This is one of the times of the year when the invasion is most apparent here in Missouri, at least in the St. Louis area.
Somehow I've developed a small hydrangea collection. If you're a hydrangea lover, maybe you shouldn't get excited, as "collection" may be too strong a word -- I've only got four of these flowering shrubs in my garden.
Is there a plant in my garden that I take more for granted than Euonymous? Possibly lawn grasses. Or the yews in front of the house. This is a plant that the builders chose 40 years ago, put in every other yard on my street, and moved on. We though, have to live with this choice.
Today I take a look at a couple of "drooping" plants that need some attention, and what I did about them. First up, this potted bamboo:
One of the sights I returned to after my recent trip (besides the knee-high lawn) was the ninebark.
Oh, not me -- we're not moving house. It's time to move one of the larger plants in my garden that has been bothering me for a few years: the Forsythia.
There are three stairways down to my patio: two from the driveway, and one from pretty much the bottom of the deck stairs. That last one is the main staircase, but it's not been getting much use lately.
Today I continue my recent visit to the Missouri Botanical Garden. Part 1 is here and part 2 is here in case you missed them.
Monday was a holiday: Columbus Day, and I looked forward to getting more projects done around the house and garden. My wife wanted me to "do something fun" instead, but I enjoy these projects. When I broke a drill bit I took it as a sign, and decided to head out to Missouri Botanical Garden. It's been over a year since I was last there I think, and the weather was warm, sunny, and breezy, so I grabbed the camera and headed out.
One of the first shrubs I planted in my garden is one of my favorites. Viburnum sargentii 'Onondaga' is blooming now, and that's all I really want to say.
The greening up of the garden in spring is such a welcome sight: perennials emerging, bamboo leaf buds growing, but the biggest impact is always provided by the trees and shrubs. When they leaf out, the yard is almost instantly transformed from primarily brown to overwhelmingly green. Plus the shade comes back, and there's more privacy, at least in my yard. Unfortunately one of the first shrubs to leaf out is a bully -- an invasive species that's taken over such a large percentage of Missouri's woodlands.
One of the best late-season bloomers in my garden has always been Caryopteris, or "Blue Mist Spirea". I planted it five or six years ago, probably as an impulse buy during a trip to the nursery around this time of year.
I'd like to take a look at some interesting things that I've seen over the last couple of days. They don't really lend themselves to full posts, but they turn into an interesting collection. First up, mock orange.
I'll have to admit that shrubs are not something that I've spent a lot of time thinking about. I really don't think "hey, what this bed needs is a nice shrub!". My buying strategy for shrubs is the same as for most of my other plants too: if it looks like a cool plant, get it! Decide what to do with it later.
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