Claypa, Beautiful Azaleas and Rhodos. Love those Mayapples. Were they difficult to establish? I have some from a nice person to plant!!
Lady & Holly those pooches are too cute. Lady, you'll have to tell us how you chose Mary Chris' name. Never heard of a pet named Mary anything, love it!
May/June flowers
Stormy, those are goldenseal, Hydrastis canadensis. They look very similar to mayapples, but not until now, when the mayapples are mostly gone. The leaves start out all wrinkly-looking, little white flowers.
No blooms this year (nor probably next, or maybe never...) on this rhodora / Rhododendron canadense - I thought it was dead, but it's making a comeback!
Thanks, Claypa. Never heard of them, will research them.
Most of my Azaleas looked dead this year, but amazingly they are almost all coming back. Same with the Daphnes. Those March storms were brutal on the shrubs.
Does anyone grow Hypericums? I have a number of different varieities that still haven't leafed out.
I can't believe how much catching up I have to do! Hart, those Iris are stunning and Jen, that Tiger's Eye is beautiful! As I'm beginning to think about the new sunny garden I'm hoping to work on this summer, I think Iris will deserve a spot in it :)
Stormy, our tricolor Hypericum has finally leafed out but looks a little miserable because I haven't taken the time to cut off the dead stalks from last year! There are a few other types in more shade which are still struggling to show signs of life. 'Blue Velvet' is beautiful as always and getting ready to pop with flowers!
Claypa, lovely Azaleas! Can't say that ours are as spectacular this year but I was lucky enough to grab a shot of this one before the rains hit yesterday. I've got to dig around and see if there's tag, so many people asked about it this past weekend. We bought it as a small liner years ago, struggled for a long time and not sure if it was even going to make it - but look at it this year! We have several other yellows, My Mary and Hotspur Yellow, which didn't bloom this year but the color of this one is different - a deep golden yellow :)
Evergreen Solomon's Seal (Disporopsis perneyi) is in bloom. I never realized before how unique the blooms are - always thought they were just white but never looked at them closely before! I'll try to get a photo to show you the darker margins on the inside, they're really pretty!
Had someone ask this weekend what the tree was out front with flowers that looked like "upside down Tulips"! LOL Lousy photo but gives you an idea of what they were talking about.
Magnolia sieboldii - problem is, the flowers never seem to open until they turn brown :( This is what they would look like inside if they were open on the tree.
Our Spirea 'Ogon' is finally looking good this year, planted with two types of Digitalis. Yellow blooms of Digitalis ambigua and darker apricot blooms of Digitalis obscura 'Sunset'. I have a new one to plant in this area - Digitalis 'Gold Crest' - which is a beauty - a cross of both of these species - foliage like the yellow but blooms more like the apricot. I love the thin foliage and color of 'Sunset' but it always flops :(
Right on cue for the Open House the Copper Iris (Iris fulva) was in full bloom :)
And a close up of the flower...
Whew! I think I'm finally catching up! Last one for this morning - blooms of Podophyllum. I think this one is Kaleidoscope although it might be Spotty Dotty. I bought two from the same vendor but I think I got cheated because they both look the same and I'm not sure which one it is :( Almost had to lay on the ground to grab this shot!
I do not have much luck getting Azaleas and Rhodos to grow in my yard. I have one Azalea that seems to be doing ok, has not bloomed yet, got it from Bluestone about 4 years ago so it has some growing to do.
I am still waiting for a flash of blooms in my gardens it has not really started yet being 2 weeks or so behind you all.
Stormy, Mary Chris' name came with her. I adopt Griffs that are retired show dogs/breeder dogs from breeders that are looking to place their dogs to thin out the "herd" to make room for new ones. This gives the dogs a chance to live out the rest of there lives just being a pet. Mary Chris was born in December so it is a play on Merry Christmas.
I am hopeing I can get some bloom shots today, have to get out there and look.
Love the Copper Iris, the color is great, different from the usual purple and yellow. The leaves on the Podophyllum is sure a plus growing that plant, love the pattern.
Magnolia sieboldii, I wonder if the pollinator is drawn to the decaying flowers and they hang down to protect the pollen till it is ready. Just a thought.
Amazing photos everyone...what a rainbow...love the pups as well
I've been trying to figure out exactly what flowers they are....I had the list off of the seed packet and obviously ruled out some of them but here's the list.... Finding there may be some variations maybe some hybrids??? Some flowers match but the leaves don't. All I know is they are real pretty!
Lewis flax
Baby snapdragon
Cornflower
Clarkia
Phlox
Chinese forget me not
stock
here's what they are def NOT
Calendula
Dwarf sunflower
Cosmos
Babys breath
Zinnia
Delphinium
Coreopsis
Black eyed susan
Lupine
African daisy
Claypa, your rhodies and azaleas are gorgeous. Debbie, I love, love, love that spotted mayapple.
Jen, I was going to suggest your self-sown flowers look like Stock and I now see that on your list :) Might be too tall for Matthiola longipetala http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/232/ but what about Matthiola livida? Better picture of it here: http://igb.agri.gov.il/main/photos/Matthiola-livida-312.jpg.
Chris, interesting thoughts on the Magnolia :) I've done some research and have no idea why ours don't open :( Beautiful tree nonetheless and I'll just have to enjoy it for what it is regardless of whether the flowers open or not - at least I know what's inside! LOL I love the Copper Iris, even though the flowers aren't very large they sure are different! We bought the original plant almost 10 years ago from a native plant vendor at the State Arboretum and it's really spread under the crab tree where it's planted. I'd like to add a clump to the new bog garden and see how it does since I've read that they REALLY like moist soils. If it's spread that much with the competing roots of the crab I can only imagine what it would do in the moist soil along the edge of the bog!
Hart, the other Mayapple like that one seems to be suffering this year - not sure why but the foliage is curled and didn't open properly. I'm planning to move it along the path by the new arbor where it will be on the slope and I won't have to lay on the ground to appreciate the flowers when it blooms! I was just a little ticked off when I bought them because I wanted both Kaleidoscope and Spotty Dotty in the gardens. I'm pretty sure the vendor got his stock mixed up and I ended up with two of the same. At $40.00 each!! I think I have a right to be ticked off :(
A few more pics from the weekend - Hardy Orchid (Bletilla striata) - located to the left of the Copper Iris, they usually bloom a little later. This year they bloomed at the same time and the color of their blooms really clashed!
Cobra Lilies (Arisaema ringens) showing off their 'fist sized' blooms. Seeing lots of new babies at the base which means more blooms next year!
Baptisia 'Purple Smoke' with a few Allium christophii still hanging on in the front. Spikes of 'Sparkling Burgundy' Eucomis just starting to pop through the golden foliage of Hypericum 'Brigadoon'.
Cornus kousa blooming in the background. Unfortunately the beautiful variegated Redbud (Cercis 'Silver Cloud') in front of the Cornus finally lost its battle over the winter :( Creating a bit of a problem for some of the plants that like it more shady but at least now you can actually see the Cornus when it's blooming! Plus the poor Stewartia (which Rick has threatened to remove) might now stand a fighting chance. Planted over 5 years ago, it just hasn't done well - maybe now that it doesn't have to compete with the Redbud it will be happier :)
I've never been able to "catch" this one blooming because it always seem we're too busy! The pale pink blooms of Kentucky Yellowwood (Cladrastris lutea 'Perkin's Pink') http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/79111/. When we planted this 8 years ago we made a huge mistake and planted a Magnolia way too close! When we realized what a beautiful tree it is we decided to let them duke it out and I think when we finally have tree work done this year the Magnolia is going to lose the battle :(
Of the five David Austin Roses Rick bought me as a birthday gift a "few" years back (one for every decade!), this is the only one which has done well. I can't remember the name but I'll have to find it somewhere because it generated a lot of comments from visitors last weekend :)
No flowers here, missed them this year, but the variegated foliage is nice even without the flowers! Viburnum lantana 'Variegata'. We picked this up years ago when we were in Michigan one summer because the foliage was so pretty. We weren't sure how it would do with our hot summers but it's obviously quite happy :)
A closer look at the foliage showing the spent blooms - going to be lots of red berries by fall!
A view of the border of Weigela along the driveway. Missed the incredible blooming of the variegated Weigela (lower right) the week before but fortunately didn't miss 'Rubidor' http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/84133/ in all its glory! There are about half a dozen planted along the driveway and it's a toss up which one's my favorite but I think Rubidor gets my vote this year :)
Thanks Rcn, the 2nd link isn't working, but yes it is the taller one.
Wow, that rubidor is gorgeous! Your rose looks like Heritage. Mine isn't blooming yet but it seems to be one of the more reliable of the Austin roses. He does have a lot of other light pinks, though.
foxgloves are coming
chive
spiderwort
WOO HOOO found today that my prickly pears (thanks Chantell) are loaded with buds!!!!!!!!!! Five fat buds at 8 am were fully open at 11!
I'll have to check the prickly pear tomorrow. Mom likes to keep count of the blooms. We moved it down from her house when she moved in in '98. It had come from OK with my brother when he came home for my wedding back in '73.
Mountain Laurel in full bloom - first time since 2000 that it has been this spectacular - does any one know why - rain, cooler temperatures??? I'd love to figure it out.
Polyantha Rose from Antique Rose Emporium "Mrs. R.M. Finch"
Close up of "Mrs. R.M. Finch"
Love the look of the roses behind the wrought iron fence.
Jen, I agree, I have fence envy. There is a neighbor a block from me that has an old piece of fence in her yard, if I ever see it thrown to the curb I'll be draging it home. LOL
Dianthus Fire-witch I love the blue-green foliage.
That Mary Chris in her full speed run around the watergarden LOL
Here is a new bed, I eliminated the triangle of grass between the deck garden and the driveway.
Picture is out of focus but I love the color combo of these toad flax I grew from seed. They are in the front of the new bed. I want a lot of color in this bed, lots of coleus there too.
