My Gardens

Took a walk around the yard to capture what's in bloom and what's growing well.  

Here in reverse order (thanks to Blogger) are my photos.

Along the driveway this wildflower/weed is now in bloom with it's yellow flowers. I pull this out in most of the beds but let it grow along here. The standing stone is a remnant from the past of a fence line. 

Last year a neighbor gifted me with forget me nots which are now blooming along the driveway.  There are also some dark purple pansies there that seeded themselves from last year's transplants. Sorry that the photo doesn't do justice to the colors.

And finally farther up the driveway are these blooming narcissus.

On the front porch are the pots I filled on Sunday.  I thought this geranium was very striking.

This bleeding heart was a transplant from another neighbor last year. 

In the garden bed under the hemlock trees some of the monster hosta are shooting up. I have six, each a different variety, that I planted three years ago.  I'm hoping that this year they show off their size better. Not sure which one this is but it should get at least  30" high and can grow to a width of 40"-60".

Here is my Mother's Day gift from Emily, a primula that loves shade and will spread.  It's needed in this bed.

This Lenten Rose was an earlier Mother's Day gift.

The flowers tend to face the ground.

In the Hosta Garden there are a wide variety of hosta of all sizes.  Most of these came to me free from a local gardener.  They were tiny when I got them and some of them will remain tiny,

These blue flowers whose name escapes me right now are enjoying the Hosta Garden location.

I repainted my shutter angel this year.

My bird bath has a different location this year.  Another rhododendren died this winter so now we have only the one you see on the left. I moved a volunteer vinca vine here and the pansies.

Hoping to have lupine blooms this year.

This is a daffodil without the trumpet center.

The bleeding heart here in the Deck Garden is huge. Blooms just now showing.

More pots planted on Sunday afternoon.

On Saturday I figured it was time to hang the hummingbird feeder though none had been spotted. At least two hours after hanging this, the hummingbird came by.  As we ate lunch on Monday on the deck there were two vying for dominance of the feeder.

Finally here is our view. The green colors are returning. Temperature today is to be in the 80ºs!

Ready to Laugh?

 

Above is so true for me.

Thankto Marilyn for sharing these with me.

Peony Question

I have two peony plants that look nothing alike.

These were both rescues.  One was growing along the edge of the field behind us 

and the other was struggling under the maple trees in what is now the Maple Garden bed but was on the street side of the fence.

Old photo showing the fence.

This week I took these photos of the peonies wondering if anyone recognizes what kind they are. Last year only one had a bloom but the late frost got the other possible buds.

Sorry.  Not the best photos for identifying them.  I hope they both bloom this year.

Post script: A woman stopped by our house on Tuesday evening accompanied by a nearby neighbor.  She had lived in our house for 6 years moving out in 2009.  We gave her a tour and she liked what we'd done to it, and she answered some questions Dan had. Before she left she asked about the peony she planted.  Turns out it was the one above that had been planted on the street side of the fence. I told her I'd moved it but it hadn't bloomed for me yet.  I asked her what kind it was and she said a maximus something. White blooms with pink inside.  I hope I get to see it bloom.

She also wondered hat happened to the lovely yellow rose that everyone in the Flat loved to see.  I've heard mention of this rose from another local person but have never seen it unless it was the rose growing by our side door that was struggling and we dug out.

 Postscript 2; Cold Update - I'm in Stage 5.  I've given the cold to Dan who has given me a touch of another bug (queasy stomach and vertigo).  So Stage 5 continues with coughing, runny nose and overall malaise.  When will it end?

The Deed is Done

 

Here's the before photo of the forsythia at our well. 

Since the leaves were starting to show it was time to take everyone's advice and give a haircut.

After I got done with it above and below all the clippings.

I don't think it had ever had a pruning.

When Dan got home from an errand he finished the job for me.

I have labeled this post so next year when it tries to bloom again I can do a comparison.

Spring Greening

 

Photos from a Monday morning walk.

And continued apologies to those of you whose comments intermittently end up in spam. I have no clue why that happens.

Stages of This Cold

 Stage 1

A tickle in the throat.  "Is this a cold coming on?"

Stage 2

A cough, nothing else, that gets progressively worse.

Stage 3

A severe cough with nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezes.  A box of tissues needs to be on hand at all times.

Stage 4

Coughing has eased up, but nasal congestion still present plus a pounding headache.

This is the stage I'm in now.  It started on Monday let's hope it soon disappears.

On the bright side, lots of different daffodils are blooming in my yard.  I had to pick some to enjoy them close up.

Sick!

 Somewhere, somehow I caught a cold.  It started Monday afternoon with a tickle in my throat but has gotten progressively worse.  Coughing, sneezing, runny nose - in other words the works!

The most disappointing part of this is the weather is lovely outside but I don't feel like being out in it.

Back to my book or a nap or both.  Currently reading The Women by Kristin Hannah.

Had to Share These

 

Thank you, Marilyn, for sharing these.