Geranium "blushing turtle" This is a hardy geranium which can bloom all summer until frost if I keep it deadheaded.

Working in The Front Garden – Got Some Planting to Do!

My front garden basically is the introduction to my house, so I would really like it to look good. But since I work in hypertufa, of course I have to have a lot of my hypertufa pots right up front and center so that someone walking up to my front door knows a little about me and how I garden.

There was some work to do here when we first arrived early this spring. In fact, we had a lot of hard work digging out lilyturf  (liriope muscari)  from the front beds. It was just over-run with the plant and since I have dealt with it before, I know how it can run rampant through the garden and take over.

Lilyturf in the front garden when we moved in

My daughter and I dug and dug, sifted for roots and sprouts, but we finally felt we had removed all of the lilyturf. Don’t worry. It found a new home behind the rear yard garden shed. There was some bare ground there and I knew the stuff could happily spread out and multiply. I don’t care if it spreads all down the side of the yard if it wants. It will just get mowed down!

By the end of May, we have come far in digging it all out and getting it to look like we want it to. Of course, a lot of hypertufa pots come in to play here. From March to May, there is a big difference, and that is due to the changing seasons and our hard work. Loving it! But I still want more plants!

New front garden with hypertufa & new plants

But on this day in my garden, I am planting a new geranium or cranesbill. My daughter got a gallon sized potted Geranium “Blushing Turtle” for $1. It is those summer sales that occur here and there as the stores begin to get rid of plants. She also brought home 4 Peace Lilies (Spathiphyllum), but I planted one of those out back among the roses. The other three I have potted up for the screened porch.  Hey, if NASA says it helps clean my air, I will grow them!  WARNING: These Peace Lilies are toxic for cats and dogs due to containing oxalates which can irritate an animal’s mouth and stomach.

Front Garden - but just a peak at the back

We shall see how they do and see if they remain. All I had to do was clean them up, cutting off all the dead leaves and brown leaves. Already these had many while blooms, so I figured for $4, we shall see how long we can enjoy them. They look kind of pretty, right?

My Front Garden Planting 💐- Geranium "Blushing Turtle"

Early this morning, Tuesday, I planted the Geranium “Blushing Turtle” out front around my hypertufa pots. I already have the Johnson’s Blue geranium in the same area, and I thought these Blushing Turtle would go well with them. Both of these varieties are cold hardy perennials and bloom in the spring. They will bloom sporadically through the rest of the year until they are killed by frost. But the following spring, they spring up new from the ground, ready to perform again. Gotta love that kind of plant.

I would like for them to spread into this area as a backdrop to the hypertufa containers.  The success is yet to be determined.  And yes, I do need to weed the area. That little spurge and tiny grasses are multiplying as fast as I can pull them up. I have just a few plants in the front garden, mostly shrubs and containers. There are a lot of daylilies on the side. I think these are the Stella D’Oro.

In my front garden, I have some Spirea Gold Flame.

In my video, notice the Spirea bushes planted in that area. At least, that is what I have identified them to be. They were completely dead ( deciduous) when we moved in, so I had to watch the sprouting leaves and branches growing up until I was able to determine. I love spirea and I think these are the “Gold Flame” variety. Just a lovely color to go along with everything else.

Front Garden Hypertufa Pots

I had Spirea “Little Princess” at my old house, which was a bush with a greener leaf. This leaf is a bright golden yellow so that is why I am thinking it is the Gold Flame. Let me know if you think differently. I do like to know the names.

Please enjoy the video. I am trying to get more comfortable with a camera and presenting something I think you might like to watch. It is just me, a retired lady who likes to putter in the garden and make enough hypertufa to annoy her husband, but have supper on the table for my daughter and son-in-law at night. We all live together here and it is working out well. Check out my post on our multi-generational living and you will know.

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