As we come out of the long Memorial Day weekend and into the work week, I’m going to keep the positive vibes rolling and share some of my favorite garden pics from the weekend. With all of the rain we’ve had this spring and now with the hot temps, everything seemed to explode and this guy ain’t complaining one bit. This is why we bust our asses in the fall/winter/spring planning and planting and prepping and moving things around until they are in that perfect location; for these types of displays of color and all around awesomeness.
Enjoy.
Peony ‘Bowl of Beauty’ kicks ass year after year and the blooms rarely fall over like so many other peonies. I have more impending blooms this year than I’ve had in years. Go me.
Still not sure which white cultivar this is but who cares when they look this good.
My Baptisia are in full bloom and I have to forcibly stop myself from taking any more photos.
Even after the Allium are spent and technically no longer in bloom, they still look phenomenal and lend so much to the garden view from so many angles.
Baptisia ‘Carolina Moon’ in full bloom and standing tall among the other soon to be blooming perennials and exceedingly fast growing ornamental grasses.
Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’ adding so more color to this vignette of daylillies and Penstemon ‘Husker’s Red’.
I honestly have no idea how this Siberian iris showed up underneath this Nepeta (Catmint) but hot damn if it doesn’t work. I should have lied and told you I planned it, but my street garden cred is too important to me.
Carex grayi has become a fantastic edging plant for me, loving the constant moisture, and when the seed heads emerge, it takes them to the next level. And by the way, that next level is called “Ass kicking” if you weren’t already aware.
Ho hum, Amsonia still blooming. Quick note – If you haven’t been here before, that “ho hum” was sarcastic. Just enter “amsonia” in the search box and you’ll see why.
Question of the day – What newly blooming plant in your garden has you the most impressed this spring? Please leave your response as a comment and let’s chat things up!
Baptisia ‘Blonde Bombshell’ was spectacular in my garden this year.
Deac – I love it, looks to be an even better yellow color than my ‘Carolina Moon’. Thanks! Our Baptisia are peaking right now and making the biggest statement, hope they stick around for a while longer.
yellow trollius – i’m not at home right now, so i can’t give you the variety, but it’s a gorgeous lemon/butter yellow and not the traditional orange, which i also have, but it won’t be blooming for a while. the yellow trollius looks good in front of my stone wall, and especially shows well with blues around it. in this case, there are two nearby blues: brunnera jack frost above it in the bed that the stone wall holds up, and amsonia blue ice just across the grass path from the trollius. the amsonia makes the more handsome partner. the trollius has the most dainty-looking globe/cup bloom, and it’s a tad smaller flower than the traditional orange. best part for me is that the yellow trollius didn’t bloom at all last year (i had planted it the year before that), and now it has. maybe that’s a question for another day – have you had things not bloom for no apparent reason? acanthus mollis (bear’s breeches) is doing it again to me i think. i planted it several years ago, and it bloomed the first spring after that, but not since and doesn’t appear to be putting a shoot up this year so far. i’ll have to do some more reading on this plant. thanks for any tips anyone has …. suz in ohio
Sounds great! Need photos!
Suz – color me very intrigued. I have the orange Trollius and it can be tricky to pair with other colors. Love the thought of that with ‘Blue Ice’! And I think we may have our next QOTD based on your suggestion. Thank you!
i’ve had the orange trollius planted in two places it has liked, both in only afternoon/late afternoon sun, but paired only with broad-leaved plants (jack-in-the-pulpit just now) or flowers that don’t bloom anywhere near the same time. putting the orange trollius with another bloomer is pretty much fingernails on a chalkboard for me. i’m thinking i could stand to see only a light blue or lavender next to the orange without cringing … maybe. –suz
Suz – you nailed it, the orange blooming variety cannot be combined with anything else flowering. Time to adjust my thinking. Thank you!
I am pretty darned impressed with a Lavender called ‘Phenomenal’…it’s increase over the course of just one year is …well…phenomenal. It’s like it’s an alien being or snuck into some old east German olympian’s steroid supply. Plus, the hosta ‘Guacamole’ never ceases to please me with its vigor and healthy look.
Michaele – I have never been able to keep Lavender alive yet I absolutely love it. Maybe I need to make more of an effort to improve the soil and or put in my raised bed. Actually, same goes for Hosta but that is due to the deer and lack of shade. I know so many who looove Guac so must be killer. Thanks again for the comments!
Several of my ‘Phenomenal’s are planted in a raised bed but 2 of them are on ground level and seem to be thriving as well. I did take extra care in making sure I broke up with compost our good old orange TN clay. The one thing that I worry about is that I don’t do the pruning part right. I’m probably not aggressive enough.
Because I’ve never had any lavender survive, I’ve never had to address their unique pruning. Scares me deeply.
Oy. Up north here in the Boston area there’s not a lot a-bloom just yet. But I’ll offer up one sweet little flower for consideration: Iris setosa v. arctica. Tiny dwarf iris from Canada, tough as nails and simply lovely. And I too love trollius (like suz, above), the soft yellow one. I think it’s “New Moon” or maybe “Cheddar”. Mine are still tight buds….
Thanks Kate! You had me at “tough as nails”, will definitely check it out. I like the idea of it as a groundcover massed so may need to look into getting a lot of these.
you are right – my yellow trollius is cheddar, the tag says. i have two cheddar plants, but so far, only one bloom. the orange trollius plants have set lots of buds, but they’ve been in the ground a few years longer, so maybe that’s why. i might have an orange bloom over the weekend, but most look as if they’ll be a week or so yet. –suz
Again, love the photos! My peonies rock, but the really great sight in my garden (besides hostas) are the irises.
J L – any particular irises? I need to up my collection and would love to hear what works for you. Thanks!
I planted two yellow Lupine last year they both have tripled in size one is covered in blooms the other nothing!!! Thoughts? They are planted about 2 feet from each other . I also have amsonia blue ice and another variety as well they look great. I’m also impressed with a new lavender planted last year , platinum blonde , variegated leaves ,very nice,
Thanks Felice. I’ve never grown Lupine, what zone are you in and what soil type? I’ve always loved them. And a variegated lavender sounds awesome although I’ve struggled with lavender forever, even in a container. Thanks again!
I’m more a form and foliage kind of gal so…….I’m really happy this year with my ‘Tiger Eye’ sumac. It is a 2nd year plant and is putting on quite a colorful show. I have high hopes for its future.
Love turning to this blog for good, solid plant info and a laugh or two along the way. The question of the day is a super idea. Love knowing what other gardeners are thinking!!
Thanks so much JMart for the kind words! I had a Tiger Eye in my hands last summer at the garden center and couldn’t pull the trigger because I had no room for it and feared the deer would eat it. I’ve now opened more room in my garden and would loooove to try it. I’m a foliage person too. Thanks again for the comment!!