May renovation of the front little rockery

 In this photo from May 9th I have the stone path cleaned up and the bluebells and montebretias dug out.  The ibiris is in bloom.

 May 9th the aubretia, hebe, globalaria, lithodara (Grace Ward), and the mountain avens are in bloom.  I have started to straighten the little gold wall and back fill the edges with clay and pot shards.

 This is the widening of the stone path where it goes between the smoke bush and the California lilac.

 The path narrows again as it passes the smoke bush and goes around the little sundial circle.

The campanula globerata grows next to the stepping stones that go down to the thyme circle.  Beside it I have prepared a space for one of the gentians that I have now moved from the back garden rockery. 

The space beside the columbine (which has been taken out and replaced with a dianthus) is now filled with one of the gentians. 

More progress on the little gold wall.

 This area by the gold wall now has the lily and a columbine removed.  The bed has had more drainage sand and pot shards added, along with a bit of compost, some chicken scratch and some good top soil.  The red mossy saxifragia and the saxifragia paniculata from the back rockery were added with little tufa rocks separating them.  The Saxifragia from in the Rex Murfitt cement pot from Butchardt gardens has been added  to the same area by the little gold rock wall.  They are top dressed with some pea gravel, chicken grit and a smidgeon of tufa rock dust.  Keeping them watered in, and hopefully they will like the spot where they  are now. I have given the cement pot that held the saxifragia  to Paul S.   Rex Murfitt grew saxifragias in these cement pots from Butchardt gardens and there was a sale of his stuff when he moved to the care home a few years ago.  Paul said that he is going to plant one of Rex's saxifragias in the pot.  When I downsize in a few years who knows what might happen to my garden, so its good to have things go to someone who appreciates them. 

 This hebe is in full bloom on the 9th of May.  It is now finished blooming and dead headed.  A bit of compost added.  I do not remember seeing blooms on the Wulfenii beside it. The Aubretia is next to the Wulfenii, has now finished blooming.

The west coast planter has the umbelicus plant in it.  The other malva self seeded thing has been pulled out and the lovely little Primula auricola is in this pot.  The soil has been enriched a bit. I need to add chicken grit top dressing to this pot.   I need another special plant for this big pot.  Something that might hang over the edges.  I have some dragons blood sedum that might just do the trick. 

 This is looking over the 4 foot diameter sundial circle to the 7 foot diameter thyme circle.  The polygala bloomed earlier and the little arctic daisies are just now coming into bloom.  I need one more plant to fill in the side of this circle in the bottom of the photo. The soil needs improving.  But the polygala and the daisies are growing very well. Maybe a portulaca would not be too agressive in this spot.

This is looking from the stone path down the 3 round pavers to the bench at the back in its nook. The thyme has been fed more compost in spots.  I keep the bamboo leaves picked off of it.  The thyme is beginning to fill in again, with attention to the watering and addition of good compost to it.  It is in bloom now.  But there does not seem to be as many bees as there used to be on it. 

 The big lava rock from the Clearwater area that I will need to find a special spot for.

 The smaller lava rock that is now in the first layer of the renovated little front rockery with this red hens and chickens, a silver foliage with yellow balls plant (I forget its name) and a little saxifragia with silvery foliage.  I have added more compost to these plants and chicken grit top dressing.  They are all doing much better with a little attention to the care and weeding of the bed.  

 This interesting rock now sits by the silver sedum and the sea thrifts.  I have taken the sedum back a bit to give the other plants in this bed a chance to grow.  This is under the smoke bush tree and the area I sometimes call the center or smoke tree bed.  There are getting to be some interesting plants in  this little bed.

 This is a very special rock that Bryan gave to me.  It is from Yellow Knife.  It was so sparkly and nice when he gave it to me.  I must see the Rock Hounds shop about getting it polished up again.  Although, it is gaining a different kind of mossy type character now.  I will have to find a special spot for it.

 A close up of Mrs. Bradshaw geum.

 This is the geum and the sedum  in bloom at the same time with the burgundy leaves of the smoke bush above.

 The sedum has crossed the little stone path by the sundial circle and a couple of tall bearded iris are sharing this little space.  

 An overview of part of the front garden from the front entry way.

 This is the portulaca that grows in the Magnolia bed.  It is far too shaded and needs a much more gravelly bed.  It is suppose to be easily propagated from cuttings, so maybe I will try to add some of it to the sundial circle.

 The smoke bush garden room.  The campanula glomerata is in full bloom now.  It is a gorgeous deep purple color with lots of up facing bells.  You can see the little empty space beside it where the solar light stands.  I have now planted the stemless gentiana in there and it is doing fine.  Hopefully I will have blooms on it next year.  Along the other side of the campanula there are some globularia plants.  this bed needs more compost added to the soil.  There is a hebe in there that has never bloomed.  But it is a good evergreen plant with a nice form and dark green foliage.

A closer view of the sundial circle.  You can see where the edge needs some vigorous plant that needs gravelly soil to grow there.  Perhaps the portulaca will be perfect for the difficult spot.