While I Was Gone

We hit the 94-95 deg. and things really moved along.

 When we left last Friday to be gone for a few days these pink peonies were happily blooming.  I didn't stake them this year- just let them be natural.

While we were gone they finished and the white ones bloomed but they fell onto the hardy geraniums. 

My white ones are the strongest in smell!

Some lilies started blooming

I like their orange color next to the orange marmalade hosta.

This is a red version of my peonies.  I've been really lazy this year about this garden bed.  It takes care of itself but I feel bad that I didn't help the peonies stand up a bit better.

Tiny Bee Asiatic Lily blooming and soon the butterfly weed next to it will be blooming!

This red shrub rose surprises me each year.  The blue spruce is growing larger and larger and it's going to cover it up before long.  Poor thing gets neglected but keeps thriving.

The Stella d'oro day-lilies are just starting. 

Those are coreopsis all along the front. It's going to look magnificent when they bloom!

 These magic fountain delphiniums are just starting to bloom.  I just love them.  They get taller and make quite a show.

The Lemon Princess spirea on the end of the island are blooming and have bees all over them. 

The hydrangeas bulked up in size and I'm delighted they are full of blooms. The left side are Limelight Hydrangeas and the right side are Endless Summer Hydrangeas.

Once they get blooming it's going to be a great display.  Last year I had about 3 flowers.  Last fall I tied them up to help them take the snow load better and I didn't cut them shorter like I usually do.  Our winter wasn't quite as severe either so it looks like a good year for these.

On the deck I planted two of these with morning glories with a small trellis.  I've had bad luck with them in the past hardly blooming because where I had them there just wasn't enough sun.  My plan is that they will grab onto the railing and spread out- should be fun to watch them grow and pretty in the mornings once they start blooming!  Some little green caterpillars have been munching on them and the hydrangeas.

 The Annabelle Hydrangea really grew and has begun shading the fairy garden a lot.  I'm still waiting for the 2nd cottage I ordered.  The red bike is sitting on the pad I made for it.   Notice the green light hanging over the garden?  It looks real cute at night.  I'll have to take some pictures at night and show you!

The pink dianthus suddenly started blooming too!  Everything got larger in the fairy garden!

 This is a gold flame spirea.  I really cut it down last fall so I wasn't sure if I'd even seen blooms but it's starting to look pretty.

I'm so happy that I've seen a lot more butterflies this year than I have in a while.  Last year it seemed like I hardly saw any.  We also have had a lot of dragon flies and they seemed early this year.  Must be something to do with the temperatures.

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (missing part of a wing)

Well- you all have a great upcoming weekend!

Thanks for visiting!

I'm joining:
June Garden Party 
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Lily time once again!

The lilies are blooming all around the yard.

This area near the granite bird bath is my "pink" garden

I try to list the plants in the "label" area if you don't see it listed on the post look there.

I had to encase the rose bush (what's left after bunny ate most of it).  There is one bud close to opening on it.  

I have mostly pink flowers, some deeper wine colors and white.   Somehow one of my white lilies made it down here (It's nestle next to a very pale pink one).  I think the chipmunks have been re-landscaping for me.

This planter has grown a lot.  There are some orange petunias in the center but they are barely blooming right now.  I think they are fighting for little space.  I trimmed the fiber optic grass away from the center to see if it would helps these petunias to get larger and make their presence known!  The crazy flying pig is set up like a weather vane and spins around when it's windy!  

 I came across this over the weekend.  Look at the size of the flower!  I hope it will come back for me each year.  It's called Cappuccino Gloriosa Daisy (Rudbeckia/Blackeyed Susan's)

I put it out with my "orange-yellow garden" which is by the driveway.  The soil has always been rich over here- seems to be an area never touched by any modernization over the years.  Look at that rich black dirt!

 I moved all these two toned lilies over here in 2012.  The plain orange ones are some I've had in this area sine the early 90's and have withstood abuse from several garden transformations.

The lily of the valley plants keep spreading out.  I really don't want them here since they are invasive and can choke out other plants. 

 On the other side of the driveway is our island. The Cranesbill/ perennial geraniums have been blooming for a while and I really didn't take much in the way of pictures when the peonies were blooming.  There's a few white ones that were just about done when I took this. 

Max Frei Cranesbill

These yellow lilies were blooming for a good while but a pretty much done now.  I took these pics over a week ago.  This big blue spruce tree has gotten so much larger than I ever anticipated.  I hate to trim the bottom branches away because I love how it looks with their branches all the way to the ground but I know why people do it.  We've enlarged this island a few times to give it more room but there's a limit to doing that.  

The delphiniums are looking fabulous but as you can see below the rain can cause problems with them.

 The poor delphiniums are bent over from the rain we got.  Hopefully I can get them standing with some more staking.  We created this island to help reduce some road noise and give us something to look at other than the road in front of our home.  I'd like to take it way over towards the woods but our septic field lays over there and we don't want to create any issues with it.  

The daisies are just starting to open up and the coreopsis is doing fabulous this year.  Each plant is full and larger!  Yay!  

 Zagreb Coreopsis, Veronica Speedwell

This Butterfly Weed plant is a favorite for butterflies and bees.

In May when this weeping cherry should have been flowering I thought I had lost it.  The pathetic look of the leaves and lack of flowers sure made me think it was another loss.  

I'm happy to report that after I trimmed it and made sure it got watered a lot it's looking much better.  I lost some of the longer draping branches but I'm sure in time it will recover.  The Stella de Oro day lilies have been blooming great this year too.  

(Our flag pole is not crooked, but I cropped this from a larger picture and this was on the end of the curve that's created from the lens and somehow it seems to make it look quite crooked!)  

Out back again- The Annabelle Hydrangeas are performing beautifully!  

Final thoughts...

Isn't this the truth!

Have a great week!

 

I Want To Play Outdoors!

I feel like a bored kid with his nose smashed against the window wanting to go outside to play!

Last week we warmed up to 87 degrees and even the evenings were warm.  I knew it wasn't going to last so I resisted temptation to plant any of my annuals but not it's only 47 and rainy today and I would like to get out there and do something!

The extra warmth really gave a push to the garden though and I can hardly believe how much progress everything has made.  We added hardwood mulch to the beds which dressed them out nicely.  

I see lots of little flowers coming to life.  This Dwarf Nikko Deutzia has been slow to get going and look good.  I'm happy with it now and try make sure it gets watered well.

This Autumn Joy Sedum is coming up fast and looks great. 

Somehow some of my daffodils ended up over here!  

The iris are growing quickly too!

 I piled a bunch of stones around this bird bath because when we rinse it out the splashing water washes away the dirt around the base.  

My Annabelle Hydrangeas are making quick progress too.  

My little Primrose is blooming like crazy now- what a joyful little plant!  I need more!

The daffodils are blooming and what's left of my tulips are coming along too.  The other sedum by the rocks are growing nicely.

These daffodils have a very pale apricot center.  A couple of years ago the voles were eating things in this garden bed and then either a rabbit or a deer ate my tulips last year!

The Jack Frost Brunnera have double in size in a week!  I love them because they bloom a long time and their pretty periwinkle blue flowers are a favorite color!

The hostas are on the march too!

I whacked off one of my coral bells when I was cleaning the bed a couple of weeks ago…still hoping it will come alive yet!

 My first fairy garden is waking up.  Looks pretty scattered right now…needs some TLC!

 This Japanese Spurge (pachysandra) always does well and amazes me how green it is when the snow melts.  It was putting on a good show last week.

Sweet Woodruff mingles in here and there.  I believe this is the "Remember Me" hosta.  It has never gotten very big.  I moved it to a new location 2 years ago hoping it would respond better to the location.  

 I had a lot more tulips before- something has definitely thinned them out!

Pretty narcissus/daffodils.  Soft white with yellow ruffled centers edged in white.  I did not keep record of the bulbs I planted so I don't know their name.  These might be called Ice Follies.

The new birch tree we planted last year is awake and looks healthy.

The island has come alive.  Just a week ago there was barely any green out here!

The peonies are really coming up fast!

Zagreb Coreopsis- very reliable!

 Delphinium with Black Eyed Susan's mingling. 

 Columbines 

 This is the giant blue delphinium that has been coming back now for several years (yay)!

The Stella de Oro Daylily are really coming along nicely and of course the hosts.  The blue oat grass has been thinned but it needs some more coaxing to release the brown grass.  I just comb it with my fingers and pull and it comes out nicely.  I've already done it twice this spring but it needs another going over.

I bought this new coral bell which has been in full bloom for two weeks.  They told me to wait at the garden center since it's way ahead of the ones growing in our area so I will plunk it in the ground real soon.  I like the variegated leaf and hot pink flowers it offered.

I bought this pre-made arrangement at a small garden center that I need to remember to go to more often.  Their prices are very fair and I will have a nice re-usable basket for next year!

Orange will be in my color scheme this year!  I have new urns by the garage this year.  My other ones were literally coming apart.

I can't believe how green it's getting!  We spent a few days in southern Michigan this past weekend and their trees are leafed out more than us but we aren't far behind.  My lilac topiary tree is loaded with blooms- can't wait to smell it!  Last year I didn't trim it like I usually do because I was barely getting any blooms.  I gave it a trim right after the lilacs were done blooming and that was it.  This year it looks much better so no more shaving it into a shape!

I really don't want to rush through spring but I am anxious to get outside more and enjoy each step of the way through the blooming season!