If you are faithful to Annie’s, Annie’s will be faithful to you. I stopped on my way out of Oakland yesterday because I once saw campanula in the Ground Cover section. The campanula will hopefully grace the new back garden with the deep blue that the lobelia was unable to give. Three plants are probably excessive, but one or two might not survive. While there, I also found an agapanthus (Lily of the Nile) in the Natives Section. It is a workaday plant that I see in many commercial and residential plantings. A kind of antidote to my tendency to buy interesting plants like the artemesia. Surprising to me that we have never tried it in the garden before.
On the subject of interesting plants, I could not resist a nandrina (heavenly bamboo) in the garden center at the Oakland Home Depot. During the winter, such as now, it has spectacular red and orange foliage. Hopefully, it will stay a dwarf size as promoted on the label. Apparently, recommended pruning include cutting one-quarter to one-third of the plant to the ground at the end of the dry season.
I am hauling topsoil to the back yard, raising border stones as I fill the border garden along the downward edge of the lawn. The new plants are tucked in with Plant Starter. I am also adding topsoil to the bare spots in the lawn to raise them to ground level and scattering the grass seed of hope.
I laid a few flagstones for stepping stones into the new garden, but they need more need more logic. The newly filled border was treated to Preen and then mulch, supplemented with coffee grounds.
The huechera grows slowly but steadily, with a profusion of tiny white blooms. I expected red from a huechera rubescens, perhaps as the blooms warm and mature. The Martha Washington geranium is pushing new leaves, never say die. New buds on the tall shrub daisy are also promising for another performance.
The moon is almost full tonight. Walking through the house with unassisted moonlight is a comfort to my soul.
A Year at the Snake 