June Update

...and a patch of Petunias....

Front Entrance

Welcome.
Right side of entrance. First year trying Gladiola bulbs...they're up....let's see what happens. Given up on Pansy's.

Azalea front, Iceberg middle, Elizabeth back

Lilac

I have two Lilacs...the first bloomed really early. Miss Kim bloomed later, but the rain storms got her before I could take photo's. Here she is inbetween the two storms. The second polished off the last of her blooms..oh well:(

Rain Rain Rain

Front.

Spot the cat!



Hit by too much rain.

Things have not gone quite according to plan. A few really horrible storms and the roses are toast. A few pics....

patio and fountain update

Rocker, clean fountain, patio and Terry

This weekend I cleaned out the fountain and brought down the rocker etc. from the deck upstairs. Some photo's.....

Monthly Update - back garden

A lot is happening, but nothing has "happened" other than the masses of Lilacs that I didn't photo until the rains and time had finished them off.....and the Pink Columbine. It looks like I have lost the purple one to the marauding doglet last fall. As a result I am posting lots of green photo's, in the hopes that in a few short weeks the change will be obvious. The Bourbons are days away from being a mass of pink again and the other roses are also covered in buds.

The other Lilac has buds but didnt flower, so I am wondering if it is just a later bloomer than the other, or if it needs another year. The hydrangeas are up and so are the Hostea's...although only on one side. Odd? Where did the other half go?

The Rose of Sharon made it through winter, but sadly it looks like the Jasmine is a lost cause. Both Clementis are thriving and climbing fast and furiously up the fence.

I think this covers all the photo's....hopefully next month will be very pretty. For now there is just foliage.

Bourbon Roses

The photo at the top of the blog is the Bourbon Rose hedge that grows along the back fence on the right side: 'Madame Pierre Oger'. Above is a close-up. 'She' is a climbing rose. Today I thought I would try and find out a little more about 'her' and this is what I came up with. (Copied from multiple sites).

Plan B. Blog does not allow paste/copy! Seriously?

"Bred in France and introduced in 1878, 'Madame Pierre Oger' is a genetic mutation of 'Reine Victoria'. "

"The original Bourbon rose traces its lineage to the reign of Louis-Philippe (1830-1848) when residents of Ile de Boubon, now called Reunion Island, planted hedges of China and damask roses that naturally cross-pollinated. The resulting hips were sent to the kings gardener in France, and the Bourbon class of rose was born".

So, the question I am still asking my self is: who the hang was Madame Pierre Oger?

The China rose was the "Parsons Pink" and the Damask "Quatre Saisons".

It was the head gardener to the Duc d'Orleans, M. Jacques, who named the first one the "Bourbon Rose". Oh , Reunion Island is in the southern Indian Ocean.

" 'Madamme Pierre Oger' was first introduced by Oger of France in 1878".

Who was Oger when he was around? I am assuming Madame was his wife, not mistress. More searching:)

Finally! (from) 'Botanicas Roses pg 377 : Pierre Oger introduced 95 hybrids, with only 'Madame Pierre Oger', which was named after his wife, still in the catalogues. Cute. The one rose that lasted was the one that he named after his wife......I like that.

Now I can just get it to climb to the upper deck I will be delighted. Unfortunately, it seems 10 foot is about what can be expected, so perhaps it won't provide the privacy screen I had hoped for.

Spring still looks like winter....

Phot0: 2011 Columbine. First perennial to appear.

Photo: Columbine 2010

Continuation of previous post.

Columbine is the first perennial to come up. It is called "spring magic blue and white" Aquilegia hybrid. (maybe). I had two. One died. was it the pink or the blue? If it turns out the pink one survived I have no idea what it was called. I have one threat to my garden....called Terry, and I do believe his one "where not to walk canine brain cell" left him and he stomped on one of the columbines last year.

The Beginning of Spring still looks like Winter

Photo above. K-Mart no-name special twig of a Lilac three years ago. Today...waiting to bloom.

Photo above: Miss Kim at the back, hydrangea at the front.

A very ugly garden at the moment. I am posting these pics because I know soon I will be able to look back and see the progress nature and I have made.

There are two Lilacs in my garden. A few weeks ago I transplanted Miss Kim from the Madam Pierre Oger Bourbon Rose Climbing hedge. Last season I had no idea how the roses were suddenly going to take off and overtake the Miss Kim Lilac. "Syringa patula". Much to my delight it has survived the transplant and there are now tiny leaves emerging. This is clearly a different variety of Lilac to my no name brand K-Mart saved twig that is already laden with flowers waiting to pop open in a few weeks. Miss Kim's label says she flowers in May and will grow to three feet tall.

Spring has Sprung 2011

Daffy-Down-Dilly

Has come to town

In a yellow petticoat

And a green gown.

The miniature daffodils came first, followed by the standard yellow. Lagging behind by a week or two were the frilly pale yellow ones. When daffodils are up, spring has officially sprung in my teenie tiny garden. Finally! Mid-March and the weather is improving and winter is on its way out.

Little duckling Clematis after a single season (pink climber left). To the right a Lilac of unknown name....the Lilac was the ONLY plant to survive my first planting season in 2008 after which I discovered the only way to deal with pure Virginia clay that bricks are made from is to dig it out! So far this spring there is no sign of life on little duckling, but the purple Clematis on the side fence has a few leaves so I watch and wait.

The Beginning....

Spring has nearly sprung and every year it never ceases to amaze me how suddenly the entire world seems about to explode into color. So this year I will attempt my very first blog. A journey into a few square foot of land, flowers, water, gardening trials and errors. Three years ago there was nothing in my garden. Last year there was much. This year.....still to be seen. Here we go:)