Gardening Wallingford Way

Over the river and through the traffic to Sara's house we go--to garden!  We had some giant hosta from my neighbor's sidewalk bed to replant at my daughter's house.

We put in two large hostas. One we were able to divide but it was really tough even with two shovels and three people--and a tree branch to sit in. This is a new technique for dividing hostas.  Sara called this one that we didn't divide "Big Mama."  I think it may be Hosta 'Takudama Flavocircinalis' but we'll need to wait until it blooms to be certain. It does have large buds right now.

Here's a view of the plants we put in last year: Brunnera 'Jack Frost', Lady's Mantle, Heuchera, Astilbe and Ligularia.  Sara already had some variegated hosta and some pachysandra in place under the dogwood and Japanese maple trees.  We just weeded, added some composted manure and cultivated it into the mulch and soil.  A very nice shade garden is developing!

On Facebook Sara reports pruning her climbing rose.  I guess her husband is mad at her, but she did prune it to grow horizontally and cover the upper fence as it should be for better coverage.

Maybe she did it to avoid getting scratched by rose thorns when they use the new patio set?  The Nepeta or cat mint below will grow again and cover some of the lower parts.

Her beds are shaping up with old-fashioned daylilies, Rose of Sharon, ajuga groundcover and a Coreopsis 'Moonbeam' newly transplanted today at the corner.

At her other corner where a wisteria is trying to grow but only wants to "hang high" on the rails, we transplanted another Coreopsis and some Rudbeckia or Black-Eyed Susan which were not getting enough sun. These colors should coordinate with the yellow Adirondack chair she just placed there (and that came from my garden when I bought the wrought iron bench).

Garden wisdom for today: All in good time. Everything will grow back, John, just like that grass keeps growing.  It's nature at work--and some relatives! At least we go back over the river...