Front Bed is kind of under control

The front planting bed is really starting to come together.  Today I pulled out all the daffodils, and I think I got like, 90% of them with the bulb and all.  There's still an issue with the way back, where we cut back the conifer.  But whatever goes back there has to be something permanent.  That means something perennial, but also something evergreen.  Like, one of those little trees...  

Right now what's in there...

Large Shrubs:  The big hedge (Laurel?) and the low conifer (that's what we're calling it)

Variegated Liriope (like, 10 of them?) the small one in the back should be moved to the front next spring.  There's also one totally underneath the hedge that could be salvaged.  

Daylillies, tons of them.  I've been wanting to move them further back, because they look kinda dumb.  I could really think about doing that this fall when they die back.  There's also a larger day lily that I think is red and yellow?  I can't decide if I like it there.  

Black Eyed Susan- 3.  I think they'll do well.  They get tons of sun, but I'm starting to worry it's not draining well.  (Then stop soaking it to death!)  I think the height will work, they'll get to like, 2 feet high.  The one that's around the right side could be moved maybe.  They're supposed to bloom in July, so, we'll see!  

Echinacea: I was really excited to get these.  Same deal as the Black Eyed Susan, but these should get to about 3 feet tall.  I hope they spread.  If they look good this year, I'll get more.  They're going to kind of dominate the color scheme at that point, when they bloom (July).  The Liriope blooms around then, too, so the purple will be somewhat cohesive?  

Creeping Jenny- just dug it up from where it was spreading into the grass and put it in.  It's a nice way to cover some ground, but I hope it doesn't spread too much.  

Daffodils-  so they've been all pulled out now... I'll put them back in, but near the back/ middle.  I'll have to draw this out in a real plan.  

Annuals:

Gladioli- I think I need to be a lot more restrained with these.  It's easy to get carried away in March when nothing's really growing yet but I'm just so excited oh my god and I put in 100 gladioli.  Maybe if I really feel the need to do this, I can just cram tons into containers.  Oh, but the ones that are in there now- they're dark pink (almost red) and light pink with dark streaks.  They won't come up until July. Next year, I would plant them even earlier.  When they do bloom, I'll just pull out the whole things.  

Vinca- bright pink vinca, big flat of em from Home Depot.  I think vinca usually do pretty well, they're tough.  I had put Lanthana (?) in, but they ended up being way too red.  

Corabells (mini Petunia things)- pink with yellow streaks.  

Sweet Potato Vine- chartreuse green, hope it will tie in with the Liriope and the Creeping Jenny

Mandevilla- in a big container with a cool obelisk thing.  I'm hoping it will be a focal point for now, so that gaping hole in the center isn't too upsetting.  It's growing like crazy, but it hasn't really bloomed yet.  Not enough sun?  I'm hoping to bring it inside over the winter.  

So the only thing I can do this year is re-plant the daffodils, and maybe add more.  I should probably do a few rounds of pruning on the hedge so it keeps growing the way I want it to.  

Next Spring- move the liriope in the back to the front.  Put something in the back/center.  Maybe move the day lilies back a little.  Maybe more of the green and yellow hostas.  

Instead of doing work, I'm going to think about doing work

I'm fucking sick, and it sucks.  With enough drugs, I start to feel ok, but then I stand up and start doing something and it's like, whoa I need to go lie down again.  Yesterday I planted....

• 3 Yarrow plants
• 3 New Guinea impatiens 
• 2 Creeping phlox (actually I made Drake do that)
• the Mandevilla
• the tomato and the pepper

I also cut back a lot of the stupid tree-bush, and then felt like I was going to pass out, and then Drake finished off more of it.  Now I can see what's going on in that area, and it's kind of crazy.  

First of all, I have a pretty well-filled out border of day lilies along the outside, which looks totally fucking stupid.  (There are also some even stupider daffodils)  Then, there are the liriope, all mature and healthy, distributed around the back.  Two have been totally covered by bushes for the past few years, so they haven't grown much, but the seem like they're hanging on.  Then I have the Black Eyed Susans I planted a few weeks ago.  The Black Eyed Susans should be the farthest back, because they will get the tallest, like 3 feet tall, I believe.  Although they probably won't do that this year, so no reason to move them yet.  The day lilies also need to be moved further back, and clumped together more densely so they don't look like a weird little trail.  

But really, the area will need a focal point, something permanent with some height.  Getting a clematis or something like that, and just using the trellis to get the height, might be the best move.  Either way, not doing anything about it this year.  

So, things to do in the future:

This Fall: 

• grow some cool-season veggies like arugula and kale
• collect lots of fall leaves
• move day lilies 
• move the daffodils 
• move the hyacinths so they aren't in the way of the phlox
• plant some more daffodils, maybe some other bulbs, maybe tulips

This Winter: 

• Probably buy a grow light
• Move the mandevilla and the rosemary inside, so I can get another year out of them
• Force spring bulbs inside, it will be so much more rewarding that growing from seed!

Next Spring: 

• Cut back Hellebores right away, like, early March
• Cut back Liriope (power tools?) and move whichever seem like they should be moved
• Start growing Morning Glory in full sized containers indoors, none of this peat pot shit
• Use plastic window box planters for the window box, so they can easily be switched around

It's starting to look like a garden center run by crazies over here

Flower Market:

• 3 Yarrow, red and yellow flowers- planted in the Bed of Neglect across the sidewalk
• 2 Vinca Vines- maybe the wall planter? 
• 1 Thunburgia - wall planter?
• I feel like there was something else?

Lowe's (literally never stop improving)

• 4 Creeping Phlox (light light purple, not the color I wanted, but on the clearance rack for $3) - not sure yet where to plant these.  I might give them to mom.
• 3 Stella D'Oro Daylilies- in the front, but I need to think more strategically about that whole area 
• 3 New Guinea Impatiens- in containers on the patio on the trellis.  Done.   
• Sun Gold Cherry Tomato plant
• Jalapeno plant
• another trellis thing for pole beans

Wedgewood:

• 2 Creeping Phlox, to match my candy stripe pink ones- will plant just in front of the existing ones.
• 2 Echinacea (the regular purple-pink kind.  Probably should have gotten 3) - well, I was thinking it would go in the front bed, but now I'm kind of thinking the side bed needs some late summer flowers.  
• 1 Mandevilla, the standard bright pink kind- planted in a larger planter with the beautiful obelisk, placed in the middle of the bed.  
• A gorgeous obelisk trellis for the Mandy for only $30
• 6-pack of small Coleus- in containers on the patio
• a cocoa liner to fit my giant wall planter

Obviously I've gotten a little carried away.  I mean, I spent probably $500 so far.  As long as I actually take care of everything, I think it's justified.  

Still to do....

Raised Bed:  

• plant tomato and pepper plants
• put in new trellis frames, plant more pole beans
• I pulled the flower buds off the chives so they'd keep growing... that's ok, right?

Containers:

• transplant begonia bulbs to larger pots
• transplant coleus to pots
• plant nasturtiums in window box planters
• water the Mandevilla
• water the other containers
• get more potting mix for the wall planter
• figure out what to put in the wall planter

Side Bed:

• Plant the new creeping phlox.  I want to dig up all the hyacinths as I'm doing this, because I don't like their current location.  I want them clustered in the middle.  
• cut back camellia 
• Figure out what the hell I'm doing.  The hostas in there are kind of a mix of things that don't makes sense together.  The fern, oh my god, that fern is so stupid there.  It's really getting crowded by the rhododendron and the hosta.  The thing is, he seems to be thriving.  

Front Bed: 

• finish dealing with the tree-bush
• plant new day lilies, figure out if and where to move the old ones.