English Emma Blooms

It’s another beautiful morning, and I’m looking forward to a full day in the garden. Yesterday, I spent time outside digging, trimming, and getting my hands dirty, and it was exactly what I needed. I  weeded a few beds, and soaked in the joy of watching everything thrive under the summer sun.

After a little walk with Peanut (who was already in full patrol mode), I dove straight into the front and side beds. There’s something about the rhythm of gardening that steadies me. I noticed which plants were thriving and which ones needed a bit more love—and I started dreaming about where I might tuck in some late-summer blooms.

As I worked in the garden, a chipmunk darted out and then back again—just a flash of curiosity. Peanut, however, was not amused. He stood his ground when a truly giant dog passed by, barking with all the confidence of a dog ten times his size. He’s small, but he sees himself as the guardian of our green kingdom.

Later in the day, I went to Connie’s to help with her garden. She has a lovely space, but there was quite a bit of poison ivy. I told her right away—I don’t do ivy! Sure enough, I brushed against some, so I washed up with Dawn dish soap before heading back into the dirt. Despite the scare, I ended up gardening for about an hour. It felt good to help a neighbor bring some order and beauty to her space.

Once I was home, I took a long, hot shower—my favorite reward after a full day of digging and pulling. That familiar, earned ache from being in the garden is one of my favorite feelings.

Here is the west part of my front yard. I have a bunch of columbines and Penstemon here that I want to move to the backyard.

This is the circle garden where the gardening started. I have lots of creeping Charlie here that I need to get rid of! I also need to move the plants around the Korean fir and put down boxes and mulch to cover where they were. I will do this when my next boxed Amazon shipments come. I am out of boxes at the moment.

This is where I am growing my Salvia. I want to move the Penstemon here and remove some of the black-eyed Susans. They crowd out everything else.

Here is my finished tree project. I think I will plant some flowers to the right of the tree so it is more balanced.

 This is a Penstemon digitalis, also known as foxglove beardtongue, and I really need to find it a better spot in my garden. It's getting overshadowed by my other flowers right now. I’m thinking I’ll make the move when it’s going to rain. Since it will finish blooming soon, that’ll be a great time to shift things around. I’m planning to put it where the purple salvia are and put  Black-eyed Susans where the Penstemon digitalis are. I want the Susans and the daylilies to be in the background since I have so many of both, and they tend to grow tall.

This Penstemon is a perennial that produces these tall spikes of tubular flowers in white to pale lavender. It blooms in late spring to early summer and attracts bees and hummingbirds, which I love for my garden.

 I know that this plant thrives in full sun to partial shade, needing about six hours of sunlight each day. It prefers well-draining soil rich in organic matter, like sandy or loamy types. I make sure to water it regularly, but I let the soil dry out a bit between waterings. I also deadhead the spent flowers and trim it back in late fall. Using mulch helps keep moisture in and weeds out.

When it comes to companion plants for my Penstemon digitalis, I think about adding some Russian sage, which has a similar height and loves full sun, too. Lavender would be a great choice as well, not just for its beauty but also because it attracts pollinators. With these companions, I can improve my vibrant and diverse garden space!