Happy Tuesday! I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!
Our weekend was a rainy one, with rain most of yesterday.
We would normally be disappointed with a rainy holiday, but the rain was much needed so we did not complain. We found ourselves and our garden in a severe drought situation which required a lot of watering in April and May. Very unusual for early spring, this stressed plants and slowed progress for new and established plants alike. Because of cool nights, we also sowed seeds a little later than normal.
Join me on a garden walk!
“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.”
Psalm 24:1-2 (ESV)
Sarah Bernhardt is one of the world’s most beloved peonies and a favorite of mine.
This is the second year since we moved Sarah Bernhardt to a new location. She was loaded with buds this spring. But then something happened and the buds did not open, but stayed very tight. I began to read about what might cause this to happen. We have been in a severe drought, but the head gardener was faithfully watering the peonies. What I finally discovered was the Sarah Bernhardt was on the upper end of a slight slope, therefore the water was draining down the slope before sinking in. The peony wasn’t getting the deep watering that was necessary for the buds to open. Fortunately slow, concentrated, deep watering cured the problem!
Large pink double blooms make Sarah Bernhardt a stand out among peonies! All varieties of peony blooms are large and quite heavy. Our plants require support and have wooden frames around them for protection and to keep the blooms off the ground. RM puts the frames in place when the plants show signs of budding.
Festiva Maxima was also relocated two years ago. It did not perform well last year but made up for it this spring!
Introduced in 1851, Festiva Maxima is known for its sweet fragrance and massive double white blooms.
Two Karl Rosenfield peonies were planted in 2019 in a raised bed next to our driveway. Sarah Bernhardt and Festiva Maxima now share this same space.
Karl Rosenfield peonies are prolific bloomers! The two bushes had produced more than a hundred blooms when I finally lost count! I highly recommend this peony for its beautiful color and the large amount of blooms that it produces.
When I photographed for my Mother’s Day post, the Sarah Bernhardt had not opened. A couple of days later, the buds opened and I made a small arrangement with all three varieties of peonies.
The award winning ‘Stairway to Heaven’ is the only iris in our garden. It is special because a sweet blogger, Sandra gifted it to me. She has since passed away. The iris has been a mystery because it did not bloom last year.
I was excited when it decided to bloom this year. I must divide it because it spread into our ‘Little Lambs’ hydrangea!
We have three different varieties of spirea. Proven Winners Double Play Doozie Spirea’s foliage emerges in a brilliant deep red color in early spring. In late spring, these gorgeous flowers emerge and it keeps flowering during the summer!
Gold Mound Spirea is a popular compact, low mounded , deciduous shrub prized for its vibrant, golden-yellow spring foliage and pinkish-purple flowers! We planted this spirea in 2001 when we reworked our front yard landscape. It has performed beautifully for all these years!
A view into the cottage garden where we plant with a variety of color in mind!
Echinacea, also known as coneflowers were planted last year. They produced last year but this spring they have thrived! Butterflies love the flowers, and birds will feast on the seeds at the end of the season!
EM and EK said it looked like these flowers were wearing colorful skirts!
I have enjoyed our small cottage garden and would love to expand, but my sweet hard-working husband doesn’t need any more added to his already heavy work load. He retired but is busier than ever!
Some of the photos were taken last week when it was cloudy with little sun.
With our severe drought I wasn’t sure if Clematis Jackmanii would bloom. It grows on an old rusty trellis at the back of the cottage garden and was sometimes overlooked when watering. It didn’t bloom as prolifically as last year, but still provided those showy violet-purple flowers!
This is our newest and most favorite addition to the garden! His two sisters and brother have spent countless hours playing in the garden. Hide-and-seek has been very popular, even in winter when there’s nothing to hide behind. The garden animals (there are quite a few) like this turtle all have names, given by EM, EK, and WL. The animals all talk too, and so many stories and tales have been created here. This space has been a source of much joy…games, teas, picnics, reading, storytelling, and more! Daniel is now old enough to join in as we hope to continue planting and growing memories!
I believe our panicled hydrangeas are preparing for a beautiful blooming season. Little Lambs are in the foreground with Vanilla-Strawberry in the background.
I hope you enjoyed our walk in the garden. Thank you for your visit and your gracious comments.
Wishing you a joyful week!
Linking with: Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch,Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Life and Linda
Love all of your beautiful flowers. I wish we could grow peonies here in Texas, but it’s too warm. Daniel is such a cute little boy with his red hair and blue eyes. He reminds me of what your dad must have looked like at that age.