Garden after one year

Atop the berms on the west and north sides are Western Sand Cherry var. Pawnee Buttes, which are just now starting to bloom; and two Cistena — a hybrid called Purple-leaf Sand Cherry, which are blooming profusely. These are not nicely shaped yet, but I am shy of pruning them until they are better established.On the west wall of my garage are four Pyracantha var Mojave, which seem to have survived the winter and are starting to leaf out — though they did not drop their leaves from last summer. I’m hoping that they will climb the wall and I can prune them to spread widely.

The yarrow out front never really died, and stayed green all winter. They have perked up nicely. The blossom stems of the Agastache on the north side died, and I broke them off a month ago. The leaves are coming back (they never turned brown).

The Karl Foerster grass is starting to leaf out. (I had been hoping I could plant the seed heads and get more, but they, too, are a hybrid and are sterile.)

The Holodicus dumosus (aka Rock-Spirea) is beginning to leaf out but still look mostly like sticks. I put a wire cage around these just in case the rabbits find them tasty. I don’t want to make another 240-mile round trip to buy replacements.

I planted a couple of Sambucus nigra (Elderberry) along the south border about a month ago, with garlic on the south of them and native corn on the north. On the corner of the property I put a Chamaebatiaria (aka Fern Bush), which will grow to a six foot ball and survive our dry summers. (The example in the church parking lot stayed green all winter.)

The Amelancier alnifolia (Serviceberry) still only look like little sticks — not much bigger than a chop stick. They appear to have been chewed, so I put wire cages around them, too.

I had planted some small (and some not-so-small) Populus tremuloides (Aspen), but the local plantsmen say that this species is failing around here, probably due to climate warming. I’ll nurse these along but not plant any more of them. That means I need to find another deciduous shade tree for my back yard, and we don’t have many good options. (The existing Siberian Elms are very invasive and I’m gradually removing them. I cut 12 of the most crowded and ugly out this winter.)