Deadheading Chores

Humid and warm today, but not raining for the first time in forever.  The ground is squishy and completely soggy.

I deadheaded all the penstemons, the foxgloves, and the knockout roses today.

The newly planted purpleleaf sandcherry is no longer visible in Meadow's Edge --- eaten to the ground.

You can see it was rabbits --- the cuts are clean angles.  There are a few leaf buds left and I think it will regrow.  I need to remember to heavily douse any new planting with pepper or deer-away!

The New Jersey Tea (ceanothus) plants that barely survived the winter are struggling.  One looks good and is starting to bloom, but the other two have weak stems that fall apart and drop off in any breeze.

But the sweetpeas look sweet (!)

The clematis viticella that I transplanted from the front to the patio wall is so tiny, but has just started blooming.  The leaves are tinier than last year, it is sparse looking, and the flowers are tinier too.  Hmmm, just transplant adjustment?

Compare it to last year.  It bloomed at Memorial Day, and had full climbing leaves, and hanky-sized flowers:

May 31, 2010

May 31, 2010