Photo Therapy

WITH THE GARDEN LOOKING more than a little "blah" right now, I thought I'd share some photos from my archives--photos of happier times, when the weather was hospitable and pleasant. Maybe these will jar your memory to that time, many months ago. I especially dedicate this post to all of you who remain strangled by winter's icy grip. 

These photos are all from my "Drive-By (Photo) Shooting" file. They were taken around town during previous summers.

Recently, I bought a large seed packet of Red Flax because of what I saw in this front garden last summer.

This flower is Viscaria. Very similar to Red Flax. 

Dogwood 

Voluptuous Hydrangea

Roadside Chicory Blossom of purest blue

Armeria drinking up the sunshine

Double File Viburnum

Echinaceas in the hell strip

A genius juxtaposition: Japanese Blood Grass and blooming Sedum 

A front bed of Japanese Anemone blossoms

Hardy Fuchsias ... oh I miss those sweet blossoms.

A tad bit blurry, Mimosa Tree (Albizia julibrissin) in its floral prime

How come my Hollyhocks never look like this? 

Finally a bit of humor: 

Maybe the most tasteful rendition of pink flamingos I've seen.
And of course, there's always got to be one rogue. 

No taste here at all. 

Hang in there. Spring is coming!

Drive-By Shootings of the Camera Kind

A FEW WEEKS AGO, I HAPPENED upon this lovely front yard garden. There was no one around so I didn't get permission to take photos but that has never stopped me and it didn't this time. I've never seen such beautiful clumps of Red Flax.

Red Flax Linum grandiflorum var. rubrum

I wish the owner would have been there so I could ask how she got these
beauties to grow so well. I've never had much luck. 

This looks like German Catchfly or Viscaria oculata also a gorgeous clump.

Other goodies in the garden...

all in this busy, vibrant front garden. 

Beside it, was this tree, a Dogwood of some kind, with ladybug-like fruits...  

on foliage already celebrating autumn. 

Here is another front garden that caught my eye. 

How is this for a gorgeous stand of weeping Love-Lies-Bleeding?

It was also growing along the fence. 

And here we have a "weeping" stand of Joe Pye, after the rain. 

Finally, I had to take a photo of this hell strip planted with orange Zinnias.
I'm thinking this might be in celebration of Oregon State University, just a few blocks away.
OSU's colors are orange and black. 

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I got a lot done in the garden this weekend. After all the rain we've had, the soil is easy to work so weeds are getting the heave ho. I hope you all have a wonderful week. 

Nightfall is Coming Earlier These Days

FOR THE PAST FEW EVENINGS, I've been meaning to take photos of my garden but as you all know, it's been getting dark earlier and earlier. As I write this, at 7:15 PM, daylight is already in short supply. I worked in the garden almost all afternoon and promised myself that as soon as the sun dipped to the west, I would get my camera. But wouldn't you know it, I was in the middle of a project and by the time I was finished, it was too late. Dang.

Hydrangea's mop heads are blushing. 

My goal today was to tame as much of the rampant growth as possible. I find that once I cut perennials back to a respectable size it's easier to water them. This is because it's easier to see where where the plant's crown is originating. Duh, right? 

Happy Sedums

I've been cutting and bundling hydrangea heads for drying. After stripping the leaves, I hang them upside down in a dry closet. It doesn't take long for them to be ready to display. 

Aster 'Alma Potschke' looks amazing this year. 

Hepatacodium miconioides or Seven-Son Flower

Right now the Seven-Son Flower, (growing well over 15 feet tall) is in full bloom. Seen the bazillion tiny white dots on the tree in the above photo?

A close up of the Seven-Son Flower clusters. 

The flowers are really not spectacular. At least not to humans. Bees, on the other hand, find the tiny blossoms irresistible. Standing underneath the tree makes me think I'm near a hive. The buzz is deafening. I'm happy to provide goodies for the wildlife. 

The Seven-Son bracts. 

The pink bracts are supposed to cover the plant just like the white petals do and create a pseudo-second bloom. For me there are never more than a few bracts though. I must be doing something wrong. If you've had better success, please do tell.  

The last photos were taken at at other places. 

Some type of conifer with strange looking cones. 

A close up of the cones. 

Any idea what plant this is? At first glance it looks a lot like an Arborvitae but upon closer inspection, I'm sure it's something else. I've never seen these weird cones on an Arborvitae. 

Finally, I drove by this house and had to put in reverse and grab my camera. The entire from yard is carpeted in moss. 

The theme is definitely Japanese. There is a red sign on the gate. It's difficult to see it from this vantage point however. 

I love the clean look of the moss. I love the discipline of the owners.

How is your garden winding down?

September: The New August (Thanks Loree)

WELL, DESPITE MY PROTESTS, which included foot-stomping, copious whining fits and episodes of outright denial, I was unable to keep the curtain from closing on August.  I know many of you are welcoming the cooler days of September and its subtle hints of autumn but not me. 

Fortunately the garden has many late-summer beauties to keep me smiling.  

The Asters are making quite a scene right now. 

Usually my Feverfew flowers are done but this little bunch surprised me. 

Rosa 'Jacques Cartier' has been blooming all summer and still has buds.
And he's very fragrant!

I've been taking bouquets to work. Here is one from a few weeks ago.
Roses, Honeysuckle, Butterfly Bush and Phlox smell wonderful. 

On a recent Drive-By, I was surprised to see a white-flowered Wisteria blooming this time of year. 

Also, although the grounds look sad, this Clerodendrum (Harlequin Glory Bower) tree is amazing.
One of the nicest I've seen. 

Here are the fragrant flowers of the Clerodendrum.
On the right you can see one of the forming blue seed pod balls. 

A few days ago I found a few hiding clumps of Cyclamen hederifolium.

Anemone 'Pamina' I love these flowers. 

This little Dahlia blooms non-stop. 

Gaura is such a happy plant and drought-tolerant too. 

PINK!

And finally, speaking of pink, I saw this gaggle of flamingos on a recent drive-by. Fun! 

Is your garden still going strong or winding down?