Beautiful Lilies

From the back flowerbed:

 

'White Heaven' lilies

'Hall's Pink' daylily, with yarrow in front.

A little closer look.

This color combination wasn't planned, but I love it!

Now I'm thinking about how I can plan for some more just like it!

June Bloom Day: Roses, daylilies, & salvia

 

Welcome to my little corner of the earth!

I garden in Eastern Washington state, USA, zone 5b.

We have been having an unusually warm summer so far. My flowers haven't seemed to mind!

Now to just keep them watered.

 

I'll start out back:

 

Mockorange is loaded!

I love the height these lilies have added behind it, as well.

I'm pretty sure these are 'Rosellas's Dream.'

This is their 3rd summer, and the tallest they've gotten yet.

 

Continuing the pink and white theme back here at the moment, is this rapidly growing clump of hardy geraniums. I'm impressed how they are holding their own amongst everything else.

 

English rose 'Abraham Darby.'

To say I was excited to see this one blooming would be a vast understatement.

I just put it in a few months ago, and while it's only about 18" high, it has had 6 or 7 blooms on it this year! They smell fantastic. As it continues to grow, I'm planning to train it up a trellis.

 

Moving to the back slope:

I've got a couple of these pink lupines blooming!

I didn't expect them to this first year.

I put them in to help fill in this ugly dirt patch up at the top of the vegetable garden (courtesy of last summer's wall-building project.) May their seeds spread far and wide! 

 

Pink clover and wild lupines

 

2 shades of wild purple lupines.

I wouldn't mind if the whole slope was taken over by lupines.

I let every one grow up that I can.

In fact, there are 2 growing right now in amongst my vegetable garden. I'm going to let them get big, then transplant them up.

 

Front flowerbeds: 

Salvia, English rose 'William Shakespeare' about to bloom, and daylilies in front.

This salvia bush looks like a hybrid, with 2 colors. Actually, the pink in front is a volunteer from the other side of the flowerbed.

Asiatic daylilies and salvia.

Another 'William Shakespeare,' this one blooming already.

More daylilies, salvia, and catmint in the far background.

Oh, and one little miniature rose.

The blue delphiniums in back are new this year.

I hope they survive to grow tall for me next summer.

Up on the top terrace, hardy hydrangea buds are just starting to pop.

I really like how they open a few at a time.

 

As you may have noticed, I really love pinks and purples. :)

I hope you enjoyed this little tour.

Come again soon!

To see more beautiful blooms, visit: May Dreams Gardens.

March Flowerbeds: Back

Overview:

 

About the same as 2 weeks ago, with just a few more green patches showing.

 

I'm pleased with the height the mockorange and the 'Topaz' rose put on last year.

The rose is a bit lopsided and I will probably prune it back a bit to even it out.

Both have leaf buds about to break open.

 

You can barely see the flowering almond here (beneath the window), but it too has buds ready to open. I'm hoping it doubles in height and width this year.

 

Everything looks pretty low to the ground right now, but that should change as the Asiatic daylilies, peonies, and shrubs start coming in more.

 

From the A/C unit looking down.

Daffodils about to pop!

Can hardly wait!

Geum 'Prairie Smoke' sprouting new feathery growth, with clumps of daffodils and tulips coming up close by.

My first daffodil of the year.

Love it!

Looking toward the A/C unit and the deck.

'What a Peach' rose in front.

 

March 15

 

Overview: 

Tulips and daffodils 3-4 inches high.

 

Crocuses blooming!

(These have since been nibbled off by something--rabbit is my guess.)

From A/C unit, looking down.

And...from the other end, looking back toward the deck.



Back Flowerbed Musical Chairs

Back Flowerbed, 1 year ago:

 

Wow, the house looks really blue in this picture.

It's somewhere between this color and the washed out blue, below.

 

Back Flowerbed, 1 month ago:

 



So, with all the renovations and additions going on out front, it's only fair that the back got a little love, too. Plus, it was needed.

 

You'll have to excuse the dirt & weeds in place of a lawn.

Hoping to get that re-graded, re-seeded and actually green.

But it might not happen until next year, at this point.

 

Overall plan:

* replace the rose bush that got moved up front

* center flowering almond under the window

* clump together Asiatic lilies

*move smaller plants as needed to fill in

*dig up all raspberry starts and move to raspberry bed

 

What this flowerbed has needed all along is height.

Slowly but surely, we are getting there.

The flowering almond, mockorange, and yellow 'Topaz' rose all at least doubled in height this year.

My current color scheme back here is peachy oranges and pinks, with some yellow and deeper shades of orange and pink too.

To be frank, sometimes it all seems to wash out against the blue of the house.

I'm going to give it another year to see how it goes.

I may end up going more toward stronger colors back here, just for visibility, or who knows, we may paint the house. (Neither of us loves the blue!)

New rose bush: Weeks rose: 'What a Peach'

This is the rose bush that replaced my 'Watercolors' rose.

Small, abundant double blooms.

Here's hoping this one does better than the last!

 

I also put all the Asiatic lilies together, as you can see.

I had them spread out along the house, but I think they will make much more impact in one smaller section.

Not very visible here are the white peony transplants from VW Garden.

I'm hoping they'll grow up "big and strong" next year, and fill in this big empty space.

 

Somewhere in here are several tulips, as well.

I moved the potentilla up front and moved the flowering almond over by about 2 feet, to center it under the window. Should have done that to begin with--it's bugged me ever since I planted it!

 

 



 Last spring, I planted sedums and portulaca in the bone-dry strip right along the house.

So far both have been thriving.

More Asiatic lilies clumped up.

All the tall purple irises are gone now: some moved up front, and the rest given away.

These irises are miniature pink 'Bubbles' from VW Garden.

I'm excited to see them bloom next year.

In front is a Geum 'Totally Tangerine.'

This is a new spot for it, as well.

My daylilies (Hall's pink) and poppy (Papaver orientale 'Victoria Louise') in front stayed in the same spots.

 

This rose is holding on to some late blooms, even after 3-4 nights of frost.

I'm not complaining!

I moved the Asiatic lilies out from behind it, as well. Since the rose has tripled in size this year, you could no longer see them.

I also plan to move some of the mini daffodil bulbs from directly in front of it--same reason.

It's a sprawler, and it's taking up the space right where they'll be coming up.

I left the a 2nd geum between the mockorange and yellow rose, along with Veronica spicata, or Speedwell 'Inspire'.
 

Once I get my bulb order in, and a few more bulbs planted back here, it'll be time for mulch and the long winter's sleep. My guess is 4 weeks to snow (if it's the same as last year.)

Of Whites and Greens

The color scheme in my back flowerbed is supposed to be peachy pinks, oranges, and soft yellows. So I was surprised to notice this mini-scheme going on:

 

The yellow 'Topaz' roses, which are really only yellow in bud, then open up to a creamy white, plus

the 'White Heaven' lilies standing tall behind the rose bush.

 

A symphony of whiteness.

Okay, more like a duet.

But still, it was pretty!

 

As for the greens...

More broccoli harvested.

I didn't have it on my menu for another week, but it was already perilously close to going to flower.

So, I ended up processing it (soaking in brine to kill off bugs, then chopping, blanching, freezing).

 

 

Now I've got two more heads starting to flower that need chopping off pronto.

They look too far gone to save, though.

I need to point my little foragers toward the broccoli patch, to help me keep up with it. 

 

Daisies & Daylilies: July GBBD

Hello friends!

Welcome!

 

This month for Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, we are all about the daisies and daylilies.

 

So far I have just a handful of daylily varieties, but each year that number rises. They are so hardy and versatile!

 

Starting out front:

 

Shasta Daisy 'LaCrosse' [Leucanthemum]

and Stella D'Oro daylily

 

This variety of shasta daisy makes a neat rounded mound, unlike its cousin around the corner.

 

This portion of the flowerbed has expanded recently (my husband rebuilt the wall to give it about 18" more depth.) There are plans afoot to move the daylily forward and stop the crowding. I will probably wait until fall, though, since I don't really want to nurse it through transplant shock in 90 degree weather.

 

Purple coneflowers: 'Ruby Star' and 'Magnus'

 

These lovely ladies have tripled in size since they were planted last year.

Speaking of tripling in size...

 

Shasta Daisy 'Becky' [Leucanthemum superbum]

Phlox 'Peacock Purple Bicolor' [Phlox paniculata]

pink salvia seed heads

 

This daisy variety is huge! I purposely skip it when I'm watering. It does not need any encouragement! If it gets much bigger it's going to take out the phlox entirely.

I'm already thinking about dividing it, along with figuring out where I could use some big billowing daisies.

The back slope is always a possibility--perhaps their vigor will overcome the surrounding weeds up there!

 

Back Flowerbed

 



'Topaz Jewel' rose in front of Lily 'Elodie'

 

The tall lilies have provided a nice counterpoint behind the roses in this bed.

Still working to fill in gaps elsewhere.

 

 Daylily 'Hall's Pink'

I planted two of these in this bed and I couldn't be more delighted with their color: a peachy pink with deeper undertones. Perfect for the color scheme I'm trying to get going here!

 



Lily 'White Heaven' next to 'Watercolors' rose

 

I've also got little raspberry starts growing all around my rose on this end of of the bed. I transplanted the raspberries last fall, but obviously did not get all the roots out! I need to extend the new bed to accomodate them! I let them grow to 12" or so, before digging them up and putting them over in the new bed.

 

I love seeing the change in the beds from month to month!

Front Flowerbed Tour

I'll start by the front steps, then go on around.

Which means most of the new stuff will be at the end.

 

My Dutch iris blooming behind the salvia.

Not pictured: the daylily transplant (just to the left of this shot) which is now blooming in a deep red-orange.

Dilemma! Everything else in this bed has burgundy/purple hues.

The lily actually looks really pretty against the purple salvia right where it is, but it definitely doesn't fit in with the rest of the color scheme.

I guess that leaves me 2 options: move it to the back, or plant some more of that same color throughout to make it look intentional. I still don't know which option I'm going to take.

 

 New addition: corkscrew rush

Juncus effusis 'Spiralis'

Planted 2 of these, one on each end of the peony grouping.

I really love their "bad hair day" look, and that they'll stay green all summer.

Doesn't hurt that they are quite different from the usual leaf shapes either.

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

Moving into the newly planted part, now.

Most of what I planted here are repeats of others in the flowerbed already, to provide some continuity. Also, I bought mostly small, 4" plants this time to save money, so everything looks very far apart. But they will grow to fill in the spaces.

 

Since these pictures were taken, I have mulched the bed.

 

The columbine on the left is new.

I actually bought it for the shade bed, then read on the tag that it needed full to part sun. What? I didn't know there were some cultivars that liked sun.

Hence, it's new home.

 

Also,there is a new Echinacea 'Magnus' in back, next to the wall.

 

Going around the corner:

clockwise from back left:

transplanted daisy

Salvia 'May Night'

lamb's ears (Stachys byzantina)

Gaillardia 'Burgundy'

 



Burgundy Iceberg Rose (floribunda)

This has put out a couple of blooms since planted, and they are a deep violet purple with white edges. Very pretty. 

 

Knautia macedonica

Little pincushion flowers on slender stalks.

It's in front of the Iceberg rose.

'Stella D'Oro' Daylily

Echinacea 'Magnus' in the background

 

Clockwise from bush in upper left corner:

Sem False Spirea (Sorbaria sorbifolia 'Sem'):

pinkish red, fernlike foliage in spring, creamy white flowers in summer,

3-4' tall & wide

This one is not supposed to be invasive like its parent. It is vigorous, though. I have already noticed new shoots coming up a few inches away.

 

Asiatic Lily 'Tiny' series (deep burgundy) x 2, + 1 pink

I can't seem to stick with all one color, though the pink may get moved to the back flowerbed if it looks too odd there.

 

Another Gaillardia 'Burgundy' (front), supposed to grow about 2 feet tall and wide.

 

Salvia 'May Night'

 

 * * * * * * *

I'm hoping these grow quickly and start filling in by next summer.

I left some space along the wall and interspersed to add spring bulbs, as well.

 

Now we need to prepare the rest of the soil on this terrace for planting fruit trees this fall.