Signs of Progress

What a wonderful way to wake up in the morning. I venture out into the garden to find that over half of my tomato plants have started producing blossoms. I turn around and find that my Salad Bush hybrid cucumber has also opened up its first flower.

As for my flowers, my William Baffin climbing roses are in full bloom. The Blue Hill salvia is also attracting many bumblebees. The Husker's Red penstemon which was planted last Spring is producing its first blooms. The dark foliage with the white flowers makes a striking combination. It was the only one, out of the three planted, that survived the hungry rabbits last season. To the far left in the picture is the foliage to my verbena bonariensis that just started blooming earlier this week. The light, airiness of the foliage allows the plants behind them to still be viewed.

Back Garden Blooms

This garden began a few years ago when we had to remove a large, diseased shrub from the backyard. Now lined with shell-shaped, concrete pavers it contains many plants. This Spring we placed four Emerald Green thujas in the far back to help shield the house in the back during the winters. There are two large William Baffin roses (that are currently putting out a few more blooms) to the back left and right. Between those are two Blue Spire russian sages. Verbena bonariensis is sprinkled throughout the middle of the bed, my favorite new addition this season. There are two Autumn Joy sedum that are developing blooms in the middle. Bush Sugar Baby watermelon is to the left of the sedum (you cannot see it in this photo). To the right of the sedum, crawling along the entire edge, are two Iroquois muskmelon plants. The very front is a mix of 5 daylilies. There are also some Oriental lilies and liatris blooming in the middle of the bed. Other plants are contained within the bed, but they cannot be seen in this photo (gloriosa daisies, Sunshine Blue caryopteris, yarrow, Husker's Red penstemon, Walker's Low nepeta, Strawberry Fields gomphrena).