Finding Time For Blogging

It's a challenge right now, finding time to keep up with this blog. And it's nearly impossible to go blog visiting like I would like to. When will Science develop a pill so we can forego sleep and get everything done? There's just not enough hours in the day. 

Here's a little bit of what's happening in my garden this week. 

I bought bulbs of this Nectaroscordum last fall after admiring them last summer. They're unique and fun and the hummingbirds love them. 

Nectaroscordum siculum 

Allium nigrum is so reliable, blooming every spring despite my consistent neglect. 

Allium nigrum

I redid this area so I could showcase a lot of my small plants like Dianthus.

Dianthus ssp. 

There are several plants blooming there including this Lychnis I bought last year from Dancing Oaks. I really like the fluffy, double flowers. They're small--only about the size of a penny but they're vibrant and plentiful.  

Lychnis viscaria 'Splendens Plena' 

In one of my shady areas, this little gem is blooming right on time. It's been very reliable for me.

Melittis melissophyllum  

I love Astrantias! 

Astrantia major 'Ruby Wedding'

The Chinese Foxglove I purchased last year is blooming. The flowers have an exotic look. 

Chinese Foxglove Rehmannia elata

The Cannas are perfection right now. 

Canna Zantedeschia aethiopica 

The Violas are such reliable reseeders. I love their little faces.

Viola babies

Another volunteer is this snapdragon. The lesson: If we're too tidy, we miss out on all these little surprises. 

Volunteer Snapdragon

Such tiny flowers on this Baby's Breath.

Gypsophila repens 'Rosea' 

I purchased Bear's Breeches (Acanthus mollis) at least ten years ago. It has never bloomed and over the years the area where it's planted has become increasingly shady. Imagine my surprise a few days ago when I noticed three flower stalks jutting skyward! Blooming in deep shade? Really? COOL! 

Acanthus mollis

Here are the first and second flower stalks.  

Flower buds on Acanthus mollis 

Creeping Campanula amongst the throng

The Honeysuckle is intensely fragrant. I love it!

Lonicera japonica 'Halliana' 

I always have at least one vase of it in the house.

Lonicera japonica 'Halliana' 

I'm particularly pleased with this vignette:

Heuchera 'Marmalade' with Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance'),
various Sedums and a few blooms of Geum 'Flames of Passion'.

This Spiraea is starting to bloom. 

Spiraea japonica 'Magic Carpet' with Sedum 'Angelina'
and a volunteer California Poppy.

Pink seeds are dangling all over this Japanese maple.

Acer palmatum 'Seiryu' seedpods 

While several of my ornamental grasses are not even knee-high yet, Stipa gigantea is already towering and beginning its fanciful blooming display! 

Stipa gigantica

Finally, I have to share this cool gift from my friend Carol. She knows how much I love rusty stuff. Thank you Carol! 

Cool rusty lantern! 

Happy gardening, my dear friends!

Everything is Coming Up Roses

I get that many of you are not terribly fond of roses. After all, the plants can be fussy, the foliage is susceptible to all manner of leaf uglies and then there's those dang thorns. Ouch!

But what can I say? Despite all the reasons not to grow them, I love roses. I adore burying my nose in those velvety, fragrant petals or walking into a room and being greeted by their heavenly fragrance.

However, contrary to my typical nature, I don't obsess over the genus Rosa. I don't have an unquenchable need to crowd my garden's borders with every variety known to humankind and have a succession of blooms from March to November. Believe it or not, I'm really happy with the few that I already have. Here are photos of most of them. 

Rosa 'Cinco de Mayo' ... Unfortunately leaf miners found a place to play. 

Gertrude Jekyll 

'Knock Out' with Geranium 'Jolly Bee' 

Another shot of 'Knock Out' and surrounding plants.

'Sophie's Rose' 

'William Baffin' 

'Sea Foam' 

Another shot of 'Sea Foam' 

And one more. I love the touch of pink in the buds

'Carefree Delight' 

NOID ... a miniature my youngest daughter recently gave me. 

'Lyda' 

Not the best photo, but can you see the tiny crab spider?
I don't like crab spiders. They eat bees and that makes them bad! 

In other news, the garden is in full-on mode. Here are some random shots.

I purchased Centaurea atropurpurea last year. These are the very first blooms. I love it. 

It's only supposed to get about 2 and a half feet tall but mine is as tall as I am,
which isn't saying much--5 feet--but kind of tall for a front-of-the-border plant.

My winter-surviving artichokes are looking perfect. I'll be letting them bloom. 

Being a lover of pink flowers, I swoon over these seeded (by me) rosy-pink California poppies.

What pink garden would be complete without pink daylilies? 

This is a horrid photo of Campanula punctata 'Sarastro'.
My apologies.

While the larger-flowered Penstemons have died,
Penstemon x mexicale 'Sunburst Ruby' has done really well in my garden
for several years, as has it's brother P. x m. 'Minaret Purple'.
I don't know why I neglected to get a photo of him.

The much-maligned Puple Loosestrife (Lythrum saliciflorus)
has never made a nuisance of itself in my garden. 

Sanguisorba tenufolia 'Pink Elephant' is just starting to bloom.
It looks better than ever this year.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I succumbed to the appeal of the "It" plant, Digiplexis.
Another, maybe not quite so popular "It" plant is Gomphrena 'Fireworks.'
Several weeks ago, when my sister and I visited Al's Garden Center, I found it
and there went my final few dollars.

I'm in love with Fireweed. (Epilobium angustifolium). Up close or far away,
those blossoms are enchanting. 

On the foliage side of things, finally I'm seeing some girth develop on my Tetrapanax.

Darmera peltata is really going places. 

Oops, back to flowers: the recently-purchased Geranium 'Double Jewel' is blooming.
Such a perky little thing.

I'm a fragrance fanatic.
Lonicera japonica 'Purpurea' is in full optical and olfactory splendor

As is Hall's ... Lonicera japonica 'Halliana' 

Finally, I'll finish it off with some wide shots.

As always, thanks for visiting.