April 28, 2011


Early Spring is turning quickly to early Summer. At least by the thermometer – April, temps in the 80’s? Jeepers.

The tree peonies are in full bloom – thrilling and brief. It’s said they add a bloom a year, such that the 100+ year old tree peonies found in China are heavy with blossom. I won’t live long enough to see that, but the white one is 10 years old now.

Matching the tree peonies in enthusiasm, camellias are full of blooms. After the squirrels devoured every bud last year, I’m incredibly happy to gaze at this beauty from my breakfast room.

The clematis montana on the fence is finally filling in, as is the one I trained to grow up a heavy chain. Fabulous, right?

Columbine has self seeded everywhere. This one is the first to bloom.

The hostas emerge. They’ll drape over this walkway by August with their heavy corrugated leaves.

And flanking the front door, twin memorial roses – one for my Mother and one for my Grandmother – planted hoping they would be in bloom for Mother’s Day every year.

9 Responses to “the garden greets summer”

  1. mpw280

    Lucky you, our hostas are about 4″ tall and we had snow just less than a week ago. The only thing that has bloomed are crocus and now they are gone. mpw

    Reply
  2. Barbara | VinoLuciStyle

    Thank you for continuing to bring spring to our neck of the woods. Nothing short of amazing to see the differences based on our topography. My peonies are about 12″ tall and still in that reddish brown color of new growth. Soon though…your posts are a reminder that it is coming and that I am not patient!

    Reply
  3. Lynn

    Thank you for this. Your garden and photos are lovely. With snow forecast for tonight, I needed to see some thriving flowers!

    Reply
  4. Lisa McPherson

    Hi Cathy–just back from the lavender fields. Your photos are just wonderful and brought me right back there. Aren’t peonies just the most amazing brush of color? I had two shrubs in bloom this past weekend and they were just glorious–only two blooms on these baby plants. I loved hearing about their age and the amount of blooms they carry.

    Reply
  5. gluttonforlife

    A harbinger of things to come for me–hope I can make it back from Indonesia in time for my peonies. I think I’ll miss the lilacs entirely, Do the tree peonies last any longer than the other kinds?

    Reply

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