6160 A Diary of the Urban Gardener and Cook

While January is the month where interiors are assessed for functionality and possible improvements, February is always the month I stroll the gardens of 6160 to assess what's working and what's not.  The stroll this month, while productive, was quite disconcerting. 

A rigorous inspection today confirmed my suspicions - the very mild winter to date has ensured the plants are thoroughly confused.  Rhododendrons and Peonies have dime sized flower buds already formed, while Honeysuckle and English Ivy is increasingly changing from purple to green.  A peek into the herb beds revealed sweeps of fresh Lemon Balm pushing up through last year's dead foliage.  And winter has at least five to six more weeks... 

Oh well. 

While in the rear garden, little changes are needed this spring save for a shifting of the pillar arbor by the Japanese Maple Courtyard to the Clematis & Sweet Pea garden.  Windows need reglazing in the orchid house and potting shed, but that's maintenance versus improvements.  In the front garden, however, I will more than likely remove swaths of Bugleweed and plant about nine additional Bloomerang Purple Lilacs. 

Traditional Lilacs can be somewhat unwieldly - treelike shrubs towering over eight feet tall, prone to powdery mildew, and once-blooming.  Worse, when you try to trim/sheer/maintain them, you risk eliminating the subsequent year's flower show.  And since Lilacs do not change color in Autumn (they simply drop their leaves), that means traditional Lilacs are a once a year show (ie, sheer off the blooms by accident and exactly what purpose is that plant serving in your garden...). 

Bloomerang is quite different;  topping out at about five feet, they repeat bloom throughout the season and can be sheered to maintain size (you may not have repeat blooms for abit after the sheering, but you can be confident they will bloom again that season after a window of regrowth).  While they do exhibit the traditional Lilac scent, know that it is diminished somewhat.  However, this compromise is easily worth it given the greater resistance to powdery mildew, the easier maintenance, and extended bloom season.  The Bloomerangs currently dotting the gardens of 6160 have been a magnet for area hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.  So this low maintenance option is loaded with positives.

From a renovation perspective, the front of the house has two projects coming quickly - one very simple, one not so much...  On the easy side, iron gate that cradles the Crape Myrtle as well as the old iron roof cresting that graces the front garden will be repainted and rustproofed a hammered silver (this will go well with the roof).  On the not so easy side of the equation, the 100+ year old front porch, which is now shifting and sagging west due to foundational issues it's suffering from, is now tugging at the very front facade of 6160.  As such, the entire front porch will be demolished and rebuilt this spring. 

Of course, if winter weather would just keep on at its current pace, the front porch could be started tomorrow...