Missed the window

Overcast weather is the best for taking garden photos.  This weekend was quite overcast, and I intended to take some photos of the work I did on Sunday... but by the time I'd finished up, the sun had come out.  So you don't get photos for a while again...



John over at http://www.obsessiveneuroticgardener.com/ had recommended Bluestone Perennials http://www.bluestoneperennials.com, and I have to say, I recommend them too.  They ship promptly, and the plants come in biodegradable fiber pots which they say can be planted directly.  I admit that I do remove the pots to tease the roots, since that'll give them a better start in my clay soil; but I tear apart the pots and use them as mulch or toss them in the compost bin.



I planted Veronica 'Georgia Blue' which is a lavender color; and Veronica 'Waterperry Blue' which is a more clear blue color.  These went in on the front bank above the retaining wall, as other Veronica I'd planted there - 'Whitewater' and 'Tidal Pool' - have done very well as weed-blocking and erosion controlling groundcover.  The Lamium (deadnettle) I'd started with more or less crept all the way down to the bottom of the slope, and then disappeared.  Veronica seems to make much nicer mats.




Five Salvia nemorosa 'Viola Klose' and three Geranium macrorrhizum went in along the driveway area, between the Dutch irises/Black Eyed Susans & the milkweeds.  This filled in some of the space left vacant by one of the hybrid tea roses I'd moved (By the way, those roses seem to be doing OK for now.  We'll see if they survive the winter.)  I already had some of the Geranium near that area, up a little closer to the retaining wall, which did very well; so I think this repetition of the same plant will look nice.  There are five other Salvia of a different variety ('Blue Queen') there which also did well;  the foliage is a bit different so it should be a nice textural difference.




In my order, I also received a free Anemone (I believe it was Anemone 'Honorine Jobert', will look at my pile of tags later) which is supposed to grow 3' - 4' in full sun, so I put it up by the phlox and iris next to the boulder with our street number, and took out the basket of gladiolus bulbs that had been near there while I was at it.



Speaking of milkweeds - I got a new pest this year in addition to the yellow aphids - big orange milkweed bug babies & a few of their parents.  Insecticidal soap employed, as I want these plants to be host to Monarch butterflies.  Unfortunately I did not see any Monarchs on the milkweed this year, but I've helped the fluffy seeds fly.