Front Garden Report West 2025- #1

I am SO happy with the way this garden is turning out that I go outside probably twice a day just to look at it (in addition to any work I do).

First a couple of real success stories. I already showed you the painted fern this year, so I'll skip that picture for now. I've compared its picture with some old ones, and I think my attempt to spread it a bit last summer was successful. Maybe I'll be brave and try to move a piece. I hold my breath every year that it survives where it is (it should be too hot for it there).

Another real success is the 'Firefly' Heuchera that Margaret gave me two years ago. I split it into three plants and they have all grown and look great. One is dead center in this picture with the two-toned green leaves and the bright pink flowers. It's the only Heuchera I've seen that has flowers worth mentioning. They are mostly grown for the foliage. I love how the cool green contrasts with my several colors of darker Heuchera. The one behind the flowers is 'Electric Plum.' Down front is 'Amber Lady.'

Another success that makes me really happy is that the 'Cathedral Windows' Heuchera that I bought in 1995, and has never been anything beyond tiny and barely alive since then, is actually grown up and looking great. Maybe I can stop holding my breath to see if it will reappear each year.

This was a plant I bought just last fall at the Garden Club sale. Columbine 'Winky.' It's covered with buds. It's not as tall as I thought it would be. Maybe I'll move some to the middle after it gets established.

Here's a surprise. The Iclandic Poppy 'Spring Fever Mix' is blooming again. It has this flower open and five more buds. I'm a little sorry I bought this. It is beautiful, but when I read about it, I learned that it's a short-lived perennial, so it only lasts 2 or 3 years. I wonder if it self seeds?

I'm the one who managed to damage this hosta. I had a piece of fencing sitting right over where it needed to come up. It's on the mend, thankfully. I bought this in 2000 for full price. It's one called 'Loyalist.' Looks like it will recover pretty well this year. It was one of the plants that more or less disappeared over the years I didn't weed anything, but it has reasserted its right to be here.

That's enough garden talk for today.

I spent most of the day getting food ready for the Adirondack hike. There is one store run in the future, but I don't need to buy very much. Mostly, I can use up things I already have on hand. Some gardening and yard work.

See Front Garden East- 2025 #1