Views around the farm and garden

I began this blog to share photos, ideas and thoughts. The quality of the photos is very disappointing. I suppose Blogger compresses them to limit the space required, but it is disheartening to publish good pictures and have them displayed poorly. Anyway, trust me, these were pretty scenes when I shot them.

Above, one of the new hybrid columbines.
Unfortunately, this one isn't reseeding in my garden.



Tall bearded iris Immortality. It’s slightly fragrant--an important bonus. In my garden it’s the first TB iris to bloom and it repeats later in the fall. I like iris because they are iron tough, drought tolerant and require almost no maintenance. Immortality increases quickly so I try to give it plenty of room and avoid dividing as long as possible. I’ve always thought iris look as lovely and fragile as any orchid. In fact, I'd much rather have these beauties than a hot house full of orchids and tropical blooms.




Below is Viburnum Opus, commonly called a snow ball bush. Sometimes people confuse this with hydrangea Annabelle which blooms later in the summer. I'm glad I took some photos when I did. That evening heavy rains and strong winds beat it down pretty badly. Guess I'll cut the blooms and take them into the office tomorrow.