Plant Fail

I've shown you a lot of photos over spring and summer of my gardens at their best.  However with the good does comes some not-so-good.  Enjoy the following photos at my expense.  Some are my fault, others not.

Japanese Beetles feasting on my wonderful calla lily.  Next year I will invest in pherome traps from these noxious little beasts.

This is all that is left of my old herb garden.  I took down the wooden board sides and put them into my new iris beds.  Now I'm waiting for the six garlic plants to die down so I can harvest them.  Then the dirt will all get wheeled to my garden and some grass seed applied to this area.  But for the mean time, its just an ugly weedy lump.

The perennial phlox is severely afflicted with powdery mildew.  Actually it has gotten considerably worse since I took this shot a couple of weeks back.  I'm not sure phlox is worth it in my garden.  I like it, but I prefer something a little more robust and dependable.

My one rosebush.  See why I don't invest my time and energy into roses.  Something has denuded the foliage - I assume earwigs and the gardener has not put forth any effort into dead heading - oh wait that's me.

Our red flowering crab tree was so nice in the spring, but somebody or something has completely defoliated our tree.  Well actually the leaves are still there, but completely skeletized (is that a word), and of course it is dead centre on the front lawn - can't hide it.  Hopefully the petunias provide some distraction.

This garden was nice the first year or so, but has become a weedy mess, that needs a complete overhaul.  I have it all visualized in my mind, but not much has translated to my fingertips or shovel as yet.  Note the horsetail weeds that have overcome the present mulching system.  I promise a renovation before the year is out.

This believe it or not is my Asiatic lily row and my blue berry bushes.  Looks more like a weedy embarrassment to me.  Not sure how I am going to rectify this mess yet.

Okay, this one is beyond my control.  Those holes punched through all those fine hosta leaves are hail-stone damage.  Oh well, it makes interesting conversation for any who witness them.

This is one my wave petunia baskets.  The baskets have been a bit of a disappointment this year, not blossoming to their potential at all.  However we have since started applying weekly doses of Miracle Gro for flowering plants, and already they have upped the anti on blossoms.  Lesson learned - feed the plants!

My canna lilies were magnificent a week ago, and then overnight the Japanese beetles have shredded their gorgeous big fronds -- my disgust is palpable!  Death shall come their way.

 More evidence of Japanese Beetle unbridled feasting smorgasbord.

This is my final shot of dismal failure.  I've always liked golden glow or outhouse flowers as the natives call them.  I put a big clump in at the corner of the house, when we moved, partly because I figured the house would offer some wind protection, and in return they would hide our compost bin from the unsuspecting public.  Well they do pretty much hide the compost bin, but I think the bin would be more attractive in plain site than hidden by this brown, mangy, sprawling mess.  Today I purchased a trumpet vine that will hopefully do the same trick, more effectively and beautifully.  The golden glow will be relegated to the out house - oh wait we no longer have one of those, maybe it will just go into the compost bin, it so valiantly attempted to hide.

And that is about all I have to say for today.

Musings and meanderings from the Musical Gardener.