Here is a link to part 2 of Susan's Garden The thread "Susan's Garden Part Two 2012-2013" in Garden Photos forum

Somehow 2014 managed to get by without any photos on this forum, but will try to keep up this year.

Things are just beginning to grow here is zone 5. The SDB iris are the first big show of color. Here is a shot of the front sidewalk.



And a collage of some of the earliest bloomers.

I planted a new sedum bed last year. It's starting to fill in but will need a couple more years to be photo ready. One of my favorites is Sweet and Sour.


This tricolored sedum is one I'm growing along the front sidewalk.

Just started cleaning up in the back I have 2 large raised beds of semps. Trying to get the little clover seedlings pulled andnew gravel put around them, Here are a couple areas that are looking good.




These areas are only a year old, so have lot of filling in to do yet

Happy to see you posting again this year, Susan.

Just looked through both of your threads and I love what you have done!! Your lilies and daylillies are magnificent. Love your iris above too. Dwarf? So colorful.

Susan, I am started to gather more Sedum and Stonecrop. Like that White Tip. Your photographs are always so lovely, I am looking forward to seeing those for this new year.

Strange weather this year. Almost 13" of rain this month. Hitting an all time record for May here. Cold this last week with temps almost down to freezing. Iris are in full swing now and am seeing daylily scapes shooting up.



The tree peony got to bloom a couple days before the rains restarted. Had over 100 blooms this year.




Some of the hens and chicks are really taking off. This is Ford's Spring



Snow Ball bush in back corner.


Pele a little standard dwarf iris


Finishing up the annual pots for this year. Lots of coleus as usual. Also a few cannas, verbena and other plants. This is a new combination for the porch.



Lots of bright yellow Russian Sedum in bloom.

Tall bearded Iris





Clematis












Asiatic and other lilies are budding out.

Looking great Susan!

Dorothy Rose columbine is delightful.




Dog sitting for the next 10 days. They are so much help in the garden.








Iris in bloom all over the place. I know some people like to grow their iris in separate beds, but mine are mixed in with the daylilies and other plants and seem to do well.

Susan, my Iris are mostly mixed in, too. What is the delicious-looking Iris in this photograph?

stilldew said:
Dog sitting for the next 10 days. They are so much help in the garden.

Doggies

That's and old one Supreme Sultan. Tall and always gets a lot of comments from passerbys. I have enough I could send you some if you like it.

I would love some, thank you. Treemail me when you are ready and I will send postage before you ship.

A few shots of the back yard. Always a work in progress.



Behind the iris you can see the sedum bed I'm working on. Needs weeded before taking a close up. Beyond that are 2 raised beds with semps.



Double Knockout Rose was winter killed almost to the ground this last winter, so is much shorter than normal for May.

Big changes. Looks great.

Susan, your colors and combinations are inspired. Very beautiful!

This is the only shaded area I have in my yard. I trimmed up the Seven Sons tree yesterday to make it more visible. Still need to get out a saw and cut off the one low branch. My brother recently moved into a new house with some hostas that were seriously in need of being divided, so I brought some of them home and planted them yesterday. The daylilies in the background are red NOIDs that bloom fairly well in the shade. I may remove them after I see how they do this year. Just stuck them there to fill in the space last year after I took down a lot of vines that had been growing on the old back fence. The big problem with this area as well as all the back yard is that there is a huge oak tree in my neighbor's yard and the ground is covered with oak seeds and seedlings this time of the year. Not sure that mulching this area would help, but maybe after I get some of the seeds cleaned up I will add some.



Sometimes I feel like there is not much progress in the back, but here is the same area 2 years ago.



And this was 3 years ago with the old fence and all the invasive Dutchman's Pipe vines. Afraid they are still popping up in places, but things really are improving. Give me about 3 more years and maybe the whole back will be looking good.

That's a lot of progress in 2 years!
I am fascinated with seven sons trees...it would be marginally hardy here. Are your happy with yours?

I'm not as excited about the tree as I thought I would be. It's pretty, but not spectacular. Since it's the only tree in my garden, I wanted something special. Maybe with the trimming up it will do better this year.

You have made a lot of progress, Susan.

I thought the seven son tree would be really a great specimen tree both for its bloom time and the white flowers and then reddish sepals. If it's rather underwhelming, maybe I won't chance it. I do have a few zone 5 plants that survive here, but I certainly wouldn't count on it.