Delightful Dahlias

The garden is not doing well...too much rain and cool weather...not enough sun and heat...YET the dahlias produce...amazing plants...crisp foliage and stalks, big beautiful flowers in colors that can be breath taking. The rain does not seem to have hampered these strong beautiful flowers. How this much plant and color can come from the bulb/toe that looks so gnarly and dead when it goes in, is truly a miracle.

Look at these burgundy beauties!

These yellow dahlias look like sunflowers or the sun itself...

This variety has a pink-orange color that is amazing...

This is one giant dahlia...befitting the description dinner plate size!

A look across the dalias to the greenhouse...

Hope your garden is doing well...here in New England I hear lots of moans and groans...

We always look forward to the tomatoes...this year is going to be tough...but at least we have gorgeous bouquets...

Elizabeth

Garlic is Growing Hip Hip Hooray!!!!!

What is that curly-q thing?! It is a garlic scape...edible and cool to look at. These neat looking scapes can be added to soups, stew, chopped for stir fries, added to salads or any creation you want. They also look great in bouquets. The shape just adds another dimension to a cluster of fresh picked flowers and always lends to someone wanting to know it is...

This is a single scape...don't you just love the shape!!!!!

My garlic was throwing lots of scapes this week....I cut them off so all the energy is allowed to go to the growing cloves. the varieties heavy with scapes is Music and german White. I do leave one on as an indicator. when the "indicator " points straight up toward the sky...time to dig the garlic. When scapes appear, no more fertilizer and slowly pull back on heavy watering. Keep pulling weeds as they can deplete a garden bed of the nutrition your plant stock deserves...why feed weeds?!

The garlic bed looking through the cucumber ladders.

Isn't this just a gem of a garlic bed! OHHHH LA LA....

Just another angle of the garlic....

If you decided to plant garlic last fall...you must be as anxious as I am to see what lies beneath the soil...

Elizabeth

Random Garden Shots

I could look at our garden all day long...but looking just doesn't get the work done. So clippers come out to deadhead, rakes to clean up debris, buckets of waste to the compost pile and the list goes on...but in the end this "work" really isn't work and being amongst the flowers is even better than just looking. it really is true if you do something you love, it really isn't work.

A look at the herb garden bed...chives, oregano, spearmint, peppermint, scented geraniums, several varieties of sage, tarragon, basil, parsley (flat and curly), dill, lots of thyme, cilantro and rosemary. The annual herbs are just starting to grow...they need some sunny hot days to flourish.
Tomatoes are budded and some are blooming. Just staked them so now they will really grow...tomatoes are vines after all...planted several new varieties this year...black russian, great white, lemon pear as well as old time favorites san marzano, delicious, green zebra, german striped and more...looking forward to this crop!

Angel keeping a watch over a corner of the garden.

A lovely agave in a turn of the century granite urn...the mate flanks the other side of the bench...as testament of all the rain we have been getting, little mushrooms grow under the pot.

Looking forward to more days in the garden and picking tomatoes...sooner rather than later!!!!!

Elizabeth

Peonies and Iris are the Stars of the Garden Now

Right now under the gray skies of New England peonies and iris reign supreme in the garden ...we have had so much rain and moisture the iris fill with water and don't last as long as usual or desired...the peonies get weighted down so supports are vital. The colors are gorgeous and it is a delight to walk amongst this beauties...

Pinks, purples and yellow are the colors du jour....

The foliage is thick and green this year.

Peonies and Siberian iris mix so well....

Deep pinks peonies are delightful...


How gorgeous are these peonies...

White Siberian iris are so delicate....

These Siberian iris are a delicate pale yellow...almost like butter...

Deep purple Siberian iris are my favorite...




These purple iris are also black...can you see the furry beards?

This iris is getting ready to unfurl...the color is actually almost a deep raspberry...the photo does not do it justice...


This iris has a pale pale pink top and the under petals are a delicious lavender....this is absolutely a wonderful variety and unusual variety.


This iris is a delight...stark white upper petals and lower petals are a blue...just beautiful...

Hope your gardens are doing well and producing wonderful feasts for your eyes...

Elizabeth

Winter Was Very Kind to Our Garden

WOW!!!!! Everywhere you look gardens, plantings, foliage, shrubs anything that has it's roots in the earth seems to have gotten quite a boost from this past winter's snow and cold...

Our garden is lush and verdant. I have never seen such huge garlic plants...some of the stalks look like leeks...the foliage is dense and green, buds are thick, colors are vibrant and fragrances are heady....Old North Wind and Jack Frost were laying the ground work for a fabulous treat to all things that grow.


Look at that garlic...looks like a bed of leeks!

Hanging pots are full and overflowing in the greenhouse...getting ready to go over to our island for a summer color boost...

Saint Francis must be very pleased with the results of this past winter's snow...we all know snow is poor man's fertilizer...

This gorgeous peony is a delightful...I could stare at it all day long!

Our hosta is HUGE...every single plant is at least twice as big as last year....Mother Nature has really treated us with a delightful gardening season...

It would seem gardens everywhere are thriving...hope you have the opportunity to visit some this spring...garden centers are full of wonderful plant stock, garden tours are everywhere...take the time to smell the roses, peonies, salvia, lilies and and and the list goes on...get off the cell phone, out of the chair, away from the TV and computer screen and touch nature...you'll be doing yourself a favor!!!!!

Elizabeth

Gorgeous Morning

When I woke up this morning and looked over to our little island on the pond what I saw was breathtaking...it had gotten very cold during the night and the mist was rising from the pond's water. Our days have been warmer so the water is now warming yet the nights cold so we are now getting the early morning fogs and mist...just gorgeous to see...these temperature fluctuations also helps the sap to flow so maple syrup making is full speed ahead right now. My husband went to get the newspapers down at the end of the driveway with camera in hand and started snapping. He went over to the island and also took some lovely photos...below are some of those wonderful pictures he took...ENJOY!

At one end of the island...this is my favorite spot to look at the water...you really don't know where on earth you are when you stand here...it truly could be anywhere...it is simply timeless...

We call these two very tall trees the "wedding trees". This is where stood to get married almost twelve years ago...

This spot is looking from the island to our house on the mainland...see how still the pond was this morning...the reflections are incredible.

From the causeway to the island...you can just about see the dock and day cabin.

From the mainland to our peninsula that goes around to the other side of the property...this forms the cove that we swim in when the hot days finally arrive.

From our house to the island...what I woke to this AM...a splendid view...peaceful and truly magical.

Elizabeth

Spring Garden

While the photos of this garden look barren, there is greenery emerging everywhere. Bulbs have lots of big plump buds just waiting for a bit of sunshine and warmth to give us lots of color.
Perennials are picking out of the soil everywhere and it looks like all is well.

Don't be fooled by the lack of color...the earth is bursting with lots of green getting ready to unfurl stems, buds and further riots of color.

C'mon spring!

Lots of pretty things to come!

These crocus are breathtaking as well as a very welcome sight in the lower rock garden...

A nice clump of daffodils loaded with buds...

Sedum getting ready to do it's thing...

Rows of garlic just emerging...feed these today with lots of good stuff as garlic is a very heavy feeder....

This boxwood wintered well...this shrub was so small when we first planted it...about 8 inches high and scrawny...it has done well here...notorious slow growers...

Today it rains...so it goes...April showers bring May flowers!

Elizabeth