My friend Jen came over the other day to take away some Hosta and Ferns and Hydrangea. They were getting too much sun here. She left me some ajuga, a hyacinth bean vine and a red hot poker plant. I can't wait to see the vine! I put it on the column in the front of the house.
I thought I spotted a daylily today, which really rattled my brain. When I looked closer, I saw that I had a yellow iris. No clue, had I. But it is very pretty. Also, the pink roses on the gazebo are blooming, the red knockouts look fabulous and the white ones are coming onto bloom now. Ants all over the peonies so it shouldn't be long....
I am in a photo blogging group. One of this months themes is "Faith".
I am looking at some pictures that I took today of the yard. Not "photography" pictures, but just journal photos of the way things are coming up. As I took pictures of the Hosta coming up, I realized that FAITH is exactly the perfect word for what I feel about my garden. I have faith in Jesus, faith in my family, and faith in my garden. How wonderful it is to know that every April I can go to the same spot where for 6 months prior there has been nothing, and I can see the new beginnings of my Hosta. Their little arms reaching toward the sky. Having moved so much in my life, I tend to look at repeatable events as monotonous and boring ("Oh, here we are again for the 6th year in this same old house"). But in my garden, things are different. And I think my gardening faith keeps things new and fresh. I am exceptionally thankful this time of year for Jesus' death and resurrection. And for the small reminders he puts in this world to help me wait out my time on earth for the chance to be with him in Heaven.
So - here are my pictures from today.
What is this (above)???? I thought it was green and gold, but it is not. Got it at a plant rescue several years ago. This is the first time I have seen it bloom. I love it.
Finally - the coolest addition to my garden yet -- my son. This will be our second Spring together. I am sure I will get more help this year than the last!!!! I love having a helper:
I am not really a big fan of the daylilies with defined eyes, but I noticed I have a few. They look so similar; I am not sure what is what. I know I have purchased the following kinds with eyes: Orchid Candy (which is pink), Man on Fire (which is only kind of like an eye with yellow and hot pink), and You Angel You (which is light pink). But these are the ones with eyes blooming right now:
I think this is Orchid Candy
I thought this was You Angel You, but this one has a dark edge on the ruffle unlike what I see on pictures of You Angel You on line.
You might recall that not too long ago the Night Embers lily bloomed. Well, I thought I saw it again today and took a picture. Good thing I did. I don't think this is the same daylily. The Night Embers does not have the pretty gold edging that this one does. Or maybe I'm just wrong, but I like this one:
This is one of the new ones from the talk-y lady.
This is the rose I moved early this Spring that I thought died. Oh - and the Fairy that did die...a little bit was left in the ground in the original location, and it is taking off. So momma died but baby will live on...Here is the other rose (i dunno what it is)
The asters are starting to bloom
Not sure what this is. I don't have a record of purchasing anything like this. It isn't Sammy Russell because it is more purple
I dunno what this is either. I wish I had kept better notes
I think someone sold this to me as You Angel You, but it is yellow instead of pink - not that I mind
I love waiting for the daylilies to open. They have started...
Night Embers in the front yard:
This is the Jasmine that I thought was dead - growing on the gazebo:
Another "Better Late Than Never" is my favorite Hosta. I thought it was a gonner, but she is poppin' up:
This is my current heartbreak. You can barely see my beautiful Lady Banks roses, the split leaf Japanese Maple, Hydrangeas, Weigelia, Spirea, Daylilies and Irises because of the horrid Kudzu growing everywhere:
And lastly, the balloon flowers - just the purple ones, not the white ones. This is the first year that they are blooming with the stokes aster. They are the exact same color - and it looks great.
We got some really great rain today. I did not harvest and could not plant, but I am not complaining. We needed that rain.
This morning Cooper and I walked the garden and this is what we saw:
- small red daylily just opening
- a white lily with three open blooms that I do not remember planting - it is really pretty
- a few stokes asters are all purpled up
- one of the itea finally has a small flower spike
- the jasmine on the gazebo is blooming and smelling lovely. better late than never; i think it just needs healing from the storm
- agastache blooming but hidden behind the tall orange daylily
- the kudzu is taking over