Sorry I've been gone so long.
I've been doing the daily grind and sulking over our COLD, cloudy spring....
but alas warm temps surely do come and as usual we go from cold to 85 & HUMID!

Rose's all looking wonderful and I'm still pruning.
Some cane damage this winter to a few usually cane hardy varieties.
We had a rough winter.
Some of my Alba's will need major pruning of old woody growth
after they are done this year but can't wait!
Many of my maturing shrubs and ramblers are HUUUGE!!!
Here's some new 2011 pics from around my place.
Hope everybody is doing well.

Miss Kitty laying among the growing roses & lavender...


Gremlin our 20 yr. old barn cat developed some awful hair mats
this winter. Here she is shaved down and looking pretty funny.
She's taken up her usual spot on the kitchen porch.


Darwin Tulips! Get some!
They come back and they're fabulously gorgeous & cheerful.
Just what I need after a long, dark winter.




Other random shots...

nice pics Vicky my roses have and had a lot of winter kill this year ;0( some right to the ground !!! but are bouncing back with the heat and sun love the kitties ;0)
Gloria

Vicki - what are the little blue flowers below the picture of the grape hyacinths?

That's what my blue hyacinths look like after a few years in the ground.

Vicky, congrats on making it through another long MI winter. I mourn your being cheated out of spring. But then again, here I could never keep water fowl. Each place has its compensations.

I, too am a fan of Darwin tulips. They repeat here, as well. Dug half a dozen up to plant something there, intending to re-plant them. When I came back after lunch five were missing and one was dragged halfway across the garden. Either someone is starting their own flower bed, or they are having tulips for lunch.

Vicky,

It's such a pleasure to see your posts. Can't wait for the shots of Sebastopol geese and roses, especially your Alchemists.

My Darwin tulips are just about done now. I even had a few "annual" tulip varieties unexpectedly come back this year, including a few frilly parrots, but the Darwins are the mainstay of early spring color in my garden. That, and the creeping phlox that tumbles down the stone wall along the driveway.

The lilacs started blooming last week, and the fragrance fills the air. And wild wisteria is blooming here in the foothills of the Hudson Valley. I don't often see it up close, but rather view it from the car as I drive through the steep foothills along the banks of the Hudson River. Last fall I purchased a wisteria plant from a nursery and planted it at the base of some lattice that surrounds my elevated deck. A few weeks ago I visited a home where they've had it growing into a pergola for many years, and I was astonished (if not appalled) at the size of the twisting trunk and roots. OMG, what have I done?!

Skiekitty...like Steve said...hyacinths a few years after planting peter out. Does anybody know they best time to fertilize bulbs..after they bloom?
I agree Steve each climate has its pro's and con's. I do know as far as gardening I would REALLY miss my lilacs and peonies if I lived in the south where they can't be grown...but then you can grow tea and china roses.

Mike your lilacs are blooming already! WOW! The fragrance of Lilacs is HEAVENLY!
I bought 3 "Boomerang" reblooming Lilacs last year...anxious to see how they grow. I suppose they will shut down when it gets real hot but they will certainly extend my lilac bloom season.
Have you ever been to the Lilac Festival on Mackinac Island?
They have 200 year old Lilac TREES of the likes I've never seen before!
http://mackinacislandlilacfest...

Also looking forward to my Lilies if the Valley to bloom...can't snort them enough!
Have yet to try and gorw Wisteria but they are stunning!

HAPPY SPRING EVERYBODY!

Mike wisteria shrinks as it grows. We had it growing on a front porch and it actually rotated some large stone pillars on their bases. It requires STRONG support.

Huh... how does it shrink as it grows?

The vines actually contract and become shorter as they thicken. Ours pulled some 2'x2' square stone posts off of their bases - over a period of about 20 years, probably. It is a powerful vine!

Would Wisterea be ok on a chain link fence?

BTW Steve you can keep waterfowl in AZ.
All kinds of people keep waterfowl in the SW.
For geese I would recommend smaller bodied ones such as shetlands, pilgrims or cottonpatch not big heavy breeds like Toulouse or Africans etc.
I know people in AZ that have Sebastopols.

I would not grow wisteria on chain link - unless you keep it really small.

Thanks PP.
Pruned roses today.
UGH....I'm getting too old and have too many BIG roses.
Lillian Gibson is pulling down the wrought iron trellis shes on
and taking over the backdoor entryway!
Getting my containers filled.
I'm crazy for Supertunias!
Some pics from today...

So beautiful! Pretty Much Picasso is my favorite petunia.

Is the shrub at the top a Kolkwitzia?

Thanks Zuzu.
The 2 trees above are a weeping cherry and a weeping crabapple

I love weeping trees.

Good to hear from you, CR. The cubit's been so quiet today that I thought you had all been "Raptured" and left me all alone.

Zuzu - LOL, no, you're not lucky enough to get rid of me.

or me I had to work all day

Roses & Peonies starting to bloom! Rugosas and Frulingsdorf.
Will post pics soon.

My Rugoas are starting up...will post more pics as they get more blossoms open.

Frulingsdorf


Peony (lost tag)

Oh heck I went and took a bunch of pics anyhoo.
All the roses are loaded with blossoms.
We had alot of rain this spring and cool temps and
the roses really like the cooler temps.

Ramblers all loaded with buds!


Polaris makes such a nice full round shrub.
It's getting huge! The fence in my backyard is 4 ft.


Blanc Double de Coubert
Most Rugosas are fountain shaped like this.


Jens Munk (L) Belle Poitevine (R)


Wide shot of above roses


Rambler Lillian Gibson is WAY too big to plant by your house.
Its pulling down the wrought iron trellis which we had to re-enforce.
I have a Robin nesting in it as we speak.
Last year a Cardinal nested there.
Very annoying once the babies are hatched to try
and go in through the back door and have frantic parents freaking out.


Lillian G.


Rosarie de La'Hay


Jens Munk


Delicata