Lots of Growth on the East Side of the House

When it storms like it did Saturday, I feel sorry for, and somewhat guilty about having plants out there, struggling in the elements.  I am pleased that there was no major damage done.  I am amazed at how much things have grown on the side of the house since my post in March.  I am going to focus on the foliage and a few blooms there, to participate in Pam's Foliage Follow-up.

The daylily and comfrey were just coming up in my last post of the area, and I'm thinking the rue and skullcap were not up yet.

This cage is protecting the woodland phlox from the rabbits.  The clump of zig zag goldenrod on the left is a little larger than last year.  I forgot what kind of salvia that is on the right.

I am pleased to see the purple milkweed coming up for its 3rd season.

 The reblooming daylily my friend, Jo gave me has lots of buds on it.  The hoary mountain mint next to it is behaving fairy well.  I didn't have to pull as many stems up this spring to keep it from spreading too far. 

There are a number of plants in this area that compete for the space.  I have been pulling out some plants so that others can have a little more room, but some are still a bit crowded.  The baptisia next to the window well is a volunteer that has been there a few years, growing in the same space as a clump of iris.  They are both purple, and it almost looks like the iris bloom that is almost ready to open belongs to the baptisia.  The huge clump next to it is rudbeckia 'herbstonne'.  I have daylilies in most of my flower beds.  I think I have enough now.

The soil in this bed is wetter than this yarrow prefers, but it looks pretty good right now.  I cut back the catmint before it bloomed this year, to prevent it from sprawling onto the plants near it.

The trilliums are not growing as much as the other plants in the area.  I wonder if they will bloom this year.

I moved this foxglove when it was very small, to give the Virginia bluebells more room.  It didn't seem to mind it.

The Virginia bluebells are finished blooming, and the foliage will most likely fade and the plant go dormant for the summer.  The Russian sage on the other side of the bed frame, will regrow from my severe pruning and take over the space.

The hellebores are growing new foliage now that they are finished blooming. 

Here's a closer view of the Virginia waterfleaf, which is a native wildflower.  It is starting to bloom.  So far, I have done a good job deadheading it so it won't seed itself around.

This is standing near the middle of the bed, looking north.  The garden window shows in the upper right of the photo.  

This is looking north.

Anise hyssop seeds itself around.  I always like to have some, because the bees love them.

I see tulip, gentian, daylily, globe onion, and a salvia of some kind, and false sunflower foliage here.  I am excited the bear's breeches plant in front of the yellow blooming lovage looks like it is getting ready to bloom.

I forgot what this cute little plant is that I got last year.  It may be a euphorbia of some kind.  It will be less crowded once the daffodil foliage fades.

I'm pretty sure this is shell leaf penstemon.  I love the foliage and the blooms when they come.

The amsonia, baptisia and globe thistle are slow getting started, but once up, they grow pretty fast.

The daylily in the back of the row has been there since before we moved in 13 years ago.  I am thinking the other 2 are from where we lived before here.  The amsonia hubrichtii has only been there a few years, and should get larger with time.  Pitcher sage is behind it, and nearest the fence on the left is the rudbeckia hotensia my friend Jo gave me last year.  The next photo will be a close up of the lead plant, which is to the left of the back daylily.

I think the plant on the left is an artemisia of some kind.  I can't remember the name of the allium, either, but I have several of them, and even divided some to plant in the new front yard bed.

This is not a pretty view, but the grasses and other plants will help hide the garbage cans.

The hollyhock foliage is disease free so far.

I didn't find a spot for the rigid goldenrod yet.  The Virginia mountain mint is growing well in the tub.  It was spreading too far in the ground.  Some is coming back, so I will need to dig it out or be willing to keep it in check.

Heidi's favorite foliage is the grass, where she can watch what's going on in the neighborhood.

Our weather looks like it is going to be closer to "normal" than it has been.  I am looking forward to it getting warm enough to plant my tomatoes, peppers, basil, tithonia, and such that I started in the house.