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.