The Earth Laughs in Flowers

Hi guys. I hope you're all doing well. 

You know those times when you need to fix something but you're not sure how? Especially when it's a garden project, you don't want strictly utilitarian. You want it to serve its purpose, yes, but also be aestetic, eye candy. Well, after letting a garden-related dilemma percolate in my head all summer, not to mention for the past several years, I finally figured it out. Thanks to my gifted and talented son, the project is well underway and I'll be showing you all photos when it's all done. Teaser: It's rusty!

But for now, the bloomers:  

I thought it was kind of sweet how this Actaea ramosa 'Atropurpurea' blossom
decided to cozy up to a stem of  Leycesteria formosa 'Golden Lantern'

New to me this year is Tricyrtis ohsumiensis 'Lemon Twist'. Typically, I'm not a yellow flower
gardener and I bought it because of the spotted foliage but the flowers are sweet too.

I know I go on ad nauseum about the hardy Fuchsias but come on!
Tell me these aren't gorgeous.
Fuchsia 'Baby Ann'

Little 'Delta's Angelique' Fuchsia is blooming its head off.
The flowers are about two inches long. So cute.

Diascia integerrimus and 'Jolly Bee' Geranium look cute together.

This is the gorgeous Begonia fuschianoides that my gal pal
Mindy Northrop gave me. Another prolific bloomer!

Thank you, Mindy!

The fall-blooming Japanese Anemones have just started.
This one is Anemone japonica 'Prinz Heinrich'

I was pleased to see the Wine Cups make an encore presentation.
Callirhoe involucrata

Dahlia 'Fatima' one of my new favorites!

Allium spirale or Allium senescens var. 'Glaucum' ... I'm not sure which
but it hardly matters. The bees are happy and that's what matters.

Cyclamen hederafolium are blooming all over the place.

Shhh... someone is sleeping.

The only way I can catch a hummingbird photo.

I hope your waning gardening days are happy and fulfilling. 

My New Favorite Summer Bulb!

All of you seasoned gardeners who are familiar with Ixia, I ask your indulgence. You newbies or seasoned diggers-in-the-dirt who are not familiar with Ixia, it's to you that I address this bit of excitement. Actually, I'm addressing anyone who'll listen. :)

Back in February when I was in the thick of flower-starvation, I ordered bulbs. My intention was to have nice little clumps of hardy species gladiolus popping up randomly throughout my borders. Well, here it is, the middle of June and those glads, although diligently planted and tended to, are a no-show. Maybe later? Who knows? 

But I was also enamored of these pretty things called Ixia. Lured by the photo on the Bulbs Direct website, I went ahead and purchased two, twenty-bulb packages of this one called 'Mabel.' When they arrived, I planted the little buggers, then forgot all about them. 

From Bulbs Direct

Within a month, little green pointy things were popping up and getting taller. Then buds... then blossoms! Here's what they look like in my garden. 

A few weeks after planting Ixia 'Mabel', I found a box of mixed colored Ixia at the Dollar Store so I grabbed them. Here is the only one that is blooming so far. 

Yellow, Dollar Store Ixia

So, now that I've seen Ixia flowers with my own eyes, I'm wondering where they've been all my life. I'm completely sold. If the reluctant hardy glads make an appearance, I'll let you know. 

Clematis! 

Clematis 'Multi-Blue'

Clematis texensis 'Pagoda'

Clematis integrifolia 'Andante' 

Clematis integrifolia 'Aljonushka' 

New to me this year: Clematis 'Haizawa'

Clematis texensis 'Princess Diana'

And my favorite: Clematis viticella 'Confetti'

Other bloomers: 

Diascia integrimmus

Buds on my Butterfly Weed (Asclepias speciosa). 

Campanula punctata 'Pink Octopus'

Campanula punctata 'Pink Bells'
My sister gave me a start of this plant last year.
Wouldn't it be fun if both Campanulas interbred and created a new, unique plant?

It happened with Monkey Flower.
 Mimulus lewisii x cardinalis 

About the only Salvia that I can successfully winter-over in my winter-wet garden...
Salvia verticillata 'Purple Rain'

I know I post too many photos of Alstroemeria 'Tri-Color' but I love it.

Borage--for the bees! (Borago officinalis) 

Parahebe perfoliata in bloom

Phlox paniculata 'Red Magic'
Maybe the "magic" is in the fact that it's purple, not red.

Sweet Peas, blooming from plants purchased in April.

Potentilla fruticosa 'Pink Beauty'

Pleiboblastis sp. (Dwarf Bamboo) ... purchased during the fall plant sales, has made a
complete recovery.

What to grow where nothing grows...

Lamium 'Anne Greenaway' love it!

The Banana (Musa basjoo) is happy

Look who has been visiting the garden for the past several days:

I think she's got a thing for these Mock Orange flowers.
(Philadelphus 'Belle Etoile')

Zip with one of his pots of kitty-pot! 

A few days ago, while I had my camera handy we had a cool fly-over--seven helicopters, in perfect formation. I wasn't sure if my photos would turn out but they did!  

And finally, there is a song sparrow that has made its nest in the neighbor's bramble. In the evenings, s/he likes to sit right here and sing. It's adorable.

Isn't life grand?