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

Monday, June 14, 2010

Sunny weekend.

What a great weekend we ended up having. The weather really improved, although I don't know if we actually reached 75 degrees. Just having two days of sun and having a chance to enjoy it was just perfect. In fact it was just the right temperature for digging, weeding and even gutter cleaning ☺. The girls had a sprinkler out and had a lot of fun. Around here lately if it's above 65 degrees it feels like Summer.
We also made a trip to the Antique Rose Farm, which I mentioned in an earlier post, and chose a new David Austin rose 'Lady Emma Hamilton'. It's full of buds now, but when it blooms I'll post some pictures.

I was so happy to find that the Oriental Poppy 'Princess Victoria Louise' is blooming. Last year in the heat of the Summer I decided to chance moving it to a sunnier place where it could get bigger. Later in the year I found that I had left roots behind and new leaves were coming up. I happily dug that plant up and moved it to another place. Now the original roots have sent up leaves and flowers as well as the two I moved. So, not only did the plant survive the move, but I ended up with three total.

Salvias are blooming and covered in bees.

Spireas are full of flowers. This one's tag has been lost, but I really love the bright pink flowers on it.

The 'Endless Summer' Hydrangea I planted last Summer is doing well, still small, but lots of blooms.

Rose 'Kimberlina' has lightly scented flowers.

Campanula 'Summertime Blues'. I've read these flowers are sterile so should not spread as much as some Campanulas do.

One of the hanging Fuchsias. The hummingbirds have been at the Fuchsias off and on all during the day.

I've been trying some new things out on my blog. I wrote this post in Blogger in draft where you can load pictures much quicker and choose extra large for the size. While these pictures aren't quite as large as before, loading them this way saves me time and is easier to put them in the post. I'm also changing the blog layout some. Please let me know if anything seems out of place or is difficult to read. I've noticed some Blogger blogs loading very slowly lately too, not sure if it's just my computer or if others have noticed that as well.
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32 comments:

  1. Love those Fuchsias and the Salvia is looking good, as well.

    Don't notice anything out of place, everything looks great on the blog.

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  2. What a great weekend...Love all of your flowers. Your blog layout looks good. The only thing that was hard to read was were to click to post a comment. There seems to be writing over writing under the first comment...

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  3. I came back to check and it looks fine now, maybe it didn't load correctly for me the first time.

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  4. Hi Catherine, The blog looks good and I love all your flowers, especially the spirea. So happy you all could enjoy spending time outdoors. I know how much you love flowers and I don't often have any to show, but yesterday's post and another over the weekend show some of my lilies and roses if you get a chance later to look.

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  5. Dear Catherine, Your garden is really getting the full and blowsy look of summer now. So very pretty and the colour combinations are working so well.

    I am all for moving plants if they do not do well or are wrongly placed. This certainly seems to have worked for you with the poppy - three for the price of one!!

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  6. Those bellflowers are really cool. I noticed the change right away. A nice soothing change and it looks fine to me.

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  7. So glad you got to play in your gardens. 75 sounds nice to me.

    What I notice here in your new blog set up is that I have to scroll to see the whole thing now.

    Your flowers are lovely as usual. The one that made me gasp in delight are your fuchsia. Absolutely beautiful. If I was a hummingbird I'd love to visit them constantly.

    Enjoy your lovely weather.

    FlowerLady

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  8. I like the layout and the look on your blog. Beautiful blooms. Those fuschia are stunning. What a gorgeous poppy. Have a good day. Becca

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  9. Wonderful surprise on the poppies. They are beautiful and the fuschia--wow! Your blog seems to have a lot more space for your posts now. It looks nice. More pictures and bigger pictures always take more time to load. I just check something else out while it comes up! So glad you had a sunny weekend.

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  10. As always, your flowers and pictures are beautiful!!!!

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  11. Garden looks beautiful , can't believe the high is 75 there while we are toast on the opposite coast. Over 100 expected here again today ! Gina

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  12. Hi Catherine, hooray for some sunshine eh?!! Your hydrangea looks so cute and dainty! I like your new layout and the idea of being able to upload the pics faster is something I'm going to have to check out! Cheers ~ Jenni

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  13. Hey Catherine everything is going crazy blooming at your house I can tell. Love the poppy and what a happy accident to end up with 3 of them.
    Is the Spirea you showed small? It looks like the same color foliage and bloom as my Spirea Little Princess that is just starting to bloom here. It is about 2 1/2 or 3 feet tall and about the same across.
    The fuchsia is beautiful as is everything else.
    Beware I caught a chipmunk munching on the tall Campanulas the other day. It ate almost every bloom. I've declared war!
    Like your new layout. I may try something for the larger pictures. Trying to get back to posting again - took a spill and hurt my back so I need to lay low for a few days.

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  14. Oh I miss having fuchsias around. Couldn't grow them at the last house as they would have burned to a crisp. I really should hang a couple here though, if only to bring the hummingbirds closer. Your garden is always so beautiful Catherine.

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  15. Wow! To think that we are both in zone 8, and it has barely reached 75F there, and it has been almost 100F here in Mississippi.

    You garden looks wonderful! I want to try some hanging fuchias. I almost bought some at a garden show last year. So interesting with BEAUTIFUL color.

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  16. Oh girl, what a pretty poppy!
    Look at all of the blooms on your hydrangea too. This is going to be a good year for them. You always have the prettiest Fuchsias Catherine and that one is so lovely.
    I like what you have done with the new layout.Did you use the new blogger layout maker?

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  17. Thanks all for your input about the blog.

    Lona - I did use the new blogger designer and am using Blogger in draft for posts. Since my old pictures are large I had to adjust the width of the columns so they would still fit. I did some practicing on my test blog first.

    Linda - I'd been wondering what you were up to. I hope your back feels better now that it's finally nicer out. The Spirea is probably about that tall, it's such a bright pink and the bees are all over it.

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  18. Comment for this post went on past post...sorry.
    Is the Campanula for part shade?
    Someone from work is bringing me some...I've been doing plant swaps at work...fun.

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  19. I think your blog looks great as do your flowers. It looks so springlike and cool at your home. Down here it's totally opposite. So hot and not much fun.

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  20. I just love the color of that fuchsia, I usually buy the white or white and red. But I am going to try that color combination next year. The new blog layout looks great, loads slowly, but my computer is slow.

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  21. Catherine, I have occasionally had trouble loading your blog, but not today. I think the size of the photos is just fine -- and I think that pink oriental poppy is extra fine. I've never had much luck growing poppies, but this one makes me think about trying them again. -Jean

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  22. Dear Catherine, those fucsias, oh my god, they... they are so,, so sweet!!!! Well, let`s say all of your flowers are so sweet, but the picture you took of those fucsias, oh my god!!!!
    Hugs,
    Maria Cecilia

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  23. I now know how you and one other blogger that I follow gets larger photos. It takes longer for me to open your site, but it is worth it. Your flowers are looking wonderful.

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  24. I noticed slowness today for the first time, and I'm glad I'm not the only one. As type this, your sidebar is still loading.
    It looks like you have had more warm weather than we've had so far - no flowers open at all on our hydrangea.

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  25. My oriental poppies know the same trick. Only I was trying to get rid of them so the reappearance was less than welcome. They certainly are tough. Now if I can just find one in a color I like....

    Christine in Alaska

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  26. I grew Summertime Blues last year and it bloomed strongly to start, and then intermittently until fall, so there was a long season of interest.

    Your Endless Summer has tons of buds. They look like they will completely cover the shrub when they fully open.

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  27. Hi Catherine, Wasn't it great to SEE the sun!! I love that campanula you have I have never seen it... nice! I have visited the Antique Rose Farm before... great selection!
    Bella

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  28. omg, that poppy photo is FANTASTIC!! It should be in a magazine for sure.
    A new David Austin?? I'm jealous!!! Where will you plant it?!! Can't wait to see it.
    My 'Abraham Darby' is finally getting ready to open and that's very exciting here.
    I'm glad the sun came out for you ~ I know it's been a lot of clouds and rain for you lately. After four days of the same, I'm going stir crazy. Last winter, I thought I wanted to move there but now I'm thinking I couldn't handle it!
    Your blog always looks really attractive to me.

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  29. Good for you that the poppy tripled itself. Your blog is as easy to access as before, but some other blogs do take a long time to open.

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  30. I love your poppy. I wish mine was pink instead of orange.

    All your plants look great. Love the blue hydrangea!
    Marnie

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  31. Wow, you have really cool summers up there! Explains why you can grow poppies and we can't. That poppy shot is beautiful. I just want to reach out and touch those papery leaves. Love that fuchsia shot as well. We can only grow those in cool months here. They melt away in summer. Fortunately, we have hummers year-round at PITV. They will come right up on my porch for nectar.

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  32. You must tell me how you get pictures to load quicker and bigger! It's such a pain that I find I blog less and less, so I must be doing something wrong. Any tips for me?

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