Garden Gems for May 2012

Very nice, Jo & Bill....loved your alliums, & I need that white iris! Very pretty peony.....

I went to Fairfield and picked a Miniature Snowfkake Mock Orange. I didn't know Mock Oranges had miniatures.
Does anyone have it? If so, are you happy with it?
It was a wonderful day!!!

Lily of the Valley, my first one EVER yay!!!!!!!!!!!
Mums from my daughter for Mother's Day...should I cut all the blooms off before planting in the ground???

What's on my rose bud? a few have this white powdery stuff...powdery mildew?

Jen, you will now have zillions of LOV....I would leave the flowers on....don't know what that white stuff is.....

That's what I thought, yet 12 years later...

idk I have a bunch of plants that people have said they spread like crazy and years later am still waiting, LOL ie Allison's Pachysandra

A favorite rhodo, Percy Wiseman.....

very pretty!

Thanks.

Yes - nice colors.

Jen is there tiny bugs on that flower bud???.. or am I seeing things???

Looked like aphids but it's part of the bud

ok... just checking.. anytime I see that many speckles .. I have to get in there and make sure they are not moving

Do mealy bugs attack roses? Around here, there's been a mealy bug invasion, helped by insecticidal soap.

I have been seeing mealies outside this year.. maybe it wasn't cold enough to kill them off

Lots and lots of beautiful blooms, everyone! I've missed a lot.

Jo, I love your painting of the peonies and the parasols. I haven't seen a painting of yours yet that I didn't love, but maybe cause you haven't posted any of your duds. LOL! As an artist myself, I know we all have duds.

Bill, I love that coop iris. ('Buster'? from Marilyn?) A dwarf, I'm thinking. Very pretty.

Omoshiru is gorgeous, Jo!

Here are some from the other day.

#1.'Guernsey Cream' clem, #2 lots of columbines in my white/yellow theme bed, #3 I love this dwarf white columbine, #4 closeup of that one, #5 IB iris 'Alpha Gnu'

Karen

#1 double columbine, #2 'Samurai' pulmonaria, #3 another view of my white/yellow theme bed, #4 'Axeminster Gold' symphytum, #5 trellis with 'Nellie Moser' clem, just getting ready to bloom (actually began blooming today).

Will post more another day. Need to get to bed.

Karen

alpha gnu is awesome!

that is a nice one

Yes, Karen, Buster is a dwarf....love the Guernsey Cream clem....I'm thinking I have room for one more!

pictures of the columbines just made me realize,I haven't seen my Ruby Port....hmmmmm, will have to go check after the rain stops

yep my Ruby Port is MIA :(

Jen, columbine doesn't live more than a few years for me.....

RD, how's the PI on your eye doing?

robindog - glad you said that. might just say that is what's going on with mine.

What about Johnson's Blue geranium. That was awesome fore a few years then has barely done anything. I thought it was because I kept moving it, but it is still real small even after being it's current home for a few years.

The stuff I learn from lurking :D

Columbine is growing along the edges of our gravel driveway. that's its own idea & I have to remember to cut the stems.

Thanks for asking, Jan....it's all cleared up....I still have a few days left on the blister pack....my Johnson's Blue gets very large in the summer.....right now it's still manageable......

Pic of my back hosta bed(s) from this morning. Now that it has bloomed, I want to lose about half of that sweet woodruff.

Bill, I am really liking that JM Shriazz I bought last year. Worth it for that Spring color alone, IMO

Beautiful hostas.

I concur!! Love them. Wish my sweet woodruff would spread. Maybe I don't have it in the right area.

Thanks guys, on the Alpha Gnu and Guernsey Cream. I love both myself. Alpha Gnu I got from Zebra Iris a few years ago. Unfortunately I lost most of the ones I bought, and it was because I didn't get them planted right away after receiving them. By the time I got them in the ground it was fairly late in the fall, many did not survive the winter. We had a bad year, too, with little snow cover that year. I think that was the winter of 2009/2010.

Columbines are short lived perennials, usually lasting no more than 3-4 years at most. Such a shame, as they're so pretty.

Eevie, I have some Johnson's Blue and have not had a problem. they get big and lush every year. I also have Roxanne, which really sprawls, but I like that it blooms all summer.

Noreaster, your hostas look great. I have sweet woodruff in one are, and I really like it.

Karen

Our columbines are the normal, not fancy variety. they do a good job of reseeding themselves.
Heuchera 'Firefly' has a stem up. those look better in a clump, but got them last yr.

I am planting my deck planters.
Seems good to know spring is here
http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d7a45314e7a67304f54413d0d0a&blogview=true

thanks all, must be mine. oh well.

I bought 3 sweet woodruff to test and they're doing pretty well. Now I want more so they can take over the space between the stream and the woods. Grass is mostly growing there but can't get the mower back there. But also needs to be walkable because that's a common path for both critters and myself. If you are getting rid of some, I'd gladly take them off your hands :D

evie, I don't think I could mail it....it is basically a network of runners so it's tough to put in a pot or anything. I think I started with five plants, originally. If you're coming to Maine anytime soon, you're more than welcome to come grab some!

I'd love to get my planters done this weekend if the forecast looks good

Loved the music, Jo...can't wait to see them all filled in!

Love Apple Slice! You've been busy, Jo!

What's wrong with my clem?

ohhh-man that looks awful