Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - June 2010

Color abounds in our June garden, but gray skies and showers lately have made it rather difficult to photograph the flowers. I knew there would be no time for picture taking today as I was working at school, so these photos were taken yesterday under cloudy conditions. Of course we had beautiful sunshine today while I was confined to the indoors.  

Lupines and Lemon Lilies brighten the bottom end of the Driveway Garden and the Peony border is looking pretty in pink.

Foxglove, Harebells (Campanula), Shooting Star Pinks (Dianthus) and Sweet William are at the top end, with Peonies, Evening Primrose and Weigela in the Lilac Garden behind. 

The Weigela is smothered in blooms. The Peonies have been beaten down by rain but are still beautiful.

Foxglove adds a lovely splash of pink to the Daisy Garden.

Sweet William cosies up to William Guiness Columbine in the Lower Rock Garden, and white Harebells peek through the greenery of Monarda and Spiderwort.

Evening Primrose and Lamium are running rampant in the Clematis Garden with Clematis Carnaby showing off in the background. Most of that Lamium will have to go. My plan is to transplant it to the front bank by the road where it will make a great ground cover.

 

Red Sweet William and Evening Primrose decorate the Side Porch Garden. Clematis Jackmanii is loaded with buds, preparing to burst into bloom. 

The Pink Garden is blue with Jacob's Ladder, Green with Heuchera, purple with more overgrown Lamium and red with Sweet William.  There's pink Sweet William around the other side, pink Foxgloves in back, and the Spirea will soon be a cloud of pink.

Pansies are blooming in the top Rock Garden and there are annuals waiting to be planted in there.

I'm loving this North Border right now. A few of the flowers providing a colorful palette at the moment are Siberian Iris, Cranesbill Geranium, Bleeding Heart, Columbine (just finishing), Lamium, Sweet William and Foxglove.

As I type I'm inhaling the delicious scent of Peonies wafting from a large bouquet gracing the table behind me.

 Their beauty astounds me.

June is a glorious time in the garden.
Happy Bloom Day and happy gardening everyone!

Please visit Carol of May Dreams Gardens to see blooms far and wide, from sea to shining sea and beyond.

Focus on Poppies

That's not just a title....it's an instruction....for myself.

Many weeks have gone by since I last posted, and you know how much happens in the garden in spring. Life is busy! Between plants, birds, other garden visitors and daily life in general, there is so much to post about that I'm having a hard time focusing on just one topic. So, I've finally zeroed in on poppies for today!

The ethereal Oriental Poppies are such a beautiful sight to look out upon as they nod in the early morning breeze...

...but they are shaded by a small Maple tree until late morning, making it difficult to photograph them in the soft morning light that captures colors so well.

Consequently, most of these photos were taken around 11:30 AM when the sun had moved enough to shine on that garden bed.

I adore this shade of salmon pink...

...and those tissue paper petals with the drops of dew still clinging to them.

Their dark, spidery centers are a stark contrast to the delicate petals.

The vibrant orangy-red shade is harder to capture with the camera so that you end up with the true color.

Late afternoon light produces more yellows.

My focus is wandering......
You didn't really think I could do a post without including a couple of kitty pics, did you?
Columbines and Lupines are just 2 of the other beautiful bloomers filling the garden with color at the moment.

And then there's Hannah....always my faithful companion when I wander with the camera. I think she's a ham.

Regal Mr. Cardinal has been visiting regularly. I'm not sure if the missus is home with the children but we rarely see her.

Hubby is spending time working outside, moving slowly, but breathing the fresh air and soaking up the sun's rays, both of which are so good for his recuperation.

Near the end of May, during a week of soaring temperatures, a sweet friend of our daughter came up from the city and helped her get a good start on planting a large market garden. Those girls worked very hard out in the hot sun, but they had a good time doing it!

Can you believe we're 8 days into June already?

Refocusing on the poppies now....
 one last shot of them basking in the late afternoon sunshine....
something we all like to do.