WHAT IS IN FULL COLOR NOW-MAY 1-15

Here is one of the new hellebores... I love that I bought this in early march and the blooms are essentially unchanged... hellebores are awesome....

The other new one... "Will you look at that... my leaves are dirty...humph..."

I'm pretty sure something is blooming in the corner of this picture... ;)

Rudolph euphorbia,sedum, lavender, and heather....

I'm looking to propagate Rudolph this year, I love him so much and he's getting so big!!! He used to have two other buddies but they didn't make it through Winter 09...

I call this picture - "Bee Out Of Focus" ;)

Your garden is just great. Couldn't see 'the weed'.
Those duck are super cute and blooming to my eyes.

My three and only lilac blooms.

Wow. Lovely pictures! So much summer in your pictures. And today it looks like it's finally arrived in my yard, too.

Smilicina stellata

Blossoms.

Pretty little thing. Is that a native? Looks like something I had on the lot next door before we sold it.

Not the right thread but I bought this at QFC to give to my daughter for MOther's Day. She loved it. Thanks for the heads-up.

HOpe you all enjoyed your Mom's Day. We went to lunch in Shelton and it was delicious. Then we got a latte on the way home. Good day.

This message was edited May 9, 2010 5:11 PM

Our QFC just closed down. :( I am so sad because I did like that store and bought lunch there frequently. Even the dollar store in Lakewood is closing down. Soon it will look like a ghost town.

What a day!! Willow, I am planting part of the Queen's Tears out this year. It was in the greenhouse over the winter, although it's supposed to be hardy to zone 8. It gets almost full sun where I have the pot, but it would probably like part shade better.

These peachy dwarf iris are in full bloom now.

I read that all the dollar stores closed but that is a surprise about a QFC. I like the store also but our's is in Belfair and we usually go into Shelton to shop at FM because it is quicker to get in there.

Paprika Spice

This message was edited May 9, 2010 8:12 PM

That IS a surprise about QFC. Too bad. Pix, I'd be happy to pick a Hydrangea up for you if you want one. A QFC in Redmond is on my way home from the transit center. Willow, I'm so glad that it was the right thing for your daughter. Is this the one who was at the DG gathering at your home?

The Smilacena is a native. It goes away in winter and I was worried that it might not come back in the spring, but it's very happy and is starting to look like it'll take over, so I may have some to share next year.

Kathy, I know this will come as no surprise to you, but I have that one already! :) Thanks anyway!

Willow, that's a beauty!

When stores like the 'dollar' store close, that's saying something!

Yes katie she's my one and only.

Kur: What is the plant in your 'Bee" photo. It is familiar to me, but I can't put a name to it. Its like miners lettuce.
Neat .

enyeholt - the plant in the bee photo is Euphorbia - not sure which one.

Yep, it's a euphorbia... 'Rudolph' :)

Or as my neighbor said when he was trying to recall the name: "Euphoria". From now on it will forever be Euphoria for me. :-D

Hahaha :) That's cute!

Enyeholt - here's another - one of the taller varieties, named Jessie:

Pretty picture, Kate. Wow.

Bearded Iris are all taking off now.

another one.

Beautiful, Beahive! Your iris are way ahead of mine.

Wow! So many beautiful things to see! I am sooooo behind!

I am making a concentrated effort to come back to the real world again, and enjoyed a wonderful weekend playing in the sun in the yard. When I finally resigned myself to the fact that the yard will be relative chaos this year, and that the slugs win this year (but lookout next year!), I was able to let myself relax and enjoy.

There were many wonderful surprises in store for me as I walked my world.

My most impressive is my very very very favorite tree peony. It had fourteen blooms on it this year, which is an all time record.

Bea, I too can't believe how far ahead of us your world is! Such pretties!

This is a close up of my peony. I was not sure if I would be able to spend time in the yard and see it before the weather abused it, so I cut one bloom and took it to work with me last Monday. It opened in all of it's glory, and although it only lasted for one day, it was so worth it. When it is full open, it is the size of a dinner plate....

Lem's Cameo was a wonderful accident with this maple. It is one of my favorite combos this time of year.

Welcome back, Julie! The tree peony is incredible! My yellow one is budding, but not close to blooming yet.

Love the tree peony. Mine are just showing color.

Julie, Your peony is marvelous! Mine are still in bud. Guess I get the Iris now and the peonies later. It is funny how our bloom seasons are different. The clematis are getting reay to go too! With the warmer weather this week...maybe soon!

And the only other picture I got worth sharing was my "invasive but lovely" combo of ajuga and forget me not. Fortunately, this is on a hillside going into my gully, so it can run amok all it wants and I will cross my fingers that it eventually crowds out the buttercup!

I have three tree peonies. My earliest is a fuschia colored one, which had it's first bud open about three weeks ago. It has lots of blooms on it, but they are all stunted this year... much smaller than normal, and look like they were frost damaged at some point or another. My yellow one is still in tight bud.

It is strange how different zones bloom differently, and how some of the areas with colder winters catch up quickly as soon as the sun comes out.

Julie, the blue on blue (ajuga/forgets) is lovely. I am nurturing some ajuga in a corner this year, and I'm sure my exurberant forgets will stop in for a visit in the next season or two. I don't mind them a bit - I let them go where they want, pull them out roots and all when they have gone to seed and just give them a couple shakes before they hit the compost. I love the blue color all over my beds in early spring.

Girard's Fuchsia azalea and Otto Luyken laurel

Deb, My gardens overflow with the fmn as well. I really do love the color, and you are right, they are easy to pull IF you can bring yourself to do it. It took me several years to get ruthless enough with them to keep them under some semblence of control. I have gotten much better at it over the last several years! ^_^

I found a few more pics... Here is my "stunted" tree peony. It's blooms are usually very full and bigger than a softball. This year it is really not very attractive. You can see how far apart some of the blooms are in timing as there are a few completely spent ones in the center. I think that the poor thing was just traumatized by our odd spring.

And another good fmn combo with hecheura, although many of these will have to be pulled sooner rather than later before they overwhelm the stuff around them.

Flowering cherry and NOID bright pink rhode that was here when we moved in. Any idea who? It is now at least 15 years old and definitley medium in height.

the Hino Crimson azalea is supposed to be done by the time the rhode blooms. Bad planning on my part.

The tree heather is one of my favorite heathers.

Edited to add:
I love the new growth on the Bird's Nest spruce this time of year, too.

This message was edited May 11, 2010 11:25 AM

Virginia Richards Rhode

Beautiful all.