The Last Few Days in the Curb Garden

The first 3 photos are from Saturday, when they put the dirt in. They don't normally work Saturdays, but were running behind because the stretch of street was longer, and they wanted to be able to start the next couple of blocks today. As they were working, I kept saying, "Yea dirt!" They had told me the dirt was going back Friday, but didn't get to it, so I really would have been disappointed if I would have had to wait until today. (Click on the photos to enlarge them, or do the control, plus thing.)

The guys were careful around the plants, and even helped me dump my buckets and wheelbarrow of dirt and compost I had dug ahead of time. (When they were putting the curb in, I even saw one gently pull a plant to the side so he wouldn't step on it. Did I mention that already?)

We can't decide if we are going to keep the brick edgers there or not. We need to get some more, and they need to be buried a bit if we are.

The next series of photos are from yesterday. Heidi and I will show you around the bed. I got the mulch put on, and a few more plants put in last night. I got some more great bargains!

Looking south, heading west:

Looking east:

Looking north: (See my little concession to anyone wanting to get out of their car? I need to sink the steps so they aren't on top of mulch.)

Walking to the east, still looking north: (The gazanias in the middle front do not show up in this photo.)

Heidi and I have our moments of conflict, but all in all, she's a good girl. See, she knows where her boundaries are. I guess I'm probably finished taking lawn away from her. I have enough room to grow most of what I'd like to, and some of the beds are at a point they would benefit from being dug up, compost added, and replanted with some of the old and some new.

To the east, this is the area that was already established, but that I had to dig 18 inches out of. I put a couple perennial geraniums in next to the street. I can't remember which I bought, and which I dug from an area I didn't have to dig up, and some from across the street.

I have some hen and chicks I plan to move to each corner next to the sidewalk when they get the sidewalk put in.

Here are some blooms in the new area.

One of the 12 Spooky dianthus I planted: (I'm sad because the grower said she couldn't get any seeds for next year, and the seeds from the plants either don't grow or the plants wouldn't be the same.)

One of the 3 celosias volunteers I moved from what used to be my new bed:

I was tickled to find this Homestead verbena, and hope this one lives over the winter.

Early Sunrise coreopsis:

I was also pleased to find a pot of 3 Tiger Eye rudbeckias, an annual here, 90% off at Lowes. I got it for $1. something, and split the plants up. The next place we went had the same thing for $6.00.

Confetti lantana:

This is the annual verbena that I had put in pots and sunk in the ground. I decided to go ahead and take them out of the pots. They had filled them with their roots, so I'm glad I got them in the ground.

Caradonna salvia:

Tangerine lantana:

Coconut Ice lavender, which I'd never heard of, but is supposed to be hardy here.

This is a pot of nicotiana I added for color.

I planted 2 of these variegated Showy stonecrop, 2 Autumn Joys, and 2 Indian Chief sedums in a curving row in the bed. They all have little flower buds on them.

I took these last 3 after work this afternoon. I thought some plants showed up better here with different lighting. I forgot to mention that I put 9 daylily plants in here, each a different kind. I need to make a map with their names before the tags get lost. In the back corner, I put a couple fireworks goldenrods that have wider leaves than mine. I planted some other plants because there are also some in the established part, so it will have some continuity, but it still has a different look, though.

I have a new bloom today!

One of the little gazanias appreciated being deadheaded already.

The crew was hard at it down the block today. I am thinking they are going to replace the step with the concrete they use to put the curbs in. I noticed, though, that in addition to across the street, they haven't done some of the other corners down the street. Well the hen and chicks will be patient until they get moved.

I'll be glad when they get the street resurfaced, but the fact that I have a new planting area, makes it all worthwhile. Plus we have an awesome crew!