It's felt like summer the last several days here. The kids had a long weekend for Memorial Day and we spent lots of time outside. We planted 2 types of Sunflower seeds, 'Lemon Queen' and 'Mammoth'. I planted some basil, thyme and grape tomatoes. Did lots of watering, which feels strange after having so much rain recently, but the seedlings really need it.
Here are the some of the plants that have enjoyed the sun as well:
A new English Rose that I planted earlier this spring. 'Abraham Darby' will have peachy pink/yellow flowers that should have a strong fruity fragrance. It should get to be about 5 feet tall. I hope it lives up to it's description. I don't have a lot of roses, but I really love them. It's fun to try at least a few in the garden.
I wish I remembered what type of Dahlias these were. As you can see the slugs have found them, but I put out some children/pet safe slug bait and now the plant has grown quite a bit. I call this dahlia the 'Lazy Gardener's Dahlia'. I've never dug the tubers up, except to divide it, and yet it continues to return every year. It has deep maroon flowers. When it blooms I'll post pictures, maybe someone will know the variety.
These sweet little violas are just thriving right now. They light up a shady area under the fast growing Japanese Maple 'Orido Nishiki' in our front yard.
Honey bees hard at work in the columbines.
Meadow Rue (thalictrum) is beginning to bloom. I love the fluffy look of these flowers. This plant gets quite tall, about 4 feet already.
Nigella / Love-in-a-Mist is just starting to bloom. This year I didn't have as many return. Hopefully the ones that are here will spread themselves around. I love the shape of the flower and its airy foliage.
This pretty big yellow Columbine is finally blooming. It's always the last one to bloom, but it's worth the wait. This is the only one that I started from seed many years ago. It looks like sunshine to me!
Just as pretty from the back I think!
I'm sure this is a relative of the previous yellow one. I found it further down the path, it's the same shape but very pale yellow. This is the first year I've seen it. I hope I find more next year.
We're supposed to have more sunny weather for the rest of the week. All this sun this time of year seems unusual to me. Maybe it's a payback for the unusually cold winter we had, giving some of the plants that were damaged a chance to recuperate.
I say I love the lazy gardener's dahlia! I have to dig mine but it is worth it. It is so funny about the plants. Here my meadow rue has been done for a good few weeks, yet the love in the mist just began last week. Plants! I had to come here via my sidebar. Didn't wait for the feed and I think I may be number one to comment:) Have a good day!
ReplyDeleteI have to dig my Dahlias too. In fact I lost ALL of them this year and I dug them. Stored them wrong I guess then when I went to retrieve some and do it right we sprung a leak - yup right on my dahlias. I don't mind starting over (in fact I bought 8 the other day) but I NEED my Blackberry Ripple.
ReplyDeleteThat yellow Columbine is gorgeous as is the white one below it.
In your right column under the white Bleeding Hearts is that a pink Columbine - it's so frilly even like a fuchsia.
Love that Love In A Mist - is the bloom very big.
Everything looks good. Great weather we're having huh?
Everything looks wonderful! I am fortunate that I don't have to dig anything up during the winter, dahlias, gerberas, etc. I don't normally plant anything if it involves digging it up. I love bouganvilleas (sp?), unfortunately we can only grow them in pots here, and move them indoors during the winter. If I had a covered porch or screen porch that would be great....but I don't ;(
ReplyDeleteEverything is looking wonderful. I too enjoy photographing plants from the back. Sun? What's that? it's still raining and overcast around these parts.
ReplyDeleteOh! I too have Abraham Derby! It is a fabulous rose and has never been anything but good value in my garden. When mine is in bloom shall we compare to see if the colours alter at all?
ReplyDeleteSo wonderful to see bees in your garden too. I have the columbine seeds you gave me at the SAGBUTT meeting - your pictures look great! I hope mine do as well.
ReplyDeleteYour columbines are looking so good. I love the yellow. That is on my want list. The viola is pretty and I know it looks good around the tree. Have a nice day Catherine. Becca
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine,
ReplyDeleteI grew Abe Darby down in California and had a huge rust problem with it. Hopefully yours won't get so sick, but I'd be super careful to keep the leaves as dry as possible. The flowers have the best scent I've ever smelled in a rose, though! Good luck - VW
I love all the different colored Columbines...mine are just sending some shoots up now. They seeded all over last year though, which I am very glad for!
ReplyDeleteYour photos are lovely. I love 'love in the mist' and its habit of happily spreading its seeds around. And columbine is just a delight. For the first time we have sown some seeds this year. One of them is almost black. it would look fantastic with your yellow one.
ReplyDeleteoh, the bee was on that gorgeous pink ruffly columbine, wasn't he? What good taste! Love the photo from the back of the columbine ~ it's a great angle. I went back and forth between Abraham Darby & Gentle Hermione this spring for my Mother's Day rose and chose the latter. I would have been happy with either tho so you know I'll be happy to see yours blooming. Glad you are getting lots of sunshine. Today was our first sunny day in five!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first saw the yellow columbine I thought it was a daffodil. It really is pretty.
ReplyDeleteI like the Meadow Rue. I've never seen it before.
Tina - I wish I wasn't so lazy about dahlias, then I would probably try more. It is strange having similar zones but the plants do their own thing, it's fun seeing what's blooming in different parts of the world now.
ReplyDeleteLinda - All the work to dig them and they still didn't make it. I'll have to look for Blackberry Ripple, it sounds yummy. I guess I'm hungry since we are talking plants aren't we? That is a pink columbine. Pretty isn't it?
Dirt Princess - I'm the same way, if it requires digging it usually gets left and then I hope it makes it. Wouldn't it be nice to have a screened porch? I've always wanted one.
Darla - Thanks! Maybe we have each other's weather, it's not usually nice like this for this amount of time.
M English Country Garden - That would be fun, to see how they look from the other side of the world. It will be interesting.
Matron - I think I gave you poppy seeds, maybe someone else had the columbines. My Great Wall of China tomato is doing great. I'm trying to save some of these columbine seeds to share though. Lots of bees here now!
Becca- This yellow one is really pretty. I wish I remembered what it was called. The violas are doing great, I just love their little faces.
VW - I hope I have good luck with it. It's in a pretty open spot and gets a good amount of sun so hopefully that'll help. I can't wait to smell it.
The Retired One - I bet you're excited to see what surprises they send up. I love how they change colors and shapes.
BT - I love them too, the flowers and foliage are so different. I bet your black columbines would look really pretty with these yellow ones. I've never seen black ones before.
Kathleen - Yes, it chose the fairy queen dress ones. I've found several plants and I hope the seed will produce these same flowers for you. I can't wait to see what your rose looks like. There are just so many choices, it's hard to pick just one.
Susie - It's such a pretty color and shape of columbine. It really does have a daffodil look to it. The Meadow Rue is really unique too, it has a fluffy look to it.
ReplyDeleteI'd not realized how sculptural columbines are all the way round! Beautiful photos.
ReplyDeleteI also wish you remembered the name of that dahlia! I've never grown them, as I am too lazy to dig up the tubers.
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine, My meadow rue is white. I really like the rubbery blossoms! Your violas are a beautiful shade of blue... with such cute little faces. :-) Will you be making Alphabet garden markers with your children?? I think they'd love it!
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine - Don't give up on your tree peony yet! One site I looked at today said that they can take up to 7 years to establish! I hope yours gives you a great show next year, it must be frustrating to wait. My nigella (came over from the neighbors) hasn't quite bloomed yet but I'm sure there will be LOTS of seed - let me know if you want me to try to save you some, I'd be so happy to. My mom has dahlias like that, she has never bothered to dig them up and they come back to 6+ ft tall every year.
ReplyDeletePhoenix - They really can be so interesting to looks at, this one has such long spurs on it, I thought it was really interesting.
ReplyDeleteMsrobin - I'll let you know if I find out the name of the dahlia. It must be a very hardy one.
Shady Gardener - Meadow rue has some really neat flowers, I haven't seen white ones before. I think we might try the alphabet garden this summer. It would be a fun project to work on while we have no school.
Karen - I'll give the peony another chance. When it has bloomed they are beautiful.
I would love nigella seeds. I'm saving you some columbine seeds when they are ready to collect. I'll save poppy seeds too if/when they bloom :)
The rose sounds beautiful - that peachy pink color you're describing is my favorite rose color. I bet it looks incredible with all the purples and lavenders in your garden.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flowers. Hey, you have honeybees. We live in the same general area, but we never see honeybees. We get bumble bees, mason bees, yellow jackets and wasps. It's nice to know that honey bees are still around.
ReplyDeleteSusan - When I was looking for a rose I was really wanting yellow one, my daughter convinced me to try this one. Sometimes I think she has better taste than me.
ReplyDeleteRenee - We seems to get a lot of honey bees here. Definitely more bumble bees and the others, but it is nice to see them around.
That nigella is beautiful - so delicate!!! I'm going to have to look it up and see if I can grow it here.
ReplyDelete