Late July, Already!

Oregon has the best summers and this one is no exception. Sunshine, temperatures in the 80s, cool nights, slight breeze. I think we've had only three or four 90 degree days so far. I'm really thankful. 

Just because it's summer doesn't mean I quit buying plants. Check out this newbie. It's a tropical so I'll need to move it inside during the winter but aren't these leaves gorgeous? 

Breynia nivosa 'Roseo-picta'

Also on the tender side, I'll have to take care not to let this one (below) get exposed to too much cold. I bought it from Annie's Annuals this spring. It just started blooming.

Lavatera assurgentiflora

Clerodendrum bungei just started blooming.

Gardenia 'Frostproof' has been blooming for about three weeks.

I have a new fascination with hardy Geraniums. There are some really rare varieties for sale at Robin Parer's nursery called appropriately, Geraniacea located in California.

Geranium nodosum 'Clos du Courdray'

I'm growing most of my new hardy Geraniums in pots so I can really enjoy the flowers.

Geranium himalayense 'Plenum'

Geranium x oxonianum 'Tanya Randell'

I've got a few others that haven't started blooming yet. Stay tuned.

Check out this new to me (last year) Fuchsia 'Nettala' from Secret Garden Growers. Easy and hardy!

Fuchsia 'Nettala'

Fuchsia 'Nettala' 

Lily from a bagged of mixed bulbs from Costco

Lilium 'Stargazer'

Another newbie this year from Annie's is this white-flowered Cupid's Dart. It had been on my wish forever and I nabbed two of them when I saw them for sale. It mingles really well with other flowers. 

Catananche caerulea 'Alba'

Also from Annie's... this Heracleum is just starting to bloom.

Heracleum sphondylium 'Pink Cloud'

A Dahlia called 'Mistral'

From Far Reaches Farm in northern Washington this sweet Codonopsis. I didn't expect bloom this year because the plant was so small. But check it out. 

Codonopsis convolvulacea subsp. grey-wilsonii

 And my other Codonopsis from Dancing Oaks:

Codonopsis pilosula

This Rhodochiton is a tender but wintered over from last year in a protected pot.

Rhodochiton atrosanguineum

And the Anemonopsis is blooming too. I love how plants just have there own unique blooming time table. 

Anemonopsis macrophylla

I bought this Scabiosa at BiMart (variety store) last year. I really hoped it would winter over and it did.

Scabiosa 'Gelato Blueberry'

This is a small pond but you can't tell because it's so full of plants.

 A few wide shots.

And now for some critter shots:

A baby robin waiting for dinner

A towhee parent and child

You know you're a (weird) gardener when you're more excited to see a rare critter on your basil than you are to eat the stuff. Below is a gray hairstreak caterpillar. It is pink because it's been eating purple basil flowers.

Gray Hairstreak caterpil

I saw the mother a few weeks ago and thought she was nectaring but apparently she was also laying eggs. (I took this butterfly photo last year but shows what this little thing will become.)

And this is a gray hairstreak. (Not the best photo)

Finally, we saw twins this morning. This little one, her sibling and mama visited my front garden. Unfortunately when I opened the door to get a better picture, they scurried off.

Photo of baby deer through a very dirty window.

Thank you for visiting.

I'm So Excited!

I really am. I love this time of year. Yesterday the weather was perfect for puttering. I spent the entire afternoon moving existing plants around to make room for new plants waiting on my patio, all the while discovering new growth popping up here and there while listening to the birds twittering. Pure bliss!

Today it's raining. Perfect for watering everything in.

And now,  a few photos.

I bought this wildflower, Grass Widow, last year. I planted it in a pot and look at it now! I'm so pleased.

Olsynium douglasii or Grass Widow

Generally I'm not a fan of yellow flowers but these early Cowslips (Primula) make me happy.

Primula veris

The fragrance wafting from the Star Magnolia blossoms was really pleasant.

Blurry photo of Magnolia stellata 'Royal Star' blossom and buds.

My very first spring-blooming Clematis is almost ready.

Clematis macropetala 'Markam's Pink' buds!

A volunteer lungwort, Pulmonaria 'Reginald Kaye'

The first tiny red flower bud on Ribes speciosa. I am so excited!

More bulbs to plant. Thank you Costco!

Helleborus foetidus bloom with Nandina foliage color echo.

I never noticed the unique yellow coloring on this red-barked Cornus. Pretty cool, isn't it?

Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire'

I hope spring is happening in your neck of the woods. Any surprises to report?

MAY I Have Your Attention?

If gardens could talk, right now during this fickle month of May, my garden would sound like this. "MAY I have your attention please? We need staking over here." "Attention please, we need deadheading." "Put down your coffee and attend to me now!" It's ridiculous. And it affirms the futility of it all. It can get discouraging. Why do I bother? Well because I love my garden, that's why. And when things are tidied up, well, I feel better and I can ignore the hundred other things that need done. 

Here are some recent photos. 

Lilium x martagon 'Claude Shride'

I bought six of this Lily bulb. One is blooming. Only one. The rest are just sitting there, three inches tall. Maybe next year? 

Silene aterias

Carpenteria californica and a cute approaching bee

Lots of blooms on it this year.

Another bee, this time on Centaurea dealbata.

I'm happy to introduce the flowers of Geranium palmatum. They're a long time coming considering I sowed the seeds in January 2015. They germinated and grew well. Here is the foliage on last year's plants:

Geranium palmatum foliage

Geranium palmatum foliage

Its foliar good looks persisted all summer and all through (a very mild) winter. Then, a month or so ago, flower buds emerged and finally bloomed! 

Bee-attracting Geranium palmatum flower!

Geranium plamatum flowers -- worth the wait? Oh yes!

You could say I'm pleased with the outcome.

Another "worth the wait" is this flower. I finally was able to purchase a double-flowering Silene! I'm so in love with this flower. 

Silene dioica 'Flore Pleno'

The foliage rosette is in the pot on the left.

And then there's this intensely fragrant rose:

Rosa 'Rhapsody in Blue'

With those yellow centers, you know it's another bee-loving flower

Rosa mutabilis is settling into its newest location.
More sun should produce more flowers.

I'm really loving this flower combo:

Geranium x magnificum and Santa Barbara Daisy (Erigeron kavinskianus 'Profusion'

And speaking of hardy Geranium, check out the foliage on this new one I found at a plant sale a few weeks ago. 

Geranium x oxonianum 'Katherine Adele'

Katherine is so pretty!

The exact identity of the plant below is still in question. It's a Deutzia, but which cultivar? If you know, please do tell.  

Deutzia ??

Nectaroscordum siculum

Clematis 'Princess Diana'

Clematis 'Pink Fantasy'

Variegated Porcelain Vine (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata 'Elegans')

And speaking of variegated foliage:

Acer pseudoplatanus 'Esk Sunset'

And the peachy-pink undersides of it.

A good match for it is:

Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance')

And then there's this green mess. 

And now, for some wide shots...

These are the aforementioned 'Rhapsody in Blue' roses.

The same area from a different angle.

My new rock garden area, where the pear tree used to be.

The same area looking the opposite direction.

Also a "new" area since limbing up the Laurel hedge.

The Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace' and Rosa 'Knock Out'

From the opposite angle.

From yet another angle.

Here is the other side of the above border.

This is what I mean about deadheading and cleaning up.

The hummingbirds seem to enjoy my new water feature
but I'm not patient enough to get photos of them so you'll have to take my word for it.

This silly Erigeron is blooming after an unexplained hiatus last year.
Erigeron glaucus 'Sea Breeze'

And behind the Erigeron, stinky but beautiful Phuopsis stylosa is starting to bloom.

The white flower is Anemone 'Wild Swan'

My Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra') is so happy. 

And to finish off, a little fauna to complement the flora.

I literally detest flies, but this shiny green one was pretty enough to photograph.

And finally, Nala the indoor-kitty cat, is waiting for a catnip treat.