jmarkowski, Author at The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

A weekend of softball, baseball and a flooded basement

Posted on June 8, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Baseball, Family .

It all started around 5:30 on Friday afternoon. The work day was done and like a certain prehistoric icon of my youth, I was outta there.

Yabba Dabba Friggin Do!

First stop was to pick up a quick dinner so I could wolf it down on my way to the baseball field. Over the years, I’ve mastered the art of eating pizza via the “fold” while driving and most importantly without dripping on the pants. Do not try this at home, it takes years of practice and experience and I think you have to be from the Northeast in order to do it.

I arrive at the field with 5 minutes to spare. We are staring at three consecutive games Fri through Sunday if my son’s team could win that night. This has been the most enjoyable season to date so we are all in on a victory.

And they won.

Our weekend schedule was rather clear cut and a whole lot busier.

We’re cool with that.

We get home late on Friday night and after a second dinner for my always starving son, all is quiet by about 10:30 P.M. In a bold move, my wife and I decide to finish off the last two episodes of our latest must-watch-binge-TV show “Bloodline”. Two thumbs up from both of us on this messy family drama/mystery. Go watch it now and thank me later.

By 12:30 we are drained from the show (yes we are that dedicated) and from the prior week as well. Off to bed we go knowing my daughter has her last softball game at 9:00 A.M.

We make it to the field by 8:30 on Saturday morning, mega coffee mugs in hand. At times it was too hot, too cold, too foggy and too rainy, but we persevere and enjoy the hell out of it. This has been such a fun year with such a great group of kids and truly outstanding coaches. But more on that in a little bit.

With a few hours to spare before my son’s next game, we map out a plan to get some things done within the 4-5 hour window. Dry cleaning, food shopping and some other things are on the docket so we split up and dominate the task completions.

One task I may have failed to mention to my wife was the need to plant my three secretly purchased Veronica ‘First Love’ (I’m only slightly embarrassed to share that name with you).

With an hour to spare before heading out to the field, I sneak in a run. Truth is, I despise running. I’m a mouth breather so while running I look like I am going to keel over at any time. But damn, once that runner’s high kicks in it is heavenly. Eyes sting from sweat, calves are burning and the possibility of being attacked by a coyote all make it worth while. I’m ready to take on the remainder of the weekend.

Fast forward to 9:00 and my son’s team has been eliminated from the playoffs. The kids are distraught but we do get one more game the following day so they look forward to a less pressure filled consolation game.

That night my wife and I decide to watch a movie. A real uplifting tale known as “Still Alice”. Yes that was sarcastic, but it was a great movie with a better performance from Julianne Moore. She suffers from early onset Alzheimer’s disease so it is heartbreaking to watch her slowly deteriorate. My grandmother had Alzheimer’s and it was so difficult to watch my grandfather not understand her condition. It didn’t seem fair to live out their final years that way so my wife and I are very sensitive to it. And now of course we continue to test each other’s memory in a fit of panic. Great way to go to bed on a Saturday night.

Sunday morning is casual as we have nowhere to be until 3:00 in the afternoon. My wife makes pancakes, we drink tons of coffee, the kids obsess over the Game Show Network and we all chill.

Around 12:00 or so, I decide to head to the basement for a quick exercise session. I know, you are impressed by my dedication. Well just know that the session never came to be … and here is why.

As I completed the descent into the basement and glanced ahead to the weight bench I noticed something didn’t seem right. Is it normal to step into 2 inches of water down here? I didn’t think so.

After gathering myself and fighting off the panic attack, the “water leak detective” kicked in. Is it our hot water heater? Did the dish washer leak underneath? Nope and nope. Upon further inspection, it was clear that the sump pump wasn’t operating. Oh good, that will play out nicely. I immediately ran upstairs, informed the family that I’ll be out of commission for hours and began sopping it all up with the wet vac.

Two hours later I had taken care of the bulk of it and had a decision to make. Skip the last game and jump on replacing the sump pump or take care of it later that night. My instinct was to skip the game, but I relented and we were all in attendance together.

I don’t even remember the final score but do remember how sad we were to see it end. Another year in the books. My son will be 13 in July so who knows how many more baseball seasons we have left. What I do know is just how fantastic this season was.

There are a lot of knocks against organized sports and crazy coaches and spoiled kids. In many cases, I’ve seen that to be true. But not this year, not by a long shot. Between my daughter’s team and my son’s team, I’ve seen what it means to have great coaches, great parents and great kids. The kids were not only coached well, but coached fairly and treated with unbelievable respect. That results in an experience they will never forget and cherish for the rest of their lives.

And back to the sump pump.

Luckily we had no additional rain so the basement wasn’t a complete washout by the time we returned home. We picked up a new sump pump and thank the good lord above, my brother-in-law/neighbor put it in for me and taught me a hell of a lot along the way. I think I now owe him a new 30′ x 30′ garden bed or some new grasses … if he allows me to put it in.

While the pump is fixed, we still have a problem with the pipe that drains the water away from the house. The best guess is that an animal is stuck in the pipe (probably one of those frickin rabbits) and for the life of me, we cannot locate where it all drains. Because of that, I am waiting for Roto Rooter to show up any minute now. Writing is how I handle stress these days so that is why you have had to put up with this long winded post.

But there is more.

I have been digging through our old house records to see if we had anything that indicated where the sump pump pipe could be located. In doing so, I came across this.

The letter that the young couple who purchased our old home had sent to us back in 2004. My wife cried like a baby when she read it the first time and in fact, cried again today when I sent it to her via text.

I also found this stuck in between a few old papers.

My son, not even two years old, harassing me while I was trying to work. I kid you not, within seconds of taking this picture, he broke the letter “g” on my keyboard and for years after that, I had to make a specific pressing motion to get the “g” to appear. I would like to go back in time and laugh more at that mishap. And rub his curls a few times.

One last memory for ~~you~~ me. This was the brochure when our old house was up for sale.

This is where all of the early garden experimentation started. I laugh now reading the description of the home as having “beautiful perennial gardens”. They were OK at best, but damn if I don’t remember the time spent in that backyard tinkering with the Coreopsis and Sedum, knowing my two favorite people in the universe were waiting for me inside.

A special time and place and for today, a nice escape from the smell of stagnant water and pipe glue.

Thanks for doing me a solid if you made it this far.

John

Canada Thistle Removal

Posted on June 3, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in How-to, Weeds .

Here is a picture of a peony.

Pretty, right? Well that is the end of pretty for today. Hope you enjoyed it.

My last few posts have focused on the the progress in my garden and how wonderful it all looks. Fun stuff for sure, but I need to get a dirty little secret off of my chest. More than ever before, I’m fighting off a vicious attack from …

… Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense):

And there is no one to blame but myself.

I enjoy weeding. I really do. I’ve even considered creating an exercise video based on the core movements required for proper weeding. It is a test of strength, mobility and a lightness of touch needed to ensure the entire root system has been removed.

But not all weeds are created equally. And unfortunately, I’m a “once and done” weed guy. I never spray chemicals and in fact, never use any sort of spray, even if it is natural and safe. I don’t have the patience to wait for them to die; once I am in eradication mode, I want them out of sight.

This works well for some weeds and not for others. Who can forget my journey with Red Sorrel? I’m still fighting that battle; but we can discuss that at another time.

Similar to how I first attacked the red sorrel, when the Canada Thistle started to pop up in high volume, I grabbed my gloves and a trowel and went to work.

I dug deep enough to be able to grab the roots without touching the painful barbs and softly yanked them out trying to grab as much of the root as possible.

Once and done.

Out of sight and out of mind.

But not so fast.

Within no time, the Canada Thistle was back and badder than before. Like literally within the week. Most intelligent beings would research why this was the case, but not me. I went back to popping them out only to see them emerge again, nearly doubling in count. They were like the frickin Gremlins.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times … and it is time to hit up Google.

Damn was I doing it all wrong.

I knew the Canada Thistle root system was extensive, but up to 15 feet deep? Holy s. And each time you break off a root by pulling it out of the ground, you are theoretically creating two new plants by splitting the root in half. Double the bastards to deal with in the future. Why didn’t I just take a minute to read up on this before jumping into the fray blindly?

Well now I’ve learned and it is time to attack these in a different way. As I’ve now read, the best option is to prepare for a long and drawn out battle. By cutting them to the ground first and then cutting off the subsequent new growth on a weekly basis, the nutrient reserves in the roots are slowly spent and eventually, this perennial will die (or so we should hope).

So that is what I did.

And as you can see, there were kind of a lot to deal with.

The goal is to keep this up on a regular basis and under no circumstances can I allow them to flower so they can spread their ugly little wings.

And while this may prove to be a successful plan, the absolute best option is to plant, plant and plant. As the old adage goes, give weeds no exposure to the sun and no room to grow. For me, my best bet is to plant Bee Balm and let it take over.

It is working in many areas of the garden so why not grow them everywhere?

More to come as the new canada thistle weeding plan unfolds.

Peonies, magic juice and many others have arrived

Posted on June 1, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Blooms, Family .

This has been by far the latest the peonies have bloomed in ten years, but as usual, they were well worth the wait.

My one white peony, planted in Fall of 2013, is blooming for the very first time.

As for the indestructible ‘Bowl of Beauty’, they look as good as ever upon the first wave of blooms.

And all of the peonies are literally covered with paper wasps (?).

But of all the plants, nothing is a bigger creature magnet right now than the Baptisia.

Speaking of Baptisia, the ‘Carolina Moon’ is thriving right now as seen emerging above the also emerging Switch Grass (Panicum).

And that Panicum ‘Rotstrahlbusch’ is already showing signs of that great red leaf blade color.

Physocarpus (Ninebark) ‘Diablo’ is blooming as well.

As is Nepeta (Catmint) ‘Walker’s Low’.

Veronica (Speedwell) ‘Royal Candles’ has emerged within the last week.

Sitting in a wet spot has been no problem at all for Carex grayi. The unique seedheads add a sweet touch to these sedges.

As the years go by, I find myself disinterested in white blooms unless they are in a shaded spot. They just seem too difficult to work with in a bright area. As a result, I’ll immediately remove the blooms of these Penstemon ‘Husker’s Red’ and enjoy the foliage on its own.

How friggin awesome does the Lady’s Mantle look in the late day sun?

As I may have mentioned in the past, I do not have many mature trees on my property. But after 5 years now, the River Birches are looking great.

Big bro taking batting practice from our new found softball hurler.

And finally, another happy birthday shout-out to my partner in crime, confidante, best friend and soul mate. Everything great in my life is because of you. Thank you.

The peonies couldn’t have timed it any better by the way.

Before I ride off, a little info on that cocktail above.

It is called “magic juice” and in the spririt of all things social media, the recipe was sent to me by my wife a few weeks ago via Pinterest. Like she forwarded a pin to one of my Pinterest boards or something. Welcome to 2015, when a husband has never had it easier than just glancing at his wife’s extensive Pinterest boards for ideas for all occasions.

If you are interested in the magic juice recipe, check it out here. And please let me know what you think. I am not a sweet drink guy by any means and this is the farthest thing from it. The best way to describe it is: simply refreshing.

You are welcome.

Garden update

Posted on May 28, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Blooms, Spring .

A few quick notes before we check out the latest and greatest in my world renowned garden today.

My mother-in-law has come and gone, we had great family time, ate like champions and most importantly, had some serious plant discussions. I should also add that she lives outside of Portland so I couldn’t be more jealous of her gardening climate and conditions.

My wife and I had a “day date” on Sunday (thanks dad-in-law) and spent the day out in neighboring Lambertville, NJ. I love my kids to pieces, but I can’t say that I missed them too much that day.

I’ve talked about my love of baseball on numerous occasions, but my number one sports love is hockey, specifically the New York Rangers. They will be playing in a game 7 this Friday night to determine who goes to the Stanley Cup finals. Please remember them in your prayers because if they lose, I may not be able to write another blog post.

On to the latest and greatest out in my garden.

Finally, the Iris versicolor (Blue Flag) are blooming, but the blooms are somewhat hidden by the foliage so it has little impact unless viewed up close.

The Siberian irises ‘Snow Queen’ are also blooming and damn, they look handsome.

I’ve discussed pruning Weigela ‘Wine and Roses’ in the past and I am sad to report that 2 of my 3 W&R have perished over the past few winters. The one surviving shrub has never been pruned, 6 years and counting, and she still looks OK.

My mother-in-law witnessed my weekday plant shopping as she saw my large noggin surrounded by plants as I pulled my car into the driveway one day last week. Said plants were Meadow Rues I excitedly discovered at my favorite local nursery, Ambleside Gardens. The two below are ‘Black Stockings’ and their incredible black stems. I am hooked.

Baptisia in full effect.

I cannot say enough good things about Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’. My current collection of 13 will only get larger over the years.

My big plan of an impactful blue and orange combo never really panned out with Trollius and Salvia. This is the best there ever was. John’s grade: C-

My absolute favorite time in the garden is early evening as the sun is setting. Still need things to fill in a bit more, but we are getting there.

And finally, I am sad to report that I lost two Itea ‘Henry’s Garnet’ over this past winter. I have no idea why, but it is interesting that the bark was exposed as seen below. Any ideas? They’ve been replaced by two Panicum ‘Dallas Blues’, but they will be missed.

The Frenchtown Memorial Day Parade

Posted on May 26, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Family, Local .

Trying to impress

Posted on May 18, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Blooms, Family .

Cohesion might be an issue today.

I am painfully exhausted after a weekend executing plan “Weed Shock and Awe”.

I got up at 6:00 on both Saturday and Sunday morning and spent two hours each day weeding like a man possessed. The hope was that the ferocity of my weed removal would send a message to other newly forming weeds that there was a new sheriff in town. Think twice before you decide to put on 6 inches of new growth in one day, because I’ll destroy you. I was that bad ass.

Admittedly, my relentless and focused demeanor was impressive and while the results were substantial, I’m still not comfortable sharing them with you. There is still a ways to go and only then will I share my success. To do so now would be weak and unearned.

While part of my motivation was to remove unwanted visitors who were uglying up the joint, my main driver was the arrival of my in-laws who are staying with us for the week. And I mean that in the best way possible.

No one amongst my family, friends and neighbors takes more of an interest in my garden than my mother-in law. She gets in the mix and takes in all of the plants up close and personal. She is interested in the names of the plants and their preferred growing conditions. She puts up with me using the Latin names. She remembers when some of the plants were just babies. She asks for advice and welcomes my rambling responses. It is awesome.

Because of this, I owe her a garden that doesn’t appear to be neglected or under construction. It is a time for me to make it some what presentable and I like that. A pause in the constant tinkering and shuffling of plants. A mini garden tour if you will. I enjoy prepping for it even if I put it all off until two days prior to her arrival.

After the work was done and the calf cramps had passed (I never remember if you are supposed to point the toes out or towards you) I finally had a chance to take in the garden in a non task-oriented way this evening. I was wobbly and a bit disoriented but managed to snap off some photos along the way and I’ll do my best to add some ~~unnecessary~~ much needed commentary. I apologize in advance if it makes zero sense.

This is relatively young Lilac and it is fully blooming for the first time. I tried to capture it best with this shot.

Looks OK but I really like this pic better.

And the reason is I love the peony blooms in the background. Come to think of it, I like peony buds more than I like the actual flowers in bloom. The buds equal promise and sometimes promise is better than the actual delivery. Well that and the blooms haven’t weighed down to the ground, been eaten by the deer or have disappeared within two days.

Allium ‘Globemaster’ makes a statement like no other while in bloom. Soon it will be inundated with bees and creatures and will be the star of the garden. It even kicks butt when the blooms fade as it takes on an architectural quality.

And the Baptisia in the back are quite lovely as well ain’t they. Speaking of Baptisia (I’m nailing the transitions today like an 11:00 news anchor) …

The Baptisia blooms are working their way up the stem just like science says they are supposed to.

Soon enough, this view will dominate.

I was taking a macro shot of this Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’ flower (I know, enough already) …

… when the guy below arrived. How convenient for this budding professional photgrapher.

All of the ‘Blue Ice’ are ready to explode, just in time to replace the “purple/blue” view afforded by the quickly fading Ajuga blooms.

Still haven’t divided those Siberian irises I’ve been threatening to attend to for two years now, They will be blooming within days so missed opportunity number 1. Will now have to accomplish post bloom. Chances of that happening? Slightly better than me watching an episode of the Kardashians.

I think my severe pruning of the Salix pissed it off and now it is going to take over and eat all of its surrounding neighbors. Wow.

Transition to be nailed yet again … the other the severely cut back shrub from weeks ago, the Redtwig Dogwood, woke up and removed all of my panic and potential regrets.

I hate to admit this, but I never heard of a Diervilla … so I bought one.

Hot damn, the color of Ninebark ‘Amber Jubilee’ is awesome.

Help

Posted on May 15, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Garden problems, Ornamental grass .

I can confirm that the neurotic part is accurate.

And it was this gosh dang view that did it.

First off, how awesome are the Carex Appalichica above? They look unbelievable and downright radiant when back lit by the sun.

Back on topic …

I cannot stop myself from gazing at the above referenced view. It dominates my thoughts day and night.

I see it when I am ravaging the cupboards in the kitchen.

I see it when I shut off Family Feud on the TV because it is oddly inappropriate and not for a nine year old girl.

It’s the first thing my eye moves to when I set foot out on my deck and threaten the rabbits.

I see it when I pace in the upstairs hallway while brushing my teeth, trying to up the “step” count on my Fitbit.

And here’s the thing. If it draws the eye in I guess it is a good thing, but is it? I can’t decide if I love it or hate it. Look at it again please.

It’s too formal, right? But formal works sometimes, right? I’m over thinking this right?

With complete compassion for those who are unfortunately afflicted and diagnosed with true OCD, I fall just short of having it according to my own self diagnosis.

I require 7 strokes under each arm when applying deodorant.

I am a serial stacker (ask my wife). If papers are stacked I feel in control, even if the important ones are lost in the pile.

If you saw my desk at work you would think no one lived there. Coworkers have moved my family photos a few inches just to see if I’ll notice when I arrive at my desk. Spolier alert: every damn time.

I bunch things in odd groupings without even realizing it.

I could go on but I’ll spare you.

In my true domain, the garden, is where it gets trickier. I despise almost all formal gardens and love those that are wild and free. Except I cannot do wild and free … or formal. I operate in this middle ground where the design feels in control but not too much in control. Controlled chaos if you will. Hello neurotic.

My M.O. is to plant 1, 3, 5 or if I’m feeling nuts, 7 of a like plant and keep them in a triangle/quadrilateral pattern. In control yet trying to fool myself that I’m letting it all hang out. It makes me f’n nuts and I wish I could just embrace the chaotic. Does anyone else think this deeply about their damn garden? If so, please start a support group and invite me immediately.

This dilemma has a direct impact on the development of my now ten year old garden. When you feel the need to constantly evaluate the location of plants in your garden you become a tinkerer. A tinkerer never relaxes. A tinkerer moves the same plant three times in one day. A tinkerer never allows a plant to establish itself. As a result, the tinkerer’s garden never looks mature. Hi, I’m John and I am a tinkerer.

I also kick ass when it comes to weeding because of my neurosis. I see all weeds in all spots and need them gone. I even get a bit shaky when I can’t get to them. But I’ve never sprayed a chemical in my life. Just give me a trowel and maybe a flat head screwdriver and I’ll dominate. I can get at the toughest weed like a bulldog but then have the delicate touch in order to get the entire root system. It is an art form and don’t let anyone else tell you differently. For $50 and hour I can be had.

Can we go back to the photo one more time?

The grasses look too formal don’t they? Or does the sweeping curve make sense? Does it need to circle the entire tree? Should I just be happy they are thriving in that spot? Did you tune out already?

Flowers

Posted on May 12, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Blooms .

I tend to favor foliage over flowers because of the fleeting nature of those big old blooms. But I still appreciate the hell out of flowers when they arrive in spring and today is one of those days where they must be appropriately honored:

Exhibit A as to why ignoring a plant is often your best option. I got this Clematis from the Garden Writer’s Conference back in August and just stuck it in the ground not expecting a damn thing. Note to self: leave well enough alone more often.

Geranium ‘Espresso’ is now in full bloom and the bloom color looks fantastic in contrast to the chocolate colored foliage.

This is really the only orange blooming plant I own, Trollius ‘Golden Queen’.

Daffodil ‘Green Pearl’ was planted this past autumn and first impression is that I like it. You can’t tell from the photo, but there is a green ‘eye’, hence the name.

I moved and divided a few Phlox ‘Emerald Blue’ last year and so far so good. I like it spilling on to the front walkway.

This lilac smells even better than she looks.

I could sit there for a week straight and watch the Allium blooms unfold.

Amsonia tabernaemontana looking good.

As does Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’

The tiniest sign of color on the Baptisia is a sign of things to come, most likely later this week.

Random thoughts including a brilliant idea

Posted on May 8, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Blog stuff .

A few thoughts bouncing around in the old noodle today.

Last week I visited a coworkers home/property during our lunch hour to check out his landscape. It was beautifully laid out with multiple stone walls, mature trees, a small pond and it all backed up to a sweet wooded area.

The plantings were sparse so I started dreaming up a plan as if I had already been hired as his landscape architect (FYI, my rates are competitive). Turns out the dude wanted mulch and not too much else. Plants were too much maintenance and controlling the weeds was the main concern.

This has to be the 3rd or 4th time I’ve had the same conversation over the past few weeks. Mulch, mulch, mulch. I get it to an extent, but I am failing miserably in my attempts to persuade friends/family to pursue “plants”. I need to work on my “elevator speech” so I can convert the “I don’t want to be converted crowd”.

But more on that at a later date.

I really want to talk about just how phenomenal the show “The Americans” is … just kidding. Well I’m not kidding, I’m dead serious but that is also for another blog for another day.

How about those Mets? Sorry, now to the important stuff.

While I was drooling over my coworker’s landscape, he mentioned that the home’s previous owners had taken a one year sabbatical to address their yard. How frickin awesome is that? And who the hell gets to do that? I think if I presented that idea to my boss, I would be laughed out of the cube and all the way to the unemployment line.

But damn wouldn’t that be fun and rewarding and healthy and invigorating and frustrating and expensive and tiring and life changing? Can you imagine spending 365 days solely focused on the outdoors and getting your garden/yard in shape? Oh what I could accomplish and I could realistically dream big and finally deliver on my many lofty dreams.

So I am asking you all today for a favor. Spread the word that I want a large corporation/entity to sponsor “My year in the garden”. I’ll carefully document and film it all and I’m thinking it could make it to Cannes if done right. Or maybe it is a weekly reality show. Either way, it would be inspirational and dramatic with a dash of heartbreak and humor. Remember you heard it here first and you were there from the beginning.

I’m not sure yet how I’ll address the day job but that minor detail can be worked out at a later date.

Grats.

I’ll now leave you with more images of my garden as it rounds into shape. I love spring and I love plants before they are fully blooming. The promise is intoxicating.

“Here we go Trollius, Here we go.”

Geranium ‘Espresso’ flowers ain’t so far away now.

Baptisia has become a personal favorite and it is ready to deliver.

Elsewhere, flowers have arrived and I’m doing my damndest to enjoy them while they last.

Crabapple ‘Prairifire’ has phenomenal color although the shape of the tree needs to be addressed at some point.

I really like these ‘Hillstar’ Daffodils which were planted this past November.

Let’s pretend that this Fothergilla ‘Mt. Airy’ is covered in blooms and that it was never touched by the deer. How fun.

This Brunnera came out of nowhere and I have no memory of planting it. I’m awesome.

I have Ajuga everywhere and when it blooms, it makes quite a statement. Nothing can kill it and I’ve found it pretty easy to keep it in check.

And I’ll leave you with this. Don’t fret over the dandelions. They are our your friend. I’m dead serious. Read this.

You’re welcome.

An early May garden update

Posted on May 4, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Blooms, Bulbs, Spring .

The latest and greatest in my garden this first week of May:

10 days in and these ‘Double Beauty’ daffodils show no signs of slowing down. If I had to guess, they have tripled in count since I planted them three years ago.

Daffodil ‘Double Beauty’

The ‘Mt Hood’ daffodils are reliable year after year with this being their latest bloom time ever (and yes I know this for a fact based on my spreadsheet entries over the years. You’re jealous.)

Daffodil ‘Mt Hood’

I am happy to report that my Hyacinth ‘Blue Spike’ planted last fall have bloomed and withstood the leaf nibbling from the rabbits.

Hyacinth ‘Blue Spike’ and Daffodil ‘Mt Hood’

I planted them in small bunches in between the Catmint ‘Nepeta’ along my front walkway and I am digging the punch of color they provide while everything else is slowly emerging.

The Summer Snowflakes are all in full bloom and I can vouch for the fact that they withstand the saturated soil year after year.

Summer Snowflake

While many of the daffodils are starting to fade, I am most pleased with myself and the successful attempt to plant varieties that bloom in succession to each other. These are just emerging now.

While the deer nipped off a good 50% of these buds over the winter, the Viburnum carlesii still packs a floriferous punch with the blooms that survived the feast.

Viburnum carlesii

Phlox ‘Emerald Blue’ (Moss phlox) and Geranium ‘Espresso’ make a handsome couple don’t they?

Geranium ‘Espresso’ and Phlox ‘Emerald Blue’

The first blooms on the Forthergilla ‘Mt Airy’ have arrived and like so many others, they were nipped by the deer. It really is their world and we are just living in it.

Fothergilla ‘Mt Airy’

Trollius ‘Golden Queen’ will be blooming soon and I will be on high alert to ensure they come to fruition, deer and rabbits be damned.

Trollius ‘Golden Queen’

I admittedly get a little too excited when the peonies emerge each spring. I know they are a given and tough sons o bitches, but they represent spring like no other.

Emerging peony

Great color on the emerging leaves of this ~~Viburnum and I’m livid that I can’t remember the name~~ Ninebark ‘Amber Jubilee’. I’ve failed my spreadsheet and I’ve failed you all.