The plants sure are growing quickly right now. Some days I can see a difference just day to day. But after being gone 3 days I was really surprised to see what was happening. The first thing I noticed as I walked up to my house was the really sweet smell in the air. I could smell the apple tree and Daphne 'Summer Ice' all the way in the front yard. What a nice way to be greeted. The next thing I saw was a large box sitting on the front porch. I opened it and was excited to see that the Rabbit weather vane that I had won on Flowergardengirl's give away had already arrived.
I'm not quite sure where it will go, but just wanted to share how nice it was. Thanks again Anna!
The blueberry bushes are just covered in these flowers!
The currant's on the 'Wilder Red' are really growing. Quite a few branches were broken during the fence building, but we should get some to eat this year.
Oxalis oregana (Wood Sorrel) is blooming. It's really pretty under the cedar tree.
Columbine (Aquilegia). The varieties have all mixed and reseeded, so I don't know what they are anymore. I just love this one.
More Columbines. They are all over the front and backyard, most are just getting ready to bloom.
Tiarella 'Crow Feather'. I love the flowers. I have a couple of different varieties. The leaves are very different, but the flowers look the same.
Forget-me-nots (Myosotis). I didn't have quite as many return this year as usual. Most are much smaller and probably won't bloom for awhile.
Hope you are finding lots of new surprises in your gardens!
The rabbit weather vane is so cute. Don't your just love columbine?
ReplyDeleteAre your Foamflower fragrant? I was surprised to find that mine were.
The columbines are especially sweet and I love your rabbit weather vane.
ReplyDeleteAdorable weather vane! It will go so well in your garden :). Looks like you have a lot blooming right now. One of your Columbine looks similar to mine- can't remember the variety, though.
ReplyDeleteThose currants look SO good!
ReplyDeleteSo much loveliness in your garden...love the columbine, what a gentle pink. It's fun to see the crosses. Mine don't intermingle very much...and how delightful the bunny weathervane from Anna! It looks great. gail
ReplyDeleteLove the weathervane - how cute, did she make it? And I REALLY love that pink Columbine. I'm trying to get mine built up. Your place is looking soooooooooooo great I love it!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt sure is growing fast! I am excited to see how fast mine grows after all this rain. We are finally nearing our last estimated frost date (In two weeks) and I am most excited to plant some more stuff. Yours looks so nice!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on winning the weather vane. It will look cute no matter where you place it.
ReplyDeleteYour blooms are looking so nice. That columbine is especially pretty.
It's amazing just what can happen in the garden in a short space of time especially at this time of year. Love the weather vane :)
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine, what a cute weathervane, many congrats on winning! Being away this time of year does indeed bring surprises when we return. With the rain we have had, things even seem to be growing by the hour! I love your columbines, ours have all crossed too and they are so pretty right now. Forget me nots are wonderful, all of your plants look good. How nice to be greeted by perfume too, upon your return. :-)
ReplyDeleteFrances
Hi Catherine
ReplyDeleteIt's filling out nicely. I love your Aquilegias!
How are your Cosmos by the way? I'm growing it this year but it's a little slow, either that or I should stop looking at it every ten minutes.
Rob
It's quite exciting to see the changes but to come home to the smell of Daphne must be lovely.
ReplyDeleteI like your Aqueligia photos i tried today but didn't get down to their level enough so must have another try.
What a lovely garden you have there. That weathervane is beautiful, I'm jealous! I love columbine and we have them popping up all over our land too. I live with my husband in County Clare, Ireland and we bought an old Irish cottage with 5 unruly acres! It's a challenge trying to keep up with it all, especially as we're no spring chickens anymore!
ReplyDeleteLovely photos.
How wonderful. Thank you for telling us the names of the flowers, because I am learning about perennial plants in a gardening class I am taking. We live WAY up north, so my daffodils and tulips are just now budding...so it is so nice to see plants further along. I have a whole section columbines in one of my gardens, too. I love them. They are just coming up here.
ReplyDeleteSweet bay - I forgot to smell the tiarella while I was out. I never smelled them before.
ReplyDeleteMildred - I love that the columbines are starting to bloom. They are all so different from each other.
Tessa - I think I found a spot for the weather vane. It seems like I keep finding more in bloom every day.
Tina- They do, and they are so neat looking. Like mini tomatoes.
Gail - Thanks. Isn't the pink one pretty? It's so different from the rest.
Linda - No, actually a company sponsored it and she got to choose the prizes. The columbines here just spread all over, I just let them go and shake out the seed heads too.
Heather - I forget that some people still haven't passed their frost date. I bet you are getting anxious!
Susie - Thanks, I really got lucky winning!
Anna - It's just so fun watching everything fill and and bloom. I love it!
Frances - Thanks! I couldn't believe how strong the scent of the tree was. It was very warm that day and just smelled so good. I love seeing how the columbines mix and spread themselves around.
Rob - You know, my cosmos are very slow too. The wintersown have barely grown since I put them outside and the ones I direct sowed only one came up. Maybe they're just waiting for it to warm up. I check my plants pretty often too :)
Joanne - The daphne is just a great shrub, really pretty and blooms these sweet smelling flowers all spring and summer. Columbines are hard since they usually face down. I usually am on the ground trying to take their picture.
BT - Thanks! I bet it's beautiful where you live. I've always wanted to visit Ireland. 5 acres would be a lot for anyone to take care of. I bet it's fun having all that space!
The retired one - How fun to be taking garden classes, I would love to. You must be really happy to see your bulbs getting close to blooming!
That weathervane is cute and congrats on being the winner. I do know what you men about returning home to our own garden. It's like leaving behind a dear old friend. It all looks good and those that got a trim while rebuilding the fence--will be even better.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post and pics. I used to say I couldn't grow columbines, except for the yellow one that comes back under my tree each year, but tried some more last year, and now I have more here and there. What fun!
ReplyDeleteSo far, I don't have plans that will take me away from the garden this spring or summer.
Beautiful garden! And I'm envious of the currents... How many chill hours do you get? I think mine don't set fruit because it doesn't get cold enough. Regardless, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAnna - It's really very nice and I think it'll look cute when lots of flowers are growing up around it. I actually miss my garden when we go on vacation, especially in the summer. I'm afraid I'll miss something.
ReplyDeleteSue - Once the columbines start to reseed, you'll have them forever. I just love them. I'm not sure if we'll be going away much this summer, although we're trying to convince my husband to go to Disneyland :)
Town Mouse - To be honest I don't know how many chill hours we get. This has only been here for one year and is already producing a good amount. I hope yours decide to give you some fruit!
I bet you're excited for those blueberries! I took a chance and planted one in the catwalk garden in back. I hope it's too far up for the dogs to do damage. Nice columbine, too. Mine are still just leaves; maybe I'll go poking around tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteBig changes in three days! Congrats again on the Rabbit, it's too cute!
ReplyDeleteThose 'crow's feather' flowers are gorgeous! It's pouring down here (- well it would be, it's a bank holiday!) so I can't get out to see the changes yet.
ReplyDeleteYour daughter's school trip was to an amazing place - I never went anywhere that pretty!!
Melanthia - I can't wait for blueberries! A good snack to have while gardening. I hope you find some flowers today!
ReplyDeleteDarla - Thanks. I love seeing how fast everything grows.
Nutty Gnome - Aren't they neat flowers? They look like little stars.
The field trip was really nice, and that area of Washington is beautiful.
Hi Catherine! Welcome back. Love that pink columbine in your garden. I wish I could dig up a seedling! ;-)
ReplyDeleteand your weathervane is adorable. It looks good just sitting there among the flowers if nothing else better comes along. It was exciting winning wasn't it? I think my sundial is supposed to arrive this week. :-)
Sometimes it's kind of nice to go away for a little bit and see what's happened when you get back. Glad that everything is doing so well! Did you say you have something that blooms under a cedar tree??!! I need to try that, mine creates a barren wasteland for a long way all around and not much is happy there. I don't have a lot of FMN's this year either, and the usually prolific self-sowing digitalis looks sparse too. Hm, more casualties of the harsh winter?
ReplyDelete