Why I Oughta...

The *other* variety of Brunnera - Queen of Hearts - is pacing right about the same as the Jack of Diamonds.  I have three of them that have emerged early this Spring with green and white foliage that is peeking through the mulch.  See below for a few 'Early Spring' pics from the beds showing this shade-tolerant plant.   All three are back for their third growing season.  They were planted in 2021 .   In the photo below....it really hits home that I need to get my yard cleaned up this week.

All four of our Hellebores are throwing up their Spring blooms and putting on new foliage.  I've covered these earlier this year - and how they emerged really early (like...a MONTH EARLY) .   Last year, I added three new ones and will likely buy more this year at the Morton Sale.  Below are a few photos showing these Winter/Spring flowers in early April.  First...all four of them: Then, a little closer look: And, finally....a ground-level look: Upward-facing blooms - and breeding these to face up - has been a breakthrough and provide even more enjoyment for this Zone 5b gardener (or...plantsman...lol). 

Last Fall, like the previous ones, I went about trying to dig up, divide and transplant some of the perennials that we have in the garden .  Why?  Well...because...they're 'free plants'.  Nothing better than that, in my mind.  One of the perennials that I went ham-on in the backyard were the multiple colonies of Summer Beauty Allium that are planted around the backyard.  I divided one clump of these Summer Beauties that were in the south beds and divided the clump into four smaller plants and planted them around the base of the Oak tree - the tree-swing tree.  Here's that post from mid-October showing the four plants .   This Spring brings good news - as all four Summer Beauty Allium have emerged in their spots.  See below for a photo from this week showing the tips that have emerged for their first growing season in this bed: These are WELL ahead of the hostas and grasses that are planted in this bed.  I'm looking forward to seeing thes...

Last year, the Bird planted a single Carex Albicans in her little 'garden' that is a in the shady understory section of our backyard.  I didn't think much of it at the time, nor paid much attention to it.  But it appears to have been buried under some leaves this Winter.  And, when I was nosing around that section, I noticed them.  It is green and sitting next to some Wild Onions.  See below: Interesting to note how Carex Albicans have done over the Winter - I have others planted back by the firepit - which look the same.  Also a big note:  the rabbits don't pay any attention to these at all. 

That photo above shows a new (to me) bud from a shrub that I bought on a whim last fall:  Lemony Lace Elderberry .  And, isn't that the most delightful sign of Spring?  It looks....alien.  Doesn't it?  Purple and lime green, ball and fringe.  All in one package.   I had these protected from rabbits with a chicken-wire cage and that seems to have worked.  See below for the current state of this shrub: This is one to watch, since it is the first full growing season.  Maybe I'll add more of these - via the Morton Arboretum Plant Sale - as I see them there every year.  They work in 'part shade' - which has a lot of value in our garden. 

This is the way.  My 2023 yard and garden to-do list is the way that I set-up some guardrails on my activies in the garden this year.  This is something that I've done over the years - starting in 2019 .  Here is 2022's version - which included 25 items .  That (25 items) is where I've seemed to settle the past few years.   Earlier this year, I started to collect my thoughts and published a 'potential projects' post in late January that unpacked some priorities that I could work through this year.   Without further preamble, let's turn to the 2023 to-do list. 1. Evergreens. Like last year, where I listed 'shrubs' as my #1 item, this ye ar, I want to think about having a focus on evergreens. That means...trees and shrubs. For now, that means adding boxwoods under the Lindens , thinking about more upright evergreens in other places in the back and using them to create some Winter structure in the beds.  And, adding dwarf varieties (stagg...

Last week, I posted a couple of photos showing the 'clumps' of Wild Onions (and their surrounding turf) that I've been digging out of the yard .  Over the years, I've found that the ONLY way to remove these things are to dig them up.   I've taken different approaches over the years in terms of how much soil I 'take' vs what I 'put back'.  This year, I'm trialing a new way to remove the Wild Onions by digging out and NOT pulling the bulbs.   In previous years, I'd use a shovel to dig out a clump that included grass.  Then, I'd sort of 'tear' the clump apart to try to release the bulbs.  And, then...I'd put the clump with the grass on top back in place.   This year, I'm taking the turf, too.  In an attempt to not leave any bulbs behind.  My thought is that the lawn will spread out and fill these spots in this Summer.   I'm also NOT composting these - instead...just tossing them directly in our garbage can.   B...