I love the black ”I”..😂

I’m out when it isn’t raining working hard..

attempting to ”finish” my garden..

some hostas aren’t as “perfect“ as they were..

not sure if I have slugs, cutworms, nematodes, rabbits or all 4 🙁..

see the damage on Empress Wu?..

but Krossa Regal looks nice..

Great Expectations..

the middle of my backyard..my turquoise pots aren’t in place yet..I want to arrange more pots on those pavers..I have a good view of them from the house..they’re stable there and not sitting in dirt..

Elegans in the front..blue hostas really are my favorite..

I'm still cleaning up from last week's storms. Lots and lots of tree damage in my neighborhood. It will be several weeks before the city picks up all the debris. There were trees blown over with root balls 8 feet across. Fortunately, the really huge ones I've seen didn't fall on the house.

Fortunately for me, we didn't have any hail, just high winds (80 mph). However, no tornadoes touched down. My hostas were knocked over, but few suffered severe damage. Of course, the one that was damaged was already straggly looking (Fantabulous). I've lost shade, as several limbs were broken off my pecan tree. My shade cloth wall was damaged, too. I'm going to have figure out shade for my hosta. However, the continued rain and overcast skies has delayed that chore.

The hosta seem to be really happy with all the rain, though.

bkay

Paula - Fascinating about the bees. My neighbor just got a hive of honey bees, I'm hoping they will help pollinate my little vegetable garden.

nicholsworth - Your hostas are looking great. I am also trying to "finish" my garden but it seems there is always something more to do.

bkay2000 - Sorry to hear of the damage, hopefully all will spring back for you. I find it amazing what a good soaking rain will do for the hostas, even much more so than sprinkling from a municipal source.

This past week I've potted up a few hostas that were not doing well and also put some in the ground that seem to have recovered after a couple years in a pot. I have an Empress Wu I bought in a pot two years ago and finally found a place for it in the ground. It was quite a chore handling it but hopefully it will be happy there.

The deer and rabbits have been visiting lately, I need to up my game of spraying and spreading milorganite.

Golden Tiara - One small leaf left.

Old Glory - Topped off by the deer.

Several more with rabbit munchings.

Oh how the deer love our plants! Just potted some caladium in containers and of course they came that night and ate the leaves! I feel your pain. It's a non ending struggle to stop them. It's 87 here today so we have to water at home this evening. We expect some rain tomorrow. I have to weed but I still have a lot of annuals to put in containers and stuff to do in the yard before I really get down and pull out all of the weeds from the flower beds. Some of our hostas have gotten enormous so we should divide them but that's for a cooler weekend.

bkay..sorry about your storm damage..

old_dirt..thanks!..I have some good looking and some less than good looking..my blues look the best..sorry about your ”visitors”..

miles..is this right?..did you have smilax?..I found a little in a spot where I’ve never seen it!..dug it out immediately!..

Somehow listening to other people troubles makes me feeling less lonely. My friend told me that her annuals are rotting in their cells and I felt less guilty because mine too need to be potted.

We had whole 3 days without rain but today expecting one again. I am wearing full mosquito netting and it is hot. Trying to get to a point when I plant out what I need running into trouble moving something or other so it becomes chain events.

I feel lucky to have very good deer management program as I live with 2 sides of my house in forest preserve, seeing deer damage pics posted.

Nicholworth, I really like your blue hosta peaceful feeling.

Bees are life, am trying to grow more bee loving plants as many annuals are now bee killers.

Hostas are doing well, cept I have almost nightly ammonia trips. Need to buy a head lamp.

Galaxy

LS cha cha

Goodness gracious

Inspire greatness

That Goodness Gracious is gorgeous.

bk

Bachelor party

LS prophecy

Sea Dream

One last dance

I know what it is but have to find name

Summer breeze

Diamond lake

Kiwi full monty

Mango tango

GL megalodon

Hot mama

Valley Blue Curacao and Taurus

LS AlexAndra

LS party dress

Aristocrat

LS Cindy Cee OS, can't wait till it fully grown

LS Paisley print and Last dance or dancing darling

My seedling

Maya infatuation

Great expectation, transplanted several times, coming back.

Black “I” is funny, and only 40 days does not seem fair for what the bees do for us.

Ann, it’s hard to keep hostas looking perfect, but I think yours look really good! The middle of your backyard is such a serene setting.

Bkay, sorry to hear about your crazy wind! I’m glad no trees hit your house.

Old_dirt, wrestling that large Empress Wu into the ground must have been a chore, but it looks happy! Ouch to that deer damage. ☹

Lindalana, your ammonia routine is working because your hostas are beautiful! Too many great looking ones to list!

lindalana..great collection!..I’m jealous that your hostas don’t have any damage..I have some flaws here and there..

Over the last week, I’ve moved three trellises from too much shade to more sunshine. I planted a new Clematis, ‘Bees Jubilee’ on one, I rescued a long struggling Clematis that was behind Hosta Arc de Triomphe, and I found a Clematis already in that area that I forgot about. So all three trellises have a Clematis now.

I repotted three Amaryllis that are summering on the front deck. The beginning of April, I potted Elephant Ears and had them in the basement. It’s warm enough at night so I brought them outside. So far no signs of life, but the bulbs still feel firm. If they are alive, I’ll put them into bigger pots out front.

I grew all my vegetable starts from seed and got them planted into the three raised beds. It’s not a big garden anymore but enough. I started lots of Zinnias to go across the front, but only six made it. The seeds were new from Johnnys, so I’m not sure what went wrong. So I had to buy some Marigolds from the nursery for the front of my vegetable garden. It’s on the street so I try to make it look good. And I still have to plant sunflower starts and seeds on one side and across the back. I’m always relieved to get the vegetable garden going.

Interesting flowers on Euphorbia 'Ascott Rainbow'. Around here we're supposed to "purge the spurge" that grows wild, but I think this ornamental is considered all right. I hope so!

Iris are blooming all over the yard.

Some Clematis on the other side of the house from where I just put up new trellises.

Josephine

Claire de Lune

Crystal Fountain

And Tootie Mae planted last fall. Debra, I can't thank you enough for recommending Hornbakers! All my hostas from them are doing so well.

LL, are you sure that is Sea Fire? Mine does not have a white edge so I’m wondering.

Well, I made a whole bunch of nice & sympathetic comments but where o’ where did they go??? Those of you with great plants and gardens, please receive my compliments! Those of you with fallen trees, deer & slug damage and smilax growing, have my sympathies. How’s that for a re-cap?

My week and month for that matter have not started out well…..Sunday night about 11:00, I wasn’t watching where I was walking and fell off the side of the deck. I fell on my right hand, hip and ankle and also really scraped up my left knee on the concrete. Thank God my husband was right there and was able to pull me up. My ankle had a knot the size of a baseball and my knee was bleeding down my leg. We managed to get me to the couch and my husband immediately began putting ice on my ankle and cleaning up my knee. It was raw. We went back and forth about going to the ER, but so often there are long waits and we weren’t sure how I was going to get into the car. We decided to wait and call the doctor on Monday morning.

We couldn’t get in until 3:00 today, and I am happy to say after x-rays, there are no broken bones. Unlike Ann last year, I got lucky. But the swelling is down into my foot and toes now. I have a boot, but it’s difficult to get on and off and I can’t compress it myself…..don’t have the finger strength.

I am happy I got all my annual pots done in one big marathon last Friday. Hahaha, could barely walk on Saturday and then fell on Sunday. I got come coneflowers and Agastache today so I had to get Bert to put them in for me. He will help with watering when that day comes. Like elsewhere it’s been raining a lot here. The garden is looking good. When I can get more pictures I will post. Now I am hanging out in the living room, watching TV or posting or reading. Thank goodness I have an adjustable bed so I can get my foot elevated at night. I have had a couple of tough nights sleeping, but at least I am in my bed and not a recliner (like Ann was).

I hope all is well with everyone else and happy planting!

debra

sandyslopes..thanks!..I post my best looking ones 😂..this place has a wonderful setting..I’m blessed that I’ve lived here longer (almost 20 yrs) than anywhere in my life..you grow such a wide variety of plants!..you have lots of color..it’s gorgeous..

debra..love the re-cap..I hate losing a comment 😡..how awful that you fell 😭..it’s wonderful that you don’t have any broken bones 🙂..I’m still trying to accept what happened to me!..I’m recovered but won’t ever be quite the same..but I’m fortunate to reach this level of function..we can’t be too careful debra..go s-l-o-w..I remind myself all of the time not to hurry..happy for you that your annuals are planted..mine aren’t 🤦‍♀️..maybe tomorrow..

indianagardengirl..yes your Krossa Regal is outgrowing it’s space!..you’ve been careful going in and out..it still looks perfect!..

old_dirt..I meant to say I love your Empress Wu..mine is growing better in a new location but yours is much bigger..I left space when I planted mine just as you did!..I’m ready for mine to take off..

Debra, Glad you don't have any broken bones. I had serious foot surgery 6 years ago. I was in a cast for 10 weeks and then it was another 6 weeks until I could even touch the floor with my foot. I did elevate my foot on a mound of pillows on a recliner and slept there for months. afterwards. Glad you got your annuals planted, we still have some on the driveway waiting to be planted. What kind of coneflowers did you get? I've had no success with the new varieties, only some old purple/pink natives come back each year.

Hope you heal quickly. Look forward to seeing your pictures, when you are able of course.

Oh no! debra, so sorry to hear what happened to you! It sounds painful. I hope you have something to bring down the swelling and give you some relief. Otherwise, it sounds like time to heal is the answer. I did the boot thing when I broke my ankle several years back. Don’t feel bad about babying it, so it can heal correctly.

Does this mean the next project is railing all around your deck?

Indianaggal, I think your Krossa Regal wants to come inside! 😊

Thanks, ann! I do like to grow all kinds of plants and try for lots of color. Hostas will always be a favorite. I’ve been wondering how your recovery has been. It seems like you’re back to doing a lot.

miles, your foot surgery sounds like a nightmare. What a difficult time it must have been if you couldn’t even touch the ground with your foot for so long. I hope that’s well behind you now.

And I just planted two Echinacea ‘Cara Mia Coral.’ Only two because I have the same problem with them not coming back reliably. But it was so pretty, I couldn’t resist. The older purple ones are to be respected! They are survivors.

Thank you everyone. The foot and knee are doing much better. I gave up on the boot….just didn’t work for me. I knee scrape is healing but looks awful. I don’t have a bandaid on it except at night so it dries out. My whole foot and toes are lovely purple color.

Miles your experience sounds truly terrible…. I Understand what it’s like to not be able to touch the floor with your foot….. when I had the tendon tear surgery for my gluteus tendons, I could not put that leg down for 3 weeks and afterwards only 50% weight for 3 or 4 weeks later. That was a tough surgery!! But yours sounds worse!

Now regarding echinacea….. I just had Bert plant 5 Lemon Drop echinacea and 3 Agastache, can’t remember the name….. a new one from Great Garden Plants pink and melon colors. They will look nice together, I think. I will try to get some pictures tomorrow.

debra

Oh I forgot, sandyslopes I am not putting a railing around the deck. I actually fell right at the corner of the house where I used to have four foot tall lilies by now, but I took them out because the beetles are so bad. So I would normally had to walk around them but not the other day. Now the echinacea and Agastache are there so they will form a similar barrier I hope. 🤞🏽

debra

Debra, healing thoughts! It does take time to recover even if nothing broken. I too have some obstacles in my yard and wonder how emergent is to fix them...

IndianaGG, fixed it. Sea Dream is an oldie but goodie.

I feel things might go downhill fast if this raining does not stop. It was last night again and before last night, ground just has no time to dry up. I remember one June few years back when we had 26 days of rain in June. My tomatoes got so many fungal problems they did not recovered.

Sandy I love those clemmies!!!!

Shopping in my garden. These are my seedlings from last year getting ready to be transplanted.

Beautiful seedlings lindalana!! Thanks for the well wishes!

Here are e

Whoops, I hit the wrong button

Here are my lemon drop echinacea and morello Agastache:

debra

Debra, I am sorry that you were injured, but delighted that you have recovered speedily!

I have an idea. I am going to push the air B&B next door for a 'gardening week/weekend' for 'city folk' who want to experience that garden vacation of a lifetime. Just breakfast. Then they can come down here and work in my yard for free.

I still have had no rain, and it will be in the high 90's all this week. The hostas are doing good and they are demanding a waterfall for the condemned greenhouse. I saw one at the expensive store and cannot justify it, yet. But I am working on it.

Space is going to be a problem as I am still bringing in companion plants. Caladiums are winning right now. When the next greenhouse frame gets ordered I am adding 6 more feet to it.

Debra I am so sorry you got hurt. Nothing worse than being laid up with work to be done. Take it easy for a while and watch Pat's finale spin tonight.

My plumeria is blooming the best it ever has. 2 years ago, it was going to be 24 degrees for about 4 days. and it was too big to cover. I cut it back. Even covered I lost the plumeria outside which I had expected to happen. Here she is this morning.

And because this is a hosta site here are some for you!

this is downtown and the one below is uptown.

Have a great day everyone. I have a date with my hose.

Someone has a great sense of humor! I once watered an owner's pots at an Air B&B in London but that was very easy, and she was an extremely nice hostess. Let me know if you get anyone to take you up on that offer! We have had just a little rain so we have to water often. It's been cooler up to now but we are expecting temps in the high 80's next weekend. Our annuals have just been planted so they don't have developed root systems yet, they need all the help they can get.

Sandyslopes, how do you get the amaryllis to rebloom? We treat them like one and done here.

There's a lot of stuff online about letting them go dormant and then starting them again in the fall but that has never worked for me. What do you do?

This is a vignette I’m liking right now. Back row is Wind Beneath My Wings and Tokudama flavocircinalis, middle row Paul’s Glory, front row Cloudburst and very small Tootie Mae

Paula, I like the tropical look of your Plumeria. I hope you get some rain soon! Your hostas in pots look so good and healthy.

Miles, my amaryllis are in three pots. Usually one to two pots will flower, so hit and miss. This year none did, so that’s why I repotted them all after four or so years of living in the same soil. I put them outside after the temps at night are in the mid-50s and up. They get about six hours a day of summer sunshine. Every 1-2 weeks they get the same liquid fertilizer that I water the annuals in pots with.

They come inside about mid-Oct. and stay in a low light room that’s on the cool side. I barely water as the leaves dry up, and I remove them. Some leaves never die off all the way, but most do. Then as they start new leaves, I increase the water a bit. If I’m lucky they send up flower stalks and will flower around February. I enjoy having flowers that time of year, and when they do flower, they're full size and beautiful! Then repeat the process. New bulbs every year is more reliable, but if they’re pretty enough, I want to try and keep them going.