Garden Wonders

The rain held last evening, so Nora was able to snap some additional photos of the various flowers in bloom around the house.  She's been wonderful about documenting all of my flower beds throughout the growing season, which aids in identifying gaps, determining which plants need to be relocated, where I need early bloomers, etc.  My goal is to have gardens that are in bloom from early spring through the first frost in October.

Some lilies that survived the Edith and Archie massacre

Artistic shot of split rail peaking through the Japanese Willow and Heliopsis helianthoides in the circle garden

Astilbe and dianthus.  The dianthus was planted last evening.

Stella D'oro day lilies in front yard island

Obviously I have a yellow obsession.  Mix of heliopsis and potentilla.  The tall plants in the back left are garden phlox and will produce beautiful purple blossoms in another couple of weeks.  I also planted some purple lupine and baptista in behind the potentilla (still small this year) that will bloom in late spring.  The front of the bed is lined with recently planted purple and yellow pansies and petunias.  They will fill out in another week or so.

A sole peony bloom.  I just planted the tubers last year, so the plants are still small.  Next year should bring a spectacular array of beautiful peonies - whites, pinks and reds -- planted in multiple garden beds.

New this year and I love it!  It's called trailing bellflower (also called campanula blue waterfall).  It's a low growing flower that spreads like ground phlox, but blooms in early summer.  Gorgeous.  I planted it along the edge of the butterfly garden.