Fun with a Fish Eye (camera lens, that is :)

I have spent an extraordinary amount of time this last month, weeding.
The flower beds are not near perfect, but have never looked so good.

Above are two views of the same flower bed.
Foreground is Shasta daisies, bearded Iris and lavenders.
Foxglove, daffodils, and iris live further back.
A couple of canna lilies are the recent additions.

There is a fence (we call it a ‘flower jail’) along the edge of the deck.
Inside live an azalea, peony, hosta, calla lilies, camellia,
tulips, tree peony, stock, rhododendron and a few others.
* * * * *

If this bed were planned before planting,
the Japanese maples would be at each end with the
contorted filbert (aka Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick
– where that name came from, must be a good story)
in the middle instead of on the left end.

Santolina, teucrium (germander), hyssop, more bearded iris (they multiply!)
with lots of Greek oregano as groundcover are the main plants here.

I had read in a novel that daylilies could hold a hillside in place,
so I planted and re-planted them behind.
California poppies are multiplying slowly, and the weeds here are prolific.
Specially after our wet winter.

Anyway – above are some views of the front & back of my yard.
You are introduced to some of what I care take.
Isn’t the fish eye lens cool?  What a view!

Advertisement

Current Whites

I do like the strong contrast of white flowers in a sea of green.

The last rhody blooming here.
Buds are pale pink, but the flowers open to white.
* * * * *

Oh yes, I recognize you as you put out your first flush of flowers.
But, I just can’t place your name!
I know it begins with an ‘a’. . .
* * * * *

Allium flowers pop up in various places of my garden.
Sometimes alone, sometimes in groups, sometimes with friends.
* * * * *

Moss rose can grow to be a good-size bush.
This speciman is presently over-run with daylilies.
I recently lopped four large dead limbs, which left this shrub very sparse-looking.
My work is cut out for me next winter dormant season:
clear out the daylilies, lighten the clay soil
and give a beautiful plant a chance to thrive.
(It sounds almost noble:)
* * * * *

Close-up of lychnis or rose campion.
Another variety has magenta flowers – on the other side of the house.
I wonder if the two plants mixed, would light pink flowers result?
* * * * *

Okay, another stock photo.
I am still amazed that three straggly seedlings
could rejuvenate quickly and become a beautiful display.
* * * * *

My calla lilies tend to accumulate visitors and tree droppings.
I had to quit bringing these beauties into the house as cut flowers,
they were bringing too many tag-a-longs.

A Cloudy Morning

An overcast morning,
so I grabbed my camera for a walk around the house.
This is some of what was in bloom:

French cooking thyme, an essential garden herb (for me).
These stock plants were rescued from a nursery.
Barely alive, they cost 25 cents, now they are thriving (yay!)
Foxglove, which neither deer nor rabbit bother, is in full bloom.
* * * * *

Yellow allium flowers, a later blooming variety.
This was one of the first bulbs I planted here over 30 years ago.
It keeps coming back, no matter how much I neglect it.
One of my favorite colors of bearded iris,
this dark purple is almost black.
* * * * *

Red-hot pokers start out orange then the yellow part below
grows to the top as the flower matures.
These are real hummingbird magnets!
Perennial cranesbill geraniums flower and multiply profusely.
Yellow is my early blooming color of daylily.
It is always a shot of sunshine for my disposition.