Since retiring my yard has had its ups and downs....just like me I have spent some time this spring trying to lessen the impact the buttercups are trying to make. Think I tired out my right weeding thumb so headed out for a five day camping trip. Here’s what I found when I got back. The trilliums had finished blooming and the hostas had jumped out of the ground in the 80+ F weather. More sun, foxgloves beginning to create their flower stalks and now I can see the neighbors house again (after a decade). Columbine hybrids scattered about in blue and violet. A hybrid clematis blooming (self sown seed from I believe the jackamini and white double). The center is much darker than last year, its first blooming cycle. A few allium bulbs survived and rebloomed this year. A variegated brunnea is almost finished blooming Lots of foxgloves getting ready to bloom. They are native and self sow everywhere. Then there is a wild imported hyacinth, sweet woodruff and a variety of woodlands What’s happening in your garden?
WOW how exciting to see so many of your plants in flower on your return. I have a soft spot for Columbines and have quite a few here myself. They look so delicate but manage to survive our Scottish weather and re- bloom every year. Your garden is a sheer delight. Thank you for allowing us to share it with you.
What a beautiful sight to come home to! Everything looks gorgeous! Nothing happening here ... its been so COLD. I do have some daffodils blooming but that is all.
@Jewell, I just LOVE your gardens! Sincerely! I wish I lived closer to you so I could see them in person. You actually have been an inspiration to me because I have a lot of shade in my yard too. I am impressed that you have a self sown clematis. It is beautiful, worthy of a name and a copyright. You ought to at least name it. I also love your columbines. Will you send me some seeds of the pink & purple? I am impressed that your trilliums look so happy & healthy. I have just begun growing them & mine look rather puny in comparison. I love the variegated foliage of that Brunnea. Where it is in bloom or not, it makes a statement. Are you guessing I have garden envy?!! BTW, do you have the yellow celendine poppy? This is the hybrid not the wilding, Stylophorum diphyllum? If not. I could send you some seeds. Here is a photo: In my garden it blooms at the same time as bleeding hearts (as you see here) and Virginia bluebells. I have yet to pair it with the bluebells, it would be pretty with them.
CM, you are so generous with both your compliments and your offer of seeds. PM me your address and I will send a few seeds when they are ready. They never come true to color so who knows what you might end up with. This garden has had filtered to full shade most of the day except during the weeks of the summer solstice and some very late sun when the sun is setting more to the north northwest. Again CM, thanks for the generous offer. Since I am traveling and away from the gardens so much, I am not expanding my plant collection (except the darn weeds) at this time. The volunteer clematis has lightened its color and opened up more. Given time I may layer it to have multiple plants. Time always seems at a commodity in short supply when I am having fun. The Nelly Moser is the one clematis that has over the years propagated itself many times. Right now it is in full bloom this plant. The jackamani clematis went from two plants to 4 by stems rooting itself. No blooms this year since I had to move it and gave the other three to a neighbor. Hopefully it is now placed where it will not engulf the building. Rhododendrons are blooming around the neighborhood. Here is our old one
Jewell, thanks for the offer of seeds. I will send you my address. I have propagated roses and rhododendrons by layering. I have not done that with clematis. I will try it! I'll also try Nelly Moser if she has a tendency to self sow. Your photos are gorgeous BTW. We have had such cold rainy weather here in NE I am starved for color!
You may be surprised at how easy clematis creates starts. I had two seedlings next to the shed come up. I actually thought the purple double was a Nelly Moser seedling, since over the 35+ years of living here I have had to move them a few times. Only one seedling was a Nelly. I hadn’t ever thought of starting clematis seeds, but I wonder if winter sewing would work for them like other summer perennials. The autumn anemone (double fall anemone with a not so vigorous clematis) and hellebores both spread baby plants in inopportune places from seeds. Might be our wet temperate climate.
Well, the foxgloves are up. I was worried I’d weeded too many out, but obviously that wasn’t the case. They are everywhere without rhyme nor reason. Most dwarf me in height. They range in colors from pure white (no spots) to bright pink. I really like the white ones with dark inner spots.
There are a few other things blooming or starting to bloom. Chinese ground orchid almost finished Campanella just starting. It was nice the white self sowed next to the pink orchid Peonies are about finished A few opium poppies come up every year. I read somewhere that the seeds stay viable for almost a century. Don’t believe it but with so many seeds they are prolific. Sometimes they cross with others and throw multiple petals or bright red. Not this year. Barlow Columbine, tiny but sweet. Then there will be berries soon: blueberries, strawberries, boysenberry and raspberries. The bumblebees are very busy. My favorite fragrant shrub, mock orange, is just beginning to bloom also Tomorrow I start a marathon couple of days weeding
Thx for the photos Jewel. Your gardens are amazing! They are much further ahead than mine in MA. The zone differences between regions never fails to amaze me.
Jewell--this foto spread is very impressive. I just LURVE those digitalis plants that you have. The foto's of the Aquilegia, peony and papaver are so impressive. After looking at the papaver steadily for a few minutes...I find it a splendid piccy. Gosh...I shall have to look back at them some more.