Side Yard Update

When I first started blogging a lot of my posts involved updates on different parts of the yard.  I have made some changes over time, but it still sometimes feel like I am posting "reruns".  Still, I will post so I can refer back to it over time.  I started this post a few days ago.  The other day, I decided to pull out the volunteer moonflower that was growing over the grass, either Little bluestem or Prairie dropseed, which is in front of the pot of mint.

Love lies bleeding volunteers are doing pretty well.  I'm glad to see the Phlox are pretty healthy this year.  I have Purple coneflowers all over the yard.  A couple monarch butterflies have been flying around the yard the last few days.  I have seen them land on the Liatris that has the top cut off in the photo a few times.

I recently told people in the Facebook group, Gardening with Nature in Mind, that the Buttonbush I planted here last year has different colors on its foliage, but, I see the leaves are green now.

I've been cutting back the Goldenrod, but see they are blooming what seems early to me, but maybe it's just because it's been a whirlwind of a summer.  It's hard to see the Leadplant to the right of the Globe thistle, next to the fence.

I have several types of  Rudbeckia laciniatas.  This one is Outhouse flower, 'hortensia'.

This is very similar to the one a couple ago, but I am including it because it is a wider view.

Globe thistle is one of the non-native plants that the bees feed from frequently.

The yellow blooms in the middle are False sunflowers.  I deadheaded them today, careful to leave the new buds on.  The bushy plant in front of it is Amsonia, I'm thinking, tabernaemontana.  I trim it back a couple or three times a season.  I can't remember what the feathery plant is that is similar to Amsonia hubrichtii.  It looks like it will be blooming soon.

Oh, here's a close up of the False sunflowers, the first plant that Larry was willing to have planted instead of grass in the area dug out for the egress window when we first moved here.

Continuing to the south, toward the front yard, are some of the same plants as down the way.  I seem to have lots of yellow!  When the aster to the right of the bird bath blooms, it will add some purple or blue.

I moved some of the Short-tooth mountain mint to the area in front of the fence just to the left of the bird bath this spring, and it is doing well, but the plants in front of it, such as a volunteer yellow coneflower of some kind are taller.  I'll have to decide whether I want to keep them as is, or switch them around.

I'm glad I trimmed back the Rudbeckia laciniata cultivars back in the spring so they wouldn't flop as much.  Still, I do have them tied up at the base.  This one is 'Golden glow'.  Now that I'm looking things up, this could be the same as Outhouse plant, but I'm not sure.

I think the Black eyed Susans are volunteers here.

The pollinators sure love Liatris!

I try to remember to cut back the Quaking grass back before the seeds ripen, because they self sow too aggressively for my garden.

This Campanula spreads too far for here, too, and I am currently behind in thinning it out.  I sure like the blooms, though.

I can remember this is Rudbeckia laciniata 'Herbstsonne' because the blooms are different from the others down the way.

The Catmint blooms for a long time.   It's probably time to deadhead it, though.  Asters and Goldenrods will be blooming yet this season.

I just planted this Liatris and Amsonia this season.  I hope they are larger next year.  I place watering cans in bare spaces, but then, sometimes the plants fill in around them.

So far, I haven't seen any Genista broom moth caterpillars on the baptisias.  (I copied and pasted the name of the caterpillars, and now, can't figure out how to get the normal font back.)

We made it to the end of the bed, and are now facing back to the north. The plant loaded with blooms may be a salvia of some kind.

Yes, there is lots of yellow right now!

It's been a very busy summer. Our yard was on that neighborhood garden tour, our daughter and daughter in law and I looked at LOTS of houses, and finally found one for our daughter to move into, which we were involved in helping with.  We had a baby shower, and Ruby was born June 22.  I was spending as much time as I could hanging out with Ruby until my 83 year old dad became ill and had his gall bladder taken out, was it 3 or 4 weeks ago?  It's been such a blur.  The day after he got home, he had a major stroke, which we knew he was not going to be able to recover from.  It was very difficult seeing him lie there, unable to move his left side, swallow, or speak.  He passed away less than 2 weeks after having the stroke, a few days after being moved to hospice care.  We were pleased with the care he received.  I am sad, and miss my dad, but I'm glad he is no longer lying there like he was.  Now, I hope to catch up with things a bit before our daughter goes back to work August 12, as I will be watching Ruby 4 days a week from around 12:45 to 9:15 pm.  I will have mornings to garden, so that will be good.  I hope things are going well for you.