Why don't you get some?

Looking really good, Val!
Growing up, we had 3 hibiscus plants/trees - they were big! As big as I am! They were the red ones, but I assume the ones you have can also fill out and grow tall. We also had gardenias all along the brick fence in the front by the sidewalk, and remembered them being so frangrant!

I would love to see your sunflower once it blooms! I think sunflowers and lillies are my favorite flowers...and daffodils are a close 3rd...

you people and your warm weather and flowering plants

everything is looking great Val! i saw my irises in the front have some stalks coming up with heads on them and my lilac in the back is getting ready to bloom as well.

I have heard they are not easy to grow...very picky. Plus, wouldn't it get too cold for them here?

Shannon, you're probably right they might not survive your colder temps.

Claudia, my parents had a huge hibiscus plant at their house too when I was younger and it too was a monster plant! The one thing I hate though is how quickly they lose their flowers compared to most other flowering plants. But they are gorgeous while they last. I wanted a red hibiscus and Lowes did have reds available but they were not as cold hardy as the pink ones I ended up getting. C'est la vie. I will definitely share blooming sunflower pics if/when the time comes!

Jenn, I could do without the warm weather truthfully! It's been abnormally warm (hot really) this year since February! Can't wait to see your irises and lilac in bloom!

Got a few plants at Home Depot today!

3 Salvia and 3 Butterfly Blue Pincushion flowers!

I passed on the Coral Bells because I wasn't sure how they'd fare in the section that I want to plant them which gets zero sun.

Pics to come soon.

Okay, so here's the new loot (3 pincushion flowers, 3 salvia)


Yesterday I planted the Butterfly Blue Pincushion flowers around the mailbox, here's the result:


And I planted the Salvia behind my row of day lilies by the back fence:


A pic for the gardenia fans, they are blooming like crazy and smell amazing!


Progress in the raised vegetable bed, Cilantro on the left, Chives in the middle, Italian Parsley on the right:


Repositioned my flower cart, moved the new orange/pinkish petunias up with the other two and moved my mini roses down. Thought it might look better this way.



And I had a really nice surprise visit while planting the Salvia this morning. I hear this loud buzzing behind me and I whip around thinking I might witness the largest bumblebee in history to find a gorgeous little Hummingbird coming in for a meal at my feeder. It was about 3 inches long from head to tail and had beautiful shiny green feathers that glistened in the sunlight, plus a little white neck with a bright red chin. Absolutely stunning, adorable little creature! All this happened within 4 feet of me and you better believe I ran for my camera! See below (the pics and video don't do this gorgeous little bird justice though)!






All for now!

I have herb garden envy!

Everything looks great Val!

I love Salvia but watch it gets huge and spreads so you might have to cut it back some from your day lilies. what a cute little Hummingbird, you got lucky it hung around! i have 2 HB feeders but never fill them!

I hope it spreads and fills in the gaps and I have no problem cutting it back if need be.

It's official, I've lost my mind and plants need a restraining order against me or something!

I was out shopping today and thought, let me just swing by Lowe's to check if they have anything on clearance.

You know where this is going, right?

The hubby is in for a surprise when he gets home. I decided after unloading my haul to make his favorite dinner tonight. But in my defense I only got clearance flowers! I think I need an intervention. LOL

So I got:
4 Goldcrest Foxgloves
2 Lavender (they smell lovely!)
2 Sensation Deep Rose Salvia
3 May Night Salvia



Now I just need to figure out where to put all this stuff. And I found it hard walking away with only that little bit.

I'm telling you, the plants have a spell on me! It's not my fault!

Umm...you need to go to 'Plant Buying Anonymous'...

Val your my best friend!!! yes plants do have a spell over us! there is a HUGE plant sale this weekend and i really want to go but i keep telling my self i have no where to put it!!!
Foxgloves are toxic to dogs so you know. i love them but will not buy them for the back yard. i know my irises are as well and i had all ready put them in the back yard before i knew....

I'm glad I'm not the only one! Oh there was a horticulturist event this past Friday and Saturday, I wanted to go so bad as they were having demonstrations and lots of plants for sale. I decided it was in my best interest to stay home. Otherwise the temptation would have been too much for me.

I didn't realize that about Foxgloves. Thanks for the tip! I had planned to put them in the front yard anyway so all is well. But I will remember that for the future so I don't put them in the backyard if I ever get more.

Luckily...or unfortunately?...for me, I still have plenty of places to put new plants since I started with a pretty much bare yard this year. But I think that over the years I will keep hitting that clearance section until my plants are pushing and shoving each other for space.

i love the over crowded look of plants i can't wait till mine get to that point, then you don't get as many weeds either, or you just do see them as much

Plus it gives your garden a much more established look to it. I have so many gaps and bare spots right now and I just want to fill them all up!

I have NEVER had plants spread like they do at this house. We must have better soil here than at our last house. I only planted a few things last year and I have spent much of this spring moving things that are getting choked by their neighbor! I'll have to update my pics soon. I have some Evening Primrose that started as a tiny $5.99 (or so) plant last spring and this year I have moved two plants out of its way. It's going crazy!! It is FULL of buds, but no blooms yet, so I keep waiting to take pics.

I can't wait to see your beds next year, Val! They are going to be so full and pretty!

You're lucky, Lisa. We have nothing but sand so we have been making tons of trips to the store and loading up on soil over and over. Slowly but surely amending the soil in the flower beds and also throughout the yard as the grass is so slow growing in the sandy soil but the areas that I laid down fill top soil the grass is growing in so much better. Please do post update pics soon!

I haven't noticed the growth too much since I am looking at my plants every day but when I look at pics when I first planted them about a month ago or less I can't believe what a difference in size already! I certainly hope to see even more growth in the following years.

I planted my 4 Goldcrest Foxgloves this morning. After a couple waterings yesterday it perked right up and looks worlds different from how it looked when I picked it up yesterday off the clearance rack. I removed all the spent flowers and it looks so much better.







I love these Foxgloves!

Those are very pretty!

Aren't they?! I saw them at Lowes a few weeks ago and wanted them but the hubby said no to anything not on clearance. Then my neighbor put them in his yard a few weeks ago and every day I walk past and admire his Foxgloves. I got lucky that Lowes had them on clearance now! It's even better that I didn't pay full price for them!

Okay, got the rest of the stuff planted this afternoon!

First off a quick pic of the single new bloom on my Eastern Star Dianthus, one of the clearance plants I got not too long ago. Pretty!



Freshly planted, we have along the back fence from left to right: Voodoo rose, newly planted May Night Salvia, Red Rose, newly planted Lavender, White Rose, and another newly planted May Night Salvia.


Then looking the other direction, from left to right: newly planted May Night Salvia, Yellow/Pink rose, newly planted Sensation Deep Rose Salvia, Tricolor rose, newly planted May Night Salvia, Rainbow sorbet rose, and another newly planted Sensation Deep Rose Salvia.


Today was a perfect day for gardening, a high of 73 degrees, partly sunny with a nice cool breeze. What more could one ask for?

And to finish off I took a couple shots of the entire flower bed along the back fence. Each pic was taken standing in about the center of the yard and looking in opposite directions.

One of my daylilies started blooming! Pics later!

Had some people adding more blown insulation into our attic today and they crushed one my new Foxgloves! Can't even tell you how angry I am.

How rude of them to crush your Foxgloves!!

Evil people with no regard for the plants I tell ya!

Here's a few pics since I never took closer shots of my new Salvia and Lavender...

May Night Salvia


Anouk Lavender


Deep Rose Salvia


'By Myself' Daylily finally blooming!



Oh and I have 4 (out of 10 that I planted) Stargazer Lilies popping up! Will takes pics as they get bigger, I might take one later today just to show how far along they are right now.