The Owls Are Here To Greet You

Well hello. Come on in through the gate. No, you don't need a mask, we'll stay outside.

But first, would you like to see what the woman who lives here did last week? She got all artsy and fixed up the dry gravelly strip that borders the driveway by the gate. She took out three dead plants that once lived here, and put in new plants and then . . .

    . . .  then she moved my entire family -- all three of us owls -- into the new planting area. We had no say in the move, she just picked us up and transported us to this spot, but I admit I like it here. We are official greeters now. Greeters at the Gate.

There are more plants coming. More of that green groundcover to drape over the metal edging and hide it better. She says the edging is awful, but what can you do. More plants are always her answer.

There are even more plants you can't see yet. Some yellow Mexican Hats behind the stuff she just put in because they bloom earlier in the season before all this orange and magenta stuff comes out. 

And Maximilian sunflowers. Next year we will have tall sunflowers behind us too. There isn't much room for 6 foot tall sunflowers, but that didn't stop her from tucking them in with everything else. It will be jolly here next summer with so much blooming going on.

The flat yellow thing is a yarrow and is new, and the orange torch lily is newly planted too, although she said she planted exactly that same orange torch lily in spring in exactly this spot and it died over summer. This one won't die. She says so.

Her complicated irrigation lines that she calls "Shrubblers" are buried in with everything. The plants will like that, and we'll stay cool. It waters every other day.

Okay, she wants me to tell you what is planted here, as if you are any more interested than we are. Sigh. Here is what she put in this tiny hot strip with reflected sun from the driveway, poor soil, and a big fence too close behind:

Kniphofia 'Poco Orange' - the second try with this torch lily will work, surely.

Achillea 'Coronation Gold' - a mustard colored yarrow. Mustard goes with everything.

Veronica pectinata to drape over the edging and hide it better.

Ratibida rotundifoila - the yellow ones, Mexican Hats. You know.

Sedum 'Neon' - a little bright and flashy. Garish, actually.

Agastache 'Sinning' - magenta spikes, but this thing is so wispy. Will it bulk up? Ever?

'Munroe' Orange Globemallow, it wants to be a big weedy thing but that simply cannot be allowed here. 

Maximilian sunflowers that will bloom next September. Too big for here but won't they be fun? 

I think that's it. She's happy with this and I'm happy to greet you at the gate. Come in.  She has drinks on the patio and nut free cookies for you.