Time Line

People often ask me for gardening tips. My number one tip in the garden is one that I've shared over and over again. If you've heard it before, you're going to hear it again.

When buying perennials, don't buy all your plants in the beginning of May. Nurseries can only sell plants that look good at the time of sale. Many perennials just don't look good in May, some haven't even broken the ground yet. If you purchase the bulk of your plant material in May, your garden will only shine in May. Keep some open spots in your garden and continue to visit the nurseries through the growing season. This will help you add plants that will extend your gardening season.
These three photos were taken on August 4, 2008. I hate to garden in August, I'm just not genetically designed for the heat (that's my story and I'm sticking to it). While the Hosta you see in these photos might already entice you to buy them in May, the other flowering material might not.

This second photo shows Astilbe in bloom (Kim, if you are reading this can you tell me once again the name of this darling Astilbe you shared with me?). There are many different kinds of Astilbe, I've begun to add quite a few to the garden. They flower at different times, this one is a late bloomer. If you were shopping for plants earlier in the season, you just might choose a pot that already has an early bloom showing instead of this lovely variety.

By the way, I don't know why but I have yet to take one decent photo of an Astilbe. I'd better keep trying.

Looking at the photos from last summer amaze me. This garden is so lush and chock full of plants that I tell myself it desperately needs dividing and yet, right now it looks so bare and empty. Oh, my eye just caught the fact that on the left side of this photo is an Astilbe with spent blooms (that means they are finished for the season). It was a white blooming Astilbe and if I remember correctly, it tends to bloom at the end of June and into early July.

I was going to add another tip when I noticed the holes in the Hosta but I'm going to post that one to my other blog, Melanie's Old Country Garden so come visit me there too!

Today looks like a good day to get out and play in the dirt.

See ya!