I enjoy planting things. Flowering things mostly. Food plants and I don't mesh. These days house plants and I don't mesh well either, but I have a dim house with very little direct sunlight. (Part and parcel of living in the woods.)
In past years, I have planted mums, peonies, columbines, bugle weed, astilbe, lily of the valley, sedums, and a hydrangea on this property. We already had a lilac, a crepe myrtle, azaleas, roses, and irises here - and I've moved all but the roses to better locations and the roses I replanted in the same bed.
I also planted cone flowers and a forsythia, but they died. =o\
Something strange hit my mums last year and the majority of those died as well. But I still have a few, including one of the original four yellow mums I bought the first year we were here.
Every year I plant marigolds. I love marigolds. And I usually get some snapdragons for the front blocks at the end of the driveway. And the wildflower seeds I scattered in the cedar bed are coming up year after year, so that's good. I like it best when I don't have to futz with stuff too much.
This year, I also planted lavender, hollyhocks, butterfly bushes, and a mixed bag of mystery bulbs. They're all in the two full sun areas. Keep your fingers crossed for me that they all survive.
Already, my roses, azaleas, lilacs, and irises have buds or blooms. My azaleas are freaking out with buds - if not leaves. (Poor things. I can't figure out why they have so few leaves.)
Anywhere, I hope to have flowers everywhere throughout the growing season. Now to when the snow flies this fall. :fingers crossed:
What kinds of flowers do you like? Do you enjoy gardening?
I have a black thumb. No, seriously. The man who built this house was a master gardner--certified. He died and his widow just let things go for years. Then we bought the house and I've let things go. Every once in awhile, something crops up that surprises me. I had two clumps of bluebells that came up this year that I'd never seen before. There are lilies, day lilies, two rose bushes and irises. Most of the irises don't bloom but nice leaves. LOL I have Naked Ladies, spider lilies, and wisteria. The weather got most of the wisteria this year. Some springs, I have masses of blooms up in the oak trees. I also have wild honeysuckle and grapevine. Self-seeding morning glories. And three peony plants. I usually get one bloom a year from one of two plants. The 3rd plant has never bloomed but the leaves look pretty. I'm sure it's due to a lack of sun. Too many trees and the sunny area is bermuda grass and in a spot that we would never see any flowers blooming there. We had azaleas but they've mostly died out. In the fall, pack pecan hull mulch around the base of yours. Your blooms will be more vivid in the spring. A neighbor has a yard-full and the display stops cars! That's his secret. :)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have acid soil if your azaleas and hydrangeas do so well for you. You might want to top dress your roses with a little ash to balance out the acidity.
ReplyDeleteIn east Texas our acid loving plants bloomed like crazy. North Texas is a different animal. Here, I have to nurse maid them in pots and treat the soil with coffee grounds and pine needles when I can find them.
I tried growing my acid loving blueberries in the ground, but they hated it. They'll only thrive in pots.
I don't have a favorite flower, but I do like roses, especially the old roses. They have such a lovely scent.