Grand Openings

The first of the irises are opening, with white, yellow and purple ones to follow. This means rain. I think I will get the jump on the falling-down-top-heavy blooms and cut them before the rain topples them. This peachy colored one is so subtle and delicate in the late afternoon light.
This year we will have a huge crop of peonies, as buds are about to burst on at least a dozen of our plants. These have a delicious fragrance and I will cut and vase these too. I imagine both the iris and peony bouquets will grace the deck table, since we stay outdoors these days.
The Knock-Out Double Rose earns its name. Right behind it is the Julia Child rose, in yellow, not yet open. Both are the super easy care variety, making me look like a good gardener.
I spent much of the last three days transplanting stuff we put in years ago in the pond garden. The soil there resembles concrete and the hosta and heuchera I had planted were barely hanging on. Now they are in good soil with plenty of filtered sun and lots of attention and we hope they improve. I also moved a good deal of phlox and cleome into the far garden, affectionately called 'Dave's Memorial Garden', even tho he is alive and kicking. This dumping ground  newer garden has lots of space for enthusiastic reseeders. And weeds.
Yesterday Dave went for a wood-chips run and never got any. Instead  he went to the flea market and found a great deal on big arborvitae. Six huge trees for $95, which I agree was a bargain. So they went along the fence and make the statement that we intend to keep this end of the property on our to do list. He left enough space between them for lilacs, which I will be keeping an eye open for, as I visit nurseries and garden centers.
This is a gangbuster's Spring for the perennials like this rhododendron. All of them are loaded with fat buds and big clusters of blooms.

I was lucky to catch this lizard sunning himself. What a sweet bug eating fellow he is. We have lots of cutie-pie amphibians and reptiles about the place, not counting dangerous poisonous snakes. I keep my eyes open, always.




The purple clematis is getting lighter everyday. It opens with a deeper color and then fades to periwinkle. I love clematis, and we have so many all around the yard...but I can find space for more, should a new color entice me.

The Dawgs get to run all day and wear themselves out. The toy mousie has to come out with Chester, and we find it dropped all over the yard. We work ourselves to the bone at this time of year, and I find a nice siesta makes all the difference. I plant at the early morning and then again after three pm, when the wind has died down, and the sun isn't so hot. Lots of annuals are going in, and more seedlings are being potted. It is going to be a good year in the garden.