Gardening Update

I had told myself that today would be the last day that I devote to gardening before I leave on my trip to Europe on Friday.  Tomorrow through Thursday I have to get ready for the trip and clean house.  I had resigned myself to the fact that I would probably not get all the flower beds cleaned up before my departure.  Well, with several days of beautiful weather, and four to six hours of work outside each day, I surprised myself.  Today I finished clearing out the worst of the debris and weeds, and edging the beds.  I even had time to spray deer repellant on the hostas. Granted, there are no annuals this year in the empty spaces between perennials, no hanging baskets, no pots of flowers on the patios.  And by the time I return home, the weeds that I overlooked will probably be standing tall and proudly mocking me.  But, for the moment the garden looks respectable. 

Right now the flower beds are mainly a jungle of different shades of green.  But within a few days the Siberian iris will bloom, followed by the primrose and astilbe.  As we head into summer a succession of various varieties of day lilies will flower, as well as the purple, pink and white flowers of the loosestrife, and the lacy pink blooms of the filipendula.  I will miss a good deal of the show, but my housesitter will enjoy the changing display of flowers.