Fresh air
The front garden’s salvias and lantanas make a crazy quilt of color. Yes, I’m one of those gardeners who mixes pink and orange. And loves it.
We’ve enjoyed beautiful late-summer weather this week, with highs in the low nineties and fairly low humidity. Tomorrow promises to be even better, with north winds and highs in the low eighties. The cooler weather has brought new life to the garden . . . and to the gardener. I’ve been busy redoing the kids’ play area: hauling stone, edging, soil, and mulch, creating a bottle tree, moving the playset. It’s terrific to be out in the garden again, and I really enjoy hardscaping because I know it’s the backbone of the garden.
No pics of that yet, but here are some photos of the late-summer/early-fall garden.
Salvia leucantha and lantana
Lantana
Another view of the front garden, from the bench near the house
My roses are blooming again. Here they are, from the pale beauties to the lipsticked dames . . .
‘Marie Pavie’, backed by ‘Indigo Spires’ salvia
‘The Fairy’
‘Belinda’s Dream’
‘Carefree Beauty’
‘Valentine’
A last view of the front garden
Very charming. I like the way the central pot is low enough that you can see the entire door. We have plans for a courtyard in front of our front door and I was thinking of moving a tallish three-tiered fountain that we already own to the center of it. Now I am thinking better of it.
But you make me feel so lazy. Moving stones, soil and mulch; and me just sitting here making plans and drinking tea.
Well, Bill, you did just move in. You should be sitting around right now, making plans and drinking tea. You’ve got all winter to get your hardscaping in. Have fun with your front courtyard! —Pam
Ain’t fall great! I’ve been busy dividing irises and digging up clumps of oxblood lilies to give away and transplanting over-wintering annuals which have popped up everywhere. I can’t keep from whistling a merry tune.
Pam, the full shot of the front deserves a magazine cover. I love the way the grasses work in the parkway area, making the whole space part of the garden. At first glance they looked more like a pair of friendly puppies than plants!
I’m not as ambitious as you are – yet. It’s still very summery [only got down to 78º by midnight, yuck!] and the ground is so warm and dry that I’m holding off on planting and transplanting any of the shrubs, perennials and groundcovers on my very long ‘move-it-this-fall!’ list for a few more weeks. There’s enough maintenance, weeding and hacking of annual vines to keep me busy until then.
Annie
Muchas gracias, Annie!
You’re right, it IS still pretty warm and dry, but after the summer we just had, it feels so comfortable to me. Watch out, I may be developing some heat tolerance at last. 😉 All my work is hardscaping right now, though I will be planting some things this weekend. Where’s that cold front the forecasters were calling for? —Pam
Pam — Your garden is lovely. I say mix up those pinks and oranges and purples. I love those combinations and I especially love your front courtyard. But what I really envy are your roses. Soon I’ll post some pictures of my lackluster Old Blush blooms and maybe you’ll have some thoughts about how I’ve gone wrong.
I’m still contemplating my fall gardening — plants to move, to repot, new beds to be dug.
— Susan