DesignsandEvents: My Garden So Far with Little Help from Me

Hi all! At the beginning of the year, I told myself (and maybe you guys) that I was going to write a post every week like I had done in the early days of this blog. Well, as you can see, I have not lived up to that resolution. I am either not organized enough, which is more than true, or I am busy with family things, which is also true. I have a mom who is 85 with dementia and living in assisted living. That brings on trials of its own. I also have three grown married children and eight grandchildren, the absolute joys of my life, and where most of my time is spent, which I truly love. Another factor in not keeping up with my resolution this year has been that I happened to come down with Covid in May. I had avoided catching it (I think) for the last two plus years but, it finally nabbed me. I wasn't very sick. It was like having an annoying bad cold. However, I stuck to myself for ten days and tried to extend it even longer just to be sure. Hence, not much has been going on with my blog for the last few weeks. Life has now resumed, and I am trying to get back on track.

Thankfully, the greenery and flowers in my garden have been putting on a display without much help from me. I guess it is a testament to perennial plants and doing work in the garden when you have the time and the energy for it. Without my efforts from previous years, I would not have been able to enjoy the scenery in my yard this year since so much has been going on.

This ↓ is an island garden that is in the middle of the circular driveway of our home. This photo

was taken a few weeks ago when the Siberian Iris were starting to come into view, along

with a pink azalea and some catnip.

Here is the view from the front door looking out.

Some of the Rhodies had started to bloom also.

Here is the view out of the kitchen window looking out.

The bird feeder needed to be filled:).

On the front step are a few flower-filled containers to welcome family and friends

(And chipmunks lately).

The prettier planter was given to me by my daughter, Brittany. I am waiting for the one

I planted to fill in better. It looks a little straggly here.

I loved this combination in the other planters on the front step, as well.

This is the view looking towards the kitchen window from the driveway. The purple bearded iris were starting to bloom at this point.

This was an excellent year for iris in my opinion.

Even the yellow ones in the back yard put on quite a show.

The island garden always plays host to a ton of Siberian Iris. They look gorgeous when they are blooming. Not so much after, however. Afterwards, they need to be cut back and thinned out,

which is a lot of work but, I still love them anyway.

The peonies did well this year, also.

I was given a different variety last May and it flourished this spring. I loved the color!

Catnip mixed in with the peonies is a nice combination.

Catnip by itself is nice also~

Much of this yellow flower grows on its own in my garden, too. I once knew

what it is called but the name is escaping me at the moment. Does anyone know it?

As long as the deer can't reach the branches, the rhodies always do well.

As I said, most of these plants and shrubs do their own thing without much help from me. Spring is the easiest time in the garden for me. I try to weed here and there early on but, the real work starts in mid-June, right about now!. And usually, I am busy with family and activities so it is a struggle but, I will keep going because I love flowers and the joy they bring even if the process is not always that easy and demands more out of me than I am usually able to give. Hahaha! That's a mouthful but true.

I did manage to plant some pink geraniums in the window boxes at my cottage on Cape Cod.

I do feel that was somewhat of an accomplishment :).