Garden Progression UPDATED 5/17/17

Fresh Cut flowers are vastly different from garden flowers of similar varieties.  Fresh cut flowers are commercially grown specifically to last once cut from the stem.  They are bred for longevity, color range, bloom size and lastly, scent.  Therefore, because I spend most days arranging and manipulating blooms I am not the best person to ask on plant care.  This even extends to my personal ability to grow and maintain plants at home.  So far my dracaena plant is managing, mainly due to it's own hardiness(thank goodness)  I have mixed results with my succulents.  These are supposed to be the easiest to maintain as they need little water and lots of light.  Well I either forget to check them for water entirely and they start drying out, then I remember to water, then I over water! I had them in a sunny spot and evidently it was TOO sunny. And any stink bug in the vicinity takes up residence on the underside of the leaves. (blech)  The only plants I seem to have any luck with is outdoor perennials...mainly because they are low maintenance and all I seem to have to do is turn on the sprinkler every night. 

(2012) after we had just installed the flower bed and mulch, transplanted my flowers from my previous house. This Included some very special plants.

 May 5 2013:

Big difference!  Most of the flowers were either plants from my late grandmother's (iris) and Mother's house (lilies, peonies) the newer additions were from the local nursery Weber's on Rt 11. 

I'll update later with another picture, my yarrow has taken off and is in full bloom. 

I won't be posting pictures of my houseplants...unless I start seeing some improvement! :)

 July 2014:

And the outdoor hibiscus plant I've named "Seymour" from last year (7/15/13):

to this year (7/14/2014) :

The hibiscus plant has a sentimental value to me.  Growing up I had only known of the indoor variety of Hibiscus. My mother had a few, one of which was a memorial gift from my Grandfather's funeral.  Every year she would (and still does) cart them outside in their massive pots during the summer and brings them indoors every fall to winter over inside.  I have always loved the blooms.  When I saw this outdoor perennial variety two years ago I was ecstatic I would be able to grow it outside.  It completely dies back to the ground every fall/winter and then green shoots start sprouting in May.  I nicknamed it "Seymour" due to the fact it's a little tricky to stake.  If you let it go too long before you stake, it goes every which way it can spread.  This year I staked it once, then had to go back and add more fencing around the top because it had literally busted the fencing surrounding it. It is now approx 6'+ tall and loaded with blooms.  Today was the first day of the blooms and the big palm sized red blossoms always make me smile and feel a little bit accomplished. 

May 2015:  

Somehow another plant invaded my garden in between the Black-Eye Susans.  I removed the huge space invader later that summer after I determined it was not something I wanted. 

May 2016:

In the front bottom left are Black Eye Susans, the fuschia colored blooms are my grandmother's peonies (transplanted 4x!)  Behind is my torch plant from my Aunt Marian, adjacent are various Iris from my mother, my grandmother and my neighbor.  The yarrow are blooming in the front right and we planted marigolds in the hope to deter the deer who frequent our yard. 

Today, May 19th, 2017 

 

Peonies, Iris and Yarrow are all in bloom! I haven't had time yet this spring to mulch or finish planting my marigolds but it will just have to keep for now.  The Black Eye Susans are now overtaking their space so this year I will be thinning them out.  The phlox has also invaded the Japanese Maple's curtain so that is another issue for this year's to do list.  I have been slack in watering this week- eek! With the sudden weather change it's time to dust off the sprinkler and soaker hoses.   Overall a big difference in 5 years time.