Week 23

well A lot has happened but I just haven't written about it.

A Cloud Ballet Iris bloomed and is a FABULOUS periwinkle color, but it smells like cat pee.
Other iris did their thing and the black one is about to open. I saw Molly spray the cat nip. There were many beetles on it week 22, and then they were gone days later.
The cat mint has 2 long blooms on it.
A few of the KentBelle's have bloomed- I hope they'll bloom again.
I majorly cut back the lavender, after I cut the blooming wands.
The heliotrope looks great.
The tiarella came and went, but those that were so nice last year did not bloom.
The clivia bloomed.
I got asian lilies from the daffodil bed week 17
The blue scilla were many, but I went away that week15 to FL. They came on just after the daffodils.
The wisteria was great and that came out before week15 too.
The drama queen poppy in back got big, but the squirrel dug it up and it fell over.
Much of the kale is ripe and ready--the parsley is too.
I think I have winter savory- that looks good too.
The sunny alstromeria got TALL(pink), but the shady ones are eaten and short.
The Betty? rose has not had a good bloom yet. The Austrian Copper need to go up front in the sun. The flowers last about a day, and I never see them- what a great color. The playboy rose got RUST. I belatedly sprayed it, as Mary told me to, but I'm discouraged. The new yellow rose had 3 flowers. I sprayed that too for good measure. They smell GREAT. I will plant a McCartney rose next year- not for the color but for the smell.
I had 3 black-pink roses- 2 nearest the fireman were rotten, but the one closer was magnificent and long lasting.
The blue bachelor buttons are coming on. As Are the Nigella, I've had one of each color peony.
The Heuchera from San Jose are GREAT
The hydrangea plants - red and blue- have some buds but the leaves are sunburned too. the white is a dud.
the meadowrue is in bud--one wilted.
the mountain bachelor buttons are having a great year.
The Jupiter's Beard are open.
The delphiniums - I've had 2 stalks (week 19,22), and others are coming on.
There is a pink nicotania, but it really is such a nothing flower.
The astrantia came up and is flowering. The ones I bought are not faring so well.
The rose geranium, though cut back many times, continues to flower.
The angelica came and went by week 18.
The red sage is doing well now, and flowers sporadically.
The forkseholii was cut once and is blooming again.
The carribean verbascum bloomed with mutple flower stalks.
The foxglovves started about week 20 and are going on.

The aphids on the front Clematis (except the F. Chopin) were awful. I spayed water, Finally I got ladybugs, but next time I'll use insecticidal soap. The Chopin will loose petals when picked, so I floated it. They lasted 10 days.
The Dublin Bay is blooming it's head off. I fertilized one at week 17
I pruned heavily the blue rose-of-shoron and we ran the kayaks into it so more. I think it will be best if I prune it each year.
The snap from Annies likes the front- I'll do that again. I should have puned the hanging fuschia.
I pruned the fig vine about week 20.
The red poppy are not blooming yet in front.
the Sally Holmes came out later (due to repotting?) but is ver full, and not full of disease...yet.
I think the jasmine in front is covering well enough now. The bloom is over.
I puned the maytens week 22
Dave pruned the top of the olive for Donald week 22
there are clematis (Parisienne, duandii) that are growing, but not out yet.
The santolina is blooming now

It generally has been cold this year so roses came out(Chicago Peace) and then on the deck, they stayed (Cecile Brunner, Lady Banksia) I did rose nosegays for the fair.
The pipes for watering have come apart so we fixed that. One of the irrigation plugs popped out so I fixed that too.

Annies has more of the plants I want, but now I don't want to spend the $$.
I am in the midst of doing a Conditioning of my Flowers list.
The arranging for others went well. I've had a good idea- DIY floral arranging at a storefront.