What is growing nicely for you right now?

Well, I HAD beautiful iris blossoms - but the only seemed to last about 3 days - is that normal? I mean the individual plants have more buds - but darn - they were gorgeous - I would be nice if they lasted a bit longer.

I'm sure we all feel that way. I do.

pirl, LOVE your lupine! I planted some Russell's in the fall (cheap sale plants) that didn't come back. but I have some nice seedlings going this spring.

Harper, that bright pink rhodie is spectacular. all I have is PJM. it's nice, but I need MORE!! which monarda do you have? I got a dwarf 'Petite Delight' and it comes back, but it's even smaller than they said. last year I had half a dozen 6" plants. they were cute, but not exactly what I had in mind.

I am loving everybodys alliums. I finally planted some Purple Sensation last fall, but they need companions. there's nothing blooming around them.

I love everyone's pictures. I love lupine, but have never had luck with them. I keep trying though. Maybe I'll give the hill a shot. No chance of wet feet there!

Since Harper is an artist.....I would guess she did that mailbox! It's beautiful and so are your Rhodies!!

The blooms move up the stem on iris. I lost a patch of them when they toppled over. This I will fix by putting them in a less breezy spot when I thin them out. But the others are out there blooming away. I have dwarf, standard and tall beardeds and I have early middle and late ones too. and Siberians. I have had iris for over a month already and expect to have it for the next several weeks. and I haven't had a peony bloom yet or a daylily throw a bud, but soon!
Martha

I was so thrilled that I thought I staked my irises in time but my error was in not using two ties for each stem. Now they are well tied, finally.

Thanks everyone! Yes, I painted the mailbox. I couldn't very well have a plain mailbox, so I painted it one weekend.

Martha, the Catwabiense is a spectacular rhodie. I really love it. I'm a Rhododendron nut.

Gram, my monarda is Raspberry Wine. I don't see any buds yet. At the rate it's going, I expect it to be as tall as me soon. Okay, that was an exaggeration, but it's tall! I LOVE that Petite Delight. What a cutie!

Pirl, do you think you could post a picture of how you staked your irises? Mine are the little Dutch Irises, but I have some tall bearded ones ordered in the mail. Thanks for all your sweet compliments.

Harper

Great shots all. Hopefully I will be posting some later today. Harper, I love the mailbox. Why not paint the post green to make it look like a main stem? Then the other little stems will look like they're branching off it? Just a thought. Could you paint something similar on my head?? At least for the Summer.

He he. You want something painted on your head? How about a target mark for the birds to work on their aim. (remember the Far Side cartoon?)

I was thinking of painting the mailbox post red, just cuz I like that color.

Ooh! Swiss Chard stems on a mailbox. I like that idea!

Yes, I'll take a photo of the horrible stakes and the two ties a bit later and post it tonight for you, Harper.

For me:

Blooming or just done:

Wood hyacinths (just finished)
Clematis
White bleeding hearts
Rhodies
Beared Irises
Azalea

Growing well:

Bee Balm
Black eyed Susans
Purple conflowers
Varigated hostas
Venus fly traps
American pitcher plants
Nepenthis
Ornamental grasses


Tom

Swiss Chard! That's a good idea!

Tom, I'd love to see some of your pictures if you have a digital camera. Your garden sounds nice with all those bloomers in there.

Will you be showing us your bloomers, Harper??

Tom - you'll have to post pics of your bug eating plants.

My Summer Sun Heliopsis seems about a foot taller than it's ever grown already.

I've been showing you my bloomers for forever now! Sheesh, some guys just don't pay attention.

Seriously though, back to what's growing nicely for me, the big winner this year is weeds. Whoopie! Has anyone tried using those flame thrower weed eater things? Do they work? Where do I get one?

Yes I have one. They do work - just don't do it when things are dry - like now. And it's fun!

Oh, goodie. I gotta get one. What kind do I get? Got any advice?

I have one similar to this.

http://gardenshoponline.com/herbicides/propaneweedtorch.html

I used my fire weed eater yesterday and today to get rid of the moss between the bricks on the terrace. I love it! Real instant gratification! I bought mine at Gardener's Supply.

I got mine either from there or Lee Valley.

Yes! That's it! Thank you! Gardener's Supply has it for $45. It's on my wish list.

Pirl, I love the look of moss growing between bricks.

I do, too, Harper but it was just too much.

Oh. I wish I could've cut it out and brought it home!

I cut a lot out of other gardens today and put it, in patches, in the rose garden, then watered. Now it's raining. It should take very nicely.

How quickly does it grow, pirl? Is it suitable as a fast growing ground cover for full sun?? Which type do you have?

Sounds beautiful Pirl.

Pirl, That is an incredible patch of lupine!
Harper, very nice!

Seandor, Iris blossoms are just so short lived. And German Iris leaves get so ugly and filled with borers. Puts a big damper on their beauty.

Of all the Spring bloomers, I think bleeding heart is the workhorse. I can't believe it is still blooming for me. Anyone else have ideas for long bloomers for Spring? For short bloomers I nominate my globe flower which disappeared faster than my iris.

Roses///// Verdum

Dave - for shrubs - Doublefile Viburnum - very long bloom. For perennials - Euphorbia polychroma lasts quite a while. I'll think of more.

The moss we have grows in sun or shade but sometimes burns up in the heat of summer. I prefer it for shade. There are three that Mother Nature has given us. Most definitely it is NOT a fast spreader.

This is my favorite one.

I posted some more pictures on my photo page

http://allisona.photosite.com/June12007/

Onewish, Nice pictures and I really like your software too.
Dave

photo site works well.... I thought it was worth the money for the full version

onewish1 - WOW! I like that and nice flowers also! I may have to check that out! grammy

beautiful! Thanks for sharing

:::::blush::::: thanks

edit you can do a sort of ecard with them also... the only thing I wish that they would make the photo larger

http://allisona.photosite.com/Christmaslights2006/

This message was edited Jun 2, 2007 6:51 AM

Onewish,

What is the name of that hot pink flower (looks like a daisy) with the yellow center? Not the one you pictured above but the one on your site? I would like to see if it's hardy in zone 5 or not. Sure is pretty!

Thank you,
Kim

Kim, I had to take a look at the pictures. I have a plant that I think is the same. I was told it was Painted Daisy, but I could be wrong.

Mainiac, are you Ramona? If so, I think of you all the time! I lost your e-mail when hubby re-built the computer but sure do miss you lots!

Is painted daisy hardy in Maine?.....gonna have to look that one up.

Kim