Three years ago I bought some foundation gardens from http://springhillnursery.com
One was a shade garden (which is now in full sun and some of it is being moved around) and the other was a beautiful corner garden which I adapted to the space under my living room picture window. The Stella De Oro Day Lilies and Blue Scabiosa did very well in that spot last year. I kind of let the Scabiosa get too dry toward the end of the season, so I moved the few survivors to the other side of the door in a smaller space.
Lilac Bushes Get Very Big
The one plant that didn’t belong in the original garden was the lilac. As a corner garden, it would have done fine I suppose, as the lilac would have grown it’s natural height and it wouldn’t likely have been in the way. However, I put it squarely in front of my picture window (duh) and didn’t fully realize the height this shrub really wanted to attain.
This spring, as I drove through my neighborhood, scoping out the gardens of my neighbors – their lilacs made me nervous. The ones that were in full sun and doing well were likely about 10’ tall and HUGE! With this shrub in the position I had planted it, I had roped myself into major pruning for the rest of it’s life and I’m sure I wouldn’t get the blooming that I really wanted if I had to keep cutting it below the windowsill.
I had to move it – so move it I did. Yesterday I wielded my pick ax and chopped out a hole about 18” deep and as wide in my unforgiving, super-hard front yard. I mixed in some peat moss and gave the lilac a new home. I finished by mulching with cedar mulch and watering heavily. Now, it has room to spread it’s wings and give me beautiful blooms, hopefully. I can’t WAIT – lilacs are my favorite flower!
It’s MAY 10TH today and tonight the weather-people predict a low of 32 stinkin’ degrees. Damn. I bought 2 frost garden covers at Lowes today for $12 and change EACH to cover my tomatoes, hot peppers, zucchini and basil. This had better work – I hope they don’t freeze. Let me tell you, these will be some miracle tomatoes if they make it.
I also have a couple of windshield washer fluid bottles with the bottoms cut off working as makeshift hot caps over 2 out of 4 bell pepper plants.
In closing – here’s a picture of my first blooming bleeding heart. I just got a pack of 4 roots from Wallmart for $5 this season. Blooming already! Speedy little suckers. Aren’t they cute?!
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