A few random shots

I am hoping to get some decent photos of the iris and clematis that are now blooming - they are truly lovely.  But until I do, here are a few random shots from the yard recently.

Laurel

Oregon Grape

Morgan the Wonder Dog

My ONE sunny spot in the back yard

Star Flower

Photo from PlantingFlowerBulbs.com

Yesterday evening I found a small bag hanging by my front door.  Inside were several bulbs, a couple with the white flowers still attached.   I had NO ideas where these came from or what they were.  I called all the usual suspects, but none of my regular garden pals would fess up.   I was delighted to receive these but quite baffled to figure out how they got there.   Finally I got a call from one of my across-the-street neighbors asking if I had found the bulbs she had left.  She says they are Star Flowers  and that they will spread quite a bit, which is why she had some to share.  I just love bulb flowers so I am so pleased to introduce these into my mix of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and allium.  In a couple years they are likely to begin proliferating at my place too, so if one day you come home to find a bag of bulbs by your door, I just may be guilty.

Allium

Our Allium have opened up and the hollyhocks in front of them are getting huge.  After a wet, cool patch of spring weather today it hit 80 degrees so I expect lots of things will be opening soon.

Garden Barter

I think what one of the things I like best about my gardens is sharing them with others.  Yesterday I took some hellebore and lamium to a neighbor up the street.  In exchange I received a delightful visit talking about plants and came home with a lily of the valley and a sage plant.   As I said before here, gardeners just seem to be the nicest people.  There is something about digging in the dirt that seems to soften the soul.

Temple Tulips

I don't know the name of these lovely yellow tulips with the red stripe, but I sure like them.

Duck Weather

It has been POURING rain all afternoon, so the work in the gardens I had planned for today will have to wait for another time.   I've got a pair of mallards walking around out back who have decided to camp out under my red twig dogwood for the duration it seems.  I snapped these from the back door as the waddled across the lawn.

Snowball bush

Last year our snowball bush  had hardly any blooms on it at all.  This year it is putting on several, but nothing like others I've seen around town.  I suspect the problem is not as much sun as it would like.  LOTS of shade in my back yard means other than my hostas and ferns most everything else struggles.

Deadnettle

CORRECTION  4/28/2014

I had this identified incorrectly.   This is actually Yellow Archangel.  THANK YOU to John Fako from helping me find what it really is.

When I posted these photos originally I was asking if anyone wanted starts of it.  I must have been out of my mind.  This plant goes in the same category as Bishop's Weed.  It IS pretty but very invasive.  Left to its own devises it will take over. 

I will keep the patch that I have, but I'm going to be doing some SERIOUS cutting back to keep it where it belongs.

Black Stem Elephant Ear

Photo from Gurneys.com

I just couldn't help myself.  When I saw the package of bulbs for these babies at Costco this afternoon I had to have them.   Silly girl.  They won't over winter here.  So come fall I'll need to dig them up and bring them inside.  I'll probably kill them.  As much as I love my gardens, I am not one to nurture house plants well.   I probably would have been much better off spending the money on something else, like a practical perennial or even colorful annuals that I know from the get go will die off at frost.   But the exotic look of these black stem elephant ears was just too cool to pass up.  I hope they do well!