Our last soccer game was finished by mid-day Saturday. I came home to blue skies, a gentle breeze, and nothing on the calendar. At long last, a day perfect for planting!
My tulips are spent, and all that remained in my front flowerbed were some spring bulbs awaiting summer sun and a few candy tuft (pictured above). I had to run to Lowe’s for another item, so I headed to their garden section for browsing.
I got lost. I don’t know how many times I walked up and down the aisles, seeing old favorites that I haven’t grown in years. I apologized to my husband when I came home, telling him that it took me a long time because it was like greeting old friends. He asked, “Did they talk back to you?” “Yep,” was my quick reply (met by an unusual look on his face). He asked what the flowers said to me. I said, “They said they miss me too.” We both laughed as he shook his head.
I put on some gloves and went to work, adding the following:
English daisy, 
white foxglove (happy sigh), 
and penstemon. Yes, I like tall flowers.
In another area I added a lilac bush:
I also added a viburnum:
I love the snowball flowers viburnum has. They remind me of hydrangea. I intend to learn how to prune this bush well so it doesn’t get too wild looking.
Here’s a front view of the flowerbed beneath my porch (the lilac and viburnum are planted further south along the side of the house):
For the amount of work I’ve put into it, it’s not much to look at. The back looks bare, but it is where I’ve planted gladiolus bulbs, two dahlia tubers, and in the very center a peony root. I actually planted six peony roots in various spots and am crossing my fingers. I got them at a discount and some look better than others. The ideal time to plant peonies is in the fall, which I didn’t know until it was too late. So I planted them anyway and if nothing comes up this summer I’ll simply replace them in the fall.
In addition to the gladiolus, I planted ranunculus bulbs on the left near the driveway and some zinnia seeds around the peony root. The tulip leaves will get uglier as they die back, which is why I planted the candy tuft so it will eventually spread and help cover the tulips when they’re browning. I’m also looking for some phlox to add as a spreading ground cover.
Best of all, I planted a row of alternating boxwood and lavender plants on the same curve the tulips are on. I was so tempted to buy larger boxwood plants but this is a good exercise in patience for me. I’m buying small, knowing that in a few years it will look how I want it to. I have a sneaky feeling I’m going to love the look of the boxwood and lavender growing side by side. It is such a joy to have lavender growing at my home again, and I’ll share more about the lavender tomorrow!
Three of my daughters worked along side me for most of the afternoon. Their interest in learning how to plant, coupled with their joy at what we were planting, made me smile. I hope they will enjoy caring for our flowers as much as I do. It would be wonderful to share that hobby with them. I’m grateful for their sensitivity to beauty and their willingness to work.
Mulch will be next but I’m afraid to add it until I see how some of these tubers, roots and bulbs do. For now, I’m enjoying my beautiful new plants. Aren’t you thankful we live in such a beautiful world? I am so grateful for flowers.
Hopeful Homemaker
