Happening in the garden

Things are finally getting past the frantic mode as I have actually made it a week without purchasing a plant. I know the girl at the nursery up the street thought I was about to move in with them. I told her I was addicted and she said she had seen worse. I shudder to think...

Part of the halt has been due to my part-time job, which I started this week. I am in the orientation/training phase and I worked 3 straight days from 8-5. I came home utterly exhausted. I guess I had gotten into the habit of sleeping late. I do not have to return until next week and I will be on my regular schedule which means I don't go in until 9am. I am not much of a morning person so I am relieved.
  
Before employment reared its ugly head, I was concentrating on the area right beyond our deck in the back year. The following photo shows a side view. Envision the side borders as wall divisions and you get the picture. This is to be an enclosed room. To the left is the vegetable garden so I want these areas to be separate. Right now, when you look across the back (and the front, for that matter), you see everything. There is no mystery whatsoever. 

If you wondering what the big white pom-pom blooms are, that is the existing hedge of  Red-Tip Photinia. I have never photinia this size and certainly not blooming like this is. You can see the flowers better in the top photo.  

I also got the urn fountain installed and it is working beautifully. Michael helped me with this and he came up with the design for the rocks around it. Yesterday evening, I saw a hummingbird sitting on the edge of it drinking. Then he would jump in the water and take a bath. I have yet to see any birds visit it though. They do like to bath in the little bird bath on the other side.

Remember the deck project a few weeks ago? We left the steps because they were literally falling off the sides. I got tired of waiting for the deck guy to show up and we have company coming into town next week so I thought "Why can't I do this myself"? Of course the answer to this is laughable because any type of project like this usually ends in cursing and disaster. I took the plunge though and I am so proud of myself. I picked out the wood and actually finished the steps today (there is another set of steps on the other side). Things actually went smoothly for the most part and all the tools cooperated. Michael was impressed too.

Now, on to some plants blooming in the garden...

Bleeding Heart (Dicentra 'Valentine')

Wild Ginger (Asarum) and Japanese Painted Fern 'Burgundy Lace'

Jerusalem Sage (Phlomis), a plant I loved in Alabama.

Sedum makinoi 'Ogon'. I am discovering the pleasures of the Home Depot Clearance Cart.
This was one of my recent finds.

Red Columbine (Aquilegia formosa), I purchased this at the St. John's Native Plant Sale.

Delphinium trollifolium, a purchase at Hortlandia a few weeks ago.

Aubretia (Rock Cress), a Home Depot clearance find.

Another of the mystery shrubs already here in the garden turned out to be dwarf Korean lilac (Syringa meyeri 'Palibin'. Thank you Amy Campion for the correct identification!

The fragrance is intense!

This little guy lives in the hedge and under the garden shed. He seems to be increasingly brave around me. We have not named him yet. I am watching him closely, just waiting for him to start enjoying the garden as his own personal buffet. I have only seen him eating grass. We had accused him of eating the Swiss Chard I planted but later caught a squirrel red-handed. So for now, Bunny is off the hook.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy