I Don't Grow Irises

I don't grow irises, but that doesn't stop me from almost driving my car off the road due to iris gawking. Instead of causing an accident, I parked my car and took pictures of  these irises blooming in an unknown gardener's yard.

The name "iris" comes from the Greek word for "rainbow" because of its exceptional colors. This must be true because I read it on the internet!

All Things Seem Possible In May

Foamflower, Tiarella 'Pirate's Patch'

A plant that tolerates dry shade.

That makes it a favorite of mine.

Pale pink, fragrant flowers in late spring.

The green leaves have dark center patches.

Fall temperatures turn the leaves to burgundy.

These Mount Hood Trumpet Daffodils were planted last fall. They were very slow to appear this spring and then when they did, they were short and didn't look like they'd have flowers. All of a sudden they shot up and produced these white blooms, which are just now beginning to fade. This particular daffodil is sometimes referred to as "The Second Snow", since it adds white to the landscape after the snow is gone. Mystery astilbe growing in front of them.

I've wanted to add some whimsy to my yard.

Nothing too showy or too colorful, but

I like that in other people's gardens.

This piece seemed perfect for me.

Last Sunday morning, Phillip and I made another visit to Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve. We were looking for frogs by this pond, but didn't see a one. But we did find turtles galore all out sunning themselves on the fallen logs. We did a quick count and came up with about 75 turtles.

I don't know a thing about aquatic plants,

except that they grow in water:)

These were in the pond by the turtles.

I imagine they are some kind of water lily.

I went on a bird walk at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary,

binoculars, bird book & camera in hand.

By the time I figured out what tree the bird was in

and focused the binoculars, the bird was gone.

After two hours, I broke off from the group

and made friends with this goose.

Mr. and Mrs. Robin seem to trust me.

They let me take this photo.

Just to be safe, I wore protective head gear.

Yesterday, I went to a perennial sale here in our neighborhood and bought six plants. Also went to Phillip's flag football game and then to his house to do some container planting. Today will be a day of planting at our house, containers and in the ground. The weather is perfect and I plan to enjoy every minute of it. Thanks for stopping by to see what's new around here.

"The world's favorite season is spring.

All things seem possible in May."

-Edwin Way Teale

Do You Think The Rain Will Hurt The Rhubarb?

When I was a kid, my Uncle Jim would ask the above question as a way to change the conversation topic or when there was a lull in the conversation. Even today, I'm not sure what the question means, but the answer is, "Not if it's in cans." All this to say that we planted a rhubarb plant this week, our first ever. A neighbor dug it out of the garden at a home he has for sale and gave it to us. He doesn't know what kind it is except to say that it makes great pies. That's all my husband needed to know.

Mayapples grow in the wooded natural area between our house and the neighbor's. Some of them have moved closer to the flower beds which is fine with me. They are part of the Berberidaceae (Barberry) plant family and appear in forested areas before the trees have leaves. Sometimes they are referred to as the umbrella plant because it looks like a closed umbrella when first emerging and then opens into an open umbrella shape. Second year plants produce a white flower beneath the leaves and then that bloom turns into the "apple" of the plant.  

Our resident robin is taking good care of her eggs and she's very possessive of the area close to the nest, but she did give me permission to stick my camera in for a quick picture. We're thankful that the nest is in the cedar tree and not on top of the light fixture next to the front door.

Many of the shrubs in our yard give us nice color even before they start to flower. Our yard might look too tidy and manicured for some gardeners, but it works for us and we like it. I find myself attracted to yards and gardens where everything is able to grow freestyle, but it's just not me. Maybe in my next life.

Spring-Blooming Groundcover

Our neighbors have this Sweet woodruff growing as a ground cover under a big shade tree in their front yard. The plants are actually herbs that become invasive with too much moisture. When planted in dry shade, they're easily contained in a certain space and deliver a wonderful sweet aroma. The leaves are often used in sachets and potpourris and it's also a natural insect repellent.

These old-fashioned lilacs

have been growing in my parents'

yard for more than 50 years.

They've never once been pruned

and have never failed to deliver

beautiful flowers for all to enjoy.  

This sign at a local landscape center

caught my attention and made me

think that the world still needs help 

 in the "get along" department.

I can still hear Rodney King

saying these words in 1991. 

   

Phillip planted these flowers

last weekend and will give them to

his mommy tomorrow.

       Have a beautiful Mother's Day.

May - The Growing Month

"You are as welcome as the flowers of May"

Charles Macklin

The flower in my blog header is a Trillium grandiflorum. It's a native plant that grows in the natural area on the west side of our house. They do well in wooded areas with dry to moderate moisture. The blooms are found May-June and the large white flowers turn pink with age. They're blooming early this year, like almost everything else.

My lovely Lamium 'Beacon's Silver' with its pretty pink/purple flowers and silver/green foliage spreads nicely, but never too aggressively. It's my pleasure to have it in the garden.

Muscari armeniacum, winter hardy and

easy to grow. Lovely fragrance.

The day after this photo was taken,

50 mph winds blew the bench

over backwards on top of the flowers.

They survived.  

Blue River, Keukenhof Gardens in Holland.

I bet my friend Dagmar from

Barefoot from Heaven has seen this drift

of Muscari armeniacum in person.

The photo is from The Plant Expert.

 

False Rue Anemone?

Wood Anemone?

I'm not sure which one, but they grow

in the natural areas of our yard

and I'm always happy to see them.

 

Does anyone know what these are?

It's hard to see in the photo, but

they are about to produce pink flowers.

I didn't plant them, they magically appeared. 

The beautiful Brunnera macrophylla 'Variegata'

continues to show off it's blue flowers.

The foliage prefers a rich, moist soil, 

but will tolerate dry conditions. 

I discovered this newly built robin's nest

in one of our cedar trees. Is it my

imagination or is it heart-shaped? 

A couple of love birds about

to lay eggs and raise a family.

Ending this post on a comical note.

Doesn't everyone have a pink, concrete

pig sitting out next to their antique tractor?  

Sweet White Violets

Sweet White Violets (Viola blanda Willd)

Viola is the classical Latin name for violets.

Blooms April - June.

I found them growing up against these

old, cracked, concrete blocks.

       

Look carefully where the grass meets the building

and you'll see the Sweet White Violets.
Deep blue/purple Wood Violets are common in

Wisconsin and have been the state flower since 1949,

but I very seldom see the Sweet Whites.

I looked in the window and liked what I saw.

Moving on to my bathroom.

You're thrilled, right?

Pumpkins, cucumbers, peppers,

zinnias and nasturtium.

All thriving in the sunny bathroom.

Planted the seeds in clear plastic cups

so that Phillip could see the roots

and understand better what goes

on down there in the dirt.

This lazy duck was sitting in the

middle of the road enjoying the sun.

The honk of my horn got his

attention and he was on his way.

Made me smile.

Maybe I share too many turkey photos.

I can't help myself.

They beg me to photograph them.

In case you're wondering about the header photo,

that's my shadow standing in the

ditch with the Marsh Marigolds.

They are one of the first flowers

to bloom when spring arrives.

Also known as Cowslip.

Caltha Palustris is the botanical name.

 They grow in low-lying, wet areas.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Andy Williams was referring to Christmas when he sang "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year", but the beginning of each new season always feels like the the hap-happiest season of all to me.

Today is Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day -- a day when garden bloggers from all over the world share what's blooming in their gardens. It would be difficult to find a nicer garden blogger than Linda at Slow Growing in Scotland.

I went back and checked my GBBD post for April '09, and found that the none of the daffodils or hyacinths had bloomed, the anemones had no flowers and there was only one crocus bloom. The lungwort, brunnera, and glory-of-the-snow were barely out of the ground.

Come and see what's in bloom this year on April 15.

This is P and N's view of Star Apple Orchard.

Spring and summer will fly by quickly.

September will arrive and we'll be picking apples.

I know, I know...I'm rushing the seasons.

Please visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens to find out how to join in the fun on the 15th of each month. Carol is a great host and everyone who visits your blog will make you feel welcome. I read blogs for a long time before I felt confident enough to share my own garden. Some people may be thinking that I should have waited a while longer until I had something more substantial to blog about. So sorry, couldn't wait.