{wildflower garden}

Since we've moved into this house, I've wanted to create a "wildflower garden". When we sodded the back yard, we even left this spot open. I purchased the border I wanted to use last year as well. Finally, in early June 2008, Matt brought in some soil for me and it began. I used a wide variety of seeds that I had on hand. The bulk was an annual variety and a butterfly/hummingbird variety, but I also planted some old seed packets (Coreopsis, Sunflower, Hollyhock, Jasione, Wild Flax, Asclepias, Columbine and a few wildflower mixes). Now, we just water and wait...

6.4.2008 - Scattered variety of seeds in soil. Raked & Watered.

9.17.2008 - Unfortunately this did not take at all. I had about 3 blooms. I give up :) I will just plant a regular garden here next year!

{phlox, dianthus, verbena, purple hearts

This picture contains several different plant/flowers...

Plant: Creeping Phlox - Emerald Blue (flox trepadora) front left of photo
Purchased at: Home Depot
Planted: March 25, 2007 - front yard
Photo Taken: June 6, 2008
Details given at purchase: Sun - Perennial - Height 4-6" - Spring Blooms - Width 12-18" - Hardy to -40

Notes:
9.2007 - both looked dead
6.8.2008 - two were planted in 2007, only came back this year. Was full of blooms but they have faded away with the high summer heat

Plant: Dianthus - Supra Purple
Planted: 2006 - originally in pot on front porch; moved to front yard
Photo Taken: June 6, 2008
Details given at purchase: Attracts Butterflies - Sun or Part Sun - Height 12"

Notes:
Spring 2006 - Flowers looked good and then all the blooms died
9.2006 - Blooms returned and has continued to do well
10.2006 - Began to die off with cooler weather
3.2007 - Left this outside all winter in a pot from 2006. It actually grew and has a few blooms
9.2007 - After a lot of blooming, the flowers weren't looking great. I planted them in the ground just to see what would happen. One actually bloomed.
6.8.2008 - Surprisingly, one of these plants surived (top right of photo - tall plant near irises). Earlier it was FULL of blooms and the plant got very large

Plant: Verbena - Ron Deal
Purchased at: Lowe's
Planted: Spring 2006 - front yard
Photo Taken: June 6, 2008
Details given at purchase: Full Sun - Blooms Summer to Fall - Spreading Habit - Hardy to 10 - Attracts Butterflies - Remove spent flowers - Fertilize in Summer -

Notes:
Summer 2006 - After purchasing, split into two. Neither did well and I threw one away. I planted the other in the ground and surprisingly it recovered. Bloomed again in June after a hardy rain.
9.2006 - Still blooming but not spreading much
3.2007 - green starting to peek through from last year
9.2007 - Got large, very pretty with a lot of purple blooms
6.8.2008 - Bloomed nicely earlier, but is starting to fade now


Plant: Purple Hearts
Planted: June 2006 - front yard
Photo Taken: June 6, 2008

Notes:
6.2006 - Doing well, saw first blooms
7.2006 - Growing and doing well
9.2006 - Doing great - large, but hidden by another plant
3.2007 - Just starting to peek through
9.2007 - Both came back and pretty well. Plant on the left got larger, possibly too much shade on the right plant from the irises
6.8.08 - Both came back once again. One plant is still larger than the other.

{dahlia}

Plant: Dahlia - Figaro Mix
Planted: Summer 2007 - front yard
Photo Taken: June 6, 2008
Details given at purchase: Sun or Part Sun - Spacing 12" - Height 11-12"

Notes
6.8.08 - Five were planted in 2007, but only 2 came back this year. One is very full of blooms right now. The other is full of buds, almost ready to bloom.

9.17.08 - These are miracle plants. I have to get more of these next year. They are so low maintenance and have gorgeous blooms all summer!

{purity candytuft}

One of the few plants that survived from last year. We had planted two, but only one came back this year.

Plant: Purity Candytuft
Purchased from: Home Depot
Planted: March 25, 2007 - front yard
Photo Taken: June 6, 2008
Details given at purchase: Full Sun - Height 8" - Width 16" - hardy to -30 - Spring blooms - Perennial

Notes
9.2007 - They didn't look very heathly and never got very big. Two plants.
6.8.08 - One of the plants came back this spring. It was full of white blooms for a while, but they have since died off.

{taro}

Matt took a liking to this and also used it as a replacement for the fountain grass. I planted it in a gap between two sections of irises.

Plant: Taro (colocasia esculenta - "Jet Black Wonder"
Purchased at: Wilson's
Planted: May 26, 2008 - front yard
Photo Taken: June 6, 2008
Details given at purchase: Foliage plant - Sun or Partial Shade - Height 3-4' - Aquatic - Hardy to 10 - Prefers consistent soil moisture

{decorative grass}

For the past several years, we've planted Purple Fountain Grass. However, this year Matt changed it up a bit. He stuck with purple, but chose a different type of decorative plant. Unfortunately, we don't know the name or have any information on it.

Purchased at: Wilson's
Planted: May 26, 2008 - front yard
Photo Taken: June 6, 2008
Planting Notes: Planted in existing hole from last year's fountain grass.

9.17.08 - This has done really well. It's gotten pretty large, particularly in the late summer. This could be due to having more rain. It'll be interesting to see if it's a perrenial since we don't know much about it.

{achillea & vinca vine}

Plant: Strawberry Seduction Achillea

Purchased from: Home Depot

Planted: May 17, 2008 - front porch

Photo Taken: June 6, 2008

Details given at Purchase: Perennial - Full Sun - Summer Blooms - Height 18-20" - Width 18" - Hardy to -30 - Attractive to Butterflies

Plant: Vinca Vine (vinca major)
Purchased at: Home Depot
Planted: May 16, 2008 - front porch
Photo Taken: June 6, 2008
Planting Notes: Added two small plants to the pot with petunias
Details provided upon purchase: Full Sun - Spacing 10-15" - Size 4-12" - Medium Watering - Hardy to 45 - trailing stems - flowering groundcover

Planting Notes: three small plants added to pot with achillea, planted a few inches apart

Notes:

6.8.08 - plants were not in bloom at time of purchase, but are starting to get some color. Vine is growing, but at a slower pace than the ivy in other pots.

9.17.08 - the flowers did OK, but they aren't very colorful when in bloom (the color is all right on top). I don't think I'd purchase these again. They do have a neat texture though. The vinca vine did fine but didn't grow as long as I've experienced in the past.