The East Side of the Back Yard

I have been enjoying the view from the upstairs window into the back yard, but forgot to take a photo from there.  I have also walked the longer way to my car a few times to enjoy the 'Jacob Cline' monarda, which will soon be finished blooming.  I trimmed it back once, and am hoping it will bloom again after I deadhead it.

This is the north side of the house.  We don't sit in this area much.  This is mostly Heidi's part of the yard.  When we first moved here, we had sod put in, but we couldn't keep it alive, so resorted to putting gravel in.

I keep forgetting to move the clematis that volunteered in the hosta.  I wonder if it's too late this season.

We are heading east.

The hosta blooms are pretty, too.  I know some cut the buds off so their hostas can't bloom, but I like the blooms, and deadhead them when they fade.

I like the gray-headed coneflowers with the monarda.

I like to have lavender in pots along the fence thinking they may improve the odor of the area.  I also have the hopes of keeping Heidi from digging in the area.   I have not kept up with harvesting the young lavender blooms to dry this year.

This is the south side of the shed.  It's the area Heidi is continuing to dig the most in, and where the rabbits come to eat the asters.
 

K.J. chose to help water plants Saturday evening rather than ride his trike, which was what we had originally come out to do.  We had great fun putting water from the rain barrel into a larger can, then pouring what he could carry into a variety of other cans.

I used to have some coneflowers int this area, but Heidi dug them out.  This aster has lots of gravel piled up on it.  I'm not sure if I can rake it off without tearing the stems.  I am hoping the way I rearranged some of the barriers will keep Heidi out.

The holes aren't as obvious from this angle.  The 2 variegated false sunflower plants are looking pretty good.

We are ready to turn and go north.

I bought a plant with no label at Menards that I thought may be a coreopsis this spring.  When I found this spot for it, I went back and bought another.  Once they started blooming, I figured out I was right. 

I have cut back the 'Wichita Mountains' goldenrod plants once, and it looks like I need to again.  Heidi has been digging in here, too.  I wonder if she's trying to get to the bunnies.

This is across from the last photo, on the east side of the deck.  The pulmonaria plants by the wheel were moved to there from under the tree this spring.  Normally, the trellis is full of morning glory vines.  It looks like we were too aggressive in pulling the self sown seedlings out.  There were a couple that had reached the trellis, but Heidi or another critter must have dug them out.
 

I included this photo because it shows the view to the house.

 I didn't do a good job burying the edges of the containers.  The plants in them are not hardy, so I plan to bring them inside for the winter.  The other succulents in there should be OK in the tub.

I'm glad the two hosta plants are doing well after being moved this spring from under the tree.  The one on the left was my mother-in-law's, and the other, a good friend from church, who died a number of years ago from brain cancer. 

The clematis plants are past their prime.  Some years I deadhead, but haven't been finding the time lately.

I just put the ligularia and Jacob's ladder in this tub this spring.  The Jacob's ladder has bloomed.  I hope the ligularia does, too, and that they survive in the tub over the winter. Larry bought the strawberry pouch at least 8 years ago.  It just gets a few berries each summer.  We put it in the egress window well for the winter.

I took our grandsons over to see my parents Saturday.  We had a good time.  They were happy to see each other again, after not getting to the weekend my dad was in the hospital.

We are having hot temperatures again.  I hope you are making it out to your gardens, whatever your weather is.