garden pics: you MAY see this in MAY....#4

a brave little fella!

So...Mt Rainier decided to show its head this morning, but not very bright yet. I wish I had a camera with filters (and I knew how to use them) in order to get a good pic in this light.

Oh, boy! I have mountain envy, for sure. Do you think there is a cure? LOL

If you find it, let me know. I've got a bad case.

RC love the squirrel photo. Since I have been sick my only outdoor time has been in my backyard and I put a row of unshelled nut along the top of the fence, then watched as a squirrel unshelled them, and protected his/her stash from other squirrels. I was entertained for a long time, but then it doesn't take much to keep me entertained lately!

Sharon, love your views. Also all the lovely pics posted. They are so nice to see when you're feeling like #*!#*!

PNW..what a fantasic view.! WOW!






The back side of columbine is as pretty as the front.

The three ranunculus were hiding down low in the garden. I do not think we have had enough sun lately to make them any taller.

I am calling this my love clematis today. From this angle it looked like a valentine heart!

It is actually called "Bourbon" .

Out of capacity for one day and I am a billion posts behind again! Barely made it through work yesterday (I don't have much of a choice whether I go or not) but am feeling much better today.

Thanks for all of the comments on my bridge story and DH. He is wonderful...although a true enigma. He is the true "bad boy"...long haired rebel who always has to have the biggest truck, toughest bike, and fastest toys, but has a secret soft side and a heart as big as the moon.

Redchic, awesome pics as always! I really like your "all by myself" pieris photo! Very cool how the sunbeam gives him a spotlight! Also very fond of the little furry! He looks like he is trying to decide if he should run away or just continue on his business. Is that the same pink tree that you had posted before? It truely is fantastic!

Kathy, At least you are looking on the bright side of your storm mess in getting to know your neighbors! Tree cleanup is a huge project...you would never think that one tree could have so many HEAVY branches! One of the prices you pay for living in the woods is getting well acquainted with chainsaws and burn piles, but it is a small price for the peace! Glad that the seeds got there safely...hope they do well for you. Bunches of thanks for sharing the fuschia link. I have quite a few hardy and non-hardy fuschias, and have had very good luck with both coming back in my yard. This year, they are all coming back from roots only, but have seen new growth on well over half so far. I love them because they provide glorious color in the early fall when most things are pretty much done.

Judi, I hope you get to feeling better soon! Being under the weather when there is so much going on outside is doubly bad!

Willow, Your yard is just full of color now! Love the verrigated jacobs ladder, and your "Paprika Spice" is devine! I haven't looked for any new rhodies for several years, but think that that one would be well worth adding!

Aguane, Very nice pictures! You are definitely a brave gardener in your area...I even see grass! I hope your maple works well for you. It seems odd for one in such an overcast cloudy world to imagine having to protect a tree from the sun/heat...you definitely have different zone pushing issues than we do! The canna is beautiful too.

Mom, love the pics, especially the ones in the back yard. Our world is finally starting to come alive!

I never thought I would be one to intentionally plant a thistle, but I fell in love with these milk thistles, and the birds love them. They also don't seem to be anywhere near as invasive as the standard purple thistle.

Bea, What gorgeous blooms! Had forgotten to tell you how sorry I was for the slug damage on your raniculas (sp?). Looks like you at least managed to keep a couple from the slimy monsters! And that clematis is just stunning...both views!

I have no new pics from yesterday as my only outside activities involved crawling into my car to go to work, and then reversing the process heading towards bed, but I did take one of my daylily/iris garden this weekend, and figured I would share a before/after view. This garden always amazes me, as when I do the first spring cleanup, it looks positively empty. This pic was taken March 31st.

This is the same garden taken this weekend. The statue base kind of tells you the location of the first pic. Now it is so full there is no way to easily step through it. Like I said, amazes me every year!

Bea, love your ranunculus. I drool over them at the nurseries every spring. I asked before, and will ask agani, has anyone been successful in gettting them to come back? I assume that, because I got no response, that I am not the only one who can't seem to get them to do so. At least last year I finally figured out which end to face up, but haven't seen hide nor hair of the 30 or so I planted last summer.

Vulcan, it doesn't bloom much because a lot of the buds freeze.

Love your large piece of heaven Sharon. Beautiful.

I have about 40 rhodies stuffed into my small lot. I really like them and they are so easy to care for.

Love the red 'heart' clematis and the thistle. I think it is only the canadian thistle that is on the noxious weed list.

Judi and Rj-- Hope you are feeling better.

I KNEW the number of rhodies you had must be big, but 40!! Wow, Patricia - that's amazing.

I can't bring myself to plant any ranunculus because I fight the native one so much. It does really well here - I would think the hybrids would come back.

Waded thru the mud this morning to get a shot of General Sikorski

Irwells.. Thanks for taking the muddy walk. That clematis is beautiful & the picture is serene!

This message was edited May 13, 2009 6:32 PM

Kathy YES! comfrey is invasive, this is my front flower bed in front of the house. I've been working on getting rid of it for almost 20 years, this is what greats me every spring. One tiny piece of root left behind will begin anew. Plus the roots are really long tap roots and hard to dig out without breaking them.

On a more pleasant note other than comfrey.........
She is blooming with a vengeance in the greenhouse.
The smell in the evening is intoxicating.

Holy cow. You saved me from a disaster. I like the plant a lot. I'm going to keep it in pots and hope for the best, I think.

General Sikorsky is mighty handsome. I can hardly wait for our Clematises to bloom.

Linda - I'll be right over . . .

Kathy

Come on over Kathy. I wish we could bottle that smell. By mid-morning it is completely gone until evening again.
I can't remember the name of this abutilon but it is blooming outside now.

LOL. I've been meaning to get up there to see your place and your greenhouse. Hopefully I'll do it before the summer ends . . .

Thistle.... that brug is lovely. I love the lighting in that picture.

Irwells.... It looks to me like the muddy walk was worth it!!

Rj.... Thanks! and, no matter the date on the pics.... they're pretty! I think that you're right on about what the squirrel was thinking! yep it's the same pink tree.

Thanks Judi.... I think that you've found a great way to entertain yourself while sick. And I'm sure that the quirrels agree!

Bea.... Great pics as always.

PNWMG.... I share the same sentiments as everyone else about your view... wow!

This message was edited May 14, 2009 2:46 AM

Willow, 40 rhodies? Wow do you have them packed in there! I don't have that many in my large world! They sure are beautiful though, and I remember admiring the form of several of them in your garden tour...they add such style to your gardens even out of bloom. Bet you just love this time of the year though!

Thistle, Now that's a batch of comfrey! It's frustrating when something that is otherwise a nice plant gets too big for it's britches! I love your Brug! I don't have any that glorious, but do have one tall rangy kid that had a couple of blossoms for me in the greenhouse this last fall and it was dreamy! I can just imagine what yours smells like...Wow!

Kathy, Glad you were saved from the comfrey mistake! Wish someone would have been there to do the same for me with montbretia...beautiful but I will be digging it for the rest of my days I fear.

Irwells, that clem is wonderful! It is really dramatic against the cedar backdrop...the color and form really show off.

Redchic, I really think that I need one of those pink trees..it just keeps getting better!

A pic of Lem's Cameo...a few more blossoms open this morning. This is one of my very favorites.

RJ.... I agree!! I had to get two of them! Unfortunately i don't have a good picture of them yet because they're hit only by morning light and it's either been raining in the morning or on the sunny i had to be to work before sun up. I also agree with you about the lem's cameo. it's a great one.

Irwells your picture should be on a greeting card. Beautiful.

My comfrey isn't acting invasive. It has been struggling along for years just like that.

That brug is amazing.

This is the Vulcan. It wouldn't let me post it yesterday.

My Lem's

This one also freezes buds. It is a Yak Princess I think

A close-up of a new maple my DS gave me.

And the whole tree.

And here's a pretty one. Maybe "King of Shrubs'

Willow....OHhhhhh..... I love the 'king of shrubs!" I've never seen that one before.

'King of shrubs' certainly is. He is handsome!!!

This is something I wish I didn't see so much of in May. A flock of band-tailed pigeons come through every year and make a big dent in my bird food budget! They will be around for another month or so.

How many can you count???????????? (And the picture didn't include my birdbath with a few more on it.)

Sharon - have you ever seen the musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (it's one of my favorites)? Anyway, when the heroine first meets the 6 brothers of her husband, they are coming down to a meal she has prepared. It's, let's say, "all business" - that's what your feeding frenzy picture looked like. Everybody knows that if he doesn't eat up there might not be anything left.

Kathy

PNW. Wonderful shot . I bet they are grateful for the meal!

I went to the Oregon Gardens today. I have just posted many Peonies that were just wonderful over on the Peony forum. If you want to see some beauties here is the link!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/981116/



Sneek preview below

The rhodies were also specatular. Had trouble with lighting today. We had cloudy skies then the sun would appear as I was shooting the pictures. I must go bak early morning to capure more shots. They wer all so lovely.

This was one of my favorites called Fantastica. The name is perfect as this was a beauty!!