We’ve had almost a week of rain and everything is lush. The kousa dogwood went in last week. I think it is suffering from shock. All of the leaves seem a bit limp and the ones farther up on the tree are either brown around the edges, or curled and dried. There are exactly three blossoms on it. I’m hoping that all the rain we’ve gotten will help it make the transition easily. Below is a picture of the tree. You’ll notice that the new fence is in the process of going up. The handyman should finish it tomorrow. At the moment it is tied to the fence posts so that my back yard isn’t open to the park. It’s an illusion of security and privacy.

The odd little fence post was a gift from a neighbor. I suspect termites will find it quickly, even though I coated the end of it in polyurethane.

The rain has sent the dutchman’s pipe higher on its supports.

And this little bed by the back door is doing very well, although I suspect the patriot hostas need to be moved. I really need to put more hostas under the magnolia tree in the front yard, so I might just remove these and plunk them there. They will make a nice contrast with the francis williams hostas that are there now. I need to plant a few more hidcote lavenders in this little nook.  The spider lily is a left over from the previous owner.  I was going to kill it, and I may still, but for the moment it lives and contributes to the blues in this bed.  I moved the basket from the front step to the bird bath back here and replaced it with a basket that went better with the marigolds in front of the boxwoods.  Lush as this basket was, it simply didn’t go with the other colors in the front.  It took me a couple weeks to figure out why I didn’t like the blue and pink petunias and geraniums in that spot.  Then it hit me that it was the color that wasn’t right.