Thursday, May 15, 2014

may bloom day

Here's hoping that this goes better than yesterday's disaster of a blogging attempt.

Happy Bloom Day!  Guess what? I have roses!!  The fence roses are covered in buds, and just a few started opening in time for me to take pictures.  This rose didn't bloom at all last year, and it is a dark pink, almost red.  It's tiny, but it has lots of petals.  I can't wait to see what the center looks like.  There are three roses on the fence, and this is the first to bloom.  It reaches about 4-6 feet, and has sent out a few really good looking, sturdy canes this year.



My peony looked great this year too.  It has doubled in size, two blooms this year, and they are just pretty.  No other way to describe them.  I'm looking forward to next year, apparently it should double in size again.

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The Hearts-A-Burstin are doing their thing, but it doesn't seem as showy this year.  I blame the peonies.


The hellebores are sticking around too, but I think their days are numbered as it starts getting hotter.


My rhododendron is making its way to a full recovery from the drought before I moved in.  It had even more blooms this year, and you really can see the new vertical growth.  Before the drought, it was as tall as the roof on my porch, but died back to about a quarter of it's previous size.  It'll take time, but it's coming back.


The duetiza (sp?) is coming back too.  This is an old fashioned shrub that my great grandmother planted.  The renters who lived here before me didn't do a lot as far as taking care of things, and I know this could be prettier than it is.  It has beautiful blooms, but only half of the plant actually flowers.  A little fertilizer should go a long way to fixing that for next year.


These little sweet alyssums should fill out nicely this summer and make a nice boarder.


This year has been funny for the wildflowers.  My yard is full of yellow, but I'm not seeing the red and blue that I'm used to.  Hopefully the fire pinks are just being slow.



The wild blackberries are really happy though, and I think I'll have raspberries this year too.  If I can get to them before the animals do.


I'm trying my hand at vegetables again this year.  I really don't have enough sun, and there is a lot of wildlife that calls my place home, but I'm going to try.  For the zucchini & squash I am using a technique for deep watering that I saw on pinterest.  You fill the buried pot with water, and it drains deeper into the soil.  When I water with the hose, I usually fill the pot 3 or 4 times, or until it holds water. I'm not sure this would work better than a drip hose, but we'll see.




Well that's about it, and I'd say it's a good improvement over last year and the year before.  For more of what is blooming around the world today, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

PS, my mom just started a blog so she could do bloom day too.  So if you want to see where my plants come from, or what plants will be in my garden soon, take a look.  I'm sure she would love the visitors and the comments!  http://happy---place.blogspot.com/ 

13 comments:

  1. Thanks for helping me get a blog started for Garden Bloom Days. You've inspired me. I love looking at all the pretty pictures of your house and yard. Puppy hugs!

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  2. So many pretty blooms! I love Hearts-a-Burstin, but it is hard to compare to showy blooms like peonies - so gorgeous! Eventually I'd love to have some peonies in the garden. I've only seen pictures of Deutzia, but they are supposed to be so pretty! I'm sure with a little loving tender care, your plants will recover and live up to their potential. The deep watering technique sounds awesome. I've seen a similar technique for perennials where you cut the bottom off a water bottle and then bury it upside down in the ground, so that when you water all the water will go straight to the roots. I hope it works well for you!

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    1. I am lucky to have inherited my peony when I moved in. I'm hoping to add at least one more this fall. They're so pretty, and an 'old garden' staple. I'll let you know how the deep watering goes :)

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  3. Good luck to Montgomery's mom on her new blog!

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  4. The deep watering technique is fascinating. I haven't seen this before, and plan to give it a try. Great post. So exciting to have a new(ish) garden.

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    1. It makes a lot of sense doesn't it? The holes are already there, it's a higher capacity than a soda bottle, plus easier to fill. We'll see how it does this summer!

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  5. Beautiful blooms! Deutzia is very pretty, I must look for it here. Hope your deep watering system works well. It makes sense to get the water down to where the roots are. Thanks for your comment on my post.

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    1. Thanks Lea, my mom has Duetzia too, and it has done well for years. Glad to see you're up and on the computer. I'm thinking about you!!

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  6. Just Lovely :)
    and do not miss...

    SATURDAY SHOW OFF

    it is FUN :)
    Welcome
    HÃ¥kan, The Roseman

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  7. that hearts-a-burstin - really interesting plant. never seen that before!

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  8. I had to look up deutzia. It comes in a number of varieties, and in fragrant? -- according to what I found?
    -Ray

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