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.

Returning from last spring, bachelor’s buttons began opening this week.

Following on the success of Coral Charm, the second peony to flower this spring is Festiva Maxima. It made its first appearance this morning.

My passalong roses are in full bloom.

Southwest Corner

A redbud stands at the southwest corner of the garden. Its signature heart-shaped leaves are at the tender spring green stage.

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.

Phlox, black and blue salvia foliage, dark heuchera, hellebores.

The woodland phlox is fading and Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ leaves are emerging throughout this corner of the garden.

A small island at this corner of the garden is filled with irises, dianthus and a healthy-looking Powis Castle artemisia.

Western Border

Hellebores are less prominent now but still offer pleasing vignettes.

After a lackluster showing last year, the oakleaf hydrangea looks promising.

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.

Twin Sisters are the last of the daffodil show, which began this year in early February.

 

A few secondary buds open on Coral Charm this week. Faded petals from the first flowers are scattered beneath.

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.

In its second year in the northern border this passalong iris came from Pris at Petals and Wings.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

Irises are spilling over onto the slate path.

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.