Fertiliser Friday Sept 21

Its been a fantastic week at Frog Hollow... I spent 7 hours on Sunday pruning tree canopy's up to allow more light underneath as well as to make the view from the deck over the pond into this area more pleasing!  One of the biggest under takings was to hand dig a 6 foot by 5 foot Rhododendron out that was position way too far back over in the meadow and replant it so that when it blooms in the spring I can enjoy it from the deck...It has spectacular red blooms..I'd like to go and get a purple and an orange blooming Rhododendrons to put in a cluster with it!   I also did a lot of moving plants around again.... part of that ever on going hopscotch I've spoken about. Hopefully this is their final resting place, or at least for a year or so. After church I also went to Hunt tree nursery and purchased another 10 plants. My friend Nancy is a very bad influence or good, depending on your outlook. I have been working on bringing more white blooming flowers and or variegated foliage and silver foliage plants closer around the pond for late afternoon and evening viewings. I've been trying to think and picture the "layers" of blooms and the contrasting  forms and textures of plants. All of this has had me working like an energizer bunny and at  the end of the evening I'm a sweaty, dirty mess. But an extremely happy lady as I sit with tea in hand and survey the garden from my lofty seat on the deck. Its a great feeling that sense of accomplishment. What is on your fall list of "must do"  and  a "wish list" of possible projects to enhance your garden enjoyment?

On to the flowers for this week....

I love the brightness that this Lamium maculatum 'Aureum'   brings to this dark corner of shade as you walk around my pond under the large tree. I've yet to find the seating I want there..... next year!

This plants foliage gives beauty the season long... It is blooming little white flowers at the moment.

My yellow daylilies... species not known for sure!  contrast lovely with the dark ninebark in the background. I've gone ahead and planted more on both sides to really give a wave of colour.

Fall Asters really starting to perform

This is a new arrangement behind the mermaid. I added in Rodgersia aesculifolia  It has very chunky 'five fingers' as its commonly referred to puffy leaves.. a great contrast to the smooth leaves of the hostas and the fine texture of the ferns and Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'  which I just removed from my planters.

picture from behind the mermaid gives a better idea of the actual plant.

This is a Japanese Anemone A.tomentosa 'Robustissima'  Blooms in August and will self seed itself. Its a shade loving plant and again is on the south side of the pond under the shade of the tree.

This plants common name alone grabbed my attention.. "Lady's tresses"  or Spiranthes romanzoffiana.

white flowering variegated Sedum  

This is on the North side of the pond.

I loved the look of this shrub. Its in my white garden area of the pond sporting these "bud" that never ever get any bigger!  They just stay like this. I know I know its name... BUT! Its 10pm here and I just put in a 13 hour day at the office...So, Im not going to go out with a flashlight and try to find the tag..The last time I walked around out there in the dark I stepped on one of my frogs!  That feeling is going to stick with me for a while...

My  Pieris japonica  is on the North side of the house with the Sedum 'Brocade"  It bloomed this spring and put on a good new growth. Now its blooming again!

Now my "white garden" has those buds of red from the variegated shrub which has yet to be named. so I then turned around and put in the Lobelia cardinalis  I have long loved this plant for its showy red flowers.

This is Sedum 'Brocade' 

I'm just not getting the true deep purple of the stems and the darkening colours of the flowers with these photos..

Heuchera 'Dark chocolate'

This is the new Euonymous burning bush and the Asclepias tuberosa  butterfly weed which has gone to seed long since. Last year I had this covered with Monarchs and then their caterpillars happily munching away my seeds before then going into cocoons. It was awesome to see. Yet I am happy to have the seeds to self seed themselves. BUT....I wonder where the Monarchs went this year!

This is the row of peppers I through into a slim area of sandy soil in front of the walkway wall

Here's the result of two plants

I also bought three plants of  monkshood One Aconitum napellus  and two Aconitum charmichelii 'Arendsii' 

these next two are NOT the same plant... they are different in their leaves and flowers if you look closely. I know they are in the Asteracea family... and I think the top one is a Helianthus and the bottom one is a Heliopsis helianthoides "Summer sun"

My balloon flowers  Platycodon grandiflorus and  the  Sedum "Neon" 

Hibiscus syriacus 'Lavender chiffon'

This is  Erigeron strigosus ...Fleabane daisy... I'm just not in love with this!

Muscari  looking absolutely beautiful.

Hibiscus syriasus 'Red Heart'

This is  Ratibida columnifera 'Mexican hat' Or Prairie coneflower

My daisys blooming again even after being chopped to no more then 5 inches tall!

Pennisetun 'Red hat' ever blowing in the wind...creates wonderful movement and catches the light from the setting sun beautifully

Pennisetum alopecuroides   distinctly whiter heads.

Erianthus raennae This gets 8 to 10 feet tall...Pampus grass

Phlox paniculata 'Bright eyes'

My one dollar rose from Menard's which has now been moved to a different bed where it will get more light.

Coreopsis verticillata Threadleaf coreopsis

Hosta species 

This is one of my favorites... I had a huge 4 x 3 foot clump of it that I've split and put in several places now... Its got a heady fragrance

I did mention that I inherited a garden of a lot of plant material but it was planted in straight rows of 5 or 7 of the same hosta.... I've divided them and staggered them inter mingling and letting them dance!  Hopefully I've created some interesting contrast for next year.

this is an annual I love for its colour Bells of Ireland.

Eupatorium 'Chocolate' Joe Pye weed

Just starting to bloom.. Maybe next week it will have more to offer!

So considering that I have sacrificed a lot of the flowers this year in order to divide and move things around plus get ready for all the bulbs and new plants I've bought. I'm still enjoying a fair bit of colour.

Once again, Thanks for stopping by and please come again!

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