So last fall, I took the plunge and with the blessing of the Board of Directors (of which I am Secretary) I began a one woman gardening club. I planted 25 tulip bulbs. With the squirrels we have, I wasn't holding on to hope, but wouldn't you know it - they all came up!
With this success, I tackled the main flower bed. It had been left to it's own devices for many years and been taken over by an invasive groundcover. Mostly I weeded.
The dense yellow in the top right corner used to completely choke this flower bed. Over the course of a month, I have been pulling it all out to make room for some traditional perennials and in the process a few of the original plants are beginning to recover. We had some beautiful Siberian Iris with multiple blooms for the first time in 5 years!
On the May long weekend I planted a few perennials: Lavender, Lupin, Poppies, Shasta daisy and a blue Delphinium of sorts.
The plants I am sure won't flower this year, except the above ambitious one, but they look to have taken and seem healthy. We shall see next year! Today, I added some Rudbeckia and Echinacea. One of the Echinacea is called PowWow Wild Berry. I am really excited to see it bloom. For now it looks like this!
The plant I am most excited for is a Hydrangea division I received from my friend Anne. I planted it against a chain link fence that could definitely use some prettying up. I have already put in a Peony there and hope the Hydrangea fills in nicely. I always remember the amazing drifts of blue hydrangea on the lawns in Maine as we drove through. I guess this means we are committed to staying here at this condo, as I have to see these plants mature and flower!
