Almost July

Well, the garden survived the (second) heat wave of the summer and it's not even July yet. I'm sure glad for the shade my maturing trees are providing. And I'm thankful for good ole water. 

Filipendula rubra blossom--such frothy goodness.

Actually I have to bend the stem down to look at it because
it towers over the garden. 

This Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus 'Aphrodite')
is blooming already--way early!

Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising' is looking fab!

The hardy fuchsias are starting to bloom.
This one is called 'Flash'. I love the vibrant reds.

This is that little Evening Primrose (Oenothera kunthiana 'Glowing Magenta')
Several times I've grown it in a pot but it never wintered-over,
This year, I decided to put it in the ground, hoping it will winter-over.

I'm really impressed with this Cuphea. I think it's Cuphea llavea 'Flamenco Cha Cha'

Mondarda didyma 'Raspberry Wine' with Impatiens glandulifera

The beginnings of the hollyhock fest.

Pretty milkweed -- Asclepias speciosa

Galega officinalis 'Lady Wilson' and Geranium 'Patricia'

Not the most complementary photo, this is Stipa barbata being all regal.

Here are a few wide shots of the garden:

Almost daily we're seeing butterflies in the garden.
I'm still hoping for a monarch.

I hope you all are enjoying your gardens. 

And The Winner Is...

Every spring I sit back and watch to see which rose bush will be the first to put forth a blossom. This year, the winner is Rosa mutabilis.

Rosa mutabilis, the first rose blossom in my 2015 garden! 

Weigela florida 'Variegata' is about to bloom! One of my favorite shrubs. 

A new Phlox. I've already misplaced the tag, dang it.
Oh, found it. Phlox subulata x stolonifera 'Paparazzi Lindsay' 

My pink lilac... Syringa meyeri x microphylla 'Tinkerbell' 

Delopserma cooperi 'Jewel of Desert Ruby' 

Geranium phaeum 'Samobar' 

Stipa barbata with a volunteer viola

Euphorbia griffithii 'Fireglow' is blooming

Kalmiopsis leachiana is really putting on a show this year. 

Pulsatilla vulgaris 'Red Bells' is happy. 

Heuchera 'Midnight Rose' is one of the best Heucheras in my garden.
Unlike so many that I've lost over the years, this one seems to be impervious to root weevils (knock on wood). 

Love the Solomon's Seal's crispy, clean foliage.  

A first bloom on Saxifraga x geum 'Dentata' 

Hakonechloa with a few volunteers--Hypericum, Viola and Impatiens. 

I'm very pleased with how my brick terrace experiment is working out. It's much more interesting than a boring old lawn.  

I love how all the different sedums are mingling with the creeping thyme.
I didn't have the heart to pull out the volunteer English daisy. 

The golden 'Angelina' is extremely happy. 

Well that's about it for this week. Actually I've got about fifty more photos I could show you but I'll save those for next week. Happy spring, everybody! 

Befores and Afters, Mostly Befores

IF YOU LIVE IN THE Pacific Northwest, you know what kind of day Sunday, February 24th was. If you don't, then let me tell you. Picture blue skies and sunshine with a hint of a breeze, temperatures hovering around 60 degrees. Yes, it was a dang near perfect day--highly irregular for late February in rainy, cold western Oregon. Not quite spring by the calendar and not feeling like winter... a teaser day.

Look at the Crokies... all gorgeous in their, royal purple unfurling petals.    

A bunch of Crockies 

Unable to focus on the laundry or the pile of dishes in the kitchen, I high-tailed it outdoors to tackle the masses of last season's growth, such as what was on this Stipa gigantea. Icky, icky. This is the "Before." If you look closely, just to the left of the grassy mound, you can see something grayish and pointy. Scroll down and see what it is. 

My Stipa gigantea "before" 

Yep. It's a wood rendition of Sharon the Heron. Actually she's a snowy egret but I'm a gardener, not a wildlife expert. Doesn't the Stipa look infinitely better? Now I need to tackle the raspberry canes behind it. Always something... 

Stipa gigantea "after" 

Below is a "Before" of a mass of English Ivy that grows in my neighbor's yard but really enjoys our fence. I'm losing patience with trying to keep this stuff from swallowing the fence and the house and the neighborhood. 

Rampant English Ivy! 

Even in their unruliest, the tired mop heads from last year's hydrangea are kind of pretty.

Last season's detritus 

Look below. This is the evidence of my work on Sunday. Lots and lots of plant stuff waiting to be hauled to the yard debris can.  

More detritus 

While I slaved, er worked in the garden, Zip lounged in the sunshine.

Zip the cat soaking up the (rare February) sun. 

On my immediate to do list, tackle the rather scary looking remains of last year's 'Polish Spirit' Clemmy. It's already starting to leaf out so I'd better hop to it. 

Last year's 'Polish Spirit' Clematis needs a serious hair cut. 

Below are the remains of the pear tree trimmings. What a chore this was especially since it was neglected last year and this is two year's worth. Note to self. Don't neglect this chore again.

Proof that things are getting done...

And finally, I wanted to show you the little Paperwhite Narcissus abloom on my kitchen table. My sister Laura bought this for my birthday last November. It wasn't until mid January that I got it and the Amaryllis bulbs planted. Although the Amaryllis are rather slow growing, it sure didn't take it long for the Paperwhites to bloom.  

Paperwhite Narcissus 

So this is what's happening in my world. How is yours looking?