Good morning, gardeners, and welcome to the Saturday Morning Garden Blog!
I wasn't born into a family of gardeners. For the most part, my father worked the land alone, mowing and trimming, spraying and clipping, lighting the caterpillar tents on fire. The grounds were always immaculately maintained, with varying shades of green and brown that coalesced like living sculptures around the house. As lovely as it was, there were very few flowers planted to color up the landscape. Except for the peonies. I remember the peonies - outrageous globes of petal-pink that stood like sentinels at the top of the stone steps. This past week, i brought a collection of potted peonies home from the garden center. I guess i was in the mood for something that connected me to the past. And the fact that a clump of peonies can live for 100 years or more is a notion that really appeals to me.
Looking around, i'm actually not sure where i'll plant my new peonies. I read it's best to plant them in the fall, so there's plenty of time to think about it. Meanwhile, the pots will live on the stoop where i can dote and protect, making sure the summer drought doesn't get the better of them …
The parched weeks of summer will be here soon enough, but for the moment, the garden is pleased it's been so cool and damp. The clematis is a cascade of purple …
Some lavenders have faded, while others are hitting their peak …
Monarda and Sweetspire are looking a little tuckered out …
The graceful petals of a Magnolia …
And then there's the jasmine. The ever-rambling jasmine …
Out back, the apiary is a little overgrown …
But the honeybees don't mind. They continue to gather pollen …
... care for their babies, and of course, store away their precious honey …
Not surprisingly, if honeybees could vote, every single one of them would be a registered Democrat. I know this, because they recently made a donkey …
I can hardly believe there are seven hives back there now. Long live the Queens!
Can you spot the queen on the comb below? If you can, you're a natural beekeeper …
Along with the bees, hummingbirds are an ever-present entertainment here in my Pacific Northwest garden. Hubby took these hummingbird pictures a while back …
I think they capture the "spirit" of the hummingbird beautifully.
What's going on in your gardens?