Behind my front garden and a connecting walk and nestled against the house is a hidden space from the street named for the beloved childhood book. Here is what we planted and learning tips we'd like to remember.

2024

April 2024. Not much to see yet. Everything is leafing out. The forever susan lilies I transplanted are really sprouting up and will be tall (back left) We still need to move around some things but all indications are many more lilies, coneflowers and phlox are to come. And the shasta daisies are yet again twice as big coming in. Tulips should bloom soon in this bed. We also have hollyhocks in the back on the right I grew from seed in the fall last year. We tried to move some lilies but they are deep and difficult So some made a move but not others.

It's almost time to go to the nursery for two of my favorites: lantana and new guinea impatiens. The impatiens do not keep over winter (we've tried) and we were not able to germinate the lantana so its time to just buy new plants.

2023 Pix and inventory

October Reflections for next year:

This has been my favorite garden!!!
Coneflowers and phlox multiply like crazy
Needs more spring bulbs. Hyacinths are next to the front walk. Iris reticulata are between the daisies.
Relocate the asiatic lilies so they are seen better. Planted forever susan lilies in fall that were in a pot.
Lantana and new guinea impatiens are perfect for after the daisies are done. Pentas did well here too.
Dahlia struggled here. They did best in the tree garden.
Hydrangeas next to front porch did not flower as well as others. The small one never flowered.
The elderberry is probably going to get too big for space and should maybe move elsewhere.

September 2023

The coneflowers, caladium, zinnias, lantana and new guinea impatiens are quite the show now.

August 2023

The rose of sharon and coneflowers have bloomed and the hydrangeas working on second bloom. Caladiums I thought were duds randomly came up. My dahlia is convalescing from a rough July and just bloomed again. The zinnias are still growing. The lantana and new guinea impatiens are getting big! The pentas loves that spot - did not do as well in any other.

July 2023

The daisies and phlox are huge and in bloom! The lilies are just about done but the coneflowers are getting ready.

The hydrangeas are gorgeous. The liatris started to bloom its purple spikes. Dan's palm tree flourishes.

The dahlia in this bed is struggling a bit. There is also a baby dahlia next to the hydrangea.

We are thinking about what/how to move around to balance height. We would like to move the lilies to the front of the bed, except the forever susans.

June 2023

We have our first dahlia and it's the lily show. We planted zinnia seeds to succeed the lilies. The hydrangeas and daisies are starting to bloom. The daisy on the left has outgrown their sibling. The pentas and lantana, new this year, are not growing much but flowering. We already pruned the elderberry. The new guinea impatiens is flowering like crazy. The phlox and coneflowers are growing for later summer blooms and much bigger than last year.

May 2023: The azaleas were a beautiful bloom but now fading! Everything has leafed out and annuals planted. The lilies are popping up all over. Newly planted is a dahlia (currently unhappy but recovering), lantana and our variegated new guinea impatiens. The tickseed came back in the front garden but not here and the lavender trees did not make it through the winter. Dan got me a new statue for Mother's Day!

April 2023: Daylilies, hydrangeas, azaleas, phlox, daisies, coneflower, elderberries, lilies are leafing. Flowers might be confused by the 80 degree weather we've been having. Next spring we'll have more early bloomers.

Karen Azalea

We found out it didn't keep all the leaves over winter though is supposed to be evergreen -- but had some gorgeous fall colors and grew. Look at those spring flowers!

Flowering Time: Spring

Care Tips:

Laced Up Elderberry

Sits beautifully between our azaleas and did well. There's another sambuca elderberry in the tree garden. But we love the laced up version.

Flowering Time: June

Care Tips:

Lemony Lace Elderberry

These are getting enormous and are taller than the azaleas now. They have to be pruned regularly or moved. Considered moving to backyard.

Care Tips:

Rose of Sharon

Suckers a lot but we expected that.

Flowering Time: Flowered until October

Care Tips:

Used a rose cone/leaves/mulch to protect during winter.
Dig up all suckers and prune to keep smaller.

Endless Summer Bloomstruck Hydrangea

Did better in the front garden than here which has more shade. We're hoping some fertilizer this year will help. We'll see.

Flowering Time:

Care Tips:

Buried under leaves and mulch for the winter.
Fertilized with acid-loving fertilizer - look at the blue1

Endless Summer Summer Crush Hydrangea

Did great on south side, not on north side. They definitely do better with the most sun.

Flowering Time:

Care Tips:

Grew much better this year as I believe soil improved.
Buried under leaves and mulch for the winter.
Fertilized with acid-loving. Pink here, but bluer in front garden.

Shasta Daisy

Beautiful! Blooms lasted longer with proper deadheading. Probably too tall for the front of the bed. But a keeper and seem very happy where they are..

Flowering Time: Bloomed July and August

Care Tips:

Deadhead for more blooms
Applied fertilizer in May

Tall Phlox

These do multiply. Glorious!

Flowering Time: Bloomed July and August

Care Tips:

Deadhead when all blooms are spent.
Let self-seed and they definitely spread all over.

Coneflower

Planted for some fall interest as the lilies and daisies were done. They spread too!

Flowering Time: August to frost

Care Tips: None, totally autonomous

Oriental Lilies

Lilies spreading all over! Fall project is to move the lilies all together. They are getting overshadowed. Edit; Could not move all of them as some are too deep and will damage them.

Flowering Time: June - done by July 1st.

Care Tips:

Keep near border as they multiply

Annuals/Tubers

Dahlia

The red is perfect here between hydrangea and azalea

This dahlia started off well but did not enjoy this spot. It had insect/disease isssues as well. It struggled but did reflower. I liked the red but later rebloomed yellow?????

Lantana

Between the daisies - too small at first but by late summer had grown as tall as the daisies and really flourished. No issues with pests or root rot at all, a big plus so low maintenance.

New Guinea Impatiens

These are again a star - not sure we had best place for them to shine but by late summer were gorgeous and big.

Pentas

The ones on the border did well. Very nice looking by August.

Zinnias

Seeded Zinnias to replace lilies. Would seed earlier as have empty spaces right now. But beautiful in bloom

Did Not Return

Lavender Tree

Matching trees from my son Brett! Didn't flower the first year. Did not make it over winter.

Will not replace.

Zesty Zinger Tickseed

Small but mighty. Thrived with no attention at all. We hope it returns!

Flowering Time: Bloomed all summer into fall.Did not return- only in front garden.

Care Tips: