Little Red Spring Song

This is the first bloom today on an early blooming daylily in my garden -- one of the ones I purchased from Floral and Hardy Gardens to inhabit the daylily bed we put in last year.

Little Red Spring Song


Philosophical Karen © all rights reserved

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A Bit of Beauty Amidst the Ugly Truth

Well, as I am gaining some mobility, I thought it would be nice to finally plant some containers, so I packed my walker and put on some sturdy shoes and the family took a quick trip to the local nursery.

I had in mind some zonal geraniums for the garage urns.

Zonal Geraniums in the Garage Urns


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These ones are almost neon in colour, with the flower petals being bright pink around the edges, with an orangey-red centre. Sometimes I find myself drawn to intense colours, and this would be one of those times.

Bright as Neon


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I may have been inspired by the lovely 'Turkenlouis' poppy that has just made its appearance in the front garden.

'Turkenlouis' Poppy


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It's actually an intense crimson red, though the camera has rendered it a bit more towards orange in this photo.

Equally beautiful, but slightly more subdued, is this new sempervivum planter that will become this year's showpiece on the shelf rock. (After this year, I can move it around back with the other sempervivum planters. More on that later.)

New Sempervivum Planter


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In Place on the Shelf Rock


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So, after trying my hand at beautifying the front a bit, I walked (ever so frustratingly slowly) around the back to assess what's been going on with it for the past while.

It wasn't a happy sight, I can tell you.

First, the long view, which doesn't seem all that bad if you squint a bit.

Back Garden Long View


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As I've said before, good bones help a lot.

But as we move closer, say to the sempervivum planters that have always been renewed year after year with interesting co-plantings like echeveria and sedum, what do we see?

Neglect -- no abandon. (This is what they are supposed to look like.)

Abandoned Sempervivum Planters


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Last year I got as far as buying the plants to fill the empty spaces in the planters, but never actually got around to planting them. Now the whole thing (and even the patio) is a haven for weeds.

But wait, there's more... More weeds, that is.

A Testament to Hardiness


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It's a testament to hardiness that some of these plants have come back this year in their plastic pots, despite having sat there neglected since last fall, and despite competing with weeds for what little soil is available.

Oh, and do you see that aquilegia growing there in the stones (just under the downspout)? The parent plant is supposed to be halfway up the hill by the elm tree. It must have seeded itself "downstream" during last summer's incessant rain.

Oh gosh, I have more photos but that's all I can bear to show for the moment.

In truth, my garden is ugly right now.

I wish I could get out there and make it better.
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Blooms in June

Well, I haven't been blogging much here lately, but there's a good reason for that. I've had surgery on my hip and I haven't been able to (and still can't) get around, even to take photos, let alone work in the garden.

But the good news is...my husband has been quite willing to take the camera into the garden for me and get photos of some blooms.

June in the garden is beautiful, with iris and poppies, and the weigela in bloom.

Weigela


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It's also the time for hardy geranium (cranesbill). Usually I know the names of the different varieties by location, when I take the photos myself, but since these are my husband's work I am only guessing at what's what. In the case of 'Ankums Pride', it has its own distinct pink colour that makes it fairly easy to identify.

'Ankums Pride' Hardy Geranium


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I have no idea whether that insect represents a general infestation, or my husband just picked an unfortunate flower to photograph.

This one is 'Mrs. Kendall Clark', a new acquisition last year.

Geranium praetense 'Mrs. Kendal Clark'


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And another, rather plainer, new acquisition is this Geranium sanguineum alba.

White Hardy Geranium


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I have no idea what this one is.

Unknown Hardy Geranium


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The rest of the show consists of poppies and iris. 'Lullaby of Spring' tall iris is reliable in my garden. I keep moving it around and it still keeps blooming.

'Lullaby of Spring' Iris


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This one is a new one to me. I must have just planted it (or moved it) last year. I have no name for it, but I love the colour combination.

Unknown Iris


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Now here is the first poppy, opened. It's an 'Allegro'. The edges of the petals turn white as it ages. This photo was taken when it had just opened.

First Poppy


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This is one of my favourite poppies. It didn't bloom last year, so I'm glad to see it back this year. I think it might be a light version of 'Patty's Plum'. I supposedly planted a 'Patty's Plum' back in 2004, but have never had a dark purple poppy show up in my garden. This is as close to purple as I get.

My Favourite Poppy


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Here is one called 'Manhattan'.

Papaver 'Manhattan'


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Well, it's not near time for my daylilies yet, though I've seen the dreaded 'Stella d'Oro' blooming everywhere in its institutional plantings. I am hoping by the time the big daylily show starts in my garden in mid-July, I will be able to get around enough to actually take the photos myself and blog each new bloom as I have done in past years.
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