Great Utility Box Plant Combination

One of my favorite combination of plants to hide the utility boxes is a mix of flowers that bloom at different times of the year, and a feather reed grass that provides a nice backdrop. Now, this combination also dies to the ground in winter so if you really wanted to hide a utility box you could use an evergreen shrub, but nevertheless over the years I found this combination works really well together:

• Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' feather reed grass
• Iris sibirica - Siberian Iris
• Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' - Huge purple coneflower
• Aster novae-angliae 'Purple Dome'

I learned that you don't want to have too many different types of plants, you want to have just a handful and have repetition so it looks really pleasing to the eye and not like just a hodgepodge of plants. 

Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus'

Iris sibirica

Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus'

Aster novae-angliae 'Purple Dome'

Recap: Best Blooms Summer 2016

I have a ton of photos from early spring before anything was really happening, and then as soon as things really started blooming my blogging slowed down. Here is a recap of summer bloom photos that I neglected to post.

Siberian iris

Lily 'After Eight'

Erigeron speciosus 'Darkest of All'

Hosta 'Frozen Margarita'

Siberian iris

Lily 'After Eight'

Salvia sylvestris 'Little Night'

Purple coneflower 'Magnus'

Athyrium nipponicum 'Pictum'

Cercis canadensis ‘Ruby Falls’

Lily 'Tiny Invader'

Lily 'Tiny Pearl' (front) and 'Tiny Invader' (back)

Lily 'Tiny Shadow'

Crocus Vigil 2016 Started Without Me!

Last year I stood watch eagerly anticipating the emergence of my first crocus flowers after planting bulbs in the Fall of 2014. I didn't have to wait long, as little tiny sprouts emerged the 2nd day of my vigil. Those first shoots emerged on March 8, 2015 - and the blooms peaked on April 5.

This year, we've had a warmer winter, and I was anticipating an earlier emergence along with the face that they already have roots grown in rather than being grown from bulbs. But I wasn't expecting them this early!

As of today, February 19, 2016 I already have shoots emerging. Because I was ALL OVER my crocus watch last year, I have photos basically every couple days covering the month from first emergence to peak. Judging from those photos, I'd say these sprouts are already 5-7 days old but not quite 10 days old. Then again, there is no real way of knowing because they could have emerged and paused or emerged very quickly based on the weather.

February 19, 2016 crocus already emerging, high of 63°F today

Keeping an eye on other parts of the garden, I noticed a lot more rabbit damage, and a few other plants trying to wake up. The pale blue iris leaves are starting to emerge, and there are some fat buds on the wild ginger. An unknown evergreen succulent is also a nice surprise that the rabbits seem to be leaving alone.

Unknown succulent that hitchhiked from Dayton on the iris clumps

Siberian Iris plotting for an early spring

European wild ginger - Asarum europaeum - buds looking like little lobster claws

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - April 2015

It's been a big month for my yard and since my Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day post in March. It's time for a monthly check-in! A month ago I was still awaiting my first crocus blooms. Now in April, they've come and gone, and other much bigger perennials are waking up and taking off quickly. I only have a couple plants blooming - and they are both new additions that were already in bloom at the store, so that's kinda cheating.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, April 2015 - Phlox subulata 'Drummond's Pink'

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, April 2015 - Armeria maritima 'Dusseldorf Pride'

Other than blooms, I have a lot of progress with other plants emerging. Not just a tiny sprout here and there, but actual growth and some real movement! My much anticipated Hosta 'Sum and Substance' are finally waking up too - I guess the bigger varieties sleep a little longer because 'Patriot' has been emerging for a while now.

Now emerging - Hosta 'Patriot'

A little slow to start - Hosta 'Sum and Substance'

Moving on up - Siberian Iris

Finally awake - Echinacea prpureua 'PowWow Wild Berry'

Really accelerating now, woohoo! -  Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'

Signs of Life: Siberian Iris and Royal Candles Waking Up

I got (what I believe to be) Veronica spicata ‘Royal Candles’ from Chris' aunt last Fall. I put them toward the south end of my side yard in part shade. They've been dead twigs for months now, but I was walking around the side and noticed little weeds that maybe aren't weeds, maybe they're part of the plant emerging? Yes I think they are the plant waking up!



I've also got some type of Siberian Iris from my dad that he dropped off in a bucket. They're from the front driveway of my parents' house, and I'm pretty sure this iris is as old as I am - I hear they live a long time. In any case, it's nice to see that they aren't just clumps of dead grass, and that something is actually going on down there. It's alive!!

I'm pretty sure this is Veronica spicata ‘Royal Candles’ emerging

What I thought was a lot of the same kind of weed growing all around the base might actually be the plant waking up

Frosty blue green iris stems emerging from the dead-grass-looking mound

I see you!

In other news, the LawnPride people came today, so we've got fertilizer - it's officially Spring and I should have mail order plants in about 2 weeks!