My daughter, son-in-law and all my little grand babies are arriving this Friday for a week 4th of July fun, so I thought I'd better write and preschedule some posts before they get here. Because of that, you get the blessing of actually having my monthly garden updates done on time for a change. It's also pouring rain outside right now, so I have plenty of extra time to blog.
This year, my peonies were amazing. I mean, peonies are always amazing, they are a no-brainer, fail-safe plant. But some years, the weather really does havoc on them. No matter how well you stake them, a strong storm can completely destroy a peony bush. This year, Mother Nature was kind to us and left my peonies alone for the most part so we could actually enjoy them a little while longer. I did get one thunderstorm towards the end of my peony blooming season that did knock them over, but thankfully I got plenty of time to enjoy them before that happened.
Peonies
I have a huge variety of peonies in all different colors, bloom type, and time of blooming. This white one is a single bloom peony, which I absolutely love. Just look at the size of those blooms. Unfortunately, it is growing in the shade so the blooms are getting less and less every year, but it's still blooming. Originally I did plant it in the sun, but trees got bigger and now it's mostly in full shade. I'm thinking I should probably move it this fall and I hate to do that because peonies have such a long, extensive root system and are so hard to move. You can also set the plant back a few years when you move it, and I can't bear the thought of not having any of these gorgeous white blooms next year.
This is the standard pink peony most people have. I have this beauty all over my yard because it has been moved and divided multiple times. Hmm, maybe moving a peony bush isn't such a bad idea after all. 😀
Here's another of the same peony in a different location. I think I made six plants out of one peony bush.
I love this dark, rich, burgundy peony.
And this hot pink peony is my favorite of all...and this one was moved too! It was on my southern hill but hubby had to rip it out to fix the retaining wall so I moved it to my front yard where it could be a real show piece. The yellow marigolds in the foreground really go so well with this peony because of its neon colors and yellow centers.
My next peony is also very bright, but not quite as bright as the one above. It's also getting too much shade and probably needs to be moved to a sunnier spot. I really love it where it is because I can see it from my kitchen window.
Iris
Unlike my peonies, my iris' didn't do as well this year. I had a few blooms, but nothing like I have had in previous years. I have no idea why. I know you need to divide iris every few years to get more blooms, but I don't think that was the issue.
Spireas & Weigela
Everyone keeps telling me the honey bees have disappeared, but I think I found them all in my yard. I was walking past this bush and heard so much buzzing I had to check it out...it was loaded with honey bees!
I have so many spirea bushes in my yard. I love the white one above, but the rest are a nuisance to me. They are beautiful bushes, but they reseed everywhere. I am constantly pulling out unwanted bushes.
I bought this Weigela bush last year and couldn't be more pleased. First of all, the deer do not touch it, unlike a Viburnum bush I purchased at the same time. I have to cover the Viburnum bush with deer netting to keep the deer from devouring it. Secondly, just look at those blooms! Gorgeous! And when the bush is not in bloom I still have that beautiful burgundy foliage to contrast against all the green in my yard. I can't wait to see this bush get bigger.
Spring Bulbs & Perennials
I love Allium bulbs! They are so beautiful, and deer resistant. I saw some Alliums blooming on the other side of my fence line and I couldn't believe it. I always toss my garden waste over my fence and into the woods. There must have been some Allium bulbs in there. I find it amazing that they planted themselves and bloomed on their own in the woods with no help from me.
Columbine with yellow iris in the background. Usually deer eat the Columbine before I can enjoy it. We've actually had very little issues with deer this year compared to previous years. 🤞I'm wondering if a hunter got them last fall.
Loosestrife, growing in deep shade...isn't that amazing? So few things grow in deep shade.
Yellow Primrose, also being overcrowded by day lilies, Asiatic lilies, and Lamium, but it appears to be doing well in spite of the crowded conditions.
Landscape Photos
Last month I didn't show you any far away shots because my yard was such a mess due to a construction project. The construction is still going on, but I can show you some parts of the yard. I never feel landscape photos do my garden posts justice. There never looks like there is any color, and even though this is a very green time of year, I can assure you there is a lot in bloom right now too, you just can't see it when you pull the camera back. But the lush green looks gorgeous in the landscape photos too.
And before I leave I have to show you my new sign! There is a story behind this sign. When we bought our house 27 years ago, my husband built this little garden at the end of our driveway with the intention of putting a sign here. Well, for one reason or another, we never got around to getting a sign up. So this past Christmas I surprised him with a custom made sign from RealSteel. Hubby made the white wood sign, and then adhered the steel name sign to it. It has the date we purchased our home on it too, but you can't see it in the photo because the hosta is covering it. Next spring, I'm gonna dig that hosta out of there so everyone can see the date.
I hope you enjoyed my June Garden Tour.
Have a Happy 4th of July! Amy
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