Beautiful!

You have done an amazing job with your gardens. They look great.

Alexa

Beautiful, just beautiful!!!!!

Fabulous! June, Regal Splendor, and Halcyon are 3 of my favorites. Your garden design is really nice!

Thanks everyone. I can't take all the credit for the design as I had help... I did do all the planting myself :). I think this is going to be a great year. The plants are all looking big and full.

Mariann

Nice Chamaecyparis too! :)

Beautiful, you've mastered the picture thing. That's a lovely June you've got.

Yes, gorgeous. What's the beautiful blue flowering mound (several) in the front of the garden in the last pic? Probably something that won't grow in Northern Illinois.

Westy

I think that's ajuga repens, westy (or maybe Catlin's Giant Ajuga...or another variety of ajuga - aka bugleweed). It'll definitely grow in Illinois!!!

wht is the tree to the right of the bench?

You're right! The blue flowering plant is Ajuga "Chocolate Chip". It's a really cute plant. So far it's staying really compact and when it's not flowering the leaves are very small and cute. It seems to spread pretty quickly, but it's not getting out of hand.

The tree to the right of the bench is the Chamaecyparis. We call it "Weeping Alaskan Cedar". Because of its weeping branches it stays narrow enough for a residential lot.

Mariann

I didn't know that was ajuga.

most of the ones I have grown in the past were no where near that nice. Maybe I'll try that one ;~)

Here's a picture from 3/30 that shows what the ajuga looks like before it blooms.

Mariann

Oh my gosh! I remember you with your big planters, is this you? Well, at least I remember Oregon and the Mkitten name. Amazing what you have done there!

MAinMA

I can't believe you remember me! You're right... Here's the planter you're talking about:

My husband HATED the planter, so this is that area now:

Mariann

Aaaagh, noooo! I hope your ajuga 'Chocolate Chip' doesn't run as wild as mine does!!! Mine is more feral and weedy in comparison to yours; let's hope 'CC' is a well-behaved cultivar. Ajuga is a very, very, very hardy and prolific plant here in Northern Virginia.

But it looks so sharp in that last photo, especially against the dark red foliage of the hedge. Gorgeous!

Hey, in your 'Regal Splendor' picture  what are the blue flowers with the spotted foliage?

The spotted plant with blue flowers is pulmonaria (lungwort). I'm not sure what the variety is because it was a gift from someone else's garden.

'Chocolate Chip' is the only ajuga I've grown, but from what I've read it's quite different from other varieties available. I just put it in last year, so I guess I'll have to wait a few years before I can say for myself. So far I really like it.

Mariann

Mariann

Lungwort, eh? I'll look for that, thank you.

If your ajuga has behaved for a couple of years, you're probably fine. My ajuga goes nuts week by week. It doesn't take a year to spread. It seems not to need much more than one afternoon with my back turned.

Beautiful gardens,Kitten! Yes Ajuga can be very invasive. Someone planted a clump in the little grassy area I have near the road,and it has expanded to six feet across! I can't mow near it this time of year,because of a bazillion bees around the flowers it produces! But,don't get me wrong,I'm hoping it will creep down over the steep bank,so I won't have to weedwhack,down the bank! I think my type is bugleweed,very common. Phil

Mariann, don't be afraid of 'Chocolate Chip'. I've had the same little clump for three years and it's very well behaved. The original Ajuga 'repens' can get invasive...it's now in my lawn...LOL...but the other varieties seem to be okay. I love 'Catlin's Giant'...it's awesome!!!!

The good thing about is if you water the area, it's really easy to pull. :)

What variety is your Chamaecyparis? 'Pendula' or 'Van den Akker'? I have 'Van den Akker' and adore it!!!!

I honestly can't remember. It might be 'Green Arrow' (I know the nursery had some that were Green Arrow.) I hadn't heard of 'Van den Akker' before, but it might have been 'Pendula'. I don't actually remember if the tag said anything other than Weeping Alaskan Cedar...

Does the ajuga 'Chocolate Chip' re-bloom if you trim it back?

Mariann