"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Friday, May 14, 2010

Backyard Blooms on Fertilizer Friday.

This was one of those weeks that I can't believe is over already. I've been working on filling containers and getting the vegetables planted. I always end up with a random grouping of container plants left over that don't seem to go together. I'm not very organized with my containers like the Gardener on Sherlock Street (she has lots of great ideas, and if you haven't visited her yet you should). She has nice organized lists with what she wants for each container and then follows it, unlike me who just grabs random plants. Every year I tell myself I'll plan what I want in the containers, and every year I just feel overwhelmed with the choices and put a bunch of plants in my cart and hope that I can make them look nice. I definitely think there is an art to container planting, one which requires patience and creativity, both of which I lack in that area. Actually a couple look like they might look pretty good once they start to fill in.
While I wait for them to grow a bit we're lucky to have lots blooming in the backyard.

I love having Fuchsias hanging near the house so we can see the visiting Hummingbirds. My sister told me about a nearby hardware store that was having a sale on hanging baskets. Apparently they got one thousand too many and now they're trying to sell them off. I found 2 huge ones for $10 each, now I wish I would've bought more. This one is 'Bicentennial'.

Irises from my sister. There are several clumps in the front yard which are still several days from blooming.

Clematis 'Nelly Moser' seems to be doing a little better and has more flowers coming. I've noticed they start out darker pink and then fade quite a bit. Clematis 'Josephine' and the one I think is 'Piilu' are both starting to open.

Most of the Heucheras are either blooming or just about to. I don't remember the name of this one here. The Golden Mock Orange (Philadelphus coronarius) behind it is also just starting open it's sweet smelling flowers. I seem to have quite a bit of this purple and gold in the backyard now.

And a view down the path shows that the big red Rhododendron is blooming. It gets just huge and needs to be cut back every few years so not every year blooms as well. This is probably the most flowers it's had for a long time. On the right the Geraniums 'Wargrave Pink' are blooming. On the left side the Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra spectabilis) are still blooming, further down are Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum) and Meadow Rue (Thalictrum). At the very end the purple Rhododendron is just starting to bloom.

Every Friday Tootsie at Tootsie Time hosts Fertilizer Friday. Visit her to see what flowers she and other gardeners are flaunting, or to join in yourself.
Pin It

37 comments:

  1. Your garden is looking a gazillion times better than mine, so neat, I am going outside right this instant to get some new mulch down, inspiration you are ! Gina

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow, your irises are AMAZING, and I'm glad Nelly is feeling better. Sorry about the deleted post, I got confused and wrote to another blog here by accident lol.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gorgeous!! I love the shots in this series..the irises are of course WOW..and I love the closeups! Fabulous post!
    Kiki~

    ReplyDelete
  5. Looking good, Catherine! My poor bleeding heart was hard hit in our freeze a week and a half ago and is still floppy from it. I hope I get a few flowers from it. Does your little gardener like to pull the flowers apart as much as my girls do?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Catherine, You are just the sweetest to say such nice things about my site in your post. Thank you!
    I'm still envious of your heucheras. Keep us posted on those blooms. The view down your path is so nice. Everytime I see your welcome photo when your site comes up on my computer I just pause and smile.
    Happy gardening!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Catherine, The view down your path is stunning! I can't wait to see how it looks as the season progresses! The fuschia are pretty too! We are just starting to see hummingbirds. They seem to like the weigela and the catmint right now, as well as my sugar water feeder. Have a great weekend, Catherine! Love your blog!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Where are the containers? What a deal on the hanging baskets. Can you go back and pick up more? Bicentennial is gorgeous. Love the iris. Have a good weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think I would just sit and stare at that beautiful path all day!

    ReplyDelete
  10. ALL gorgeous. But the path! I covet that whole space. What a beautiful place you have created.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Its beautiful Catherine -so many things to see as I look down your path. The salmon pink in the fushia is lovely and what a bargain too. I would not like to be the person who bought those in - too many noughts in the order no doubt.

    I too love the combination of yellow and purple. My golden Mock Orange grows in a corner and I have a dwarf purple leafed acer in front of it.

    Have a lovely weekend :) Rosie

    ReplyDelete
  12. aloha,

    i love your spring blooms especially the fushia, beautiful color!

    thanks for sharing this today.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Such a beautiful Fuchsia, one of my can't live without flowers! I wonder how many can't live without flowers are on my list! The Iris would be on there for sure.
    As always you have the most amazing pics.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Catherine your fuschia is so pretty. I am not going to get any this year since I seem to be the only one who knows how to kill the poor things. LOL! Nelly Mosers blooms look so pretty and your pathway is looking so wonderful now with the geraniums in bloom. Have a wonderful weekend.
    Lona

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow,Wow,Wow ~ your plants are gorgeous and I LOVE your yard.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm confident that your container plantings will be beautiful. Your path is so delighful!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh, I love that fuchsia! I try to winter mine down in the cellar as some are hardy to 30° and then ramp them back up for the summer. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much. I always end up getting more. What beautiful blooms! I just love your garden path and those bright red blooms to lure you down it.

    ReplyDelete
  18. It's always a treat to visit your garden and the ever-changing blooms. I hope you all enjoy your weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love the Fuchsia! I need to go see if it grows in my climate!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I think I've seen your containers and seems they always look spectacular! But I know how you feel - I grab,buy and hope too! ;-)
    What a deal you got on the fuchsias. WoW!
    Well I only came on for a minute - been busy all day getting ready to leave for a couple of days to celebrate 27 years! So bye I'm outta here.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Ohhhhh, Nellie...I loved that Clematis! Just gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Catherine, everything looks so wonderful. I am afraid I do not make plans for my pots because they are not gigantic. But, I did make a paper plan for my daughter-in-laws pots because they are so big. I felt I needed a plan to keep track of what I was doing on each side.

    I do work on themes and color schemes, like cottage garden look near my shed. Your garden looks so inviting, especially that path - you certainly have focal points.

    Eileen

    ReplyDelete
  23. ooh, I love that fuchsia Catherine! It's stunning.
    The years I plan my containers they turn out better too. Last year I didn't so much and it showed. I'm trying to do better this year. I'll have to follow your link and check out her containers ~ I love a good container.
    btw, the licorice would look good about any place you stuck it!!! Have a good weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Beautiful view of the path behind your porch and the red rhododendron. I envy your the fushcias. They can't handle the heat and humidity here.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Your garden looks amazing. I love the plant variety you have. The fuschias are beautiful, they remind me of my mother in law, she always had them hanging like jewelry on the patio.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Nelly is looking good Catherine. Those Fuchsias are lovely. I used to grow them years ago when we had a lovely shade garden. I really should pick up a couple to hang near the house here, I really miss them, and I remember the hummingbirds were dotty for them.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Really pretty, Catherine!! The fuschia is an unusual color, is it not? :-) Thanks for sharing - and enjoy your weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Love the blooms! I haven't seen a mock orange since my grandma's old house. It's nice to see they're still around.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I just love seeing your side yard. It is so beautiful, especially as your plants are blooming. Love the fuschias especially.

    ReplyDelete
  30. That was a beautiful little tour - particularly the view down the path to the rhodo.

    ReplyDelete
  31. What wonderful colours! I particularly like the peach/pink fuchsia at the top!

    ReplyDelete
  32. The fuchsias are beautiful and I've seen so many different variations in colors of the clematis. Yours are very pretty and I love the garden. Can't wait to see more.

    ReplyDelete
  33. The view across your garden through the arch is very pretty. I love the green, the trees, and the carpet of flowers spilling onto the stone walkway.

    ReplyDelete
  34. OH I love the fuschia!!! They were always my favorite flower and my dad in England has hanging baskets of them all summer. I'd love to have them hanging on our back patio, but I'm sure the summer heat here in Texas would be too much for them.

    ReplyDelete
  35. What a fabulous fuschia color combination! I didn't buy one this year, but I guess I'd better.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit and leave a comment. I try my very best to answer any questions you may have, but usually don't have time to respond to each comment. Please leave a link to your blog so I can visit you in return.