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

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Bursting with Flowers (and Chickens!)

 You know it's been a long time since you last posted when you start getting emails asking if everything is okay.  I appreciate those of you that were concerned with my whereabouts, it's nice to know that there are people out there that care!  Luckily everything has been fine.  Just busy with kids finishing up school, but luckily the summer break has now started and I hope to have time to blog and blog visit!
Our weather has been mostly wet and cool.  We have had the odd sunny day here and there, but they seem to be spread pretty far apart.  Over the weekend we had what the weather people are calling a "squall, much like you would see on the east coast".  It poured and poured and the wind blew and the power went out.  Then after a few hours the sun was trying to break through.  The day after that big rain storm the sun came out and I thought I would take some pictures.  Luckily just a couple of days earlier I had been out staking up many plants.  They are so top heavy and the rain keeps flattening them down.
These are just some of the "highlights".  Right now roses and Clematises are two of the types of flowers at their peak.

 This Lavatera was just planted last summer.  This was the only plant request my husband had for the front yard.  I think he made a great choice!

 The unknown pink rose which I'm pretty sure is 'Heritage'.

 'Lady Emma Hamilton'

 'Gertrude Jekyll'

 'Honey Perfume'

 'Kimberlina'

 'Julia Child' (with all the rain blackspot has been a problem on some of the roses)

 'Harlow Carr'

 'Benjamin Britten' (yes the color is that coral, and it smells so good, a new one this year)

 Clematis texensis

 Geranium 'Patricia'

 Geranium 'Johnson's Blue'

 Veronica

 Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'.  I planted these last year and am amazed how huge they got their first year, I can see why everyone raves about this grass.

Today we had some sun and thought it would be a perfect day for the chickens to have some time out of their coop.

 Tina Fey and Chirpy enjoying some wheatgrass.

 Is it just me, or are chicken butts really cute?

 The two younger chickens would not come out of the coop so the rest ventured around without them.

Sweet Pea decided that her rabbit Blackthorn needed a bigger hutch.  We put it together and then dug down about 4 or 5 inches and lined it with hardware cloth so he can't dig out.  He's been enjoying digging around and having more space.  It was so much fun spending time doing this project with her.  It was all her idea, including making the little walkway to his hutch.

We are looking forward to spending time outside as much as possible this summer.  The girls have many plans for what we should do, so I will try my best to post and to get around and visit your blogs.  Hope your summer is going great so far!!
All words and photos in this post are property of A Gardener in Progress. Pin It

29 comments:

  1. Hi Catherine, I read about that crazy squall you had over the weekend! The weather has been so odd this late spring, now early summer. We have had very humid conditions which are quite shocking and unwelcome. All of your roses are looking so fresh and pretty. I love the new rabbit hutch. A wonderful mother / daughter project that will be a beautiful memory forever. Cheers, Jenni

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  2. Wish you could send us your rain! I'd be happy to share a sunny, 100 degree day in return!!!

    Definitely chicken butts are cute! I bet it was fun to watch them exploring for the first time. I thought maybe you weren't blogging because you were having too much fun playing with them!

    Your roses are gorgeous, black spot & all. You have so many too. I looked at 'Benjamin Britten' this spring but didn't buy him. He's really pretty tho ~ having second thoughts now. I just learned that 'Lady Emma Hamilton' is one of the most fragrant David Austin roses ~ I wish our greenhouse wasn't sold out now or I'd run down & buy another!!!

    Have a good summer Catherine & don't worry about the blog. It will be there & I (& I'm sure many others) will check back whenever you have time to post.

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  3. Its amazing that post-squall you still have many flowering bushes intact. Your roses, geraniums and veronica are lovely.

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  4. Your garden is so beautiful all the rosses are so amazing in bloom.......so weet your chicken and little rabbit.......enjoy summer darling......i am off outside now the weather is so beautiful here today....love love Ria...xxx...

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  5. Catherine,

    You are going to be on a field trip list, you've got so much to see in your garden. The chickens, the rabbit, the pond and all of your gorgeous roses would be enticing to both adults and children.

    Seriously, you garden has really come together. I am going to have to look for that Geranium Patricia.

    Eileen

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  6. Your garden is beautiful and I can only imagine how it smells with all those roses in bloom. A big green thumbs up to you!

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  7. I think chicken bottoms are the cutest! I really hope we start getting some summer soon. Your roses look splendid and so does everything else. Enjoy your time with the girls. You'll never regret it. Have a great weekend.

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  8. I think chicken butts are cute too! They are getting so big, but still cute! Your roses are so pretty. That squall was crazy weather, it came across the peninsula first, where we were over the weekend.

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  9. Your garden looks like it is enjoying all of the rain Catherine. That was the way the weather was here last summer and my roses had blackspot. It lets you know which roses are the best. I love that Lavatera and it looks so lovely coming through your fence. Your hubby did good. LOL! I cannot believe how big the chicken have gotten and I love their garden. LOL!

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  10. Catherine, Your roses...oh your roses!!! They're amazing. Despite your rain, your Lavatera is way far ahead of mine. Kudos to hubby for his choice. It's a stunner. I love how it peaks out from the fence's pickets. Um, yeah, I would have to concur. Chicken butts are too darn cute. Love that bunny hutch too. I'm sending you warm, blue-sky-and-sunshine thoughts!

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  11. Great shots, I really liked the photos of your flock!

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  12. Catherine, We've been having similar weather on the opposite side of the country -- wet, wet, wet. For the first time, I have been having problems with slugs in my garden. Ugh! I loved seeing all your flowers, but especially your Geranium 'Patricia.' I just planted Patricia in my garden this year, but it isn't big enough to bloom yet. I'm hoping it will look like yours next year! -Jean

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  13. I am always impressed with the number (and beauty) of roses you have! Lovelies!! How nice to do a bunny hutch project with your daughter. That's what summer vacations are for....wonderful memory building.

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  14. I need water in my garden to help with the weeding...clematis and roses are the highlight of June here...I was thinking about you the other day and wondering how the chickens were doing...I see very well and you are having such fun...your roses are beautiful as are your other blooms....here's to a sunny summer with only the necessary rain our gardens require :0

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  15. Ah, the squall hit us a few days ago and was very impressive. No power outages at our house, thankfully. But my unstaked delphiniums are bowed over from the wind and driving rain. Love to see all your roses, I need to get out and photograph mine more but my camera is in the shop for a few days. Enjoy the summer!

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  16. What lovely flowers you have in the garden. The Lavatera looks great. Your roses look very healthy (too bad about the one with blackspot). I'm afraid all the roses in my garden have blackspot. We get so much rain in Northern Ireland I can't keep the blackspot under control. Have a great Summer!

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  17. You're garden just keeps getting better and better! Those are some lucky chickens!!!

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  18. Everything looks so fresh and lush. We're hot and dry here, but we have power so all is not lost. Gorgeous roses and yes, chicken butts are too cute!

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  19. I agree with you about your husband's choice for the Lavatera's they are lovely. I also love all the roses especially the peach colored roses. "oh and I too agree that chickens have cute fluffy butts.

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  20. Beautiful garden and really nice looking chucks too!

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  21. Well, Hello there! Glad to see you are just keeping busy and enjoying life while away from blogging. Your roses are stunning as ever and your new additons awesome choices...

    Yes, Chickens do have cute little feather butts! Just about as cut as Duck Butts!

    Happy 4th of July!!!

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  22. Those were lovely blooms! I love the colorful roses. Cool page.

    Jean @ tool shed

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  23. Hi Catherine, I've not been here for a while too. Your garden and your chickens dont seem to dislike the weather patterns, they still look very good. I love your garden blues, but of course they don't grow here in the tropics. But your chicken will grow here, and we have lots of chickens too, though maybe different breed. I love chicken butts too, most especially that white with black tail. I love how they breed and take lovely colors of the parents. We have native chickens which gets leg feathers got from the Japanese chicken which already died years ago.

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  24. Oh my gosh your flowers are just beautiful and I love that Lavatera. The roses though, I've seriously been thinking about getting some roses, I mean really spending some time and picking out some beauties and your post as really pushed me over the edge.
    The clematis is adorable, love the shape and the color!
    Chicken butts and bunnies, total cuteness.

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  25. I love your roses! The geraniums are beautiful too.

    Satu

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  26. Have I mentioned I keep coming back to look at the roses?!

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  27. What glorious roses and glorious C H I C K E N S too!

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  28. Your garden is so beautiful! It's full of colors, I wish I could visit there!

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  29. So nice to see a lush garden with all the flowers!!! Those Astranias are nice. Your sweet pea vines are amazing though. Enjoy those eggs when they start. Everything looks lovely! Especially love the Glads on the fence!Hyderabad Flowers

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