I'M NOT SURE WHAT happened to spring but summer has arrived with a bang. It's evening on a Sunday and normally I'd be outside but with the temperature reaching a whopping 86 degrees today, I'm still waiting for the cool down. This is extremely atypical for the Pacific Northwest. Usually it's rain with an occasional teaser day thrown in. However, I remember a similar year back in 1983. Temps were in the 90s. My friend Kris was in the hospital giving birth and the AC wasn't working. Ugh.
I've been really busy with final preparations for my book. And when I can I'm playing in the garden. Here's what's going on:
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One of my daughters insisted I buy this Oriental Poppy. She knows how
I feel about the pink-ness of it. |
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The tulips, like the gardener don't really care for this heat.
They're both beginning to unravel. |
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| Here they are reaching towards the sun, despite the heat. |
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| Jacob's Ladder flowers are so sweet. |
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| Lewisia will get divided after it finishes blooming. Poor thing. |
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| My over-wintered Bacopa is in bloom. |
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| A new, hot-pink flowering Ice Plant. |
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Columbine 'Clementine' has really cool flowers. I'm going to let it go to seed
because more is better. |
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Speaking of going to seed, I've got 'Roly's Favorite' Silene happily
blooming all over my garden now. |
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| Another Silene that doesn't reseed. |
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| One of my favorite shrubs: Weigela florida 'Variegata' is starting to bloom |
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| Spiraea 'Pink Ice' is in bloom |
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| Spiraea 'Magic Carpet' is almost there. |
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| Weigela and Rosa mutabalis blooming happily |
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I have high hopes for this newly purchased Morina longifolia.
If you have experience with this plant, please share. |
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See Joy, it's alive! I moved my Tiger Eyes Sumac and worried that it didn't come back.
Joy was very encouraging. Thanks girlfriend. |
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| My single Rodgersia leaf is alive and happy. |
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| Euphorbia 'Great Dixter' has a twin! |
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| Epilobium or Fireweed. Okay so they're not exactly twins but dang close. |
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| Euphorbia on the left Epilobium on the right. |
And now some photos of the garden for your view pleasure, or not:
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| This is what it looks like under my pear tree. |
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| On the south end of the garden. |
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| Another section on the south end of the garden |
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I dug out a lot of Sedums from this bed. They were smothering the Dianthus.
It was a rescue operation and good therapy. |
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| I'm hoping my Heseperaloe (front, clay pot) will bloom this year. |
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| Amid the junque there are plants. |
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The little running Euphorbia cyparissias ‘Fens Ruby’ is in bloom all over the place,
evidenced by the swathes of chartreuse dotting the borders. It smells heavenly. |
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I know everyone hates Bishop's Weed but the trick is to dig it in February as it's emerging.
It's how I keep mine in check. But then I'm weird. |
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A few posts ago I said I wasn't going to buy any more junque.
But when I saw this leaky vintage watering can for $3.99, my resolve dissolved. |
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Until Rosa William Baffin curtains the window, Charity Case and Lois Price will
continue to observe the garden unhindered. |
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I have to amend this post. Tonight, as daylight was just about gone, I saw a
Sphinx moth! I love these guys. He was making his way around these fragrant
honeysuckle blossoms. How cool is that? |
SO pretty!!!! Everything has gone CRAZY the last week. I was out watering today for cryin' out loud! Your yard looks great. The south side pics are my fave. And that weigela. Me want.
ReplyDeleteIt has been so nice! It really does feel like summer. Your garden looks beautiful. I love that new poppy!! Excited for your book to be finished!
ReplyDeleteThis weather is crazy! Your daughter steered you in the right direction with that poppy, it's beautiful. I bought Morina longifolia last year about this time and planted it in my gravel garden in more or less full sun. I think I may have watered it a little over the summer. It survived the winter here just fine, without any special intervention. I haven't seen it flower yet.
ReplyDeleteYour gardens are SO PRETTY! I never saw a morina longifoilic. I will have to look that one up. Great looking plant. I loved looking at your pictures. Plants are coming up here. But it will be awhile until we have many blooms. Daffs and prairie smoke are what is in bloom now. Magnolia is all budded out. Just planted that one. We are anxious to see it in bloom! Thanks for posting pictures.
ReplyDeleteYou have a beautiful garden and I think your daughter was right, that is a luscious pink poppy. gail
ReplyDeleteWe have been having weird weather also here in South Texas. Very cool night and days. But we know the hot summer is coming so we are enjoying and so is the garden everything looks very happy. Your blooms are beautiful! Have a great week! Carol
ReplyDeleteoh I'm so jealous Grace. I'm still waiting for spring, let alone summer!!! Enjoy the great weather and that yellow watering can is AWESOME! I would have caved for it too. Plus you can't beat the price. When they are leaky here, they are still expensive.
ReplyDeleteWell send that heat east lady! LOL! I am loving your blooms and your daughter was right you needed that Poppy. :) I love your Silene and the Lewisia. I tried to grow some from seeds but that was a bust. LOL! Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks very pretty. I especially like the burgundy - yellow combination under your pear tree, that's one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the running down of Bishop's Weed too, I haven't found it to spread beyond the place I planted it, and it is so refreshingly crisp and carefree. I even tried cooking some and found it quite palatable, though now since it is spring it may get tougher later?
I can't believe this weather either, the weeds are growing like crazy. But I don't see any in your photos.
You know I just love pink, but this year I am forcing myself to go with oranges and orange reds for my containers and some yellow thrown in. I have lots of pink roses so this will satisfy me.
ReplyDeleteEileen
So many beautiful things. It's the spirea that lingers in my mind. Great shots of the garden in all its glory. Not too long ago you showed it looking pretty bare. Must check FB more often...I was desolated that I missed your gig at Powell's.
ReplyDeleteAh, Grace the Gardener, methinks you have a green thumb and maybe some other green fingers. Lovely photos, lovely garden, lovely you for sharing. I like being able to see what would grow in my yard if I had sun. We're off to TN in a week, so I haven't planted much or worked in the yard much. I'll have to catch up at the end of the month. Love the honeysuckle photo -- my dad had it all over our yard in TN. :)
ReplyDeleteFabulous Grace...I adore your garden and all the wonderful ornaments placed throughout the plants...it has been summer-like here too but we are getting back to normal and an actual dip in the temps by weekend. We need the rain that is hopefully coming.
ReplyDeleteLady G:
ReplyDeleteSorry for the absence in comments, work at the nursery is ramping up for Mother's Day and May 24 - no rest for the wicked, right?
As for Morina.... here in the GWN, it is a short lived perennial. Likes it hot and dry, with lean soil. And take it from one who knows, don't let any garden helpers mistake it for a thistle! If it is happy it will seed about..... leave them be, you'll be glad to have a backup brigade! Happy Mother's Day dearheart. An email in the coming weeks, I promise!
your garden is looking fantastic ! My arms are already sore from lugging watering cans around...
ReplyDeleteFor the first time on your blog and love your gardenpictures and the writing. Such a great idea to use "a window" for your climbing roses, fun to see Charity Case and Lloys Priice observing your garden.
ReplyDeleteWish you happy gardening!
Your garden looks to be "in the pink," Grace, despite the high temps. Weird weather this spring.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love your garden and your blog. I love how authentically you it seems to be. I love the lack of artifice and pretension. Keep going! :o)
ReplyDeleteI love all the flowering annuals and shrubs in your garden. Though the honeysuckle has not bloomed I can imagine that its going to be a stunner.
ReplyDeleteOh your gardens are looking fabulous Gracie! I love the poppy, pink or not. Really I have never met a poppy flower I didn't fall for. Don't we like this cooler weather a bit better?
ReplyDeleteYour garden is just wonderful! I love all the different foliage, and the pink and purple blooms. I hope the weather was just a fluke, and that things return back to cooler, more normal, temperatures. I'm hoping things will be a bit cooler here this summer, and not reach triple digits this year!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely lovely flowers and garden Grace...I love it!
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful! Could this be the same garden that you showed just a few weeks ago that was just stuff and soil? It's amazing how the warm weather has everything growing to beat the band. Next week the rain returns. Oh well, it was fun to visit summer for a while.
ReplyDeleteGracie girl ! that Morina longifolia. is one seriously SCARY plant !!WOW!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the south end of your garden with all the stones .. I love stones .. hope to have more in mine soon!
See ! Tiger Eyes just needed some time .. they take a long time to smile in the Spring .. I am hoping one of my roses is in such a state too .. White Licorice might or might not be with us .. so I am still waiting.
Spinx moth !! now that is amazing to see, you lucky girl : )
Love all your plants .. I have to get some decent pictures to do a post soon .. I might make it out into the garden tomorrow .. maybe ?
Joy : )
Thanks for the mention girlfriend !
Grace, I'm late, sorry. A lot of work in my garden. I love your Lewisia, it's nice. Why do you grow it in a pot? I have Columbines, the same like yours but with few leaves now.
ReplyDeleteNice garden, statues, 'faces'!