Dahlias

Here are just a few of the many dahlias I have in my garden right now.

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Click on any photo to view larger

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Japanese Iris

I first saw these irises in a photo on a blog last year. I had never seen this type of iris before and absolutely loved them. I couldn’t find them locally, so looked online at several places. I finally found them at two different online nurseries and ordered nine of them (three different varieties) in very early spring of last year. I planted the bare roots in a sunny spot near the fence in the front bed. I had lots of foliage last year, but as expected, no blooms. This spring however, they have reached full height and are all in bloom. These are beautiful flowers! These beardless irises are very tall at 36 to 48 inches, and the spectacular flowers are very large and showy. They like moist, acidic soil in full sun to part shade. The foliage is softer, thicker and more grassy than that of other types of irises. I love these! According to online sources, bloom time is normally late June to early July, but as is most everything in my yard this year, these are blooming early. Click on any photo to view larger.

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Japanese Iris in front bed

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Iris Ensata ‘Freckled Geisha’

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‘Royal Banner’

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‘Crystal Halo’

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Three more snapshots of these gorgeous flowers.

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This Week’s Blooms

Well, actually these are photos taken over the past two weeks. I have been so busy with the planting and yard work that I haven’t had time to post. I still have so many plants just waiting to be planted.. The photo at left is a Showy Orchis (Orchis spectabilis), a very pretty little wild orchid that grows here and there throughout the woods surrounding the yard. I did stop with my planting long enough to take a walk in the woods to get some photos of it. And, below are a few of the latest blooms in my gardens, these were taken over the past couple of weeks. As always, click any photo to view it larger.

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Flame Azalea
It seems I post photos of these native shrubs every year when they’re in bloom. They are so pretty this year though, I just had to post them again. There are many of these that grow wild in the woods, this particular one is in our back yard and is about 15 feet tall and it is absolutely gorgeous this year!

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Closer view of blooms of Flame Azalea

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Weigela shrub blooming on slope behind house

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Allium Purple Sensation

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Tall purple Allium in creekside flower bed

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Allium neapolitanum in spring bulb bed

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Late flowering Tulips above gazebo flower bed

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Annual Phlox ‘Twinkle Star Mix’ (Phlox drummondii), grown from seed.

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Coral Honeysuckle-Lonicera sempervirens
This red honeysuckle blooms at the edge of the woods on the slope.

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A Silver-Spotted Skipper on Bluebell flowers.

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Large-flowered bicolor Azalea

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A white Azalea in a shady spot in the front yard.

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This is just a portion of the blooms in and around my yard right now. I love this time of year!

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Blooms

I have spent the last two weeks working in my yard, cleaning up flower beds, transplanting and dividing and planting. Here are a few of the blooms I have around the place, photos taken over the last couple of weeks.

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