Sweet Garden Songs

I am no expert on music but I was thinking that the garden right now reminds me of an orchestra in which I am the hardworking conductor.  I'm out there every minute I can be waving my conductor's wand, er- shovel?  Of course it's not all me, the plants know their cue and burst into song at just the right moment!  Sing along with me.....
First a broad view of the garden...my new garden stairs are almost finished!

The foundation plantings are sounding (looking) sweet.  I always get a brash sound from this Japanese Dappled Willow standard at this phase of growth.  It looks like a punk rocker in the midst of my sweet Stellas and Fairy rose.

 

The spring-fed pond is humming along nicely (with help from the frogs).  I was lucky to not have lost my cannas as so many did last winter.

The Spring house is a very "cool" place.  I depend on hostas, ferns, bleeding hearts, impatiens and hellebores to harmonize in this deep shade area.

Sweet autumn clematis has finally made the climb over the archway.  Thank you Phillip for this plant!  Also the rose is a spectacular "found" rose from my travels.  It is large single petaled with hot pink edges and a white eye.  The flowers are in clusters.  It is a vigorous climber (likely planted in the wrong spot)  I may have hit a sour note with it's location...likely will move it due to the dangerous thorns too near the path.

So what's playing in your garden??

I'm Up for the Challenge!

Thanks to Ruth at Muscari Musings for challenging me to post the 8th pic in my 8th album and this is what popped up:

This Nikko blue hydrangea bloomed for the first time last year and was given to me by my coworker (and plant addict) Kim.  She came in to work all frazzled and hot one morning after digging a piece of this up for me.  It sat and sulked for 3 years until last year.  You can imagine my joy at seeing blooms emerging! 

Here is a later pic in full bloom:

There are too few blue blooms in the garden and I just love the sky blue color of the Nikko.  The artemesia combo nearby was a happy accident.  I think they compliment each other well don't you?

Plant Swap Fever!

Well the bi-annual Middle Tennessee Plant swap at Henry Horton State park was last weekend.  I have not missed a one since I found out about it in fall of '07 I think.  It is usually my sister Barbara and whoever else we can drag along to tend our table that could give a rip about gardening (thanks to Ashley this time and Donna at other times past!)  We have the most fun/food/and flowers!  The only bummer this time is that my back has been giving me a fit and I have not planted one single thing I brought home!  I may have to point and let Glen dig the holes until I'm better.  He would do that for me...darling man!  Anyways, here are a few highlights:

Me- I couldn't be more excited than if I was 5 and it was Christmas morn!

Our plant swap table; Isn't it ever-so-cute?

Lots of goodies.  I think its the coolest thing to trade what you have too much of for things you don't have.  I have been able to have such a variety in my garden for no cost. 

Until the next one in October, I'll be busying myself with more propagating and digging/dividing in the fall for one last hoorah for the year.  Stay tuned.

Wordless Wednesday

The Search is Over for the Rose of My Childhood

We moved in a 1940's wood siding house in Waynesboro, TN when I was about 6 years old.  I clearly remember every bush, flower and tree in the yard like it was yesterday.  I was the kid that came in, swallowed supper and went back outside with my friends to catch lightning bugs until I was made to come in on summer nights.  Our yard was my playground.  In the backyard was an old rose of the palest baby pink.  It had ruffled semi-double petals and a perfume like no other.  I don't know what happened to that rose only that it has been gone for many years and I have scoured catalogs, the internet and yards for one of my own.  It was my unicorn until today!  A family friend had this rose in her front yard (which I pass every day going to work).  I could not tell from the road that it was anything but a pink rose.  Today we caught Ms. Eileen standing out in her yard and stopped to ask for a cutting.  I could have cried as I got closer and saw the golden stamens on those familiar pink ruffled open petals.  The final sensory shocker was as I took the first smell.  Funny how smells are an important part of our memories we form through life. I was just feeling sad and missing mom on Mother's Day.  It was like a consolation from God to find this rose.

Iris-sistible!

Ok, I feel another love affair coming on-- between myself and iris!  No dear rose(s) not to worry you are not being replaced.  I have enough "love" to go around!  Thanks to plant swaps, generous friends, boost jobs from cemeteries and unsuspecting vacant lots (and one weak moment in Walmart)...I have collected quite a few.  Each day for the last few weeks I run to the garden and find a new gift has opened.  I only know the name of one of these so feel free to help me ID some of them if you can.

A plant swap beauty...it is a ghostly blue color- very unusual I think and I love the ruffled petals.

Supreme Sultan...my Walmart Iris.

I have no idea about this one but it is a very small bloom and short in stature.  I love the pastel color blend.

I have been coveting the white/purple blends in others' yards...Surprise!  I have one too!  I love the edging of the purple with the white, it makes it glow.

This year a generous co-worker gave me free reign to get flower starts from her mother-in-law's yard (she's in the nursing home).  She must be a lover of iris too..I found 3 nice varieties there including this one.  Yay!

The next two are the dearest of all as they came from my mom's house.  She had them for years until they had all but stopped blooming.  About 4 years ago I laboriously dug them all out, shared with my sister and co-workers then planted the rest.  It took 3 years for them to start blooming but they have been faithful since.  The pastel lavender has a sweet scent that carries on the wind.  Makes me want to stop what I'm doing and say "hi mom!"

Thanks for sharing my "presents" with me!

Backordered Rain?

I think God gave us rainy days so we gardeners would rest and not feel guilty!  I have caught up on my rest and have eaten way too much food during this monsoon-of-a-weekend.  I crept outside and snapped a few pictures before yet another deluge began.  Thank goodness I keep an umbrella stashed in my potting shed!  My mom used to call such rains "gosling drowners."  A co-worker dubs them "toad stranglers."  All I know is a lot of rain fell in a short time.  I would tell you how much if I hadn't been lazy and put off putting up my rain gauge. 

Heritage rose is no worse for the wear from the beating rain:

I felt sorry for this little bee...he looks so bedraggled and weary on my iris:

This rose was one of my year old babies blooming for the first time.  Glad the rain didn't destroy these until I could see them at least.

Not the best photography to be sure but I was glad to see my cheap-o remedy for " peony rain flop" is working...plastic 6 pack coke rings.

We were blessed here in extreme southern middle Tennessee.  The severe flooding and heaviest rains this weekend stayed on the western edge of our county as it marched northward.  Our ground is saturated so it will be a few days until I can do much in the actual ground.  On the bright side we are due some sunny 80 degree days all week.  Just in time for the workweek...but I digress.