May happinings

The weather has been amazing since my last post.  We have spent every available moment out in the gardens.  Honey has really jumped in this year with tending to the gardens.  Here are a few of the flowers blooming right now.

Dutch Iris and Canary yellow Iris

 Purple Clustered Bell Flower

 The Hardy Begonia are continuing to spread, despite being dividing a few times.

 We purchased this Nikko Blue Hydrangea last fall, and she has been moved twice already.  Lets see if this is the right spot for her after all.

 Update on the Luna Hibiscus.  We have quite a few Hibiscus in the gardens, but this one seems to be growing the best at the moment.

 Unknown Iris

 The Water Lilies are doing well, need to be divided, and still waiting on the red one's to bloom.  Just sayin.

 The Stella Daylilies have finally started blooming.  This is their second full season in the garden.

 The Clematis always puts on a big foliage show, but has been dismal in the blooming department.  She usually blooms in August, so if anyone has any tips on getting this bitch to bloom, please let me know.

 I built the trellis a couple of days ago and planted some Hyacinth bean seedlings at its base.  I also planted a couple of Castor Bean seedlings in this bed and have some Castor volunteers.

 I created a couple of new beds in the front yard.  Yes, we needed some more growing space.  I used a rototiller on two of the beds to plant seedlings.  The third bed was created to hide a god awful stump that we have stared at for far to long.  I just loosed up the soil around the stump with a shovel, added compost.  I filled the bed with plants that needed to relocate.  I sat a large container on top of the stump and covered with mulch.  The fourth bed was the easiest.  Our non hardy tropicals needed a sunnier locale.  My solution, lay down some cardboard, arrange the containers, and cover the cardboard with mulch.  I was contemplating planting a perennial or two in the mix to soften the edges.  Thoughts?

 The Knockouts are doing well and even more importantly, the Knockout tree is on the verge of having a beautiful season.

 

This is one of the new seedling beds.  Can you see them?  This years seedling were pathetic, but I still planted them.  It took everything I had, not to say hell with it and run to the local garden center.  This photo was taken last weekend, and they are showing signs of hope as of today.  I also sowed some Moon vine seeds and they have germinated. 

 How cute is this little baby.  Every year we have baby bunnies in the yard.  I think they know that this is a bunny safe house.  I will chase off anything that wants to hurt these little guys, from hawks, snakes, to those damn neighborhood cats. I would just like to say to all of you cat owners, "keep your cats in your own yard and out of our flowers and off our cars".

 This explains why we have had 6 snakes in the yard this year. Yes, we ran across our 6th snake today.  A 5 foot long black snake.  This time it was in the dog side of the yard, with one of the dogs sniffing it. This pokes holes in the theory, snakes do not travel into dog territory. Of course I freaked out.  I was afraid our mostly blind dog Scooter was going to get bitten.  I wanted the snake to go away, but it wanted to take up residency under the dogs pool.  Not happening.  I am sure this said snake is responsible for the baby cardinals disappearing yesterday only feet from where I discovered the snake.  I digress, this is probably the number one reason the snakes are coming to the house.  The frogs are definitely ringing the snake dinner bell, and unlike the dogs, baby birds, baby bunnies and squirrels, these guys are on their own.  This is where the snakes need to hang out if they are going to persist on being in the yard.  Either that or at our neighbors.  Right, Melinda?