Bloomin Tuesday

  It's Bloomin Tuesday, and I have lots to contribute. Lots of things are new for me this year. So I am very thrilled at  all the little surprises I find every day.
My first Echinacea "Tiki Torch" bloom. I bought it late last year and it was too young to bloom yet.

This Rudbeckia is bloomin like gangbusters. I love the color varieties in every bloom.

Rose Mallow, first bloom from a winter sown plant.

Balloon Flower "Sentimental Blue". However this guy is twice as tall as it was last year. It must really be loving the horse manure that I top dressed the garden with in spring. last year it was only 6" tall. The flower is just in its "balloon" stage and has opened yet.

Lavatera "Pink Beauty". Another first blooms from a winter sown plant.

Lysimachia "Alexander". This is my second year for it. It is supposed to be variegated, but for some reason, half of the plant reverted back to a solid green. It is still pretty tho, but to be honest, I prefer the variegated.

Another Asiatic Lilly I got in the fall last year when Lowe's had them clearanced for a dollar. This is the first time I got to see my prize.

This is Stella d'Oro lily. I love the bright golden yellow of this plant. it just keeps getting prettier every year.

Lychnis. I received this from a Gardenweb friend last year. I love the bright jewel tone color.

Clematis Jackamani growing in with an un-identified white climbing rose.

Nicotiana "Hot Chocolate". This plant was started from seed by winter sowing, and planted Hunk-O-Seed style. As you can see there is a great variety of color here in these two blooming plants, But I think that is what makes them so pretty. While photographing them, I had forgotten about the wonderful scent Nicotiana has, until it hit me.

I have posted pics here of one of my favorite roses....Madame Isaac Pereire. This past winter I decided to try sowing some of her seeds for the first time. I have never grown roses from seed before. Most likely they will not be true to the parent, but so far the color matches.Here is mine now only 6" tall and getting ready to open. "I 'm not as young as I once was", oh wait thats one of my favorite songs,lol. Well anyway thats my excuse for not getting down on my knees and putting my nose to the ground to see if it smells as heavenly as Madame.

This is, I think, Nasturtium "Milkmaid". I planted several of these in the potager.I love the deep, blood red color of the blooms.

These are my first blooms on winter sown Catchfly. 

This is Rudbeckia "Tiger Eye Gold" that I rescued from Walmart's clearance pile. It was looking pretty ragged. I am surprised, Walmart doesnt usually discount their flowers. they always told me before that they return them. They must have changed their policy.

Petunia "Laura Bush" from winter sown seedling. I believe these are supposed to return every year. I am hoping.

Balsam Impatients. I havent grown these for many years. I remember how the pods "snap" open springing their seeds out. I cant wait to show my grand daughter.

These are the Hydrangea "Annabelle" grown from cuttings a few years ago. I love the bright white of these blooms.

White Yarrow

Shrimp Plant. This was grown from winter sown seeds as well. The flowers are rather small and non descript. But I like the foliage.

Another Asiatic Lilly I bought last fall on clearance. This one is a pretty white and called "Tiny Snowflake"

This is a pretty pink Hollyhock.

Malva "Mystic Merlin". I love the color of these.

Antirhinum "Rembrandt" grown from winter sown seeds. I hope these guys grow, cause in the pics on valueseeds.com they look to be at least a foot or so tall. This one blooming is only about 4-5" tall.

And updates on the potager....The first is my tomatoes. Early girl has green tomatoes on her about 2" across, the others just have some blooms.

The pole beans are growing very quickly as well.

This is a shot of the back of my house taken from the backyard over looking the top of the stone retaining wall.

Early June Views From My Garden

            June has just gotten started, but already I have some new things going on in my garden. I winter sown several varieties of poppies. I have never grown them before, but I am so excited. I have my first of two different poppy blooms. The first to show her face was Poppy Laurens Grape. Unfortunately I didnt get a good pic of it yet. The second was this morning, when I noticed one bloom about to pop.

Stella D' Oro was just showing her pretty face for the first time this season.

I bought these Lillies from Lowes last year during their clearance. Most had already finished blooming, but looked healthy. I think they were only $1. I couldnt pass up that price. I am getting to see them bloom for the first time.This one is 

Asiatic Lilly "Tiny Ghost"

This one is Lillium "Petite Pink"

This Clematis was a total surprise. it is the second season for Clematis Ramona that resides in this spot. Suddenly I noticed another pretty face in the same spot this morning. I dont remember planting another their, but you know how it goes. Now I have to ID it. 

Update: This has been ID"d as possibly Clematis "Black Prince".

I also have a pretty new pink Hollyhock. I must have planted it last year and forgot it, since this is the first year it has bloomed. I love the soft yellow center.

This Rudbeckia just fully opened its face this morning. I know it from its fuzzy leaves.

These Annabelle Hydrangeas were grown from cuttings traded for on Gardenweb several years ago. I just love Hydrangeas, and these are so hardy. they never fail to bloom, and are so easy to root. All my Annabelles came from this original clump.

This bed is along the walk on the way out of my courtyard in the back. To the left is where my stone raised bed is.There is Annabelle here, some Pee Gee Hydrangea (which I am sure will have to be moved one of these days), and a beautiful Climbing rose Cecille Brunner. Unfortunately is only a once bloomer. Also just showing its blooms are a purple clematis slimbing with the rose, and just now starting to open.

Then after you exit this area, and turn around to look back in (the opposite side of the above bed) is my all red and white bed. I didnt plan it, it kinda just happened. You can see the Annabelle blooms hanging over the fence, and then there are a variety of Hostas, and crammed in are the red Asiatic Lillies "Tiny Ghost", a Salvia Snow Hill, and not yet blooming but growing towards the front are Dianthus "Raspberry". When I planted everything the hosta's had just started opening up, and I forgot how big they were. So things really need dug up again, and spaced out forward some more. But I will wait till fall so I dont lose any bloom.