Meet TS and Come See the Rest of the Garden...

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Rainy Day Ramble


The geums have begun to bloom. Their ruffly petals remind of Spanish flamenco dresses.


Siberian iris 'Caesar's Brother'


'Johnson's Blue' geraniums, Siberian iris, and tradescantia grow near a large 'Little Henry' sweetspire (background). The sweetspire foliage will grow greener as it matures. By the time it blooms, it will be dark green.


Self-seeded tradescantia
This popped up this spring next to a clump of blue and white tradescantias. I think it may be the result of cross pollination.


The annual anemone take over in my dry shade garden


These are beautiful thugs. After they bloom, I pull them up by the handfuls to keep them in check. They always rebound vigorously by the following spring. 


Campanula 'Pink Octopus' 


'Pink Octopus' grows alongside a bigroot geranium and 'Goldsturm' rudbeckia


My Westerland climbing roses are blooming!


'Night Owl' climbing rose shares a fence with 'Westerland'.


'Night Owl' climbing rose


'Abraham Darby' lounging in the loosestrife foliage. I grow loosestrife in a pot to keep it from taking over the garden.


Native clematis crispa has bell shaped flowers with thick curved petals and blooms all summer.


It dies to the ground every winter so you never have to worry about how to prune it..


A very easy clematis to grow, it loves moist, rich soil and partial shade. The deutzia in the background is covered with buds.

54 comments:

  1. Beautiful photos! And I love the Clematis crispa, never heard of it before. Great to see your roses blooming, I have yet to have a single rose in flower, it is still very cold here in London for the time of year.
    Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Hopefully, you'll have warmer weather coming soon. clematis crispa is native to the southeastern parts of the US but it should grow for you, too. :o)

      Delete
  2. Sooo Pretty! I love the color and form of the geum blooms...and the Westerland climbing rose although I think all of them are lovely... I have a thing for Orange and deep yellow flowers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I like orange and yellow, too. Some people avoid the hotter colors but I really like them. :o)

      Delete
  3. I love what you said about the Geum petals. So true. My Clematis crispa is barely out of the ground and yours is blooming beautifully! Abraham looks delightful, hiding in the loosestife. :) And 'Night Owl' is gorgeous. I love its yellow center. Your 'Pink Octopus' is also way ahead of mine. Isn't it interesting how plants adjust to their location? I like how you paired it with the Geranium. Very lovely indeed. Thanks for visiting my blog and for your kind comments. Please let me know what you think of my book and thank you again and again. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's so weird that yours aren't blooming ahead of mine! Aren't you a warmer zone? As soon as I read the book, which I may not have time for until the summer, I'll let you know. :o)

      Delete
  4. Thank you for you sweet comments on your Garden Column. Sunny attitude? It's the medication. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL!! I know several people who need a lifetime supply. :o)

      Delete
  5. Your garden is looking lovely - love the raindrops on all the flowers - it looks a very natural type of garden, just what I like myself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a very natural cottage garden - nothing too serious or stuffy. :o)

      Delete
  6. So beautiful... I love touring your garden with you and seeing what you have growing! Cheers~

    ReplyDelete
  7. You have SO MANY wonderful flowers! Some of them I've never even heard of. I do really like Anemones. A friend gave me some late last year so I'm looking forward to seeing them bloom this summer. I really enjoyed seeing your garden!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I have three different types of anemones in the garden. The ones pictured here are anemone canadensis, which thrives in dry partial shade.

      Delete
  8. OK, I need to know how you manage to grow geum in your garden. I thought it croaked in the heat. Love love love your roses.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It grows in very moist partial shade, which I think is key. They don't like to be hot and dry. All of my roses should do well for you, too.

      Delete
  9. Beautiful gardens and nice photos. I bet you are enjoying the flowers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I love seeing them through my kitchen windows in the morning. It's the best way to start the day. :o)

      Delete
  10. It looks as though your garden is rejoicing in the rain. When I saw your Geums, I went out into my own garden to check on mine, which failed to produce a single bloom last year. And, sigh, there's still no sign they're even thinking about blooming this year either, although the plants themselves look healthy.

    Thanks for sharing your garden - and for your kind comment on my last post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's so weird that your geums aren't blooming. Mine bloom in late spring and grow in a moist, partially shady spot sheltered from afternoon sun.

      You're welcome and hang in there. I personally know how hard that road is.

      Delete
  11. Your blooms are gorgeous! Your photos are stunning as well! WOW! How pretty with the raindrops sprinkled on the petals. Everything is wonderful but I have my eye on those climbing roses! I have never grown them but I am thinking after seeing them in your garden that I should try?!?! I hope you have an outstanding week!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks!! Get thee to the store and buy a Westerland!! They are exceptionally cold hardy. I bought mine online from Edmund's Roses. They are vigorous and disease resistant. It's a blooming machine. :o)

      Delete
  12. Love the droplets of water on the flowers, so cool and refreshing looking, not like the hot, dry, brown, burnt to a crisp plants I am trying to keep alive.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe you should plant tumbleweeds and spray paint them zinnia colors. :o) They never need to be watered.

      Delete
  13. I love all of the shots of the flowers..so many must haves to be added to my lists...

    Your garden is gorgeous.

    Jen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! It's one of my favorite places to be. :o) Westerland would do very well in your cold climate. It's super tough.

      Delete
  14. Great pictures. But I thought Anemones needed moist soil? 'Johnson's Blue' is my favorite Geranium, I think.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Japanese anemones and woodland anemonoes (anemone sylvestris) both love moist soil. But anemone canadensis thrives in dry partial shade. Mine grow in a bermed bed between a water sucking river birch and a crepe myrtle. They do take over but are very easy to control.

      Delete
  15. OH these are beautiful, no way could I pick a favorite. Jealous you have roses blooming, just stunning.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks!! These both bloom early in the season. Night Owl was miserable last year after he'd been transplanted. But I learned my lesson. He's a water baby and hates to be dry. I'm hoping he puts out more growth to help cover my fence. :o)

      Delete
  16. Lovely blooms. The Geums look beautiful and I love that native Clematis. I know one of mine made it through last year as it is blooming. Not sure about the other one and it died to the ground in the drought last year but it might be starting up, unless it's a weed there. :)
    Cher Sunray Gardens

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your drought was pure misery. I'm so glad that geum made it through.

      Delete
  17. Your garden is looking so FULL! I just love abundance in gardens. I will have to try growing anemones in my garden. I doubt they would be too 'thuggish' in my garden, since it's so hot and dry here. And the clematis is just beautiful. Love that bell shape.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm a sucker for bell shaped clematis. I'ts intriguing that half the beauty is hiding inside of the flower. :o)

      Delete
  18. Gorgeous! Sometimes rain brings out the best in a garden :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I'll take all the free water I can get! :o)

      Delete
  19. Everything looks so pretty and full of life....hurray for spring at last.
    Loved the roses a whole lot....a whole lot.....did I say a whole lot?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have a few more that haven't bloomed yet so there are more photos coming. My garden isn't a garden without a rose. :o)

      Delete
  20. It's lovely seeing your Geums in bloom, mine are still a few weeks away here. You have so many beautiful Roses and Clematis and they look great with the raindrops on them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've heard England has had a really cold spring. :( Geums have a party feel to them. I love how colorful they are. :o)

      Delete
  21. Annual anenome is new to me as is Clematis crispa, both of which are very pretty! Everything in your garden is looking so full and lush. Is Westerland as extremely fragrant as all the rose folks say?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just went out and sniffed them and they're fragrant if you stick your nose in them but not overwhelmingly so. They are super tough and easy to grow. :o)

      Delete
  22. Such beautiful photography of water droplets on petals. I love them. I was trying to take some this weekend but nothing has come out nicely. What camera/lens did you use?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I use a cheap digital camera that's about 7 years old. It has macro and super macro settings as well as an anti-jiggle setting that I never turn off. I just take a lot of photos and hope a few turn out well. :o)

      Delete
  23. Love the way you have captured the flowers with the soft bloom of raindrops enhancing their beauty. Maybe I won't dry my face in the morning and see if it works for me. Della Law from urbanwildlifediary.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So funny!! If it worked like that I'd go around with a spray bottle just to help my self look better. ;o)

      Delete
  24. Oh, I'm partial to that 'Abraham Darby' Rose! Sweet! But actually everything in your garden looks luscious--especially bathed in soft raindrops. Your garden is the place to be in the DC area! :-) Wish I could hop on over for a visit!

    ReplyDelete
  25. The bell shaped Clematis is beautiful! You have so many different bloomers. Lovely! Happy gardening, Tammy!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Your rainy day photos are great; there's something nice about sparkly raindrops on flowers and foliage.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Everything looks so beautiful, really love that Night Owl rose. Have a great rest of the week.

    Sandy

    ReplyDelete
  28. Just fabulous....my garden is just beginning to show the same blooms and I hope to see these show up soon.....

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hello Tammy, everyday is a cold and rainy day ramble here at the moment. I love the Abraham Darby rose, I really like that kind of rose style. I'm also a great fan of the blue Siberian Irises. I bought several small plants last year and so it'l be a while before I see them in full flower, but I do have one large clump of them too which should be out in a few weeks if they're not battered down by the weather.

    ReplyDelete
  30. I love the analogy to flamenco dresses; and I love flamenco! Jeannine

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting my blog! Feel free to comment on the posts or photos.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.