What's blooming today?

Mary Mary quite contrary

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells and cockle shells

And pretty maids all in a row.

*****

It's great to be back in my garden! With the building of our new cottage and plans for changes in the yard, it suffered from much neglect last summer. Overgrown and wildly out of control, I was not that motivated to do anything~ now, with the trucks and equipment pretty much gone, I've been right into it for more than a week. After hours of raking, weeding, cutting, tying up, edging beds, adding compost, moving and rescuing, digging and planting
(and worth every ounce of effort), my garden is beautiful and ready for summer!

A few years ago, I went to an auction in a village close to town~ it was at an old farmhouse on a winding country road. Alongside the barn was a huge patch of solomon's seal that I fell instantly in love with...I started my own patch under the flower boxes on our garage wall. They are blooming today!

Sweet forget-me-nots...enough this year to be considered a 'wave' of little blue and yellow flowers!

My lilacs are about 12 years old and are finally what I'd call a hedge! I remember a beautiful row of lilacs dripping over the fence from our neighbor's yard when I was a child...I'd cut some for a sweet smelling bouquet. This bouquet from my bushes is sitting in the morning sunshine on my kitchen counter. I'll be planting some more along the wall of the new cottage along with an old fashioned hydrangea vine as soon as the bed is dug~ can't wait!

A friend and I visit a beautiful garden early each summer~ it's owner is an amazingly inspiring gardener. She told me about a plant called sweet cicely, with little seedpods that taste like licorice. Last year I got a piece of her huge plant. It survived the winter and has spouted fern like leaves and wee feathery white flowers~ so pretty!

sweet cicely

...and last but not least, bleeding hearts in pink and white~ just gorgeous!

*****

The weekend forecast is sunny and warm so today, I'll be planting some of my flower boxes...heading for the garden shed NOW!

thanks for stopping by...karon

What's Blooming Today? Lilies

"If you have two loaves of bread, sell one and buy a lily."

~ Chinese Proverb

I'm a bit of a garden 'slug' by this point in the summer. After a spring of colorful blooms and careful attention to the weeds, by mid-July, I mostly want to sit on the beach! There is a definite lull in the sequence of blossoms and the plants are so large, I feel overwhelmed by what will be required to bring them back under control (the beach is sounding more inviting with every passing moment!).

The lilies are showstoppers this week, however, and here are a few of my favorites...this soft pink just makes me blissful! Last summer, the deer sauntered down the path into what they considered their personal salad bar and ate EVERY delicious one. Outsmarted this season, these lilies are in full glorious bloom and are simply gorgeous!

A pretty spotted Asiatic Lily in bright pink and yellow lanquishes in the light of the setting sun.

simply white with rusty freckles

What's Blooming Today? Peony, Poppy and Foxglove

Early summer brings my favorite time in my garden... fully grown, yet still fresh and blooming in all corners! I captured this salmon oriental poppy after the petals dropped but I love the center...there's a line from 'Where is Your Heart At?' by Rufus Wainright ~ " Your satin flip-flops are hidden in the pockets of your velvet dressing gown..." ~ which this flower reminds me of...I'm sure there are satin flip flops hidden in there somewhere!

.........

The peonies are holding their own in all the rain we've had recently...one of my favorites is this fuchsia single with the bright yellow center. How could a person be blue in the face of that????

~ a little foxglove having a drink...

What's Blooming Today? Meadow Rue, Poppy, Snow in Summer and Lupin

It's been a busy few days...both shops opening and packing up our old cottage in preparation for the big move. Looks like that's happening late this week ~ holy cow! I couldn't resist a bit of time spent in the garden however. The parade passes so quickly and I want to see it all! Meadow Rue is a wild plant but I've 'tamed' one and tucked it in the garden ~ I think it's entirely gorgeous!

Meadow Rue

The roadsides are seas of lupin!

Snow in Summer ~ a blanket of tiny white flowers growing along our cottage wall.

Poppies ~ fuzzy green...the composition reminds me of a mother and child.

What's Blooming Today? Iris, Lady's Mantle, Chives and Columbine

The sun shone ALL weekend ~ what a treat! All the chores (labors of love, eh?) that seem to consume so much of the spring have diminished and it's time to just enjoy the blooms. Well...there may still be a weed or two...

Don't these chive flowers look a bit like tentacled sea anemones in the garden?

Bearded purple irises beckon the bumblebees with a fuzzy, yellow landing strip...

Chives burst from their papery skins...

Lady's Mantle

~ I've planted several clumps of these lovelies mixed with hostas along the border of one of my beds. Inspiration came from a local garden a friend and I have visited a number of times. We have plans to go there today! Annette has the most beautiful waves of plants she's repeated throughout her garden which is pleasing to the eye and ties it all together in the prettiest way!

Old Fashioned Columbine

What's Blooming Today? Apple Blossoms!

I planted this apple tree in the front yard at our cottage in 1988 ~ a tiny branch I unceremoniously tugged from the roots of a large tree on the beach. Today, at almost 20 feet tall, it shades our front porch and is a playground for dozens of bees, bluejays, yellow finches and chickadees...not to mention the chipmunks and Little Brown Squirrel. It is in full, glorious bloom this weekend ~ fuzzy blue-green leaves, sweet pink and white flowers and a fragrance that makes a person (me!) come to a full stop and just breathe!

There is some risk that we will lose this lovely tree when we dig the foundation for our new cottage this summer...so, I am particularly enjoying it's sweetness right now. And, I will be standing guard when that excavator arrives!

*****

Also blooming this week, are the late daffodils (I love the peachy trumpet!), hot pink tulips and the lilacs are beginning (more on them next week!)