The Front Entrance Bed

Continuing with documenting my garden beds, this is the "Front Entrance Bed". If you click on the picture you can see it a little better. As all garden are, this is a work in progress. The vinca and junipers were there when we bought the house along with a few tulips. We added the bleeding heart, Japanese maple, some hostas,  coral bells, a miniature rose, clematis with trellis, yellow flag iris, the red switch grass and various spring bulbs. I sometimes think the bleeding heart and the miniature rose throw off the balance of the bed. I have thought of moving them or at least one of them, but I so love admiring them from my kitchen window I just can not relocate them. All three (japanese maple/bleeding heart/minature rose) peak at different times and are doing quite well. The bottom line is they make me happy and that is what it's all about, right?

The Front Entrance Bed in the distance

A different view.

From the driveway, you can see some of the daffodils and tulips. The bloom times very with the bulbs some are finished and others yet to come.

The bleeding heart was the 1st plant added when we moved in. We have always had bleeding hearts and have planted three at this house.

Our house faces east and the conditions must be perfect. This is the largest bleeding heart we have ever had. In 2009 I am not exaggerating when I tell you it was 5 feet tall and covered in blooms. My daughter said its a monster out of control, but that year was a cool wet spring. Last year it was a little more  reserved.

I do love pansies. I treat myself to pansies every year for my birthday in April. My neighbor always says its a little early, but thats the beauty of planters they can always go in the garage if needed.

The idea was for the clematis and iris to bloom together, I definitely can say not all of my plans work out so well. I know the yellow flag iris can be invasive but I cut the stalks before they go to seed and I needed a tough iris that can take wet feet. The gutter overflows all the time, even though my husband is always on the ladder cleaning them out. There is a price to be payed for large mature trees. Oversized gutters may help but are not in the budget,  at least for now. Anyway, the water pouring over had created a low spot, and when we tried adding fill the rain always washed it away. So flag iris was my solution. The clematis is tucked back on higher ground and so far seems to be doing okay (They do not like wet feet).

Noble clematis planted in 2009.

Yellow Flag Iris added 2010.

Fire Glow Japanese Maple, more photos to come in an other post. 

Juniper

June Hosta 2010.

Santa Claus Miniature Rose.

The small bed I call the "Driveway Bed"

As I wait for spring and gardening weather I wish to try and document all of my small garden beds so.... this is my "Driveway bed".

Spring 2010, we had added tulips in the fall of 2009.

There are peonies behind and day lilies in front of the tulips which will help hide the foliage after the blooms have faded. Those are Crab Apples in the distance.

Aladdin Tulips, we had this kind of tulip in the back yard but lost them after about two years. Not sure if it was squirrels or the condition of the bed at that time. 

I think I will be adding more Aladdin's, but will wait to make sure  they do well here.

A new clematis "Bonanza" also added 2009

2010

An other clematis "Arctic Queen" a double white  was added 2010. Its to small to see here, its even hard to see the second trellis. I am hoping it will make it. I could not find a good specimen but had to have it anyway. You  know how it is when you just can't walk away!

Not the best angle but it had rained and the peonies were droopy

The sun is a little bright here but you can see  the evergreen that fills up that side of the house. I love peonies but if its going to rain you might as well cut them for a bouquet for the house.

Day lilies

These day lilies  were here when we bought this house 7 years ago. They have been moved three times.

I think we have finally found the wright spot for them.

Its always more fun to pick your own plants, especially day lilies there are so many to choose from. Some times you have to use what you already have, these add color when nothing else was blooming.

Question mark?

Here are pictures of my center bed or island bed. When we bought this house 7 years ago the island bed was there. It was filled with daffodils, astilbe, one tulip a shrub and various other plants. Its a full sun bed on the west side of the house, a little to much sun for astilbe. Pretty much every thing in that bed was moved. No there is still a white cone flower that is slotted to be moved this spring. I now have a clematis (The President), a Peace rose, Ella rose, The Fairy rose bush, two single peonies (Terrific Gal & Virginia Dare) a unknown iris(maybe Blue Flag?) and the Crown Princess Margareta is out there by itself climbing on a trellis. So one of the many garden projects in planning is expanding the island bed. Last spring I wanted to move the Crown Princess Margareta into the center bed so I would take the hose and outline a new shape for the expansion. Every day my husband John came home from work to find the hose in a different shape. Then I worked my 3 day 12hr weekend shifts and came home on Sunday to find the hose in a new shape, a giant QUESTION MARK? Such a funny guy. Well I still have not figured out the new shape of the bed. John moved the Crown Princess Margareta rose and said "we will figure it out next year.  Any suggestions?

A view of the center bed

My husbands humor

Those are daffodils around the iris, they will most likely be moved this year. I absolutely love daffodils but prefer them tucked between perennials. The foliage just lasts to long.

Virginia Dare Peony added last summer. Isn't she pretty

The Fairy Rose is next to the clematis closer to the house. This shrub rose has not done well there, I am thinking of moving it to the other side of the bed. It will get more sun there.

The Crown Princess Margareta

The bed will expand out from here. what shape? U shape, no it would be facing the wrong way. there are limits to what John will move or let me move. So a large circle ? Definitely open to suggestions. I originally wanted a the pergola connecting to the dinning room window (the one on the left) with a three sided bed surrounding it, covered in climbers. But the phone/electric wires attach to the house right there. John won on that one, oh well can't win them all.

The Crown Princess Margareta I love the color and very fragrant.

The rock is a gift from my husband.  He was in North Carolina visiting his dad last year on Mothers Day. He called me from the Blue Ridge Parkway to tell me he had just gotten my Mothers Day present. I had asked for the biggest rock he could bring me. I was very happy with the rock and have no idea how he pick it up alone. Its much heaver than it looks. I think it adds something to the roses. 

The roses blooming. The last two years have not been good years for roses in the suburbs of chicago. Very warm in april, cool and wet May & June.

A different angle, the small shrub to the right of the clematis is The Fairy. The plant on the far side to the left is the white cone to be moved to the border bed in the distance. The Fairy will then be moved to the far side on the left but farther out, kind of between the center bed and the tower where The Crown Princess Margareta is climbing thus connecting it to the center bed.

The summer before last the iris & clematis seemed much closer in color, oh well. Also in the background in front of the screened porch is a miniature lilac Miss Kim. I wanted the fragrance while sitting on the porch. I'm afraid its pretty stringy looking, the house shading it a little to much. So it might also end up in the center bed.

Terrific Gal Peony added last summer.

To the right of the rock is the Peace rose and Ella rose is to the left.

Virginia Dare Peony

Little Mischief shrub 

Little Mischief shrub will be added this summer between the center bed & the tower on the left outer side with the Fairy next to it on the right inner side.

Little Mischief shrub two years ago. They look lovely there, but do not bloom when the peonies bloom. Also there was a lot of black spot this year. I think they need more air circulation in a more open bed. I hate when John is right.