Fall Colors out Front

My front flowerbeds are filled with delightful colors, even once the flowers have gone.

 

The front porch bed.

Oakleaf hydrangea, I knew I could count on you for some gorgeous fall leaves!

Snowball bush, with peony and Echinacea seedheads in the background.

Love it!

Boxwood, rose, and other foliage

Barberry

The guillardia are hanging on, and those lovely red tones blend in just fine.

Catmint seedheads, with purple ninebark in the background.

 

 

Plus a bonus: strawberry foliage up in the garden

 

If our winter is as mild as the weatherman claims it will be, we will be enjoying these colors for a few more months!

End of May Views: Irises & Peonies

 

Welcome friends!

I garden in Eastern Washington state, zone 5.

 

Usually there is a lull in my garden around this time of year: the spring bulbs have all finished and the roses have yet to start. This year has been a little different. A warm spring has brought about early roses blooming, and my poppies really stepped it up this year to fill in that gap.

 

Must have more poppies! 

 

p.s. Just heard a loud thunderclap. Guess I won't have to water tomorrow! Yes!

 

Back Flowerbed

Back bed overview, deck looking to fence.

'Yellow Topaz' rose blooming early

I love the scent of these roses, but they shatter so easily that I don't try to pick them any more.

Mockorange starting to open up.

Back bed overview, looking toward deck.

These penstemon right in front are bee magnets!

They are always humming every time I walk by.

I haven't seen any hummingbirds sipping from them, though I've heard they attractive to hummingbirds. Maybe I don't have enough planted.

The poppies always look really orange in pictures.

In person they're more of a peachy pink.

Either way I'm loving them!

 

Back Slope

For anyone new here, my back slope has terraced vegetable garden beds, then the rest is pretty much weedy grass, some wildflowers, and aspen trees.

These geraniums are not wild--I moved them from the back bed after we moved here a few years back. They are thriving in the dry shade on this side of the slope.

I don't even pick out the long weed grass that comes up between them anymore.

Or the dandelions, as you can see.

Wild daisies and lupines.

Isn't this one pretty?

I think my wild lupines back here are hybridizing.

I've never seen a bicolor like this one blooming back here before.

I just planted several pink ones, hoping that they will be able to live in the clay soil like their wild counterparts. (And also hoping to get some more hybrids!)

 

East-side Terrace

 

Ninebark blooms.

I didn't realize that this pretty little shrub would bloom. Bonus!

 

 Front Terraced Flowerbeds

Have you noticed how everything is terraced?

Welcome to my world!

 

The potentilla in front is always a pretty little accent to the stars of the show: the irises!

I added the alliums last summer, so I'm glad to see them blooming.

Not sure what variety they are, since they were a pass-along.

Peonies in back: 'Top Brass' (the white) and 'Paula Fay' (pink).

The white ones smell exquisite, while the scent of the pink is faintly reminiscent of a rotten potato.

Up front, the pink salvia is a volunteer from the other side of the flowerbed! 

The purple doesn't seem to mind so I'm leaving it for now.

 

Close-up of the 'Top Brass' peony.

This flower is sort of funny-looking, and I mean that in the nicest way.

White skirt, poofy yellow middle, then that awesomely ridiculous little fluff of pink on the very top. It's like a cupcake decorated by a 3 year old!

It makes me smile every time I see it!

Geranium 'Rozanne' (I think)

Front corner.

 

Now for those gorgeous irises!

 

 

More of the alliums I put in last summer.

I just love these flowers!

 

I'm not sure which variety of iris these little white ones are.

They were also a pass-along, so if you know, do tell!

{sigh}

Love it.

 

Street view.

'Rose Glow' barberry adding some color to this part of the terrace.

 

Columbine, wild daisies (yes, in my flowerbed!), and the sorbaria playing so well together.

 

Front Porch Bed 

 

 Last but not least, I've been enjoying the subtler colors and patterns of this little flowerbed, whenever I can tear my eyes away from the irises, that is!

 

Heuchera and euonymous

 

spirea in bloom

I like how the white on green echoes the foliage of the euonymous right now.

No, I did not get the both in the same picture.

Next time!

 

Thanks for taking a look around with me!

Check out other gardens at: The Patient Gardener

I hope to hear from you again soon!

Ninebark and Lilacs: Eastside Terrace

 I got some shrubs planted along the lower part of the East-side terrace wall.

I hadn't planned on the ninebark, but those purple leaves just jumped in my cart.

I really like how they echo the purple leaves of the ornamental plum behind the house.

 

Overall plan: ninebark on each end, with lilacs in the middle.

 

Physocarpus opulifolius 'Lady in Red'

5-6 feet tall and wide

zones 3-7

Clusters of small bink blushed single flowers in early summer bloom atop bright red foliage.

 

 

Syringa vulgaris 'Ludwig Spaeth'

10' tall x 8' wide

 

It was the picture of the blooms that got me on this one.

Rather than pale lavender, like many lilacs, these are supposed to be a deep reddish-purple.

Should look good with the ninebark foliage.

 

 

I transplanted this lilac (front) from the slope, where after 4 years it had grown maybe 6 inches.

I guess the "well-drained soil" on that plant tag wasn't just a throw-away line.

Syringa vulgaris 'My Favorite'

Grows 6-12 feet wide and 8-15 feet tall.

 

The lilac in the background is a second Ludwig Spaeth.

 

So here's looking from our backyard out to the street.

I'm hoping these will grow to fill in this terrace and provide a sweet-smelling, lush corridor as you walk down that side of the house.

 

p.s. Can you believe how green that grass is? It is still struggling almost everywhere else, but on this side, just look at it go!

 

Now I have the far end of this terrace to make a final decision on and get planted.

I've talked about doing a billowing perennial garden of whites and pastels.

I have also thought about hot colors.

Or I may just make it my cutting garden.