Rock Wall Redux

The garden is never done.

Although I've imposed a moratorium on building new beds, I cannot help looking for combinations that provide visual interest throughout the year. Spade-work is always at hand.

The perennial bed atop the retaining wall, also known as the Rock Wall bed, was beginning to look tired to me.  In early Spring I planted a Thimbleberry shrub (chartreuse, barely visible at the right of the large tree in the midst of the bed) and an Aronia bush.

As the Summer wore on and the Cones, Susans, and Asters came and went I decided to clear out and redistribute most of the flowers.

I'm happy with the immediate result. 

 

Today's bright sunshine does not do the view justice. For example, you cannot see the bright red berries on the Winterberry shrubs. But, the look is cleaner and will offer birds considerable opportunities for Winter food -- both Winterberry and Aronia -- called Chokeberry, because the berries are extraordinarily astringent -- are sources of food birds enjoy.

Also, in my comings and going around the yard this afternoon I noticed a camouflaged insect hanging fast to the basil. 

Grasshoppers are uncommon in the neighborhood. This fellow is big!

Mystery egg

Weeding in the "Japanese Garden" today I noted what at first I thought was a rock, but upon closer inspection turned out to be an egg. Hidden under the arching branches of a cranberry cotoneaster shrub the egg sparked a lot of dinner time conversation, with Bruno even going to one of his books to suggest that it might have been laid by a turtle.

No way for us to know with certainty what laid the egg, but discovering it underscores just how the plantings support so much more than just a pleasant view from the house.

Is this . . .

the little girl I carried?

A new season

Arianna decided she wanted to play on the St. Catherine Girl's Volleyball Team again. This will be her third year. She's excited because most of the 8th grade girls decided to play on the team. Like last year, both 7th and 8th graders are playing together because there aren't enough girls to support two teams. 

Of course the dynamic is very different from last year. 

Less competitive . . . .

More friendly . . . . 

Arianna and Bridget

From what I've seen the team isn't as likely to place as high in the standings as they did last year, but they're having fun.

Eating the garden . . .

Late Summer Blooms

The bees are all abuzz in the late Summer blooms. Here, the anemone in the deep shade of the "Japanese Garden", already past their prime are still are destination for the larger bees that fly through the yard.

Quiet. Lazy day.

Summer winds down.

School has begun.

The bees are all over the asters, goldenrod, helenium, yarrow, and sedum.

Quiet. Lazy day.