First lily opened, Lily (Lilium 'Courier')


Mini bloom on Ring of Fire


yarrow, penstemon and poppies


Paul Black iris


Jacob's Robe


canna, a black leafed dahlia and same rose as above


Giant Hyssop (Agastache 'Summer Love')


Peruvian Lily (Alstroemeria Princess Lilies® Isabella)


Strange Brew iris and Brookside geranium


Cotton Lavender (Santolina virens 'Lemon Fizz')


and some variegated self seeded nasturtiums with potted petunias


Pure Poetry rose


Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota)


Caramella


I break off individual rosetter pieces of Blue Echeveria (Echeveria secunda) and scatter them along bed edges and then grow into large clumps. You can see a few starting to send up blooms


Planted a new Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola') in this turquoise pot, I liked the color combo


A lizard soaking up the warmth on a rock

Oooooooooooo!!!!!

Ring of Fire is a cutie for sure!! Love your pictures!! Oh but that is a mean looking lizard (my little grandson has trouble with his "L" sounds and calls them wizards. )

Just plain gorgeous!

I especially love that view through the garden gate! How perfectly inviting! Your photo of Caramella has me really excited- mine has several fat buds (newly planted in April).

Sue, you've got me thinking about adding some "bones" to the garden. I'm such a fan of plants with lots of little blooms, and have relied upon the bones of the existing blue spruces here, but I need some mid sized evergreens to balance proportions. Huge spruces and tons of little blooms everywhere just aren't cutting it. Unlike you however, I ain't giving up on any roses! LOL I've got room though, so nothing should have to leave.

I find it very important, adding height and structure and am pulling out some things in order to make room for more. I have several dwarf conifers that I adore, this Juniper (Juniperus communis 'Gold Cone') being my favorite so far. I love the new gold growth so much that I plan on getting a couple more for other areas to repeat that color, nice contrast for greens. Mine is 4 years old now. You can see it in many shots, most recently in my May 30th post above just under the coop photos.

That is a pretty and bright one! I went back and looked at the May 30 photos closely, and how nice to have that reliable color and height at all times of year- a tie that binds the look throughout the seasons. My first challenge here was learning to "paint with broader strokes" so to speak- it's so much different designing a large, open space than the smaller, more enclosed (by forest) space I moved from. Now I think some mid sized evergreens would help- keeping my eye on the local offerings, and have been seeing some gold thread cypress that would work well in the sky garden.

I also kept noticing how nice your gold leaved spirea looks with surrounding plants, which inspired me to pick one up a few days ago. I'm loving it with the trumpet honeysuckle!

Many of the daylilies are in full swing now but I will have to cull some, our nights never stay warm enough so that they open properly.
This is a favorite because I love polychrome coloring.
Frequent Comment


Roses and clematis together, Lady Emma Hamilton rose and Clematis 'Franziska-Maria'.


Canna Tropicanna, the last shot with a dark leafed dahlia whose name I lost (and found again, Dahlia Mystic Illusion


Romantika


Forever Susan


A Noid semp happy in a clay pipe


Lavender 'Hidcote' my favorite lavender


Clematis viticella 'Alba Luxurians'


Pansies I mean petunias, the other P!


An unknown epiphyllum


And this side of the coop is coming along, covered in old barn wood a friend gave us, a window is going over the screened opening at top. That small side opening for the chickens has an door that closes on a pull rope from the outside.

Sue, that Dahlia looks like it might be Bishop of York?

Love the barn wood.

Debra, I'm pretty sure the original tag said Mystic something and Mystic Illusion seems a match although it often gets 4-5 ft tall. Need to add that to the database.
http://www.mysticdahlia.com/my...

Doh, already in the database with my images no less! Just had to update the trade name.
Dahlia Mystic Illusion

As usual, your pictures are gorgeous, as is your garden.

However, I must say your pansies look like petunias to me

But of course they are, that's what happens when I post late and after a glass of wine!
Just did a little editing there.

I like your favorite,..lovely color and markings,..stunning shots of the roses and clematis,..all your blooms are eye catching,..your Hen Coop is finishing well i like how you have fully gone into doing everything expertly and with convenient openings for both yourselves and the feathered friends.

Thank Philip!
Gonna be some pretty pricey eggs!

Lovely photos. Forever Susan is stunning.

Just fantastic Sue. The opening lily time should have a trumpet salute.

I just updated my ATP blog with a few coop shots, here's the one I took this evening. The nest box will be built in that center section where to new wood is, jutting out from the coop walls.


And a few more darker evening shots.


Desert Icicle