Mid-Spring Garden
It's time to share some garden photos. The garden has been a wonderful respite from social distancing and Covid-19. I know this has been a stressful time for everyone as we try to avoid getting the virus or passing it to someone else. I have not been touching other people's pets for one thing. Today, I forgot. I was feeling relaxed and happy while starting a rock garden on the bank next door. I basically started chatting with a neighbor and her two wonderful greyhounds. Next thing I knew I practically had one in my lap. I was kneeling, so we had a lovely face to face so to speak. It took an hour later for me to realize I hadn't been very smart. So I will try to keep up the good work and not continue to let my guard down. (Even though it was very nice petting the dogs and chatting with Marian.)
The garden beds are still far from their peak. In two weeks time or a little less we should be overflowing with blossoms. So here's another photo of the incredible collard plant flowers. The pink in the background is a potted clematis.
Although I hang the humming bird feeder early, April 1st, I haven't had any sightings yet. Our White throated sparrows are still here. They usually migrate back north after mid-April. I had fun watching this little guy taking a bath.
The bluebells are a nice feature in the backyard each year. This year Ian spotted two hybrids, a true pink and one white. The pink blossom is fading to lavender as it ages.
The hybrids
English Bluebells
I was surprised to see the lavender plants bloom so early this year. I'm sure that's a result of the mild winter we had.
The Brite Eyes rose promises to be beautiful. I'm trying to grow four rose cuttings to add another Brite Eyes to our arbor. I started them this past Fall. I am following Monty Don's, Garderner's World method. Patience is a virtue.
We finally found the right spot for a group of "curb alert" irises. They have just a hint of blue behind the white. It took three Springs and one relocation to get blooms for the first time. This is the sort of moment that makes it the "The Happy Cottage".
Epimediums are becoming my favorite dry shade plant. They are attractive even after the delicate blossoms are spent. It looks like something had a nice taste of the leaf on the left.
Most epimediums that I have seen have the distinctive heart shape as the one above. Domino Epimedium has a very different habit. This was taken on March 29th.
This Spring I tried my first "lasagna" in a pot. I combined tulips, iris reticulata, and pansies. The tulips really brightened up the herb bed area. One lesson learned, while the iris reticulata were beautiful they bloomed much earlier than the tulips. I had hoped to have all three types of plants blooming simultaneously.
March 29th, These tulips opened with some orange and faded to the lovely apricot color. The tall grasslike fronds on the left are what's left of the iris reticulata.
March 29th (another pot) I like the color combo, but it reminds me of autumn. Next year I'll not use purple pansies in these pots. Maybe, clear yellow or true blue will be a better Spring combination with the orange to apricot.
While pulling up wild onions I detected a heavenly fragrance. It turned out to be this dianthus. I wish I knew the name, but if you see this at the garden center grab it.
Frogs will sit most anywhere in the garden pond. These two are on the juncus "corkscrew" plant.
I wish everyone a beautiful Easter Sunday. We are expecting a line of severe storms late in the day. Stay well, everyone!