Front Yard Bed

This flower bed was started 2 years ago after convincing Larry I needed a spot for tall plants, and a variety of annuals.  I have enjoyed seeing where the cleome, nigella, verbena bonariensis and such have seeded themselves.  This year, I don't have as many of some reseeding annuals as I'd like, but there are lots of little seedlings,  and some I don't recognize.  Also, I'm planting more and more perennials in there.  I'm going to have to be careful not to fill it up. 

Here is the view, facing east and south, from the front porch, that I normally start with when taking photos of this bed.  The kiss me over the garden gate, which towered over my 5' 7" was in the corner last year.  There are some seedlings of it there.  I hope they grow fast.  The bare dirt is bugging me. 

Facing east first, I walked around the bed, taking photos for this post. 

I planted the drumstick alliums 2 years ago.  I didn't realize how late they bloom.  At least they are something better to look at than dirt.  I planted Gateway Joe Pye Weed next to the fence a few weeks ago.  Orange Perfection phlox is to the right of the alliums.  I have daylilies in almost every bed.  The little pinkish and purple blooms are stocks.

Some of the seedlings are Queen Anne's Lace.  I'll need to be deciding which ones I'm going to want to keep.  The 'Octopus' bellflower, in the foreground, needs to be kept in check, because it seems to want to take over the whole bed.

I probably should have thinned the yarrow a bit.  I can't remember if the foxglove near it bloomed last year, but it looks like it may bloom this year.  I'll have to make sure to support the yarrow or trim it back a bit.  The luneria behind the lady is almost finished blooming.  I'll need to watch for when it's time to dry the "money".  The dianthus on the right is doing much better than the one on the left.  I moved both of them to the edge of the bed from the middle when they first came up this spring.

The mums and anemones will bloom in the fall.  I planted some flower seeds in this area, but got impatient and put in some lisianthis, statice, nicotiana and such.  I tried to leave room for some of the seedlings to grow.  There are some coneflower seedlings in here, too. 

The clematis will be blooming soon.

We've just turned a corner, and are facing north.  I can't think of the name of the little flowers that are in bud, and will open pink soon. (I just saw these on Gail's Clay and Limestone, and was reminded they are primroses.  I don't know if these are the same kind as hers, though.)

Here's a longer view facing north.

This area was a circle bed before the rest of the area was added to it.  A few of the plants, such as the wallflowers and the poppies were already here.  The poppies have never done so well, and I have pulled them out a couple times.  I guess poppies don't stay pulled.  It is getting ready to bloom!

I saw a speck of orange on one of the buds today.  Here's a view facing east and south, showing part of the curb bed.

I hope to have more love in a mists next year.  They are one of my favorite annuals.

Have you noticed Heidi in the photos?  She sees me with my camera, and gets all excited to go outside.  We've turned the corner, and are now facing west.   The orange hawkweed, pine leaf penstemon, Helen's flower, red hot poker, and blanket flower were already in the circle bed.  Did I mention it had an orange theme?

The daisies will soon be full of blooms.  It's a nectar plant for butterflies, so I like to keep some around.  There is a foxglove almost sharing the same spot.  I am so tickled that there are several foxgloves that bloomed last year, and are getting ready to bloom again.  Some are perennials.  I don't remember if any of them are biennials, which means it's last year's seedlings that are growing.  I should get a support of some kind set up for the iris.

The dianthus plants bloomed all summer last year.  I hope the English daisies will this year.  That's a strawflower on the bottom left of the photo.

I have found several kinds of hellebores I didn't have at a couple different greenhouses, and decided to try them in this bed, where they will have afternoon shade, and enough moisture.  I lost a couple last year, I think, because the area they were in was not moist enough. They're getting plenty of moisture right now, since it's been raining so much. 

In the past, delphiniums rarely survived more than a season when I planted them on the west side of the house.  I am so tickled that there are a couple that are thriving well.  This one bloomed very well last year, and it is ready for another season.

Turning to face south, the 'Harvest Moon' coneflower is getting crowded by the peach leaved bellflower and other passalong plant I can't remember the name of .  I moved a small piece of it to see if it takes to being moved.

I put this rattlesnake master in a spot that is probably too moist for it, but it did well last year, and looks to be thriving this season.  The sprinkler head is in the photo, between the plant and the alliums.  Larry forgot to turn it off when he watered the other day.