Roadside Flowerbed

Today was a good day to cut back the overgrown and overwintered grasses. Some of the cut grasses were used as mulch, to be covered next week (hopefully) by some store brought brown mulch. The lilies I brought last year have made it through the winter, and I'm hoping that there will be some flowers this year.

I also planted the Foxtail lilies (Eremurus) that I brought from the NJ Flower Show. It seems to be the perfect spot for this plant. Since we are on a hill, the site should have great drainage and the area receives a heavy amount of sun during the summer. However, when I planted them, the tops were left exposed and I learned later that they should have been covered by 2-3 inches of soil. I'll need to remember to run outside and cover them up tomorrow! From what I've read, they won't bloom this year, but should definitely bloom by the third year. By the fifth year, they should really take off.

It's not much now, but hopefully it will look good in the summer. 

A few days ago, I also brought a gardenia which I'm thinking of keeping in the back of the house. There are a bunch of buds on it already. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will do well this summer.