Sunday, June 10, 2018

The Garden

Lupines

So it's obviously been a while since I posted on the blog, I mostly post on Instagram, it's easier from my phone. I have been over the moon with the garden this spring. Some of the things I planted late in 2016, or early in 2017 really came into their own this year.

The Lupines were planted last spring from seed, but I got started too late in the game for them to bloom at all last year, but I was okay with it knowing that the plants were gaining in size and healthy. They did not disappoint me and I was rewarded for my patience.

The Delphiniums are going gang-busters, growing at least a foot taller than they were last year. The mini Rainbow's End climbing roses have been the most spectacular transformation from last year. I got them as small, what I thought were bush roses, and they barely bloomed in 2017. My friend Marisa is who clued me in to the the fact that they were actually climbing roses, so I got the two trellises in the fall and holy cow, they are just covered in blooms this year. My camera doesn't even begin to capture their glory, they are truly stunning in person.

The story on the rhody is that it came from my landlord's son Andy, and we had no idea what color it was going to bloom until it did. Andy has his own lawncare/landscape business, and at the request of a homeowner, removed this older bush from their yard, and he gave it to my landlord's Susan and Lester to plant on the property line on the side of my house. We were all thrilled when it turned out to be these vivid violet blooms. 

I got the Clematis last year from Kent's Garden & Nursery and it really took off, and is going to fill in nicely. Susan and I scattered the poppy seeds around the big evergreen in the back and they are so bright and cheerful. The pink peony I planted last year is blooming right now, and got the Coral Charm peony at Joe's Garden's a month ago and only got one bloom, but I am hoping that it also does better in it's second year.

So there we are, this is pretty much my life now, spending as much time around the flower garden as I can, it's my little oasis, hanging out with the birds, the bees, the flowers and the kitties
Rainbow's End Mini Rose



Foxglove
Rhododendron



Begonia



California Poppies



Clematis


Sarah Berndhart Peony


Coral Charm Peony