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? |
