Feeling more or less human again in the wake of a cold, I lurched outside to take advantage of an hour or two while Corey took the girls grocery shopping.  Results:

Scraggly-ass mockorange removed from the front yard (and without any damage to my face this time)!!  Tiger Eyes cutleaf sumac planted in its place - well, a few feet forward from where it stood, actually, because half the reason the mockorange was so scraggly was that it was standing in the deepest part of the drought-shadow of the house.  How it managed to survive there at all I have no idea; the soil is powder.

I also planted another lespedeza, this time much bigger and better-established, since the itsy-bitsy one I ordered online keeled over after a few days (note to self: midsummer is SO NOT the time to plant shrubs!!) - hopefully this one will fare better given a few months of cool weather to establish itself.

Took a stab at planting primroses and cleaning up, as well; long way to go on both those tasks yet, but progress is nonetheless encouraging.

Progress in the back yard

Behold!

A few months ago:



Now:



With the slate thus wiped blank, it becomes much easier to picture how the deck will look back here.  SO EXCITED ZOMG.

Fall to do list

...with what project time? That is the question. Sigh.

* plant primroses in twos and threes throughout shadier beds
* plant bulbs (not too crazy this year, since I'm not sure how much of last year's extravaganza will come back...nonetheless will add lots of itty bitty daffodils in the side yard, since my dry shade book claims that they fare reasonably well in those conditions, and some crocuses in the sunnier parts of the back yard)
* weeding: roadside, driveway border, side yard path
* hit up Rideau Woodland Ramble for another shrimpy evergreen
* hit up Artistic Landscaping Design for a cutleaf sumac - having marvelled at the gorgeousness of one I saw in a former colleague's garden, I've decided that I really do need one
* top up river rocks around side yard path
* clean up side yard path and carport, AGAIN

Our recent trip to San Francisco inspired me to poke around (...hee) for some hardy cacti, because I had a vague idea that they were out there.  Discovered the highly informative website of a fellow Ottawa gardener, which pointed me to a BC distributor that ships plants.  With, alas, a $60 minimum order, which should kind of seriously not be in the cards right now.

But but but but but...!



Opuntia Mesa Melon!  Look at that!!!

And they offer a selection of 10 miscellaneous opuntia for $60, too.  This catalogue is entirely too helpful.  Y U WANT ALL MY MONEEZ, PLANT SHIPPERZ.

Insanely Overdue Picture Post

Pictures of the backyard to follow next week when I get the cardboard/fabric/mulch setup completed!



Damn, I love my ornamental grasses!  Really need to do something about that scraggly-ass mockorange at the back, though.  Need something else with some height back there.  Also disappointed with the performance (or lack thereof) from the sweet autumn clematis.   Too dry this year, probably.  We'll see if it comes back.

Other things I'm enjoying out here lately:



Check out the Powis Castle artemisia!  Kaboom!  And that's after I pruned it back at the beginning of the year.  Canna lilies are not as tall as last year, alas, and blooming much later, but I'm glad to see them anyway.



Alyssum of doom.  As previously mentioned, definitely replanting lots of these next year.



Agastache cana, started from seed - w00t!  Looking forward to (hopefully!) seeing this in clumps.



Nicotiana, likewise started from seed.  Nice persistent colour is definitely tipping the scales in favour of trying these again.



Emily Carr roses, valiantly surviving beetles and drought to keep on blooming.

Monkshood, which I definitely need more of; it's so purple it makes my eyes water.