How is it June already?! That thing, where the older you get the faster time passes? Well, apparently 2012 has taken that as a dare, because I swear it was February about five minutes ago. On the upside, things are growing in the gardens without me doing much to them, and not all of those things are weeds!
I got this Chocolate Joe Pye Weed on its deathbed for a few cents at the end of the season last year and it has sprung back to life really well. It’s not very big yet, but give it time and I’m sure it’ll grow. It makes a really nice contrast to the ‘Powis Castle’ Artemisia, I think.
LOOK! I took some cuttings of the dwarf Barberry last year and planted them in between the existing shrubs (which were another clearance find a few years ago) and at least one of them is growing! (In the center.) I’m so excited to see this. I really want this hedge to become more hedge-y and less like a line of plants and the fact that this little guy is looking so robust makes me super happy.
Earlier this year I read that I should prune my butterfly bushes to get them to be more robust, so I pruned the shit out of them, half afraid that I was doing irreparable damage. But look! They’re coming back!
Lovely and robust and ready to outstrip the lilies and russian sage.
Am I the only one who loves foxglove? It is such a magical-looking plant and even though it only blooms every other year, it’s one of my favorites.
I can’t remember what this is. It looks kind of like a carnation, doesn’t it?
The chicory is still going apeshit. It’s HUGE. I think I will be pulling it out, or at least some of it, pretty soon because it’s just too big for the space it’s in. And look! One stalk of it is infested with something! Eww.
This lily is my favorite thing growing in the front garden right now for one reason only: it looks like the mouth of an alien or some other sci-fi creature. Can’t you just hear it? Bwaaaawk!
And this little corner continues to be pretty with a variety of things blooming. When the rest of the pink lilies (barely visible right now above the purple salvia) blossom it’ll be even better.
Unless you want your butterfly bush to get hugely tall, you almost have to hack them back to the ground. They don’t seem to mind it at all. I LOVE my Chocolate Joe Pye Weed. It’s one of the last plants in the yard to bloom but it’s worth it and it looks good even while it’s growing.
That’s what I heard, Andrew! I’m happy that they are so resilient. I’m hopeful that I’ll like my JPW just as much as you like yours!
I didn’t know that foxglove only blooms every other year-I guess that makes this year’s bloom even more special! It is indeed so delicate and pretty and fairy like.
That butterfly bush pruning tip we got on FB was so right on. My bush is huge. (out of context that sounds awful.) I believe your little pink carnation is a dianthus. And I love your alien lily! My lilies also bloomed started blooming yesterday.
LOL Sarah! I hope my bush is huge soon, too.
And you’re right – that’s definitely a dianthus!
I love foxglove too. And that carnation lookalike is dianthus, which is the family that includes carnations.
Everything looks so nice!
Yes! Dianthus is right! Thank you!