Gertrude's Flower Garden Weekly Diary

7/10/09 - My landscaper is having some health problems so that he hasn't gotten started on the summer trimming of the shrubbery around the house and in the back garden. If he can't get going soon, I am going to ask the chaps who cut my lawn weekly to spend an extra half hour each time they come working on the trimming. I know that this would take longer, but at least it would get done. My neighbor's shrubbery that is encroaching on the Sun bed needs trimming badly, but I will have to let this go until all of the flowers have finished blooming; otherwise, the bed will get flattened when the trimming is being done. I still have the walkway around the back of the rock garden to work on, and there are always flowerbeds to be edged. Oh, well, one should never expect to finish gardening--there is always something more to be done.
You may remember that I scattered Star Zinnia seeds in the window box container on the driveway edge. The little plants are now about six inches tall, and I am trying to get them planted on the edges of the garden beds. So far I have edged the Rectangular bed with these little plants, and I am working my way along the edge of the Sun bed. Because the ground has gotten dry on the surface, I have to water these little fellows when I plant them, and keep them watered or they will dry up. I am going to rearrange some of the plants and leave them in the container with the Browallias that are already blooming there. These are the last of the annuals that I will be transplanting this year other than possibly a few more Multicolored Coleus. I also have three purple Dianthus that are blooming in one of the containers. These are perennials and I won't move them until autumn,
I write often about the Birdbath bed, but I haven't shown you a picture of it recently. In the center is a concrete birdbath set on a flat stone base. Right now it is slightly tilted; my son is coming for a visit and I will get him to help me to straighten it out. I try to keep the birdbath filled with water, since it serves the dual purpose of providing water for thirsty birds and a place for them to splash in water safely. It is interesting to see how they bath themselves, and I regret that I do not always have water in the bath for them, although this spring, with all of the rain we have had, their bath has been mostly filled. A few flagstones lead to the birdbath, but they are usually hidden by foliage. I have tall flowers planted around the birdbath in the center of the bed: Phlox, Balloon Flowers, and other perennials. Then there is a ring of annuals: Zinnias and Marigolds. Finally, the bed is ringed with white and pink Begonias.. There are alos some self-seeding blue Columbines scattered between the other plants. Using my kneeler, I am able to keep this flowerbed cultivated in as far as the perennials. It provides an attractive center of interest in the front part of the garden, and is particularly attractive when viewed from the upstairs window.

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