Bloomin' Flowers Everywhere . . .

At last my gardens are just popping with life and color. Finally! I have to wait
a little longer up here since it's a bit higher and we're surrounded by huge fir
trees. I'm usually a couple of weeks behind Catherine of so I have to enjoy hers while chomping at the bit!!!
There is so much blooming that I will have to show the rest of them on my next post. I can probably do that tomorrow since our weather is so hot I have to stay in the house now.
My gorgeous Poppy is definitely the star of the show today. I wait
all year to see this one bloom. It reseeded and I even got a few more than last
year.

A closer shot of this delicate beauty!

The Lilies are in full bloom - what the deer didn't chew off that is. We sprayed
repellent and it worked great but then we had record breaking rain and as good
as it is something had to give. Just in time for a second course for the deer.
It was pretty strange though because they didn't eat everything and I even found
some blooms on the ground they didn't eat.

I'm thinking they're showing these cute little babies how it's done and got sloppy.
That or something spooked them. Is this little guy adorable or what? A pain in
the backside as far as eating my flowers but still cute. How mad can I be when I
see this fawn walking around in my yard just daring me to hate him. It's
definitely a love/hate relationship I have with all of the critters around here.
Another Lily - I thought this was where my Stargazer was but it has no speckles. Hmmm, I
must have planted another one here. Wonder where my Stargazer went.

These are some new Lilies I bought last year and the tag didn't say anything about
them. They look like an Oriental Lily to me (but what do I know about Lilies)
and they are really short. My neighbor said they are just called border lilies.
Who cares, they're pretty and just a beautiful rich color.

Would you believe I still have a Columbine blooming? Cardinal Song.My new from last year Dicentra Burning Hearts. It's suppose to bloom up to fall.

The Bleeding Hearts are still blooming. The purple Jacobs Ladder in the
background sure looks great with this pink.

Jacobs Ladder
I am so excited that I have Delphiniums. I've tried for almost
20 years to grow them and couldn't. But last year I had one show up from a
packet of seeds and it came back this year. Then I bought 2 this year and they
are still blooming so we'll see. If all goes well maybe I can work up to the
'Pacific Giants' that I'm dying to have!Look at this Astrantia. I just got it this year and am I ever impressed. It's
blooming it's heart out and it is sooooo different looking. I love it!!!

And last but certainly not least is Veilchenblau putting on it's own show. Another
one the deer usually gobble down. It isn't the most beautiful rose but it has so
many blooms in this purplish color that it's really impressive.
It's definitely my color.

Flaunt Those Flowers Fertilizer Friday

Today is Tootsies Flaunt Those Flowers Fertilizer Friday. So head over to Tootsie Time and see who's showing off their flowers today.

Looks like a Peony doesn't it?

It's an Armeria like this.

This Dianthus Floral Lace Violet has one bloom on it - it's just starting and will
bloom all summer I believe.

A Pink Hardy Geranium just starting to bloom.
Pretty isn't it - the purple one is starting too but I didn't get a picture yet.

Here's another Columbine blooming and I don't know it's name.

The Phlox are doing good - in spite of a kazillion fir needles.

My pink and white Lupine is opening - can't wait to see it - to see if it's the
right color for starters!

This one was new last year and apparently doesn't grow very fast. It's Rock
Jasmine Androsace Sarmentosa. Anyone familiar with it? It's pretty and in my
color so I had to have it.

My Spiderwort is starting to bloom. One of my favorites - in the fuchsia color is
my real favorite but I love the 2 colors together even better.

One of my Weigelas is opening and I don't know the name of this one. It's just
getting started.

Jacobs Ladder is finally blooming and I can smell the grape scent. It took long
enough.

I thought it was kind of interesting that this cone fell from clear up in a fir
tree and landed right in the middle of the Crocus looking like it was a big
bloom. I guess this is a Crocus - I thought it was the one that bloomed early
then layed around on the ground all summer looking like crap and then bloomed
again in the fall. Maybe not.

What's Happening In My Gardens

I think since I have so many plants coming now I’ll just do half. I don’t want to bore everyone with too many little sprouts and tiny blooms all at once. They’ll get bigger cause we’re getting sun this weekend to make everything grow.

I was very excited to see some new growth on my Hardy Fuchsia Santa Claus. I already had spotted some on Double Otto. Now I have 2 more to check on and hope they come back. They are on the graves of our two little dachshunds Prissy and Schatze. Up there I have Phyllis and Brutus. Phyllis has the slightest bit of growth starting to show so I'm pretty confident that Brutus will too. They are in a lot of shade up there so they take a little longer to bloom. But this was their first year so I was especially anxious to know if they made it through our harsh winter. I've also planted Columbines around our two little friends graves and they are doing well. We lost Schatzee last year and I wanted to make changes to the flowers up there.
Hardy Fuchsia Santa Claus

Another plant I was concerned about was not having seen any Hostas yet. Guess I was needlessly anxious about them because they are all peeking through in three different places. One we moved last fall and it wasn't looking good then so I'm happy to see it's back.

The Calla Lilies are finally peeking through and there's a viola that popped up next to them. I eventually plan on having Callas line the whole front of the house to cover the foundation and they will make a nice backdrop for other flowers.

My Japanese Painted Fern is also showing now.

Around the corner from them still in a shaded area I have Brunnera Jack Frost he's getting bigger but his leaves are still a lot smaller than usual when it's blooming. Usually they are around 6" long or more but this year are only half that size. Hopefully he'll be full size soon.

Pulmonaria Smokey Blue

Jacobs Ladder Blue Pearl

Dicentra Spectabilis or Old Fashioned Bleeding Heart

The Columbines in here are looking good and so is my Heuchera Plum Pudding - just a wonderful wine color with silver in the foliage.


Down a little farther where a little more sun comes into the bed is an Armeria loaded with blooms.


Down that side of the house are also some other plants I started and planted last year that are showing green. A Weigela, Abelia, Red Valerian, Sedum Linda Windsor, Sedum Autumn Joy.I was concerned about my Spirea Little Princess because she looked brown and pretty lifeless but she's got new growth on her so I can relax now.
Spirea Little Princess

Flaunt Those Flowers Fertilizer Friday

Today is Tootsies Flaunt Those Flowers Fertilizer Friday. So head over to Tootsie Time and see who's showing off their flowers today.
Looks like a Peony doesn't it? It's an Armeria like this.
This Dianthus Floral Lace Violet has one bloom on it - it's just starting and will bloom all summer I believe.
A Pink Hardy Geranium just starting to bloom.
Pretty isn't it - the purple one is starting too but I didn't get a picture yet.
Here's another Columbine blooming and I don't know it's name.
The Phlox are doing good - in spite of a kazillion fir needles.

My pink and white Lupine is opening - can't wait to see it - to see if it's the right color for starters! This one was new last year and apparently doesn't grow very fast. It's Rock Jasmine Androsace Sarmentosa. Anyone familiar with it? It's pretty and in my color so I had to have it.
My Spiderwort is starting to bloom. One of my favorites - in the fuchsia color is my real favorite but I love the 2 colors together even better.

One of my Weigelas is opening and I don't know the name of this one. It's just getting started.

Jacobs Ladder is finally blooming and I can smell the grape scent. It took long enough.
I thought it was kind of interesting that this cone fell from clear up in a fir tree and landed right in the middle of the Crocus looking like it was a big bloom. I guess this is a Crocus - I thought it was the one that bloomed early then layed around on the ground all summer looking like crap and then bloomed again in the fall. Maybe not.