Garden pics " I spied with my camera's eye....." #3

a pretty walk during a sun break in one of out stormy days.

I think that this rhody might have a few years on me???

an azalea

close up of a flower petal.

Gorgeous rc......where are you walking??

the last.... a maple leaf.

thanks! I was walking through the display gardens at greer gardens. I was lucky to time it just right to go through there when there was a sun break between the down pours. It made it really pretty to have the light reflecting off the water on everything.

This message was edited May 4, 2009 10:44 PM

I sure hope that we didn't scare off Irwells!!

Yes, I agree, the droplets make everything pretty. Lucky you found a sun break. You wouldn't have found any sun here today we had rain all day, nothing heavy just steady. Love the shot up through the trees.

Oh I agree! it rained all day long here too. Didn't go out for a single picture and I really wanted to too! But, i didn't want to risk getting the camera that wet for what wasn't likely to be a decent picture anyhow.

Hope not, I was looking forward to some TX pics.

me too!

Sheesh...I only missed a half day and am still mega behind!!!

Willow, your erythronium is unbelievable! I really like the lewesia as well.

Kathy, Sounds like you found some scores! I love the scented geraniums, especially in the greenhouse in the winter. I had a bad year last year motivationally, so unfortunately let most of mine die in the yard last winter, but still have one that is growing just crazy in the greenhouse (planted in the ground and is 6' tall easy...can't remember what scent it is...just know that it is strong!), and bought anouther spice scented one today. I had rose scented, strawberry scented, lemon scented...they were wonderful! Will be working at picking up more this year.

Beahive, that anenome is WOW! You sound like me the first time that I saw one of the double helebores...wow, I need that...but not at that price!!! Good thing that you saw it in a picture rather than in person or I think that you might have been doomed!!

Redchic, Thanks for the name of the "cool tree"! It needs to go on the WANT list! I love things with different colors or textures! I love your pics tonight. We have an arboritum (sp?) here that my Mom took us to in mid May each year when we were young, and that is what the pics remind me of. The size of the rhodies and azaleas were amazing, and the scent walking down the exbury row was unbelievable! Your pics really took me back.... Thanks!

I agree that the pics from TX were a wonderful "fix" for our dreary spring....hopefully there will be more!

OK, another thread to post nuisance post on:

Anyone who is interested in the first annual PNW Roundup, please see my new thread and give us some help if you can!

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/984391/

Thanks!!!

Julie

THanks RJ. Glad that I could take you back some! I absolutely love walking through the local display parks and gardens around here. Some are small, others are large, but all of them have something to offer on any given day of the year! I agree.... walking past a row of exburies is delightful!

I almost forgot RJ... that geranium sounds awesome! I would love to see a picture of a 6' tall geranium!!

Redchic, Will post a pic of my "greenhouse eating monster" (ie. 6' tall geranium) in the next day or so! It is definitely grown for the scent rather than the flowers, but it is full bloom right now as well. Have whacked off several branches as it was crowding out my seedlings!

lol.... sounds like my kind of plant!

A close up of my Blaney's Blue.

My maple and cherry tree certainly complement each other right now.

Got behind on this thread. If I may go back to the mulch topic, I was pondering when I usually put mulch down. Ideally it goes down in the fall, and again in early summer. I wait for the ground to get good and wet from the Spring rains and the soil to warm up, then I mulch.

My yearly mulch comes from the chickens and rabbits. I spread white shavings down in the coup and add to it through the winter, which makes it about 8 inches thick. It is called the deep litter method. The chickens turn it and I use a pitch fork to keep it fluffed. Eventually it starts to compost right in the coup. In the spring I shovel it into the wheelbarrow and fill a large area I started as a lasagna bed. This is mixed into the leaves, grass clippings and rabbit droppings. One year later it is very nice stuff. I use this for the flower and vegie gardens.

I use the goat compost for flowers only, because I have to put some things in their house and surroundings that I don't want going into the vegie beds.

I didn't mulch last fall because I wanted that batch to go through one more winter, so ended up mulching a month ago. But that was a large area that does not have room for any seedlings.

The new lasagna bed is started for this year from the winter's chicken litter. I'll see what it looks like this Fall and if it is broken down enough, I'll Fall mulch this year.

I have a good friend who has two draft horses that are founders so they don't get out into the pasture. Their manure is clean of seeds. Good stuff! She has a huge area in the woods that has large piles of manure that is over a year old and ready to go. I use the fresh stuff to really heat up the compost if I am in a hurry.

I think the reason I do not get seedlings from the bleeding hearts is that I cut them back when they get leggy and spent. This year I will let one of them die back naturally and see what happens! Thanks!

Redchic, I am glad you clarified where you were walking, I thought it was your garden and got depressed. ha! Post #6505994

PNWMountainGirl, lovely! Looks like you have a view, and that bridge is delightful!

I hope this turns out so I can share it.....Was taking a pic of Blaney's Blue in the evening through the kitchen window, hoping to get a truer color to show off. Can you see the little fairy dancing in the lower right hand part of the picture? Madonnas in pancake batter have nothing on me! If this turns out, I will not be able to resist putting in on the Gnomes and Faries thread as well.

Haven't done much photography this spring. Took a few shots yesterday.

guess what this is. . .

ain't it a sweetie. The nice thing about photography is that you can get a close up of a small flower and then enjoy it large on your monitor!

another guess what

a promise of summer sweets

don't know what this is, but the leaves come out an extreme coral.

One of my favorite groupings. I love the way the ferns shoot up through the oxalis.

Jmaple leaf

another maple leaf

exotique! So if I live another 40 years, I'll get to see this happen 40 more times. That is why I take photographs, to enjoy them all year long. Can you image what it was like before photography was invented. I bet people looked at the single, rare, short lived blossom for hours each spring, trying to remember it and savor it, knowing that it will be gone for another long year. What a mingling of sweetness and sorrow.

Beautiful maples!

Thanks BeaHive, I was going to shoot some more, but it was too windy to get anything in focus, still is. Maybe later today or tomorrow. Your photography inspires me to get out there and capture the beauty of a single blossom.

Thanks..I love taking photos and sharing them. Wish the weather was better. Rain..Rain..Rain. It is getting to be a drag!

PNWMountaingirl, Really nice shots of BB. Like the fairy too! The colors of your maple/cherry combo are almost sureal!

Neofarmer, OK...I want to know the answers to your who am I photos! Looks to me like you were taking pics of vegies....Num!!! (Can you tell it's my lunch hour and I haven't eaten yet?!) I love your maple pics too. Bet with you collection you could go leaf photo crazy! The detail and texture of them are unbelievable! You are right...being able to take the camera into the garden and bring all of it's wonders back inside with you on a disc is invaluable! I remember when I had my very first yard/garden. I so wished I could go nuts and document before/after of everything...but film was expensive...so was developing...so I was very stingy with what I photographed. Now my camera is in my pocket all of the time, and I take pics to my hearts content! Happy Me!

Bea, You are right...this rain is getting to be a drag. I am not a whiner, but this year even I am whining about the dreary Washington weather!

So my pics started inside this am, as I am just in love with this begonia. Usually, being brought into my house is a death knell for any plant, but this one has been a trooper and has hung on for several years now. I just can't seem to give the indoor kids the attention that I can to the outside ones.

And this one is for Redchic...my greenhouse eating geranium. It is the big bushy kid at the left side of the door opening. It is planted in the ground in the greenhouse and is trying to get out the roof.

A better pic that shows more of the plant and less of the GH.

Like I said before, the flowers of my geranium aren't all that, but the leaves are pretty, and when you brush by them they smell wonderful. When you try to prune him back a bit, it is almost overwhelming!