Garden Renovations

We saw "It Might Get Loud" Saturday night and it was really good; I knew it would be right up Marc's alley, being the consummate guitar geek and all. Even for non-guitar geeks like me, it was very interesting. There's a great scene where Jimmy Page is playing a record of "Rumble" by Link Wray. The look on his face is just like a little kid; you know he's heard it a million times, but it still resonates in him. Marc loves that song too, and it was cool to see this connection, the way art can inspire and influence other people. Very cool.

While Olive napped yesterday I did some major perennial garden renovations. I ripped out almost all of the irises, (I kept a few, and gave the rest to my friend down the street) and I dug up the yellow loosetrife before it gained any more ground. There was this other stuff which I don't remember the name of that I got rid of too... it's got greenish-red leaves that turn dark red in full sun and has small yellow flowers along the stem. It was kind of a bully, and I don't have full sun, so it was just dull green and pretty boring to look at. I just decided that I only have so much space, so I should fill it with the things I really love and get rid of the other stuff.

So now, I am thinking of what I can put there now... I want to go with more natives, like Joe Pye weed, asclepias (butterfly weeds) and New York Ironweed. I am also looking at some more Western natives like Salvias and Agastaches. Does anyone know anything about Lupines? They are supposed to be a hardy native (of somewhere) but I never see them around here, which makes me wonder why.

This fall I want to go to the Herring Run Watershed Association plant sale and get a dwarf red buckeye tree for the front yard. They stay relatively small, they are an understory tree, and they have beautiful red flowers that the hummingbirds like. I am also thinking of adding some oakleaf hydrangeas perhaps. I want my garden to be a little bit better designed and less haphazard looking; and I want to create a good area for my fountain next spring. Hmmm.

I am trying to see if I can get the money together to take another clayworks class. I really want to, and it starts next week. I'll see how things look once I get paid this week.