Bed B 2018

There's another bed--well, kinda a bed--on the East Side.  I call it Bed B--imaginative, eh?  It sits between one of the hawthorn that refuse to bloom and a flowering plum.  The area tends toward wetness so that has factored in to what I plant there.  In May a huge wild blue indigo blooms followed by a monstrous bunch of yellow flag iris and a small dab of blue flag iris.  In June, there is a lovely Japanese iris in here and some swamp milkweed.  Finally, in August sneezeweed appears   No, it doesn't make you sneeze.  If I had known the yellow flag iris was such a spreader, I wouldn't have put it here.  Instead, I would have put it by the pond.  Some day I will have to try to dig it all up and do just that.  It is, however, a bear to dig up.  Huge roots.  If I can ever get it moved, then I'll put a bunker bed here with all the other stuff in it.  Someday.

Eastern Bloc

Along the East Side is a small bed that I call the Eastern Bloc.  Hey, I'm a student of history.  Maybe I should change it's name.  It's not very prosperous.  A crocus did bloom early, a daffodil or two in April, one iris out of three in May (sigh), and some yellow rock allium and a small Dutch iris--bronze--in late May.  So from May on nothing bloomed inside this bed.  Outside of the bed a dark purple Japanese iris bloomed in late May and a quartet of day lilies--three red and one cream.  The lilies bloomed into late July.  I have added only one expectation for 2019--a wood hyacinth to join the early bloomers.  I will have to keep trying to think of things to add.  And maybe, all three iris will bloom next year as they did in 2017.  It is a bed in need of prosperity.  Hopefully, I can find a way to add to its wealth of beauty.

The East Side 2018

The East Side--from the front to the bog--is dominated by hibiscus, so not much blooms until late July or August.  There are a couple of beds along this side that have blooms so it's not all bloomless.  Several trees are along here as well--a willow, a river birch, and a hawthorn.  I've given up holding my breath for the hawthorns to bloom.  What does bloom prior to late July?  Some daffodils, of course.  A flowering almond early in April.  Also, some orange day lily, swamp milkweed, and flowering plum.  Finally, the hibiscus arrive--the deep red one is always last and blooms the longest.  Oh, another non-bloomer here that should bloom one of these days is the witch hazel.  Some sweet peas are right at the edge of the bog so I guess a few of them could be considered easterners.

Bed A 2018

Bed A has always been a struggle.  A round pot bunker bed at the very entrance to The Acres the hope was that it would be brilliantly blue all year round.  Not so much, but I think I have a plan for the future.  The problem is that it's so wet up front.  I tried iris--too wet for them.  So now I'm trying a different kind of iris that loves wet feet--Japanese iris.  I've also put a lily in there and a pincushion flower.  Next, I will add a Louisiana iris--another lover of wet.  Anyway, it's still a work in progress.  There is a yellow cosmos that re-seeds every year, and a pure white Rose of Sharon on the outside of the bed that is growing and blooming.  And a couple daffodils outside the bed as well.  They start it all.  The pincushion bloomed almost all season from April to September.

The Front 2018

The Front

Now, that two good frosts have prepared the way for winter, I thought I would begin my "survey" of 2018 at The Acres.  The Front actually had a good year.  Like most places it begins with a few daffodils in April, and ends with hibiscus and/or Rose of Sharon in the fall.  Up front, it's "and."  Usually, though, the frost comes in November, but this year mid-October brought the chill.  May brings the flag iris--the native blue and the "invader" yellow.  Both are doing stupendously.  The blue island of flag iris is the biggest on The Acres.  Also, in May come the English iris--first time--and the beginning of the day lilies--they will bloom all through July.  There are three versions up front--a mauve/ivory addition, and the "common" orange and double orange.  Every year there are more of those.  In June the Japanese iris bloom--two this year.  One is huge and continuing to spread; one has just begun to make itself at home.  This year the hibiscus started in July, but ended up being the last bloom standing.  The Rose of Sharon was an August addition.  It has grown from being mowed down multiple times early in The Acres development to being quite hardy.  The hawthorn here--two--have stilled not bloomed--twelve years of growing without a single bloom.  Growing well and not blooming because they aren't supposed to are the corkscrew willow--a winter showoff when the leaves have fallen, and three maples.  Two things have been added with hopes of new color in 2019--a Louisiana iris and a camassia (wild hyacinth.)  You have to be a lover of wet to flourish in the front.  The biggest success in 2018 was that I finally found something to survive the Dead Zone.  I have one area up front where I have tried multiple things all to no success.  This year I tried three paper (white) birch.  I figured maybe one of the three would break the curse.  Behold!  They all made it--so far.  Next spring will tell.  They are just little saplings, and I will be long gone before they grow to be beauties, but progress has been made.  May the inheritor of The Acres appreciate the battle.

Work Day at The Acres October 13, 2018

yesterday was a work day at The Acres. It was chilly but no rain. And more importantly, not too many mosquitoes. Got in a couple of nice walks as well--one early morning and one after the "work" was done. Still lots of blooms scattered here and there--despite the cool week. Finished a flower bed, moved and planted a host of things. Set up the bird feeding station under the Ancient One along the driveway. It has not yet turned into its brilliant fall red maple self. Not much has turned actually. The burning bushes should be in full color soon. There is one completely new beauty this week. I don't know why it took so long to join the party--it's a blue morning glory; showing off at several locations. I'll give you a peak.