On With the Show

My pots are done...YAY! All the annuals purchased last week filled out 5 large containers and a few small ones. This is the planter I have between the garage doors. The tall light green plant is actually a perennial privet from last year's planting. The other 'unusual' flower is the red draping amaranthus called "Love Lies Bleeding"..the rest I'm sure you all recognize. And, as you can see, I CRAM for instant effect! I'll share the other containers in another post...on with what's blooming in the garden...

An agastache...I'm just not sure what kind...anyone? At 4 ft. tall, she's hard to miss though.

Gosh, I don't remember planting this ansonia but HERE she is...blending happily with the purple salvia.

A perfect white poppy...well, just shy by a few hours! Too bad the blooms don't last long.

This is my newly planted tri-colored beech. Not a common stocked item so I'm thrilled to have found her. It's fairly small at 5 ft. and sparsely branched, but isn't the foliage beautiful? I paid a whopping $99 for her, and hopefully, she'll thrive in her new home.

This kousa dogwood has an unusual shade of peachy/pink blooms.

A wonderful (and no fuss) perennial for the front border is the hardy geranium. Extended bloom period (4+ wks ), easy to propagate, spreads quickly...what's not to love? Oh, and deer resistant, too!

Look how wide this clump is. Ha, Bandit...always sneaking into my pictures...

Roses are putting on a great show but look closely and you can see the damage being done by aphids...even this easy care Knock Out.

This is the view as I'm standing on the deck steps, looking into the garden. This pink rose is pretty but no fragrance whatsover...ZILCH...NADA...

Colors displayed here and there, but what you see is mostly still green. In a few days, however, this bed will be a sea of yellow as sun drops are ready to burst...unless the rain returns...Ugh!

Let's Take a Drive...

What's a gardener to do when it's drizzly out and not gardening weather? Go nursery hopping, of course! One of my all time favorite hobbies!

So one state, two counties, and 45 miles later...I reach my first destination. I love to just browse and sometimes even leave without a purchase...GASP!! Keeping mental notes (I'm not a list maker!) of what costs what and which nursery had that particular plant, keeps me occupied for hours! Walk into a greenhouse filled with colorful hanging pots in every color of the rainbow, and you just can't NOT go nuts! Then I start daydreaming how great it would be to run a nursery... just to enjoy the eye candy...not how much work it would involve!

Six hours and 5 nurseries later, I'm tired but very happy! Besides the prerequisite annuals for pots, my new treasure is a tri-color beech tree! And what else...new daylilies!

This picture had to stand alone as it's my favorite scene of the day...all colors of the wave petunias. A great choice for containers but I like it in ground too, as they really do spread!
So get out and enjoy your local nurseries...or cross the state line...and find a new favorite!

P.S. What a headache trying to create this collage...any tips out there from the experts?

Hello, Beautiful Peonies!

Happy 1st of June, everyone! Now it feels like summer!

Remember the daffodil border back in April? It is now the peonies border. The first photo was taken last week and the other two, just this morning. The cool temps and (not so heavy) rain we've had really prolonged the blooms. You know that floppy, messy look peonies tend to get when they start blooming..? My secret weapon....peony hoops! They come in different heights and, as you can see, they really help keep the stems upright. I also try to pinch out side buds to keep them from being top heavy. Notice there is only one white among all the pinks. I need to add another on the end, I think. I find the white to be most fragrant, too. The shortest is the deep magenta.

In another week, these actually will look pretty messy but, right now, they sure are beautiful! 

And the best part, deer actually leave them alone!

I wanted to show these "Gladiator" aliums. They obviously bloom much later than the smaller varieties. When I went to pry the blooms apart, it was impossible! They are so tightly fused together...Oh hey, I didn't even notice little Bandit there..lol! And that lavender rhody in the background.... Here she is! At least 10 ft. tall and 15 yrs....she gets prettier with age.

This cute little flower (an inch in size) really grabs your attention. It's a geum named "Mrs. Bradshaw". I also grow it in yellow.

Yellow baptisia...a cultivar called "Carolina Moonlight". I ordered this through Better Homes and Gardens 4 years ago and it has clumped up very nicely.

Some late blooming bulbs. First is wood hyacinths. Next is camassia...this white one blooms much later than the blue camassia and is taller and sturdier too. It reminds me very much of a tropical bloom called tuber rose. No fragrance, though.

I would guess this pink flower to be in the dianthus family...she has been in full bloom for over a month!

Bloom time is usually short (2 wks) for bearded irises but there are many on the market now considered to re-bloom...I'll have to wait to see if these are as they are new to the garden. I love the bold contrasting colors and they are fragrant too!

Oriental poppies...isn't this pretty in salmon? Funny that darker pink bloom is from the same plant...

A view of one corner of the garden to the other. Roses are blooming great but I need to spray again as the beetles have done a number of the foliage.

The best part of being a "temp" is the time I can request off. Now I can really get to work in the garden. Anyone care to help me dig a pond?....PLEASE???