Thursday, May 24, 2012

April Showers. .You Know What THAT Means!!

Well. .the school year is officially over around this place!!
Though it just ended yesterday, it FEELS like it is mid-June to me. Everything is blooming early. .and the heat is on!! Tomorrow is slated to be 99 degrees. We have already had several days in the mid 90's. Come along and see what is new here.
A lump of blue/purple salvia is coming along very nicely. .a gift from GonSS from her garden to mine in April. .I have been just tickled with it's progress. .I notice with her photos. .and from my mom's garden (I was able to ID this plant at her house! She knew what it was, I hadn't known that before) that this will freely self seed, and fill in a nice area of the Memory garden.
The wintersown Carnival morning glories are starting to climb up the rustic cedar fence. I can't wait to see the blooms. 
The cosmos did a super job of reseeding themselves to fill in this area on the east side of the pond. .I don't think I had any there last year. .so they must have traveled across the yard. The variegated cattail clump to the right in the photo has developed catkins. .will have to get a close up when the wind isn't blowing 50 mph!
The butterfly milkweed has established himself well. .and looks to have even reseeded in the area. It is really stunning in the midst of the purple larkspur. This weekend I hope to deadhead some of the dying larkspur to make way for the summer blooms.
The Ratibida are just starting their blooms. .The burgundy Mexican Hat coneflower plants were the "new plant" winners around here last year. .surviving the drought and heat and blooming for nearly 4 months. The yellow Ratibida are really nice too. They bloomed last summer, but they weren't that great. .these blooms seem to be larger and more showy! They self-seeded well. .and I will no doubt be digging them out for years to come!! 
The holly hocks are certainly making a statement this spring! Never do I recall having such nice looking plants. .and blooms from them. Earlier in the week as I shot these photos. .I scared a hummer out of them. I was tickled that there is still one out. .and that provoked me to refill my feeder and hang it where I could see it better. And then I was gone all week, here and there and everywhere. .am hoping to see him this weekend.
The blooms are red, burgundy, light pink, and white. Even the foliage has been relatively unscathed by insects. Maybe the chickens have scared them all away!!
The Russian garden is in bloom. Though the bluish sage in the middle is just starting and hard to see. The blanket flower have reseeded themselves in the garden. .but it just seems to be taking a long time for it to fill in. .It's coming!
I've been pretty happy with my patio plants so far this year. I found this cool looking foxtail fern and used some hot pink petunias and gomphrenia plants. Finally the honeysuckle bush is tall enough to give some relief and afternoon shade to the deck and it's inhabitants. 
The view from the boys' upstairs room shows the shape-up of the fish pond. The bushes to the far right are the caryopteris. .
Amazingly. .they are starting to bloom. .nearly 2 months ahead of schedule!!
One of the daylily plants shared by my friend Pat is blooming. .Pat. .if you stop by this post. .ID this one for me!! The other clumps have buds on them too. .so now it will be a short wait to see!! 
Wheat harvest started this afternoon. While the guys were in the middle of all that. .Cami and I hung out in the yard. .just taking deep breaths!! We jumped. .and played on the swings. .and checked out the flowers. .and peeked in the bluebird houses. .
Guess what we found?? 
A few TINY little bluebirds in the house by the road. Squinting with one eye through a 2 inch hole into a dark box provided only the glimpse of beaks and movement. .so we googled baby bluebirds. Cami couldn't see anything in the hole. .but she was pretty impressed by the tiny, naked birds we saw in the google images!! Can't wait to see them grow!!
Have a wonderful weekend!!
We are needing one around this house!!

6 comments:

  1. Hi Melanie
    Looks like the heat is on. 99 degrees? Ugh. But your blooms have certainly come out-gorgeous! I really like that foxtain fern. I've never seen one before-you did a nice job of displaying that.
    Hope you have a great weekend, and get the time to enjoy your hummer.

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  2. I love the combination of the orange butterfly milkweed and the blue larkspur - just so rich!

    Your hollyhocks are stunning this year. Mine are much quieter - one of the few flowers that hasn't put on a spectacular show this spring.

    I wondered when wheat harvest was going to start. I haven't seen any around here, but I'm expecting it any day, as the wheat looks quite ready to my uneducated eye.

    Hope you have a great weekend! (Despite the heat.)

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  3. So glad the salvia is growing and blooming for you. It is hardy stuff and the butterflies and bees love it!
    Cattails are so fun. You really did get a lot of cosmos. The milkweek is great in the larkspur. I remember how amazed I was at your hollyhocks during our visit. They are certainly performing.
    Looking good!
    I reidentified the bugs on my cabbage--flea beetles. I have a new pest to hunt.

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  4. My milkweed is just about to bloom! YEY! I love your Hollyhocks. I think I may have to find a little spot for some next year. Really hoping to get my garden work done tomorrow. I still haven't mulched, and I've decided that if I don't get the rest planted tomorrow, I just am not doing any more this year. I guess some years are just like this!! Dan has 67 potato plants. EVERY.SINGLE. one came up, as well as a few that we are pretty sure are left over from last year, becuase they are in a random spots.
    Hope your staying cool. I was thinking about you last night when I slept on the couch becuase our bedroom was too stinking hot!!

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  5. I was just thinking this afternoon that I am going to have to call Melanie and get some ideas for WIND tolerant plants...holy moly it's windy up here on the hill! Your yard looks wonderful!

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  6. Your place is looking beautiful! I love larkspur, too. That milkweed does look good with them. I don't think I got any of the Mexican hat planted. I wonder if I could still find any around here.

    I hope your birds do well.

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