Virgie’s Rose
After a busy week I enjoyed a leisurely walk around the garden this morning. Asiatic lilies and dahlias from past years are peeking through the soil and recently planted azaleas and hydrangeas are settling in. It seems like a good time to document some of the flowers.
Southern Border
Having staked out territory all around the property, Aquilegia is finishing its spring show.
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ (Autumn Sage)
Returning from last spring, bachelor’s buttons began opening this week.
Centaurea cyanus ‘Blue Boy’ (Bachelor’s Button, Cornflower)
Iris germanica ‘Immortality’ (White) With Yellow Pass Along Iris
Following on the success of Coral Charm, the second peony to flower this spring is Festiva Maxima. It made its first appearance this morning.
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’
My passalong roses are in full bloom.
Virgie’s Rose
Virgie’s Rose
Virgie’s Rose
Virgie’s Rose
Virgie’s Rose
Southwest Corner
A redbud stands at the southwest corner of the garden. Its signature heart-shaped leaves are at the tender spring green stage.
Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud)
Drifts of Lamb’s ears, Japanese roof iris and columbine play easily beneath a tall bearded pass-along iris I have had since the late seventies.
Iris ‘Helen Collingwood’
Phlox divaricata (Woodland phlox)
Phlox, black and blue salvia foliage, dark heuchera, hellebores.
Phlox divaricata (Woodland phlox)
The woodland phlox is fading and Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ leaves are emerging throughout this corner of the garden.
Phlox divaricata (Woodland phlox)
A small island at this corner of the garden is filled with irises, dianthus and a healthy-looking Powis Castle artemisia.
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)
Dianthus
Western Border
Hellebores are less prominent now but still offer pleasing vignettes.
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
After a lackluster showing last year, the oakleaf hydrangea looks promising.
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
This delicate iris is a pass-along sent from Idaho by my sister-in-law Kathleen. First planted in my previous garden, I brought it along when we moved (nearly 22 years ago).
She described it as Japanese iris but I do not know.
Passalong Iris From Kathleen
Twin Sisters are the last of the daffodil show, which began this year in early February.
Twin Sisters / Cemetery Ladies (Narcissus x medioluteus)
Dianthus b. ‘Purple Picotee’ (Sweet William)
Dianthus (Sweet William)
A few secondary buds open on Coral Charm this week. Faded petals from the first flowers are scattered beneath.
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Coral Charm’ (Coral Charm Peony)
Northern Border
All finished with its spring show the flowering dogwood at the corner of the northern border is full of fresh green foliage. A second of Virgie’s passalong rose colors up the border. I didn’t get the roses cut back very much this year and after the rainy winter the there is a lot of black spot on the leaves.
Virgie’s Rose
Virgie’s Rose
In its second year in the northern border this passalong iris came from Pris at Petals and Wings.
Passalong Iris and Virgie’s Rose
Passalong Iris and Virgie’s Rose
Passalong Iris and Virgie’s Rose
A single snapdragon from a few years ago is beginning to open near the iris bed. A large group of Iris ‘Immortality’ is in full bloom; Iris ‘Helen Collingwood’ is just starting to open. Underneath, pansies from my friend Susan last fall provide colorful accents.
Snapdragon and Iris ‘Helen Collingwood’
Snapdragon and Iris ‘Helen Collingwood’
Pansy
Iris ‘Helen Collingwood’
Meditation Circle
The center of the meditation circle has a couple of English thyme that were planted last year and which finally seem happy. The dark plants in the background are Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’. It self-sows in this area.
Thymus vulgaris (English thyme)
Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)
Thymus vulgaris (English thyme)
I dropped a few seeds of Cerinthe several years ago along one of the paths in the meditation circle, planning to relocate the plants if they survived. (Still there.)
‘Pride of Gibraltar’ Hummingbird Cerinthe
Southern Side Path
I showed the side path on Wednesday but just to complete to walk around my garden, I include it today. More buds have opened on Clematis ‘Jackmanii’ and baptisia is simply wonderful this year.
Clematis ‘Jackmanii’
Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’
Irises are spilling over onto the slate path.
Tall Bearded Iris (from Henrietta circa 1977)
Since taking this walk the garden had a nice drenching rain with dark gray clouds all afternoon. Tomorrow should be a beautiful spring day 72F.
pbmGarden 
Your garden is so beautiful!!
Thanks Chris, this is its week! I love this time of year.
Gorgeous! I think Virgie’s Rose is my favorite..or Powis Castle or the Lambs Ear?! It’s a dilemma.
Thanks Amy. It’s so hard to choose. That’s why I could only manage to whittle down my photos this morning to fewer than 50!
Virgie has to be one!
Yes, only rose I have. It’s one my grandmother and mother grew. When I was growing up I remember it blooming on Mother’s Day!
Perfect..
You need a sign with ‘Garden Extraordinaire – open for viewing.’ 🙂
Thank you Judy. This week is the peak I think (before it all gets way out of hand).
Roses, peonies and bearded Iris – oh my! Enjoy your spring garden, Susie!
Thanks Kris. The roses were icing on the cake.
Oh my goodness–your garden is in a stunning state right now. So colorful! I really don’t know where to start. The Irises and the Hellebores and the Snapdragons and the Roses and…everything else! Very nice.
Thank you Beth! This weekend everything seemed to peak.
Absolutely beautiful, Susie! 😍
Thanks Eliza! I’m savoring these carefree days before the garden begs for water, deadheading and weeding. It’s been a beautiful weekend.
I don’t know how you ever go inside with such a beautiful garden on all sides of your yard. Does your dianthus come up every year?
It’s been a nice weekend to be outdoors. The shorter dianthus has overwintered for a few years. It never dies back completely (of course it doesn’t look great in winter, but on a warm day one might spot a flower). The taller Sweet William is new this year and it never seems to last.
We usually plant them in the winter and they do not make it through summer.
Your garden is so lovely Susie. The rose is stunning! And your peonies and irises are fabulous too – I was reminded of that white peony that I grew in my last garden. Does your Salvia ‘Black and Blue’ always survive winter outdoors? All of my less hardy ones died this winter, and my cuttings were a disaster, so I will plant some more and try with cuttings a bit earlier this year.
Maybe you’ll find another white peony for this new garden? Too bad about your salvia cuttings. For many years the Salvia ‘Black and Blue’ dies back completely and emerges each spring. It is spreading extensively but I’m happy with it so I’ve let it ramble.
I do have a white peony here Susie… I will have to do a post on my peonies when they flower, but that won’t be for another month yet.
That rose makes a glorious display, Susie – are they both single bushes, and how long will they continue to flower for? I have do enjoyed sharing these series of walks with you and seeing more of your garden – I can’t remember if you have evr shared a plan/map of the garden?