Today's topic is "Over-crowding". Every year at the end of the season I find myself going out and buying plants that I feel sorry for, and also looking for a good bargains-too funny. Well at the time it's a great bargain, but alot of times these plants wait till the last minute to be put into the ground. Then I scurry around like a Mad-Women trying to fit everybody in! I know I'm not alone by a long shot because well you know who you are! When I go shopping I have no idea where I'm going to plant these poor things. But I know me, I either saw them on someones blog or garden or just in a book and I had to have these!!! I don't do this all the time, actually I am pretty organized . But at the end of the season I start getting really bored!! And yes this is the final result, OVERCROWDING. As you can see from this picture, which was taken from the porch side, this garden has alot of plants and this is the back side. This year I didn't count on the "Hydrangea" to taking over this area. I think because of all the snow we got this past winter this shrub has grown leaps and bounds. Plus I pruned early in the spring because of winter damage and it's pushing it's way into the perennials now. Here is the list of plants pushing and shoving in this area:( 'Heuchera-Prince, 'Coreopsis'Red Shift', Daylilies, Agastache-'Summer Sky, Japanese Irises, Sempervivum, and blue-eyed grasses and some containers. Plus there are 'Platycodon g. 'Mariesii' Blue seedlings all over the place. This plant is invasive for me. If you need any seeds let me know and I will surely send them to you...I have replanted this plant forever, don't need anymore, but I can't just pull them out and discard. OK, so for me this is what happens without a plan of some kind. NOW it's hot as HELL and the plants are surviving but the gardener is feeling a little overwhelmed, this happens, because I can't move anything in this stinking heat. I don't what to sacrifice my plants by moving them now!
OK, so here are a few plants that I really like and that are working for me where they are planted. The First is Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate' known as Joe Pye Weed. This is a smaller version of the big one and this gets little white flowers on it. I said I wouldn't put Joe Pye Weed in my garden but I found this Medium size guy and I love the foliage. It's like a burgundy/silver/green. Love it. Yes, I'm noticing alot of bite marks on my plants, I don't use ANY chemicals on my gardens, but I do need a good insecticide. Maybe just soap and water (it works for me)!And speaking of bite-marks I've been invaded by "Tomato Hornworms"-UGH. My poor maters are having a ruff go of it this year. I've always had good luck with this raised bed but this year the they are taking a beating. Here is the culprit
I hate picking these things off so I got out the pruners and cut that limb off into a pot and threw them down on the ground and mashed them. I was reading somewhere it said if you see white egg sacs over their backs leave them be. These eggs are a parasitic Wasp called 'Braconid Wasp'. Let them hatch and they will defend your garden against all kinds of pests. Well, I didn't see any eggs so I killed'um. Now I feel bad, that's sad.
And this is the "Hosta Fairy" she needs a make-over. I will take her out paint the original colors back on her. She was very pretty with all her color but now she is a little pale. I'm going to antique the urn behind her. Using black concrete paint first and then dry rubbing brown over it. I let you know how it turns out. I have 4 of these to do. So with that in mind and not as humid today I will sign out. Have a marvelous garden day in your yard and watch out for all the arguing of the plants trying to stand their ground in the garden.....Remember plan, plan, and plan again (sounds good). I guess I should take my own advice :)
