Spring delights

Moving along at light speed, spring is zipping through its yearly display here in the gardens. There is something so uplifting about the beautiful yellow-greens of the emerging foliage on the deciduous trees, the fresh sinuous curls of the unfolding hosta foliage and of course the early blooming shrubs and perennials. I'm making a real effort this year to get outside with the camera every other day or so to make myself acutally look and enjoy the gardens instead of just looking for, and at, all the work that needs to be done. Here are a few highlights from the last couple weeks.

This gorgeous clematis vine that decorates my mailbox is looking great this spring. It's an early large flowering variety 'Miss Bateman' that is pruning group two. I love this combination because the round, violet shape of the allium heads echo the flower centers of the clematis blossoms. This is grown with a Rosa 'The Fairy' at it feet.


Clematis 'Miss Bateman' with Allium 'Globemaster'

Clematis 'Miss Bateman'

Clematis 'Miss Bateman'

This tree peony has been in my garden longer than I've kept track of plant names so I have no idea 'who' it is, but, what it was this year is absolutely stunning.  I had it in another location in my garden and I moved it to my east facing perennial border a few years ago and it has let me know it loves it new location.  Unfortunately the heavy rains of the last several days have ruined the flowers for this year but the four or five days I got to enjoy them are still worth giving this plant space in the gardens.

Tree Peony

 



Rhododendron 'Boule de Neige' in the shade garden at the back of the garden.

Rhododendron 'Boule de Neige'

 I started this fuchsia standard nine years ago and it's still doing well. It had a good winter under the lights this year. I upgraded the light fixture I keep the fuchsia standards under to a unit that has eight 6400K tubes. Lots more light and the fuchsias love it.  The dwarf tree behind the fuchsia is a twenty year old Rosa Rugosa.

Fuchsia Standard 'Beacon Rosa' with Rosa Rugosa standard

 My Japanese Wisteria has been in the gardens here for fifteen years or so and I've had a love/hate relationship with it.  It took seven years before it decided to begin blooming regularly for me and I almost removed it countless times. This year it's still recovering from the 'Snowtober' storm we had in October of 2011 where it lost more than half of it's canopy.  Not as much of a show this spring but it still beautiful flowers and is wonderfully scented.

Wisteria japonica 'Alba'

Wisteria japonica 'Alba'

This bearded iris is a star here and the only re-bloomer I've had good success with flowering reliably  in the fall. Immortality is one of the few bearded iris I give garden space to. 



Iris germanica 'Immortality'

Iris germanica 'Immortality'

Beautiful chartreuse foliage emerging on my Hydrangea 'Little Honey'. This plant is a star in the east border. Its beautiful foliage lightens up the garden all season.

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey'

A pretty spring combination of Lysimachia 'Alexander' and Salvia 'May Night'. This looks great all season. I prune back the salvia and it rewards me with continuous re-bloom.

 

We're having a rainy weekend here which is what allowed me the time to put this together but I'm thinking I'll go out to the garage and get a few containers put together. Maybe sneak out between the raindrops with my camera and see what other beauties are emerging out there.