FIRST FLOWERS SPRING!!! Next time it might be summer!

You guys. You have such beautiful flowers. I am amazed!

My Liatris spicata from Gita is getting ready to start blooming. It is my first year with this plant and I am loving the spiky whorls.

And I managed to successfully overwinter my 'Illustris' colocasia! Very exited! This leaf is about the size of a quarter. It was a tiny little plant when I brought it inside last year so I didn't really expect it to survive. Pleasant surprise!

I still haven't seen any signs of the two cannas that I overwintered in the same way. :(

Coreopsis 'Moonbeam.' It was planted last fall and is just getting established.

Compared to Coreopsis 'Zagreb' which is a couple of years older. Much darker yellow blooms.

edit: Oh, and can anyone ID the two insects? One of them looks like just a fly but I can't figure out what the other one is.

This message was edited Jun 10, 2014 9:41 AM

OOH thanks SSG! I love these kinds of comparisons. I like Zagreb's rich yellow!

Typ, you are going to love the liatris, I just know it! :-)

SSG, that's a beautiful Zagreb!

I know there are certain types of flies which are actually beneficial insects in the garden (e.g. hoverflies, syrphid flies, tachinid flies) but I'm not too good with the ID part--LOL!

Can't see much detail but I think you are right on fly, and the other, a type of June beetle/ Scarabaeidae

So many cheerful flowers! Thank you all for sharing!

Cat and SSG, it is so much warmer where you are, although we live in the same county! Jealousy here LOL!

Cat, any info on the neighbor's rose? It looks like a David Austin rose to me. Are the flowers fragrant?

Yes it is very fragrant Donner! I could ask her but although she has a beautiful garden she doesn't usually know names beyond the common generic name. She's a very sweet elderly woman.

Cat, if you are successful with those cuttings, I'd love to have one of those roses. It's gorgeous.

Off topic but I just wanted to say: SSG, the cuttings from your ninebark are not dead! It's too early to know if they were successful, but so far it's been 2 weeks and they're not dead. That's a pretty good start! :)

I'll talk to her today--i have a little lavender plant to bring her anyway. She's the one that the pink LOV came from! :-). She said she'd do the cuttings for me except she doesn't have any rooting powder. Well guess what I can bring her along with the lavender plant! ;-)

Typ, that's fantastic! Not dying a really good sign! :) I really hope they root for you.

I hope the june beetle doesn't do too much damage. The only insect I can ID on the spot is the Japanese beetle, so nothing else ever gets squashed on the spot.

I visited the David Austin Rose Garden once. The fragrance could be detected well before we got near the garden.

Donner, that sounds heavenly!

4. Peanut butter shrub that survived the winter next to my NOID oak leaf hydrangea. I have never pruned this hydrangea. Should I?

1. Calycanthus 'Aphrodite'. Spicebush

2. Rhus 'Tiger eyes'.

3. NOID blue lace cap hydrangea.

Edited to say they are out of order



This message was edited Jun 10, 2014 1:08 PM

our PB shrub survived too and it is taller than me now!! with lots of babies around it. What is getting really tall is a hollyhock that I started from seed. It is just about as tall as our gutter now with lots of buds. Never knew they got that huge. I have no idea on what color it will be. looking forward to finding out

My 'Rudy' triteleia is in full bloom now. I never would have picked these out of a catalog, but my husband did. They have become one of my favorites. They bloom after the alliums finish so I imagine you could use these in a succession planting. Similar leaf structure, but only about 8 inches tall. They have very slowly naturalized where they are, I imagine that if they were in a spot that had richer earth, they might have naturalized faster. They are purple in real life but the color looks blue on camera.

Wind, is your Hollyhock from the seeds I shared at the Spring Swap? If so, they're probably gonna turn out like the pics below.. they are Chater's Double Scarlet.

Whoaaaaaa Typ, that Triteleia is GORGEOUS!!!!! I'd never heard of it before so I had to look it up.. WOW that thing is magnificent!!!! Umm... is it too early to ask... are you gonna be at HollyAnn's and Ric's for the Fall Swap? (heehee). If so, could you please bring me a bulb or 2? =) And, I just LOVE the pic you took of your Liatris, what a great shot of that foliage! Those things are so cool!!

Ssg, I love your Zagreb, such a rich colour to those blooms! I can't remember which variety of Coreopsis I have... similar to your Zagreb, but the yellow is more "yellow-y", not as richly golden as yours. I do love it though, it's really running wild in the spot where I put it. =)

Catmint, your Yarrows are fabulous!! While cleaning up the perennial tables yesterday, I was telling the Yarrows "You're coming home with me soon!!" < =D LOL!!! I shall bring home a yellow and a pink - those pinks are my favourite!!

thanks, Speedie! I really like yarrows--such an incredibly long bloom season and they seem to do well in my yard. I'm really liking the Apricot Delight right now. Last year it did not bloom much for me as it was so tiny when I got it. Its color is much richer than I thought it would be--more reddish.

Sorry, Speedie, I don't have enough to share yet. I'll keep you in mind though! I purchased them from Breck's. I don't necessarily recommend that company, but not many offer this bulb. I had never heard of it either!

Okey dokey Typ, no problemo! (or, as DH says to me "No prob, lamo!" hahahaaa!!!) Thank you for keeping me in mind for later. :)

Hey everyone! I've been busy at work this week after my weekend vacation and haven't had much a chance to check in.

Typ, that triteleia is gorgeous! I looked it up too, didn't realize it was a bulb, very nice. Shawn? has good taste!

Nice pics everyone else too. After all the pretty Yarrow pics, I decided to pick up one at the local nursery. I got a short dark pink one. I had one before but it always flopped over and looked terrible. I figure this one is less likely to flop since it's short (12-15").

Aspen, I wanted to let you know that I liked your Blephilia ciliata so much that I decided to hunt it down and get some myself. I bought it from Shooting Star nursery. And because you can't just get one plant, I got a mimulus alatus and a anemone virginiana :)

This message was edited Jun 11, 2014 3:00 PM

Seq, so glad to hear you're trying a smaller yarrow variety! You'll have to post pics! :-)

Most of my recently-opened blooms are yellow (oh okay there's that crazy pink one in the middle)!

1) Evening primrose 'Fireworks'
2) Coreopsis 'Sienna Sunset'
3) Veronica 'Eveline'--blooming much more profusely than last year
4) Mexican Marigold (T. lucida)
5) Marigold (T. patula var. nana) 'Favorite Blend' seeds

Catmint, do this:
Get blank label.
Write Share this with Sallyg when it gets too big.
Stick it in next to the peach-pink Coreopsis.
Thank you!

just kidding LOL

LOL Sally--I will do that! :-) I really fell in love with this color when I found it last year. 'Peach' is a good word for it.

We may be rare among this group, by liking peach colored flowers. I should have a piece of my beautiful peach colored Iris for you, whenever you need it.

Speedie, I think the seeds came from a Robin DG swap via mail, but your Chater's Double Scarlet is beautiful!!! I'll post a pic when it blooms

oh Sally I would totally love a bit of your peach colored iris! :-) Sounds beautiful--and what a perfect swap! Yes, I really like the peach to coral color range. I'll start urging 'Sienna Sunset' to grow as big as possible for a fall division for you! :-)

Catmint, how do you like that veronica?

Does anyone else grow any veronicas?

I have Royal Candles, which I love, and recently learned that there are numerous varieties of veronicas. I'm thinking about getting a few more to experiment.

Its a deal Catmint- 8^)
but don't rush to get it by fall, unless it has really grown.

Sally, can I make a deal with you for a little itty bitty piece of your peach Iris too, please!?!? =)

I agree Catmint, your Sienna Sunset Coreopsis is MAGNIFICENT, I LOVE the colour!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks, Sally and Speedie! :-) I'll keep my fingers crossed on the Sienna Sunset growing nicely this season!

SSG, I have really enjoyed my Eveline. It bloomed very consistently last year (just a couple spikes, but pretty constant bloom) from June to early fall, and this year it's amazing me with the number of spikes it's put up for its initial bloom. Anyway, I'm very happy with it. I ended up getting 'Sunny Border Blue' last season also, after being so happy with Eveline. It's been growing well for me so far, and I can see the spike buds, but no blooms yet. Would love to see some photos of your Royal Candles! :-)

avec plaisir, madame speedie!

Beautiful Coreopsis Cat. I've always been hesitant to get that one because of hardiness issues in my zone. I had a nice one not make it this past winter and it was also a Terra Nova hybrid I think.

I have several veronica and I like them. I just got a tall one at the end of last summer and it was one of the first to pop its head out of the soil this spring. I also have another awaiting installation. The Eveline I was not super impressed with though. I'm more of a tall flower fan and mine was always too short for me. Now though, my Raspberry Wine Monarda has overtaken it and it's currently growing as an 'understory' perennial to the significantly taller Monarda. Perhaps it will enjoy the shade more than the burning sun it was getting.

Good timing! One of the DG articles today is about speedwells.

Both Royal Candles and beebalm are about to bloom. I'll post pics!

I have some more new lilies opening. The yellow is Pearl Melonie . OMG what a glorious yellow. Not that nasty orangey yellow. Real bright lemon yellow. As my severly nearsighted daughter said without her glasses on "...Mummy I know I'm half blind but even I can see that one!". The other is in the bed that has been murdered for years by the deer and rabbits that I tore up, replanted and haven't the faintest idea what is. I do know I got it from the Lily Garden. Its such a lovely raspberry.

Not that I am trying to be an enabler but...Santa Rosa is having their clearance sale now and they have Coreopsis 'Sienna Sunset' now for $2.99. I have ordered from them and the plants are great.

Wet--Rainy day! Bur--I braved the muck to take a few pictures for you all...

Since DL's was the Topic de Jour--here are some of mine. The majority is yet to come!

1--This is the gorgeous, pink, fragrant DL I bought last year at DJ Liquidators.
Just to refresh your mind......The one I had on my LR table...
Here it is growing in my A?C bed. I can smell it just rounding the corner.....

2--Same--close up.

3--Pink DL--1st to bloom

4--Yellow

5--David's Yellow Foxglove. I only have this one left...Had two...

Other blooms---

1--My OLD carpet Rose--needs cutting back!

2--First blooms on my cardinal Climber Vine

3--VA, Clustered Bluebells--THANK YOU, donner!!! I have them in 2 locations.

4--Heliopsis daisy

5--My annual Mandevilla--starting its climb on the 8' yrellis

A few more---

1--First Lady-in-Red Salvia to bloom--from seed....

2--MY ONLY surviving Acalypha. Wish it had been the red one--
The wholesale grower is NOT carrying it this year.

3--Sweet Surrender Rose....no longer a "Condo" for the cardinal.
She abandoned it--eggs are gone too.....Too wet--IMHO...

4--My Babtista--in its 4th year. Should have seen a bloom by now???

5--Climbing Rose--"Autumn Sunset"..

Gosh, don't check for a day or two and there are so many posts to catch up on!

Typ, I'm with everyone else on that 'Rudy' triteleia - never heard of it before, but I want it!

Catmint, how in the world do you have so many plants blooming away week after week when you've only been gardening for 2 years - I am in AWE!!!

Sequoia, glad that you got some of that Blephilia ciliata. It is still blooming strong for me, even after 2 weeks which seems to be the limit for most perennials. Now I need to check out that nursery and the other plants you ordered to see what they are :)

Yehudith and G - love the lily photos. None of mine are blooming just yet. I am anxious to see first time blooms from the bulbs I planted last year from the lily group buy. Hope the deer leave them alone.