Teh Bokeh

So today I attached the 50mm prime f1.7 lens to the camera and went out to take some glamour shots of today's new blooms, plus a few other flowers that caught my eye. (Yes, that means I am mobile now, but still forbidden from bending down too far. So I can take photos, but not do any of the digging and weeding that is so desperately needed in the garden. But I digress...)

Anyway, take a look at these photos, because today's post is all about the bokeh.

First, even without any bokeh these two 'Grecian Gown' daylilies (you may recall that they were trying to bloom yesterday, but didn't open until today) would be glamorous, with all those lovely ruffles.

Grecian Gown


Philosophical Karen © all rights reserved

Also one of my favourite daylilies, 'Lavender Rainbow' bloomed today for the first time this year. This one has the most beautiful eyezone, with colours that blend in a watermark. Oh, and look at that distorted light effect in the background. Beautiful bokeh.

Lavender Rainbow


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The other new daylily bloom today was a miniature double called 'Mini Might'. The first few flowers don't tend to be full doubles, but there is usually an extra petal curled in the centre just to remind us that this plant deserves it designation as a double daylily.

Mini Might


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And speaking of double flowers, I picked up this double petunia at a local garden centre when I was shopping for container plants. It was half-dead in its pot, the last one of its variety available. But I knew I could nurse it back, so I bought it anyway, and now it is rewarding me with these beautiful flowers.

Unknown Double Petunia


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(Yes, that is my hand there, showing up larger than life on your screen.)

And now we are onto true Hollywood glamour -- 'Hollywood' heuchera, that is. One of my absolute favourites for its beautiful cherry-pink flowers.

'Hollywood' Heuchera


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And finally, to finish up, a shot of some 'Splish Splash' hardy geranium flowers. All my hardy geraniums are doing really well this year (some of them a little too well. Just a warning about the variety 'Ankums Pride' -- it's beautiful, but it will take over your garden if you let it.)

Anyway, here is 'Splish Splash', a much more well-behaved variety (so far).

'Splish Splash' Hardy Geranium


Philosophical Karen © all rights reserved

So that's it for today's bokeh post. I am not sure what tomorrow will bring.
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It's Starting...

Well, I had a feeling I'd see some first blooms today, and I was right!

And today's are all pretty nice ones, too. It isn't always that way, as my previous years' posts will show.

That's where the journal aspect of this blog is useful: for comparison. I just open up "July" for each of the previous years, and take a look at the blooming dates for the various daylilies. Sometimes they are exactly the same, and sometimes there is as much as a week's difference either way.

Of course, 2005-2007 were dry years -- to the point of drought -- while the last two summers have been very wet. I can add water to a dry garden, but the difference in the amount of sunlight is something that I can't change. So those are things that might have an effect on the blooming dates.

Well, without further delay, here are the daylilies that have their first blooms today.

Moonlit Masquerade


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Russian Rhapsody


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All American Plum


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Now, I do have another daylily that is trying to open, but hasn't really succeeded. This is 'Grecian Gown', a lovely light lemon-yellow self with a slight white midrib and lots of ruffles. You can see it in its glory here.

Grecian Gown


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So according to 2007's bloom date, this is four day's earlier. But then again, maybe I should say three, because I don't think these buds will be fully open until tomorrow.
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Anticipation

Well, I am excited in anticipation of daylily season. There are many plants where the buds are large and starting to gain colour, so hopefully they will be opening over the next few days. (Unfortunately the forecast is for cloudy skies and rainy weather. Oh well, cloudy days make for the best photographs.)

One daylily opened its first bloom today, 'Dad's Best White'.

Daylily 'Dad's Best White'


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Here it is in a longer view, accompanied by some Lamb's Ears.

Daylily with Lamb's Ears


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Before I got 'Little Red Spring Song' (seen in the previous post), my earliest daylily and harbinger of the season was 'Moonglow'. Now I take poor 'Moonglow' for granted it seems, as it has been happily blooming away for several days now. Well, not exactly for granted. Only in terms of blogging, I guess. These were the very first daylilies I ever bought, and for that reason they will always hold a special place in my heart. Surely every gardener must have a plant like that in their garden.

'Moonglow' Daylilies


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And just to prove how special they are, here is another shot of them, from afar this time, because my eye was struck by how the yellow daylilies contrasted so nicely with the neon pink zonal geraniums.

Yellow and Pink


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The delphiniums are struggling this year, due to my lack of attention. They are planted in an area that is now overrun by vines. One of my spring tasks that I never really thought twice about has been to keep that area under control by ripping back the new growth to manageable levels. Unfortunately, my surgery has kept me from that task at the same time as wet weather has allowed the vines to flourish. So the result is some pretty spindly delphiniums. Still, what few flowers there are are beautiful as always.

Delphinium


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One plant that is finally coming into its own this year is my 'Hokus Pokus' cranesbill (hardy geranium). It's actually blooming. Compare that to the story last year.

Geranium praetense 'Hokus Pokus'


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My favourite thing about this plant is its beautiful dark foliage.

And speaking (as I was earlier) about neglected garden tasks, here is one that heuchera lovers may or may not be familiar with. There are (for me) two types of heuchera out there. The ones with beautiful flowers, and the ones for which the foliage is the show. When the foliage is the show, I (used to) make a point of cutting off all the scapes, because some of the plants are quite messy. I didn't realize what a service I was doing to my garden until I noticed what happens when I don't cut the offending scapes.

A Sea of Scapes


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The garden under the maple is supposed to be a showcase for leafy heuchera foliage. This year, it is just a mess of ugly scapes. Well, by the end of August I am hoping to be cleared to do all the bending that gardening requires. I will just have to steel myself against the ugly views until then. (Argh! It's maddening.)

And if you don't think that the photo above is ugly, keep in mind that I am comparing it to my original vision from 2006 in the photo below.

Maple Garden, 2006


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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


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Copyright © all rights reserved. All text and images in this post belong to kbgardenblog.blogspot.com.

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


Philosophical Karen © all rights reserved

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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Spring Finery

I haven't been able to garden properly for about a year and a half now. It's very frustrating.

Ubiquitous Weeds


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I realized as I did my grocery shopping yesterday that at this time of year I would normally go to the garden centre in the parking lot before even thinking about milk and eggs and breakfast cereal and all that other stuff. But this year I have other things on my mind.

Backyard: "Good Bones"


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Luckily, the garden has "good bones", and -- except for the ubiquitous weeds and last fall's detritus still waiting to be cleared -- it still manages to put on a decent show. Daffodils, tulips, and iris are the main players, although a lot of what was blooming was already past its prime when I took the photos. Like these magnolia blossoms.

Magnolia Blossoms (Past Their Prime)


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Or some of these daffodils.

Hybrid Daffodils


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Philosophical Karen © all rights reserved


Philosophical Karen © all rights reserved

These are some early tulips, which were at their peak about a week and a half ago.

Early Tulips, First Year Showing


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Now we have the later tulips putting on a show. Many of these bulbs are a couple of years old now. The flowers are smaller, slightly frail-looking, compared to the first year of planting. I'm grateful, though, that they continue to bloom.

Late Tulips, from Older Bulbs


Philosophical Karen © all rights reserved


Philosophical Karen © all rights reserved

The irises are also putting on a good show, including my favourite dwarf iris, 'Grape Orbit'.

Dwarf Iris 'Grape Orbit'


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Some other blooms that I like at this time of year are Pasque Flower, which can be quite photogenic, though they are hard to photograph being so close to the ground. I usually just hold the camera down in front of the flower, snap a few photos, and hope for the best. Sometimes I get one or two good photos in the bunch.

Pasque Flowers


Philosophical Karen © all rights reserved


Philosophical Karen © all rights reserved

And finally, a promise of what comes next in the garden. Here is a poppy bud that should be ready to bloom at the end of May or early June.

Poppy Bud


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