Backyard Perennials...

On the left, Natchez Mock Orange, on the right American Beauty Berry.
They are both about 18" tall, but not yet blooming.

Hydrangea!  Love all the blossoms!

Trifecta

World English Dictionary trifecta (traɪˈfɛktə)

— n


1. a form of betting in which the punter selects the first three place-winners in a horse race in the correct order

 2. any achievement involving three successful outcomes




Ladies and Gentlemen: 

We have a perennial trifecta!  I give you three very healthy perennials that have come back and are positively thriving:

Hydrangea:  Now as tall as my elbows and covered in blossom buds!

Natchez Mock Orange - hopefully will blossom this year

American Beauty Berry

These are all perennials that I planted last year from my landscaping master plan.  The main layout of the landscaping plan has largely gone to the wind, but the types of plants to plant is still intact.  Of these three, I was most worried about the Natchez Mock Orange.  I had mail ordered it -- and it was very hard to find -- and last year it did not blossom at all.  When it does blossom, it should get abundant white blossoms that smell like... orange.  Mmmmm I can hardly wait.

I'm considering staking the American Beauty Berry; I'll be watching it to see how long the branches get.  Last year they were probably 3-4 feet long on either side.  Could be pretty great staked up.  I've seen it both ways...

So far this corner is my most successful!  My next door neighbors are replacing the fence that runs behind these plants... I hope their contractor is careful of my babies.

This morning I tucked in this Homestead Verbena in front of these plants, and nestled between two yoga platforms:

Happy Hydrangea

My hydrangea is super happy it's Spring.  Nearby I noticed my American Beauty Berry and my Natchez Mock Orange have tiny green buds as well; too tiny to be worth photographing, but I am encouraged.  No sign of life on my Night Blooming Jasmine yet.

Today I ordered 10 Jersey Giant Asparagus crowns... excited about that.  I need to plot out the best place to plant those, because they live 10-25 years.  Years!  I remember the family story that mom asked dad for some asparagus plants at the house I grew up in (where they still live) and he planted a quarter of an acre of it.  Um, yeah.  That's a whole lot of asparagus.  So yummy though.

I am miffed with myself that two days in a row I've forgotten my garden wish list at home.  I'm trying to remember all the great garden brainstorming I did and all of the (surely fabulous) ideas my neighbors and I came up with, but I'm not having a lot of success.  Difficult to order seeds when you can't recall what you wanted!  Ay yi yi.  I think there were moonflowers involved...