I’ve had a perennial garden for many, many years. I have pictures of Hannah in the backyard when she was just learning to walk in the summer of 93 and the garden is behind her and I think that was the year I started it. That was at my old house, though, and when I married Dale and moved to his house I moved my perennials, too. The year was 1997 and most of my plants, including some ground phlox my mother gave me on my first Mother’s Day, survived the move just fine.
I haven’t spent much time gardening the past few seasons and my neglect was starting to show. I had plants that were overgrown and plants that were in the wrong spot. I had a lot of violets taking up a lot of space and I needed to get out there and dig in the dirt and spruce things up. My sister-in-law, Mary (who just happens to be President of our local garden club) came up and helped me out and we got things improved very quickly.
That was a few weeks ago and things are really starting to thrive now.
The wild geranium is in bloom and I’ve got two clumps of it mirroring a rock in the center of the garden.
The daylilies, which came from my very sweet and very old neighbor many years ago and which I’ve written about before, have finally been identified by Manise as Lemon Daylilies and they are in bloom and as beautiful as ever. They are a truly forgiving variety and Mary has taken some home and hopes to cultivate them for members of her garden club.
My peonies, a gift on my second Mother’s Day bloomed just in time to get a shot for Macro May. I have dark pink ones that Dale bought me a couple of years ago that haven’t bloomed yet but they are just-about-there.
As I mentioned last week, I bought some new plants, including columbine, to fill in the spaces left when we moved and weeded and pruned. I’m hoping the lupine finally takes this time but I’ve tried before and been unsuccessful. The comfrey that Mary gave me is blooming now and I’m hoping that will spread, along with the obedient plant I picked up at last week’s Garden Club Plant Sale.
And that’s how my garden is growing in 2011. I think I’m hooked on gardening again!
Isn’t it just so satisfying to see things growing and flourishing? I’m out to my little perennial garden in Maine today to weed and maybe add some plants. More to do in the Ct. garden when I get home!
What a gorgeous perennial garden! I love it 🙂 Isn’t it amazing how just a bit of work early in the season pays such huge dividends for the rest of the year! Mine is much smaller, but I’m slowly building it up 🙂
Gardening is so much like knitting. The rewards are spectacular and you can enjoy them year after year with just a little care. Your garden is beautiful and in just the right spot watch and enjoy day after day.
Never heard of a wild geranium before, but that picture is a stunner.
It looks very lush!
Isn’t gardening fun and a little addicting too! 🙂
So pretty. I just love peonies – I never understand why they take a back seat to roses.
So pretty! It will be another week or so before my lillies or peonies open their happy faces.
Both our front and back yards give me such joy. I love putting new things in the ground each May and June. And I have pots of various sizes everywhere too! We’re still getting the veg garden in, but it’s looking fantastic! I love, love, love when the weather lets us enjoy colors! Your bed looks so inviting. I foresee lots of time spent on the deck enjoying it all!
Good work, Carole! It’s lovely!! I’ve neglected my gardens the past few years, too; easing into it some this year. My sister became a Master Gardener last year and I think we’re having a Sister Weekend soon at my house… I hope to pick her brain a bit. I know I have some invasives that are, well, invading and I must conquer!
Your garden is just beautiful! I’ve been trying to pick up a few more perrenials here and there every year, but what I really need to do I plot out a space like yours so I have some sort of designated place. Mine are willy nilly around the edges of the house right now. Time to do some research and get to work.
I’m so jealous of all of you that can grow peonies! Way too hot down here for them. And I love that you can sit on your deck and admire your handiwork with a martini in hand 😉
It looks great!
Beautiful perennial bed! I think lupines like poor soil, and obedient plants can be invasive. Starve them both 😉
So many beautiful flowers! 🙂
Well done!
So worth the work when you see how lovely well tended plants look. Do you still have leftover violets?
You have a lovely garden…I like what you have done with it!
I love your garden. I never seem to get mine quite right and this year it’s not even worth talking about. I especially love your peonies. mine are nice but I really adore the fancy looking ones like yours. I’ll have to find a place by me that will satisfy my peonie needs.