How Exciting - A Ladybug In My Garden

A couple of days ago I finally got out again to walk around and see if anything else was sprouting or could I possibly hope for a bloom? Not likely around here as we're usually a couple of weeks later than everyone else because of being higher. But I do have a friend whose flowers are even later than mine - that'll teach her to live 5 miles straight up. But it's worth it - you should see the view she has!

Ok back to my stroll. Right out the door I checked a few containers on the deck and found some Sedum Tri Color, Bertram Anderson,
Vera Jamison,
October Plant
and some life showing on the rose my husband put in a container as the deer were chewing on the main plant. We don't often get to see roses bloom so we moved them closer to the house and we got to see a few but now the deer are checking there too.
Then I saw some little Johnny Jump Ups with the yellow tops. I had already shown one with the purple top on an earlier post that had bloomed all winter through the rain, snow and freezing weather.
In a bed next to the deck is some Spiderwort - I love this flower and I have it in 2 different colors. Now that it's good and established I plan on putting some everywhere to fill in and keep the flower buying $s down.
and some Columbine that is a really tall purple one I don’t know the name of as I think it was given to me.
Next, up to the greenhouse in a flowerbed I started on one side of it last year I found some Purple Coneflower,
Sedum Linda Windsor,
and Siberian Irises. This is a mauve one I bought about 5 years ago and it has had the hardest time getting going. It was blooming the year I bought it and then quit until last year. Hopefully it will continue to grow now. I have lots of purple and lavender ones and I give them to everyone I have so many. But this little guy hasn't done well.
I went into the greenhouse and decided to take a picture of one of my Lacecap Hydrangeas that I started last summer. It looks great so I hope it makes it.
And there was a little pink viola blooming – I have one blooming outside too but it was hanging it’s head down so I grabbed this picture.
Back outside I have a little pot of hyacinths that were in a bed last summer but spread out everywhere and didn’t look so great so I stuck all of them in this pot last spring and will replant them at a later date. I took this inside to force a bit since I didn’t have anything for the experiment I posted about forcing bulbs and trees.
In fact look how much they’ve grown in about 3 days. And there's 3 little blue blooms you can see if ya look really close.
Then I looked over and was really happy to see some color up by the pumphouse where I have some Crocuses blooming.
3 days ago they looked like this when I took a picture and didn't get it posted.
Then I headed back over to where I had been by the greenhouse and was looking at a bunch of starts I have in 5 inch pots and there sitting pretty as you please on my Wormwood plant was a little ladybug. That had to be the thrill of the day to see her and get a picture.
Over at another bed I found some Phlox peeking out
then across the yard some Hardy Bachelor Buttons – is it Cornflower,
some Lupins
and Autumn Joy.
Around the corner where it’s a bit shadier I found Heuchera Plum Pudding, and as you can see we have lots of needles from all the fir trees around our place.
Bleeding Heart
and Brunnera Jack Frost.
I hope this wasn't too long, drawn out or boring for you but I didn't want any of my flowers to feel slighted for being left out. They are, after all, part of the family!

More Flowers Coming . . .

Here's a view across the bank going to the upper yard. I can't believe it looks so cruddy with orange marks and all - I think my camera is working too good because when you look at the grass it doesn't look that bad. Bob got my bloomin' stairs weeded and I have almost finished the other set. I'll show a view from the opposite direction later when I get them finished and get the path where they lead to my greenhouse cleared of pots with flowers.


We have some natural springs that pop out of the bank when we have too much rain so my flowers on this end kind of fizzle sometimes from being too soggy. We eventually plan to put a pond on the bottom and one on the top with a waterfall in between. Then my plan is to make the rest of the bank solid with flowers in between the 2 stairways. When we designed the deck we put in a set of stairs on each side facing the stairs on the bank.
Looking up from the bank to the upper back yard where I have a raised bed, Lilac tree, Mallow, Rhodies, picnic table and hammock to lay in and enjoy it all.
One of my Verbascums is finally opening up. I think that's a tall purple Campanula next to it.
A close up of the Verbascum opening.
My first Campanula bloom.
Some purple Columbine buds getting ready to open.
My favorite Columbine Cardinal Song almost ready to burst open.
Hardy Bachelor Buttons.
Close up of hardy Bachelor Buttons.