I’m afraid things are not great across the way. A shady tree that filtered the sunlight for the courtyard’s southern exposure was removed after it died but nothing replaced it. Now the tulips are faring poorly. The too-cold weather is not helping either and the hostas are taking a beating. Compare them to our four varieties of hostas in the semi-shade. (below)

Did you know that there are hundreds of varieties of hostas and they are named sort of like show dogs only with flower-science sounding names? Too much info?

Our hostas do not like the cold any more than than the poor tulips but they are faring better with the shade of the crab apple tree.

Picture time!

Hostas variety in back of house~ 05.16.08, all the way in back, not looking so good are Obdulatta Hostas, in the very front middle, Patriot, extreme rgt. middle is a Halcion, near rgt. and mid-left are Loyalist Hostas.

Poor, struggling neighbour’s/courtyard tulips and over-sunned hostas, with Pechysandra groundcover in back I feel badly every time I look across from my deck to the other side of the courtyard between our and the next building.

NEW this year from our garden:

1. My 2008 Summer Vacation (So Far)...
2. It’s still like this! February 2008, Chicago NW suburbs...
3. Snowflake Excitement Photos!...

Tags: flowers, living things, our garden, photography, weather