Spring in Bloom

Here it is almost the end of May, and my poor blog has been quite neglected! So to remedy that, here are some photos of a few of the blooms currently gracing my gardens....

This Columbine is a favorite of mine. I don't remember the name, but it is one of the McKana types. I like the two toned pink color, and the yellow stamens. It blooms longer and stays a nice compact size, in contrast to the bonnet types....which I often end up pulling out because they outgrow their space.

I am fond of these 'Cutie Pie' Violas, and as you can see.... the bees like them, too!

My daughter gave me this lovely Spanish Lavender plant for my birthday. It is a new variety called Lavandula stoechas 'Anouk'. After the first flowers have faded, the stems can be cut back for a second bloom time. And the best thing about it? It is a zone 5 plant, so I can overwinter it here... instead of having to replace each Spring.

A close-up of the wonderfully scented 'winged' Lavender blooms.

This week brought the first blooms of Periwinkle, Vinca Major 'Variegata'. I love the soft creamy color on the edges of the leaves, which really brightens up the rock gardens.

The first bloom of Clematis 'Niobe' opens it's dark red flower on the porch post.

There is a pleasing contrast of the white anthers against the dark blooms.

Also making an appearance now are the Lupines. The blue ones are a wild form, which I think have a nice Cottage look. If you click on the photo to enlarge, you can see a bed of Iris in bloom, behind the birdhouse.






And lastly.... a favorite vintage, weathered wood planter filled with Impatiens and hung from the light under the front porch, where it gets a little morning sun, and then shade for the remainder of the day. This was a great yard sale find, along with 2 others of similar style.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Thank you to so many of you, for your get well wishes, as I have been down with a bout of Pleurisy. Recovery has been slow and is still not complete, but I have been able to do a few small tasks in the garden each day, which helps my spirits! And I have a wonderfully helpful husband, who has been called upon to do many of the tasks I don't yet have strength for.

Calendulas and Catmint

I purchased these vintage green bottles at a flea market last summer, with the vision of arranging them with a single flower in each. I posted a earlier photo with Orange Cosmos in a single green bottle/vase. The green and orange really seemed to work well together.




I decorated for a bridal shower this week, which motivated me to try out my idea. Here they are grouped together on my kitchen counter. They looked a little bare with only one late blooming Calendula per vase, as the flowers are pretty small this time of year, so I doubled them up and added some blue Catmint. They do look charming, I think.....especially at a time of year when color is so scarce. I didn't end up using these for the shower, but I am enjoying the bright spot in my kitchen!

A tour around the garden did yield a small bouquet of flowers for the bridal shower....on December 5th, no less! I will share the photo on my next post.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The gardening season officially begins on January 1st, and ends on December 31."

~ Marie Huston

Cosmos in Vintage Vases

I enjoy collecting old glass bottles to use as flower vases. I thought it would be fun to share a couple of my latest finds.

I purchased this old bottle for 50 cents at a yard sale this summer. I love it's heavy glass feel, top lip, and rather unusual shape. It stands a little over 3 inches tall, so is perfect for a few selected flowers. Featured here with a few 'Picotee' Cosmos flowers. (Cosmos bipinnatus) The large blooms are white with a rose/pink picotee edge, and some blooms are also splashed or striped with crimson highlights.

This green bottle came from a recent flea market, where there was a huge selection of old glass. I didn't have any in this color, so I bought several in different shapes and sizes. In my mind's eye, I pictured a collection of them sitting on a tray with a few casual flowers in each. I like how the green color compliments this handful of Orange Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus). Both photos were taken with the vases placed on my ironing board (cover by Martha Stewart), with natural light from a nearby window.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Dirty hands, iced tea, garden fragrances thick in the air and a blanket of color before me, who could ask for more?"

- Bev Adams, Mountain Gardening