Daylight shots

The pond in early bloom just the start of late spring, early summer.

Chillin

Chilling in the world's most comfy chairs on the patio. Smoking a cigar with my buddy Mike...

Healthy specimens....

Mackenzie gave me a gift card to order irises online. I used the card and this is what I received:

Wow they are in great shape I can hardly wait to plant them. I am especially excited because one is called "Bumblebee" and another is called "Starship Enterprise". So cool. Loop the Loop, Destination Fabulous and Midnight Oil rounds out my initial collection.

 Pots are doing well this year and the baskets are in constant bloom. Life is good.

As the summer wears on...

The baskets at the starting point

New to the yard this year...Solomon's Seal

Pond is clear and looking good

Bella Lugosi has lots of blooms this year

Rabbit troubles

It came to me as my hostas outgrew the cloches I made for them that I might need something more permanent and better built. I got to looking on line and things are pricey and don't look like they will last a season or 3 but there was one inspiration. A bell shaped cloche in wire with a chicken wire wrap. I got my old tomato cages out but found them tough to cut. Had to buy a bolt cutter which made quick work of it, then covered it in this plastic coated wire. Neato.

Cut to the top of the third ring from the top. Left plenty of stake length and could actually use the second half to make a smaller cage. Laid it out on a 2 ft wide poultry netting and folded the top over about 3 inches. Secured the sides a bit then set in over my hosta that is taking a beating at the moment.  Plenty of room to grow, open top so I can still enjoy the plant and the leaves can breath. Yay me!

My New Iris bloomed!

Yay me!

Potting Up and rabbits are getting fat

Bird of Paradise, Torenia and Begonias

Just starting to plant the buckets this year and starting to mix things up a bit. A lot more begonias especially the Angel wing variety with big double flowers as they seem to do well in the back with mixed shade.

we found a new trailer we like, Torenia, blooms in bright purple,  pink or white flowers like a snap dragon and trails down the side of pots. We did find our favorite, Mezoo, trailing red at one off the nurseries but you have to look in the succulent section. Its still a little pricey but it does winter over in the upstairs bathroom quite well.

Rabbits are in full force this year, moving barriers over plants and taking out whole hostas not even leaving the root stock. I have a vole in the front garden too that removed all traces of Asiatic lillies that bloomed so well last year. The critters are eating everything and anything except irises and weeds. Last year the took out nearly all my Moonbeam coreopsis, any Echinacea they can find and any lily that pokes up.

Spring 2016

These lovelies always seem to do their job. Bright pink blooms early in the spring and that cabbage- like foliage is tops.  Bergenia.

A little sad this year after a trip to the Hosta Farm last year and none of the plants returned this spring. In addition I lost all my super large plants to a virus. Nobody showed up this year. Not sure if I can replant there or not. The good news is the neighbors are growing another bumper crop of thistle and seeding my yard. Yay me!.