There were two tornadoes in Rice County Tuesday night, an F0 that went a little north and east of us, and an F1 that went two miles south of us.  This means that the winds were a swirlin’ here in our woods.  I have leaves, twigs, branches and large branches all around so it’s a dose of mosquito repellent  and long sleeves and a few hours to clean up the yard.

My plants were not without casualties – one hosta at the end of the garden took a branch on and lost.

Then, we have a resident doe that thinks she can come in the yard for a midnight snack.  It has been amazing that she has not eaten one hosta.  None.  She did take off two blossoms from one, but in walking the yard again this morning – out of nearly 800 hosta in the yard – none have been munched on.  Because – she prefers the perennials.  My large bed with the most sun we have our garden phlox – they are full lush looking plants – without the blossoms.  She has nipped them all off.  Another dose of “anti-deer” tricks tonight!  We use a variety of methods – human hair,  Shake Away coyote urine pellets, and one of the easiest – I take our little rat terrier out with me and Cooper leaves his scent all around – most years that has been the best in keeping the deer out.

We are always testing plants – here in the woods, Can we do a plant that says full sun.  We have been pleasantly surprised in a few that have been major successes.  A classic perennial – upright sedum – is one of my favorite sunny area plants in that you have interest the entire season.  The foliage in the

early part of the season and then when the flower heads start to set, it provides interest and then in late summer and fall when it blooms it ‘s beautiful.  If you do not prune it back in the fall but wait until spring – you then have the opportunity for winter interest.   However – we have found that it grows nicely for about 3/4 of the summer season and then without enough sun – it gets leggy and sprawls to the ground.  This year, in late May, I put a tomato cage around it in hopes that it would stay more upright.  Pictured here is a shot from June 1st and then this morning.  It has filled in nicely and the tomato cage is hidden.  Now we wait until September to see the end result!