Garden update

I'm constrained in what I can do with my gardens right now, because there are backyard projects in the planning stages that might impact the garden area, and I don't want to invest too much work if I'm going to need to move everything in a month. I keep having to talk myself out of buying just one more perennial to fill this space or that space - I need to wait until I have a plan. There's a drainage pipe being put in near the shed, and we're figuring out where to build a raised-bed planter for veggies, but it's not clear yet whether any of this will happen this summer or next, so I need to keep from putting too much effort into changing the garden around.

Yeah, I totally bought more perennials. 

Some of them were acquired for free from a neighbor redesigning one of her gardens - a big chunk of Salvia (not the hallucinogenic kind), and some tiger lilies. I split the plants up and put a little of each into the front and back gardens. In this picture, the Salvia is in the far left corner, and the tiger lilies are behind the shepherd's hook.

I also added pink creeping Phlox to the front right corner, because it will spread well and hopefully keep weeds from getting settled. There are some annuals in there to fill up the empty spaces - white and pink petunias. I picked up a perennial I'd never seen before, called Cupid's Dart, and I put those in near the Salvia. I plan to have a bed of irises in the back, against the deck, but I haven't moved the side-yard irises over yet. Which is good, because that space is currently the only available spot for my cherry tomatoes. Recurring players from last year fared quite well: the daylilies survived, as did the white Echinacea and the yellow Oenothera (evening primrose). I was glad to see the silver-mound come back after it was crushed by the pine tree - it's much smaller than it was last year, but it's alive. The Cinquefoil looks like it's going to flower this year, and the purple-leaved thing in the back is healthy, although I've forgotten its name already. The only one not to regrow was the Gaillardia (Blanket Flower), which is really disappointing because I loved it so much. It comes in an annual and a perennial form, and I suspect the plants were mislabeled and I got annuals last year.

Last year's Gaillardia (blanket flower)

Last year's white Echinacea

Nothing is flowering yet this year except the Phlox and the lone iris in the back, but I will be posting pictures of the flowers as they bloom. The evening primrose should be first, because it's already heavy with flower buds. the tiger lilies won't be far behind.

And that iris? Enough to make me reconsider tulips as my favorite flowers.