Why I Oughta...

Most everything perennial in our backyard garden has gone to sleep for the season.  But there's some new(er) things that are seeing their first Winter season in our yard that are showing a little bit of contrast.  Below is a photo that shows an inter-planted set of Twinkle Toes Pulmonaria and Blue Champion Primrose.  The Primrose went in the beds in VERY EARLY Spring 2023 and this is the first Winter:  The foliage difference is pretty striking;  the Pulmonaria is mostly brown, wilting and dead.  The Primrose?  Green and seemingly evergreen.   A new (to me) nice little study in winter foliage. Here's a post from a little bit over a year ago showing these same Pulmonaria without the Blue Champion Primrose .   Also... note the leaf litter.  Those Northern Red Oak leaves sure don't break down easily.  

I'm on a roll with dividing - ferns, seslaria, Astilbes.  Today, spotted Lungwort. Last Fall, I transplanted my three Twinkle Toes Lungwort from the back of a bed, closer to the front .  Those three have thrived in their new spot.  But, they also left behind a few little surprises.   In the spot where the three transplants were living previously sprouted up three whole Twinkle Toes Lungwort plants.   I, of course hedged.  I dug up two of them and left one in place.  The two that I dug up, I divided.  Creating four new Twinkle Toes Lungworts.  I put two on the front of the border next to the newly transplanted Fanal Astilbes on the north side.   I tucked one in next to the Ghost Fern on the Boardwalk: And the fourth went in at the stoop on the side gravel walkway: Below is an 'after' photo that shows the three big clumps in front and the one volunteer that I left in place.  Next year, I'll lift it out and divide again....

Here comes planting season. The first of the new perennials has just gone in:  the three primrose that we bought at Wannemaker's early season sale .  These are Primula belarina 'Blue Champion' and I interplanted them with the Twinkle Toes Lungwort that I transplanted late last growing season (I moved them closer to the front of the border in order to allow space for other things in the middle of the bed that are taller .) and they have reemerged this Spring.   This area is more Sunny this time of year, but becomes more shade as the trees take on their seasonal leaves.   My hope is they'll be watered in (enough) to get established this year and as the Lungwort grows up, it will protect these Primrose a little bit.  

 The timing of dormancy in the garden continues to be a real source of learning for me in our garden - with different plants moving at different pacing that varies from year-to-year.  One of the plants that I caught in the garden going through a transition this week was the trio of Twinkle Toes Lungwort (Pulmonaria) that is showing a mix of foliage that appears to be green and some that is showing pure garden death.   See below for a photo showing the three Pulmonaria in early January: This Fall, I moved these these three out further to the edge of the bed, so there is likely a bit of transplant shock , but based on what I've seen over the years, these are right on track.    Here's a post with photos from early March 2021 that shows a similar mix of dead foliage with the new growth.

I have a trio of Twinkle Toes Lungwort that I planted in the Fall of 2020 that need to be put on my Fall 2022 transplant list.  In the photo below, you can see the three spotted Lungwort in the upper right of the photo.  And...in the bottom/center of the photo a big, wide-open space in the bed along the border - right where the hose is showing up all wavy-like.  These three Lungwort need to be dug up and moved closer to the border.  Two on the bottom side of the hose, one on the top side - in the middle.  And it is something I need to do this Fall.   I have a few other things (now) on the [ Fall 2022 ] tag in terms of transplanting projects like this Pagoda Dogwood (transplant or prune??) and dividing some hostas .  Now, moving these Lungwort is on there - and something I should do in September to give them enough time before the first frost. 

There are some plants that I've bought at various nurseries that seem to have done well and others that don't make it.  Then, there are the plants and perennials that I've bought at the Morton Arboretum plant sales.  I'm pretty sure that aside from some Huecheras that I planted in full Sun and were trampled by workers building the house next door, just about everything that I've brought home has worked out well.  The first time I went to the Morton sale was in the Fall of 2020 - they had a Fall Sale due to COVID - and I brought home some new-to-me perennials.  The first of those were three Twinkle Toes Pulmonaria - or Lungwort - that I planted in our backyard in late September 2020 .  They survived their first Winter and emerged for their first Spring a year ago - in mid-March 2021 .   Ever since, they've just performed and had some nice growth along the way.    The last time that I showed these were in Fall of last year when they put on som...