CAM, thank you. Some of them are a bit embarrassing because they were mostly taken with a tablet.
FIRST FLOWERS MID MAY 2015
Donner, I second what Cam said, you really do have a great eye for that "Just Right" shot, they are all beautiful. I really love that Geum/Brunnera combination!
Yaayyy, she's here!!! Left for work this morning with Ms. Paeony's to-be-first bloom looking like this- Photo 1.
Came home this afternoon and she looked like this - Photo 2. I could smell her already when I first got out of the truck, it's WOW! =)
And here's a shot of what my Catmint are up to. It's weird, they're growing outward, then curving upward, like an upside down spider. Well, I should say that 1 of them is growing like that, with some central stems growing straight up from the middle. You can see that the one on the left is growing more straight-upward. Very interesting! :)
I absolutely looooove peonies! Have since I was 5 years old. Started my love of all things plant related. Thanks for sharing!
donner--
I just planted the Columbine you gave me at the swap.
Is that the one (blue and white) that you "no longer have"?
If it is--I love it.
Not getting much done yet with planting stuff from the swap
nor from my seeds. Had 2 Dr. appt today--(just routine) then went shopping to Aldis,
bought 2 loaves of that huge, round bread they sell...YUMMM.
Promised the Girls at the Dr's office i would bring one back for them--and did.
They paid me back--of course.
Took a few pictures to show you all...need to get a couple more w/o the sun.
I don't have the greatest camera--and when the sun is on the blooms--it looks weird.
I also cannot do a super macro with mine. Nothing closer than 4" does not even take.
1--One of my crazy iris's
2--The other....picked these 2 up at Wallmart--I think??? several years ago.
3--I call this one "Snowcap". Not sure that is correct. It came from my long-gone
neighbor's yard. Her father had the nursery in S. MD that sold bulbs. He gave her many.
This is one of them I "saved" when no one was living in the house.
4--Overwintered and returning in full bloom--Dianthus arounf my KK bed
5--This was the fully open bloom on one of the Dwarf Iris I gave away at the swap. Cute!
Anyone have theirs blooming yet?
Coleup--
There is NOTHING wrong with the begonias you gave me to "save"....
I have not done a thing to it--sitting there with all the rest of the Swap plants--
and sprouting leaves. Very pretty leaves....
You were pulling my leg--yes? Telling me I am the only one that could
resurrect this plant???? It is doing just fine!
I may cut it back and let the bottom part grow out fuller and root the cut off tops.
The usual thing I do.....
Here is the leafing out tops of the begonia you gave me.
Do you know the name of this begonia? Does not matter to me...just asking.
BTW--if anyone wants to know names of any begonias--just send Butch ( hcmcdole)
a D-mail. He knows names of EVERY Begonia. He has hundreds of them.
That crazy iris is awesome, Gita. Irises are a particular favorite, but that one is really something.
Gita, your Irises are just GORGEOUS ! Thank you for sharing !
And speaking of Begonias, my parents gave me a hanging basket at Easter and it had no plant ID tag on it. I believe it's a Begonia by the looks of the stems, leaves, and the shape of the blooms but does anyone now for sure, and if it is, what variety ? It didn't have a single bloom on it when I got it and now look at it... very nice. I just repotted into a larger pot last night, it needed some more room.
They're beautiful, CAM. I would have guessed them to be some type of double impatiens.
Hmmmm.... You know.... you may well be right. I am not that familiar with impatients but now that you mention it, that is very likely what they are. THANKS !
Edit: found it on a google search. It is indeed a double impatient. Variety is called Appleblossoms.
This message was edited May 14, 2015 8:17 PM
Such pretty irises. And I really like that leaf shape on Gita's begonia.
CAM, I've tried similar begonias, but they didn't bloom very well for me. You must be giving it exactly what it wants!
Edit: Ooh, interesting that they're impatiens!
This message was edited May 14, 2015 7:18 PM
Yes, ecnalg nailed it and quickly too. I had no idea I was tending to double impatients, all I knew was they are gorgeous. They sure love the spot I have them but I want to hang them on my porch where they won't get as much sun. Going to leave them where they are since they are thriving.
Cam--
Here is my "old" Angel Wing begonia. It grows huge every year
after I cut it back to the nubs each spring. About every 2 or 3 years,
I give it a really good root-pruning and saving only the better producing roots.
This "monster" of long canes and dropping leaves spend the winter
in my spare BR discarding all he wonderful leaves it grew all summer.
Lots of trash!
I never save the cane-stems. They get cut out and discarded.
The growing tips of the stems get re-potted to grow plants to share.
The Mama plant--now stripped of all glory--just grows back like a champ every year.
It does not bloom for me every year--but last year it did.
And--so it has been going for about 25-30 years. Still love it!
Gita
Very interesting, Gita. Compared to you, my thumb is barely pale green. :) And I never would have guessed that is a begonia. But then again, I thought what I had WAS a begonia so what do I know ? haha Thank you for sharing.
I'm going to try my hand at overwintering some annuals this year and see how I can manage. Beats the heck out of just pulling them up and tossing them. Come Autumn, I'm going to lean on you and some other experts around here for some advice.
CAM, I visited a peony garden a few years back and posted some pictures here -- if you like peonies: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1255622/
What is the variety of your fragrant peony, Speedie? Happy did a group buy of fragrant peonies a few years back. I bought 2, one is still very tiny, and the other has one bud at the moment. I cannot wait for it to open :-). The other peonies I have do not have much fragrance.
Gita, yes, that was the Columbine I gave you. It bloomed early, and gave me only 1 flower. It might bloom for you later. If not, you will have to wait for another year :o). Very pretty Irises. Hope mine will open this weekend.
This message was edited May 14, 2015 8:22 PM
More flowers in bloom:
1 - Geranium 'Biokovo' just starting to bloom
2 - Ornithogalum nutans - Silver Bells
3 - Smilacina stellata - Starry False Solomon's Seal
4 - Allium schoenoprasum - Chives
5 - Nemophila maculata - Five spot
Thanks so much, donner ! Wow, those were some beautiful Peonies ! I'm particularly fond of the deep red and white ones. I grew some Sarah Bernhardts though a couple years back and they were very pretty too.
I am definitely putting some of those in the ground this autumn. They will take two years to fully bloom but well worth the wait ! In the meantime, peonies also have very nice foliage.
Thanks again for sharing that link with me.... stunning !
More
1 - Phlox divaricata - Wooodland Phlox, uncertain cultivar
2 - Salvia lyrata - Lyre-leaved Sage
3 - Clematis 'Nelly Moser'
4 - Penstemon pallida - Pale Penstemon
5 - Sedum ternatum - Woodland Stonnecrop
Some more of our shrubs:
1 - Syringa meyeri - Dwarf Korean Lilac
2 - Rhododendron noID
3 - Rhododendron noID close-up
4 - Weigela florida 'Variegata'
5 - Azalea 'Delaware Valley White'
Some Iris
More Iris
A very interesting columbine. Do the flowers open wider than this?
Native honeysuckle. It's just covered in blooms! Only gets morning sun.
View from the other side. Gets very little direct sun but still blooms.
Jan, I was inspired by your honeysuckle teepee! Hummingbirds love it!
Your native honeysuckle is sure thriving! Wow what a lot of blooms. I hope ours grows that well. Any idea of what the columbine is? Are you going to save seeds from it? Very attractive.
ecnalg, I have a plant-tag thief in my garden (probably feral cats), so I have no idea where I got this columbine from. I vaguely remember getting it at a swap. I will definitely save the seeds for you! It's such an interesting columbine. So far, I've made a mental note to save the seeds from my lupines and this columbine.
I've only had this honeysuckle for two years. I got it from Bec, who'd kept it in a container. I feel like I need to give it more support, though.
I don't have any bearded irises in my garden, but GT and Gita's pictures are making me want to remedy this situation! Has anyone tried reblooming iris?
You've got so much in bloom now, GT and ecnalg; your garden must be extra beautiful right now!
ssg, that Coral Honeysuckle is just wild, as in awesome! I'm glad to hear it's blooming that well without much direct sun, because I'm not sure mine gets full sun (pic 4).
#1 and 3 are the same plant; does anyone know what it is?
#2 is an Azalea Exbury 'Fireball' that I never expected to live. I've moved it several times, once to a place where I forgot to water it.
Cam--
Besides the AW Begonia--I have many other plants of similar longevity.
Al these are around 25 yrs old. Not always the same plant--but existing
by propagating them on and on. whenever needed.
The list of very old plants still plugging away every year.
My 1st Holiday cactus
My big pot of 5 bulbs of red Amaryllis-still blooming strongly-same pot...same bulbs.
My Beefsteak begonia
My Swedish Ivy
...maybe more...I am brain dead by now......
Too late tonight to dig out the photos of all these. Just trust me--it is the truth.
I think most plants can be propagated--just be informed on how--
and have faith that they will survive.
Be glad to help you out if needed. However--I do not consider myself an expert
on all things. I just DO what I think is right--and it usually works.
I consider myself pretty good at seed collecting (got to 1st know where the seeds are
and how to get them out.....)
I am also pretty lucky at propagating things. Basics...that's all. Just the basics.
No need to fuss over plants in any fancy-schmancy ways .
Leave your plants be--and don't fret and fuss over them., They will do OK.
Good night! Gita
Such great photos everyone, ya got me drooling so early in the morning it should be illegal! ;)
Donner, my Paeony is "Pink Dawn", Paeonia Lactiflora. Two more of her buds are getting ready to open, they should be fully open when I get home from work tonight. I'll get some morning and evening shots to share later. She's got a gentle powdery scent, lightly spicy/sweet; it's a wonderful greeting as I step out the front door. :)
Muddy, I have no idea what that plant is that you posted above (#'s 1 and 3), but that sure is cool!
David, absolutely BEAUTIFUL Irises!! All of mine are blooming at once, however they are so darned tall, (and I didn't get out there early enough with the stakes), they're all quite floppy. I never did cut them back in the Fall 'cause nearly NONE of the foliage browned for me.. they stayed green all Winter long, and their greenness was waiting to greet me when the snow melted. Hmmm. This Fall, brown or not, they are ALL gonna get cut back hard. Now, those ones are all the Tall Bearded ones.. I've got some shorter ones in the other bed, and they are not blooming yet, but I imagine it'll be soon.
Speedie, does your nursery sell reblooming irises? Are they dependable fall bloomers?
I wish my peonies had a scent! I need to be better about cultivar selection. I could have chosen a scented one, so why didn't I???
Thanks for the additional education, Gita... going to learn a lot around here from you and others !
SSG... sounds like a reason to plant MORE peonies ! Yes, their scent is heavenly !
ssg, I will take better note of my peonies. I have three colors, all old types from Moms yard, and a couple are small extra bits I've kept potted to grow or share.
Muddy, does it have odd triangular spirally leaves? There's a bulb I grew, Mediterrranean Bells, they might call it, that was short lived for me. It's been a while but I'm thinking it looked like those flowers.
Thanks, Sally! I'd love to try a scented peony!
Muddy, I believe your mystery plant is a Fritillaria, perhaps F. acmopetala. Speedie et al, we have never had a flopping problem with Iris like this year.
Muddy, I think you have Nectaroscordum siculum, or Mediterranean bells.
https://www.netherlandbulb.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=110
SS--
Was it YOU, or someone else, that I dug up that big clump of my white Peony?
It is the old, white one--with the speckles of fuchsia in the throat.
Huge blooms!
Who was it? And--I was wondering how yours is doing?
---Mine is just starting to open.
--Fully open pic is from last year.
--perennial geranium
--Koromo Shukibu Azalea--now in full bloom
--A bit closer look at the blooms...
That wasn't me, Gita. I love that hint of red in the peony!
Muddy, looks like SSG has the ID.
Thanks for the ID. I think I planted these 10 years ago and they've never been divided or given any care other than whatever supplemental water the Purple Leaf Plum got. I didn't want to dig them up for fear of damaging the tree's roots, but now that it's nearing the end of its expected life I might try.....when I have nothing left on my gardening to-do list HA HA
Haha... like any of us will ever have a blank gardening to-do list... or a blank "Plants I want" list. :)
Like tea roses, a lot of the more modern peonies have had the scent bred right out of them. Sad!
I'm enjoying my ITOH peonies -- both blooming this year, and although there's not much scent they are HUGE blooms! I also appreciate not having to wonder where they are, exactly, as I'm picking daffodils in spring... I'm always worried I'll step right on a sprouting herbaceous peony.
ed. to add I found the name of the huge magenta ITOH peony... 'Prime Minister' is the English translation.
Love the red of the fernleaf peony (2nd photo)... marked its position with a nice rock... it's an early sprouter, too.
Honeysuckles are in full swing, no worries about food for the hummers. Lonicera americana just opening up (3rd photo).
4th photo is one of the deciduous azaleas I got at the azalea society show & sale last year.
5th photo (right side) is one of the azaleas I've had in front since we moved in... either a slow grower, or it just has a hard life!
This message was edited May 15, 2015 3:31 PM
In order, left to right...
anybody know what kind of nest this might be? there were 5 eggs at first, clearly visible from my parents' bathroom window. Once they'd spotted it, tehy kept an eye out to see what kind of birds flew in/out, but they never saw anybody... and when the temps dropped, it became clear the nest had been abandoned. I took it down a couple weeks later when I was visiting, and somebody had eaten most of the eggs.
SDB irises 'Facepaint' and clump of (I think) 'Baby Blessed'.
Shadow, my neighbor's Goldendoodle puppy. I get to borrow her at least 1 afternoon/week to get my puppy fix.
Jumping spiders have the *cutest* faces! Joyanna & I spotted this one on the coral honeysuckle & managed to get a photo before it disappeared.
David, thank you for the reassurance about the Irises flopping, thought it was just bad parenting on my part. :(
Ssg, yes we do (have re-blooming Irises), but our current stock is in need of some refilling. If I remember correctly, the two we currently have are "Best Bet" and "Champagne Elegance".
Critter, those are some wonderful looking Peonies!! Add an adorable puppy and a cute-faced spider and you've had yourself a great day! =)