Monday, May 17, 2010

Gardening is a long road, with many detours and way stations, and here we all
are at one point or another. It's not a question of superior or inferior taste, merely
a question of which detour we are on at the moment. Getting there (as they say)
is not important; the wandering about in the wilderness or in the olive groves
or in the bayous is the whole point.
- Henry Mitchell, Gardening Is a Long Road, 1998


I wandered about in my garden yesterday and photographed a few of the blooms.


A stray seed dropped by bird or wind. This is just one Dame's Rocket plant that shot up like its namesake among the coneflowers and phlox.


Max Frei geranium. Give this one a pass, a very, very neat and tidy mound with very few blooms.


Columbines drift around my garden and turn up in different places every year.


Immortality has been blooming for weeks and will bloom again in the fall.



Jupiter's beard almost blooming.


This clematis blooms among the English roses.


NOID



Old faithful viburnum opulus


Spiraea vanhouttei was one of the first things I planted just after I moved here.


One of our native dogwoods, Cornus alternifolia or Pagoda Dogwood, has a very graceful horizontal, layered habit. Two of them shade my porch on summer days.

38 comments:

tina said...

All so pretty! That noid is very special indeed. I have been learning more and more about Pagoda dogwood and still think it is most lovely.

Heather at Dusty Bay said...

Just lovely, Marnie! I bet the scents are just delicious - don't you just love this time of year?

Louise said...

Hmmmm, I was just wondering what to plant along the edge of my woods. I should include some of the native dogwoods. The Cornus alternifolia is certainly beautiful.

I remember some spiraea in our yard when I was a child. But, I never knew what it was. Now, I do!

Thanks for letting us wander around your garden with you.

Rose said...

Love the quote, Marnie! I think I have been on a quest to have the "perfect" garden, but somewhere on this journey I realized there is no such thing. If I ever got to that end of the "road," what would I do??

Enjoyed the tour of all your blooms. I want to add more irises to my new lily bed--the re-bloomers sound like a great choice, and 'Immortality' is a beauty.

Darla said...

What a beautiful stroll around your gardens..!

sweetbay said...

Often I think gardening is an endless road, or that the journey is the thing... I love the Dame's Rocket. What a beautiful soft pink.

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Oh, I agree! Gardening is a long road--often one less traveled. I have been thinking that my gardening travels have put me out of step with neighbors. I really need to be out in the country where I could freely experiment and experience my own journey.

I LOVE your Iris Immortality. Stunning! All your blooms are gorgeous. What a change from a couple of months ago!

Lona said...

Hi Marnie. What beautiful blooms. I had seen that last dogwood around here but did not know what the name of the shrub was. Thanks. LOL! Your clematis is just so pretty and I love the white iris Immortality.Gorgeous.

joey said...

All looks lovely, Marnie. Love your old faithful viburnum, a beauty!

Cheryl said...

Hi Marnie....loving your garden blooms at this time.

I have just fallen in love, immortality is on my wish list......she is gorgeous.

Jann said...

Gorgeous garden floral shots!! I love seeing the wild columbine here in the Black Hills, not easy to find which makes it all the more enjoyable of course!

Southern Lady said...

Love all of the pictures. Lovely blooms. Carla

Anonymous said...

Very pretty blooms in your garden right now Marnie. I love the Irises, need to add more of them to my own yard soon. That dogwood is beautiful, another thing on my wishlist. :)

Lisa at Greenbow said...

The road in my garden has been bumpy lately. I have been ripping out and moving things. I had to have one of those spireas too. It reminds me of my childhood.

walk2write said...

It's so exciting to see those Illinois favorites of mine in such fine form! I miss the Columbine most of all. Do you suppose they cause or at least contribute to the cracks in the rocks through which they grow?

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

'Immortality' is such a trooper and a lovely thing too. Iris NOID is really different & beautiful. I've never heard of that cultivar. ;^) (I have a few Iris NOIDs too.)

Meadowview Thymes said...

Your blooms are beautiful! I especially liked picture 1 and the knowledge a bird planted it. Birds are so helpful!

BeadedTail said...

Your garden is beautiful! I love seeing all the different flowers you have!

Dawn said...

*sigh*....
*sigh, again*.....
Just stunning.

Carol said...

I especially love your first photo of the Dame's Rocket... I call Sweet Rocket... it looks like it is growing along side Allium... very pretty! Lush and lovely blooms you have! I love the Mitchell quote too... so true ... to me as well.

Susie said...

You got some beautiful blooms here Marnie. Love the big puffy balls of the viburnum.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

I love seeing your gorgeous flowers, Marnie. So many beautiful colors... Your white Iris is gorgeous. We don't have a solid white one!!!

Our Clematis is growing --but no sign of any blooms yet....

Have a great Tuesday.
Hugs,
Betsy

Kawaiikiki said...

Wow. Your pictures are amazing!!!!! I love pictures of flowers! ^_^

troutbirder said...

What a neat quote and a lovely garden to back it up. Thanks Marnie.

Kahshe Cottager said...

Your gardens are way ahead of mine. The rock iris have just begun to bloom in mine. I can't wait any longer - I am planting my containers today and keeping my fingers crossed that we are done with frosts!

Sherri said...

Marnie, your plants are just beautiful! I love the Dame's Rocket fragrance-just wonderful!!

Anonymous said...

I have a few renegade Dame's Rockets myself this year. Busy birds.

Beautiful blooms, Marnie. You should be proud!

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

You sure have a lot of beautiful blooms! I love the noid iris, it almost looks iridescent.

Kathleen said...

You always post the best quotes Marnie. This one is no exception ~ I have to tell myself all the time it's about the journey.
Your garden is looking great ~ such a nice assortment of blooms. Our Iris are just forming buds. I'd really like a rebloomer like 'Immortality.' All mine bloom only in spring and then for way too short a time.
What a beautiful clematis too. I want to add a couple more this summer to do just what you said this one is doing ~ scramble among the roses. So far, I haven't had much luck finding a variety I want.
ps. I have planted my amaryllis in the garden as well as keeping them in their pots. They probably do better in the garden especially if you aren't good at remembering to fertilize them regularly. The last few years, I've kept mine in their pots because I don't have room in the garden. Last year it was no where near warm enough for them so I'm hoping this year is better.

Pat said...

Can't believe you have so much in bloom. Only saw one columbine so far but the knock out roses are going strong. We have some redoing of beds due to the loss of trees and shrubs. Have time off this week...so we'll be at the garden marts.

Yes, the center of our feeder is plastic and exposed at the top...squirrels haven't discovered it yet.

Nan and =^..^= said...

Loved wandering around your garden...beautiful photos!
It's also interesting to see how far ahead you are...

Gail said...

Marnie, Your photos~your flowers~ are lovely. The allium hiding among the Dame's Rocket is perfect~I like the color echo and wowser on the blue columbine...I like that one. Isn't this time of year perfect~Just before it gets too hot to spend enjoyable time outside! gail

Manuela@A Cultivated Nest said...

What a beautiful stroll through your garden! I enjoyed it!

Manuela

Kay said...

Yes Marnie, those are California Poppies, our state flower on the header of my blog. I took that photograph near the California Poppy Reserve in the Antelope Valley near Lancaster, CA

Kay

cottage garden farmer said...

Lovely irises, I will look out for those varieties. I have some Dame's Violet, as I call it, by one of my beehives, I think the bees like it.

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

Don't you just love Jupiter's beard? Mine is today exactly where yours was a week ago--ready to bloom. I cut mine back and they give a second and sometimes even third bloom! :)

Judy said...

Thanks for solving one of my problems! I found some flowers that look just like your blue columbines, so I have that label done! I love the colours of that second iris! Spring is just so amazing!

oldcrow61 said...

Beautiful!