Snow Day

Well, technically an ice day.  I have joined the ranks of full-time wage earners, but I work for the school system and I get snow days and summer off-- woot!  It is irresistable to steal an hour to think about gardens, like this:

1. Think about and look at plants and get all swoony contemplating the joys of baptisia, sedum, foxglove, geranium, iris, lavender, veronica, rose.

2. Remember that much of my ground is bare-ass unmulched, think of the three bags and small pile of unused mulch-- experience shame.

3. Remember I can't recall a lot of what I planted where.

4. Comfort myself that's okay.

5. Experience confidence that this spring, I will manage to execute an ORDERLY and CORRECTLY SPACED garden plan, which I have managed to pull off at least once.

6. Acknowledge it is difficult to do this when I won't know what I have in the appointed spot until spring.

7. Comfort myself that's ok (seeing a cycle here.)

8. Identify areas needing improvement, namely--

The west bed area, hot and dry, where I plan to pull out the struggling Bennett's Compacta Holly (don't think they like the heat) and put in two more infinitely more expensive Dragon Lady Hollies (order hollies), making, we hope, a nice wall of green for the David Austen rose, peony, abelia, and liatris already there.  Add rows of bearded iris on either side of the projected flagstone steps (order iris, buy flagstone). Add more abelia and fill in with some teucrium and some nice sun-tolerant annuals like angelonia or lantana. Use plenty of repetition.

The other area screamingly in need of improvement are the areas near the new flagstone patio (did I not report on the new flagstone patio?) The right side is leaching soil and needs some groundcovers to hold it.  I planted a hydrangea behind the butterfly bush-- O lord what was it called-- not Blue Chiffon, because the Blue Chiffon in person did not thrill me as expected-- I'll think of it.  Eventually.  And the left side under the Green Vase Zelkova, where the ground is nikkid.  I planted a few small probably root bound deutzia, thinking this was the ideal thing, but they have not thrived.  Will reevaluate in spring.

So I have my work nicely cut out for me :)