on these, they're now in full bloom.  Purple/blue flowers standing tall.  In various pockets of the garden including these three clusters in the 'nook' garden bed along the front edge of that border. You can see them below.  These went in as part of a 'garden edit' in 2024 .   There were more back a few years, but I think that some of them were impacted by Winter 2024/2025.   #20 on my 2026 to-do list this year is to 'keep going with groundcover' .  Moments like this with Ajuga are a good reminder why that's a good idea.