Now that my days are more leisurely, the weather has turned cold and rainy. But of course!
With our long cold spring our blooms are a bit later than usual. Instead of lilacs for Mother's Day, they are blooming now. I am always anxious to enjoy lilac time. I knew they were out there displaying their glory in the cold rain so as soon as the rain cleared for a bit today I ran out with my camera and my clippers...
We have a long old hedge of common farmhouse lilacs. They perfume the air!
These are my favorite. I acquired them in a plant trade with the baseball concession lady years ago. She took some of my common lilacs and I got these lovely (but less fragrant) darker ones. The planting is now twelve feet tall!
This new little plant with double blooms is one I got at a nursery with a gift certificate from my church. The nursery tag said the blooms would be dark purple with white edges. They aren't. It is still pretty.
I was excited to find three clusters of flowers on this new little plant that I started from a slip of a shrub growing at my church. It will be wonderful in cut bouquets some day!
This is another new little start from a friend's garden that hasn't shown me any flowers yet. Maybe next year?That is the status of my lilac collection. Maybe I need to add a pink one this year...?
As I strolled around my yard in the momentary sunshine, I was pleasantly surprised several times. In just a week the landscape has changed so much.
This garish azalea took me by surprise as I rounded a corner. It is one of the very first plants I put in after coming to Oregon from the azalea-less Midwest. I was very enchanted by azaleas and rhododendrons when we first arrived. This plant is about fifteen years old and doesn't look a day over three.
Another surprise! This weigela, which I bought as a broken little stick from a fall clearance nursery sale is in full bloom in a place where I can't see it out any window. No wonder the hummingbirds are so busy around here.
And this rhodie, at the back corner of the house, quietly blooms its scarlet flowers. This shrub is also fifteen or so years old but often gets clobbered by heavy falling snow off the roof.
Last weekend when I had visitors to my studio, the newly mowed lawn displayed a carpet of dandelions. This week it's buttercups!
We finally got the strawberry bed completely mulched. The plants are blooming well. I can't wait for my breakfast bowl of berries!
It looks like we'll have another bumper crop of blueberries, if the bees are doing their job. It's a good thing since I have lots of summer berry pies on the wedding schedule.What is blooming out your way?
(Apologies for the smudged camera lens that contributes to poor photo quality. I'm sure my son is grinding his teeth as he views them.)