Posie Partners

Knautia Macedonica

and

Penstemon Husker Red

A Thyme-ly Posting

One year ago my sister and I attended Trade Secrets, a rare plant and garden antique show at LionRock Farm in Sharon, Connecticut. While the antique urns and $9,000 stone benches were a little out of our price range, we were determined not to go home empty handed. Midge found a woodland peony and I found a 4"x 4" pot of creeping thyme. I had hoped it would gradually fill in some spaces between pathway stones but it has exceeded my expectations. It has spread to fill a three foot area and is marching on with unbridled determination. I've already transplanted portions of it to other areas in need of filler. It is in an area where I disturb it daily with footsteps and hose-dragging. And what does it do in response to that abuse? It releases a heavenly aroma for my enjoyment. Thank you, creeping thyme for being so good to me and for reminding me of a lovely day with my sister.

Tiny Delights

If you peer through the emerging hydrangea you will see my ruby-throated hummingbird. If you look even more carefully you will see that he is sitting on a garden post designed to hold a candle. There is currently no candle in it, and it has become the hummingbird's favorite perch. From there he can plan his moves, scope out the competitors for his food and for the little love of his life. When he's satisfied that it's a good time to take a sip, up he flies. I believe I have about four hummers this year. I think back to our first year here when we had the same number but never saw the ruby throat of a male. It was a bachelorette party in hummer world. It's more interesting, sweeter, and certainly more colorful now that the males have broken up their party. These dear little birds never fail to delight.

Mellow Yellow

Alchimella

(Lady's Mantle)

and

Iris Siberica

"Butter and Sugar"

Patience in a Young Garden

Tradescantia virginiana has many common names - Trinity flower, Job's Tears, Widow's Tears, Spiderwort. It also has many colors. The most common color, a hot raspberry, is too invasive for my liking. I prefer the blue shade and the lilac shade. More subdued in both color and aggressiveness, they are just invasive enough to help me in a couple of trouble areas. A challenge of my young garden is to disguise bare spots. I'm impatient and I want my problems solved NOW!! Tradescantia was up to the task of meeting two challenges. The first picture shows a mulched area over a drainpipe. It left me with a large, unattractive spot where I couldn't dig holes because the pipe was so close to the surface. Thank you, Tradescantia. The roots are so shallow that they took well in the not-so-generous 3" of soil they were given on top of the drainpipe. By next year they should fill out nicely. In the second picture the pile of rocks is covering a drain-pipe. A year ago I broke a small clump of tradescantia into twelve or so little sprigs, each having one stem, and planted them in two rows, one on each side of the rocks. In only a year they have made themselves quite at home. I hope by next year they will meet each other in an arch over the rocks. Best of all, both came from my Pittsburgh garden, so the total cost of problem-solving was $0.00!

Grey Areas

A good friend gave me this garden ornament for a significant birthday a few years ago. After much mulling over for proper placement, it just seemed appropriate to put it amongst the grey foliage, white flowers and grey stone wall. Here's to celebration of age!