Summer... share your pic's

I just read this thread...Kaylyred, I left a beautiful cottage garden for a very similar reason and moved to a house where there were no gardens at all, just 50 year old shrubs. I'd worked 5 years on my gardens and loved my house and pond, but walked away and left it. It's been a lot of work, but I've built gardens here over the past three years. They're not as pretty, but it's a joy for me to at least have them. I still grieve over my lost garden sometimes, but we've survived, and I'd give them up again if necessary. God is good, even if we can't always understand.
E

I love the smell of gardenias - all the gardens in the older part of town has them, and I remember them in gardens when I was growing up. This one has grown tremendously. I took this first photo a week ago. It only had a smattering of flowers.

And when I stepped out today, I was taken by surprise by the profusion of flowers!! And the smell is heavenly - scents up the whole backyard (and the neighbor's too)

Ahhhhhhhhh Gardenias.....they do smell heavenly.

This is not my yard, but there is a place near where I work that has a yard they must have planted with a katrillion CA poppy seeds (or maybe one poppy seed...LOL) and then let go. It's not much to look at any other time of the year, but when their poppies are doing their thing...the place is a show stopper!


This message was edited Jun 10, 2009 7:08 AM

A little closer

Oh...and about that cute frog photo. I'd kiss that cute little green guy wayyyyyyyyyy before I'd ever consider that with EITHER of my ex-husbands. At our dd's wedding several years ago my ex stepped up to me allllllllll decked out in his tux and extended a hand to me (for allllllllll to see) to dance with him. I never even blinked...I just said "NO THANK YOU"...and turned around and went back to visiting with my friends.

The guy had an affair with our secretary right under my naive nose, successfully got our family started, run and owned business right out from under me... and then told people I was the one who had multiple affairs during the marriage to attempt to justify his behaviors.....er.....a..... dancing with him just wasn't on my LIST that night. Gimme the charming little frog who hangs out in your pond... he's a cutie!

Wow and Wow.!! I could just lie down in front of the gardenia and let the wonderful aroma bath me. Delicious. The poppies are beautiful and a real eye catcher. Would have to stop and take it all in. A few years ago along side the interstate in Memphis, a field was planted with red poppies and it was beautiful also. They have almost dwindled out now. Thanks Soilsandup and Highmtn for sharing. Laverne

Love those poppies. There is a house here that has a similar display earlier in the Spring.

Took this today of the lone hollyhock by the feeder. Some may recall I had large ones there, but after about 4 years they were getting a bit large so when I did fall cleanup I dug them out and tossed them. This one came up from seed last fall.

I just planted my first hollyhock, so I am very excited to see how gorgeous it will eventually look. It also gives me hope it might actually look like something this year, if the beautiful plant in your picture just came up from seed!

Yes it did come up from seed. I always have many hollyhock seedlings to remove as they reseed all over the yard. I meant to also mention that the dead plants in that scene are the larkspurs. They had reseeded and small ones are coming up under those that I need to pull out. I get 2 or 3 bloom cycles from the larkspurs.

I was looking forward to one of my hollyhocks blooming, too. It was planted on a strip between the houses, and I noticed yesterday that it was dead - I think the gardener taking care of the neighbor's yard thought it was a weed and sprayed it. I should have posted a sign that says "do not spray, I am not a weed". Sigh.....

I think I may have posted photo of this malva when it started to bloom. It selfseeded in the cracks between the walkway flagstones. I bent one branch pulling the hose around and it still keeps blooming. I have many other hollyhocks blooming around the property. They do grow like weeds, too bad that one got sprayed.

cactuspatch,very nice,volunteer!! I planted some malva seed ,I need to see if I can find it now !!!

^_^ ^_^ ^_^
I just came back form being out of town
Sooo.. many beautiful gardens
Thanks for sharing

I have started a NEW THREAD this one is getting long .
Keep the pictures coming ^_^

The hydrangea near my front door are in full bloom right now - HQ "Alice"

Oooops! Looks like I had a raindrop on my lens! We've had three days of rainy weather (glorious!).

This message was edited Jun 12, 2009 7:55 AM

Here's a close-up of the bloom - They are wonderful in dried arrangements in the fall (by then they have turned a soft mauve color).

i love oakwood hydrangea. I did not know they turn color later in the summer.

The blooms are glowing white now, then turn chartreuse in a couple of weeks and by August have faded to mauve.

Here is a bloom from HQ "Snow Queen". These also fade to mauve in the fall.

Finally got the grape poppy shot! They are so pretty!

Sweet Williams

canterbury bells pink

Correction: Bell flowers- Campanula persicicfolia.

This message was edited Jun 13, 2009 5:21 PM

beahive, that grape poppy is so pretty. I saw some huge (giant) grape zinnias today at this shopping ctr close to my house. I want some of those seeds. I was thinking about how I'm going to get them. I know they are not going to let those zinnia go to seeds. Oh, they were so pretty and had tons on petals on them. gotta have them...

i have balloon flowers too. They are cool, but mine is not tall. it's about 6 inches.

BeaHive, those look like campanula.

Here's aconitum. First year for this plant, and I love it. It's covered in buds!

They are definitely balloonflowers. They are short the first season for me, then are tall and leggy each year after that. I deadhead them daily and noticed recently that some of what I thought were little odd weeds are actually balloonflower seedlings! Hooray!

Lillimerci..just keep shopping at the shopping center. When you notice the seed head has dried its yours!! Beat the gardener's to it. I lucked out last year at the Oregon Gardens. I asked the grounds keeper if they collect seed from their Zinnia display..which was fantastic. No they rip it out so she allowed me to gather some seeds. I hope they come up as I just planted the seed a week ago..with our crazy weather.

Beahive, those sure look a lot like my campanula persicifolia 'Coerulea.' I think the difference is in the buds. Platycodon has those little balloon-shaped buds just as they open, like this: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/148090/

This is a photo of my campanula. The buds look different. The flowers and foliage look very similar to yours.

Another look at balloon flower foliage and buds. I don't think the plant in your photo looks like this at all:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/88628/

And here's another look at the peachleaf bellflower from the Bluestone catalog:

http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/images/items/350x350/CAMPANULA_persicifolia_Coerulea.jpg

I'd say you have campanula there. twbmom says balloon flower. Now you just have to figure out who's right and you'll know how to ID your plant. LOL

Beehive, it's one of those fancy shopping ctr where they change out their plants all the time. They are not going to let that plant go to seeds because it won't look attractive and zinnia that large takes a long time to dry out to seeds.

My roses are blooming!

My fav!

I wintersowed this foxglove 07, no blooms 08... and finally today. It hasn't reached its full beauty yet. My DH thinks it's ugly but I disagree with him.

This message was edited Jun 13, 2009 12:25 PM

I cant believe my poppies are still hanging on, especially since we had all this rain.

I could be wrong, of course. I've never had campanula. Do the buds look like balloons? The balloonflower's buds have "balloons" that get about 3/4 inch and then burst open. Love mine, anyway. Comes back without fail every year. Mine are really putting on a show right now.

roserairie, that's some lovely texture you have in that garden with the foxglove.

My poppies bit the dust in the gullywasher we had two days ago (2 inches of rain overnight)! Happily, the alpine poppies are blooming again.

Lili..maybe tuck a little note at the bottom of the planter with your phone # and tell them you would be interested in the plants when they are ready to be changed. Plant them back in your garden and wait for seeds to dry ! If there is a will, there is a way!!

Calif-sue & kayeyRed..you win the prize. my lavender flowers are campanula persicifolia . Found a tag ..which is amazing for me!!

These delphinums are at least 5' tall this year.