Summer Cutting Garden, continued

This weekend was a scorcher in Western MA.  Proof:


It was hot and humid, but the heat didn't stop me from building a shade garden, a small full sun garden and planting the rest of my flower beds.  

The shade garden.  We cut down part of an old rhododendron and whacked some weeds and turned the earth.  In the process, I dug up a spotted salamander (looked like a fat slug rolled in dirt).  By the end of six hours, we had laid down 4 pink astilbe, 2 red bleeding hearts, 2 white bleeding hearts, 1 pink bleeding heart and 6 hostas and several wheelbarrows of mulch.  Oh yeah, it was work. 

view from the street

i think bleeding hearts are my new favorite.  the plant is too young for cutting, but can't wait for next season
astilbe
hosta transplanted from another part of the yard

The sun garden.  Not too many pictures; I'm not sure what happened.  Mrs. Foxglove (Pete's mom) had a couple of surprises for me when I arrived:  2 foxglove plants and 2 pink scabiosas.  We decided to add amend an existing bed of blueberries and catmint with the foxgloves and scabiosas, pink and blue veronica.

sun garden
blue veronica
cat mint and foxglove
Cutting garden.  OK, I didn't neglect one of our main reasons for visiting western MA.  I planted two dahlia beds and finished up my annual plantings mixed in with the sweet peas.

dahlia beds


clematis seems to be doing well

annuals