Tuesday, May 3, 2011

A Farewell Tour


While the rest of the world has been immersed in the royal wedding, I have been more interested in a wedding coming up soon--my daughter's.   Between last minute details and packing for the beach ceremony,  I haven't had much time for gardening or blogging.  I will be offline for a short while, but before I leave, I wanted to share some of my favorite blooms from this spring's garden.


Everything changes so quickly this time of year, that I'm sure the garden won't look the same when I come back.  The tightly coiled leaves of the 'Sum and Substance' hosta are starting to unfurl already.


Other smaller hostas in the shade garden are already spreading out after a few weeks of seasonable temperatures and a lot of rain.


Besides the spring bulbs, the Brunnera 'Jack Frost' is one of my favorites in the shade garden.  I can't get enough of these blue, blue blooms.  The beetle on the foliage was a surprise when I downloaded this picture.  I've seen a few bees and saw the first butterfly today; in another week or two they should be more plentiful.



The slender narcissus, which someone (sorry, I forgot who!) suggested might be 'Pippin,' is still blooming, much to my delight.  And the bleeding heart has nearly doubled in size and number of blooms since last year.


This is the first year for the new fothergilla 'Blue Shadow.'  I planted it for its fall color, but these white puffball blooms are just as welcome this spring.


There are wildflowers called spring ephemerals, but so much of spring's beauty is ephemeral. 


 The flowering crabapples were gorgeous this year, but with heavy rains and strong winds at times last week, the blooms didn't last long, and soon the driveway was strewn with pink petals.  I won't complain, though; here in central Illinois we were very fortunate compared to other areas of the country, especially the South, who experienced so much destruction from the storms.


The crabapples were at their best over Easter weekend, but I didn't take time to get a good photo then.  I guess I was distracted by other priorities.



The white crabapple blooms a little later and lasts longer than the other varieties, but I noticed today that even it had lost most of its petals after another blustery day.


The old apple tree has seen better days, but its spring show is spectacular.


Last summer was the first time I did a serious pruning of the old lilac, and it rewarded me with the most blooms I've ever seen on it.  Pruning will definitely be on my to-do list again in June.



But all this has been leading up to what I promised in my last post--showing off all my tulips.  There was nothing ephemeral about these bulbs this year--one variety or another has been blooming nonstop for at least three weeks, and I have been loving every minute of it.   Pink is definitely the predominant color.


In the roadside garden a collection of tulips from Breck's called 'Monet's Garden' compete with the rapidly growing coneflowers and daylilies.


The collection is intended to echo a common color scheme of Monet
 with shades of pink, white, and dark purple. 


This pale pink one didn't fit in the previous photo.  Did I mention I like pink?:)


Somehow a few red tulips also snuck in another area of the roadside garden.  This may be from a previous year's planting (most likely) or from a bargain collection I purchased somewhere last fall and neglected to write down in my garden journal.


Another unnamed tulip in the roadside garden, this time yellow with streaks of red.


Near the shade garden a different bi-color tulip which also appeared in the lily garden.  Part of the fun of seeing the tulips bloom each spring is the surprise factor- a late fall rush to find a place to plant them all often means I forget what I've planted and where.


But I didn't forget two new purchases last fall from Brent and Becky's bulbs.  I couldn't resist buying something named 'Fur Elise,' but I had forgotten that it was a shorter tulip than most of my others.


The other new tulip I've shown before is 'Professor Rontgen,' a  parrot tulip that is every bit as gorgeous in person as it appears in their catalog.


And the shorter 'Fur Elise' worked out perfectly as the forefront for these taller showstoppers.


Although I tried and tried, I couldn't get a decent long shot of the whole lily garden.  But from this photo you can see that there is no color scheme in this garden--it's been a kaleidoscope of clashing colors all spring. From creamy white to nearly black, nearly every color of the rainbow is represented by this year's tulips.



No tulip post is complete for me without my favorite tulip, the last to bloom of all--sweet 'Angelique.'


Enjoy the beauties of spring while they last, and Happy Gardening!

25 comments:

  1. It is hard to say farewell, even for a little while, even for a very happy reason in the springtime. Nice to take a careful survey of all the sweeties - your Angeliques are lovely indeed!

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  2. Best of luck with all the wedding feastivities Rose. Can't wait to see photos. Your garden is looking so pretty. I like pink too. There is so much of that color to choose from for the garden. That tulip Angilique looks like a peony. BEAUTIFUL. Your garden will look even more beautiful to you after you return from your trip. Things happen so fast during spring. At least you won't have to worry about your garden getting enough water while you are gone. Bon Voyage.

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  3. Happy Wedding days to you and your loved ones! Thanks for leaving us with some treasures to admire while you're gone. Take care and enjoy yourself.

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  4. Have a great time and enjoy it all! Your garden is looking beautiful and will be fine when you get home. Wow on all the tulips-there's so many!

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  5. Beautiful! A beach wedding sounds exciting and you will arrive home to a new garden as it will change but you will be happy I am sure. Nice Farewell post...

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  6. Rose, I am SO glad this is a temporary break~have a sweet time. Oooh...I am going to order the Monet collection of tulips~Just what I would love to have in the garden. We had the same wind and rain that has wiped out many blooms~Poor PPPP, has been a wash out this year! Have a wonderful time and may the wedding plans and wedding be smooth and easy. xxoogail

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  7. Hi, Rose!
    That Angelique is just to die for! So, beautiful! My daughter is getting married next year. We're off to Willamette Valley next week, to look at a few places for the big event. Hope your daughter's day goes off without a hitch. Have fun!

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  8. Your photos are superb. Looks like your garden has really sprung to life.
    Hope the wedding goes well and that you will have lots of lovely photos when you return.
    Maggie X

    Nuts in May

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  9. Your tulips are a treasure. What a wonderful mix of colors and forms! Best wishes and good luck at the wedding.

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  10. You could frame that last photo!

    Our bleeding heart is also in full bloom and flourishing.

    Have a wonderful wedding, rose. Take care and see you soon. xx

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  11. A May wedding...how beautiful. Best wishes to the happy couple.
    I planted orange Angelique tulips in the fall...they are just opening..I love them. We have the blush Angeliques at our Church. Yours are beautiful...Balisha

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  12. what a beautiful spring tour - now concentrate on those most important and delightful priorities. We wish much happiness to the bride and groom - and their parents.

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  13. Lovely flowers and trees in bloom...how wonderful that spring is finally here!
    Congrats to you and to your daughter. I hope it is a sweet and memorable event.
    That "angelique" certainly lives up to it's name. I am putting that on my wish list.

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  14. Hope the wedding is fantastic! Can't wait to hear all about it.

    Really beautiful blooms :-)

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  15. We'll miss you Rose. :) Your garden is really jumping with all that rain you've been getting. We finally got some today.

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  16. How wonderful, a beach wedding!! Such fantastic things, weddings and tulips!

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  17. Beautiful tulips and wow, what a tall Bleeding Heart! That last tulip is really gorgeous. I am trying to figure out a place for a crabapple, love that spring color!

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  18. So much happening now in you garden Rose. Lovely photos of beautiful blooms.

    I love all the Tulips with the raindrops but my favourite is definitely the pretty pink Angelique, just gorgeous!!

    I do hope all goes well and that you enjoy the wedding Rose. I am sure it will be wonderful and look forward to hearing about it :) I wish the bride and groom every happiness for their future life together.

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  19. Wow, you have an amazing collection of Tulips and you caught them at the perfect time! Good luck with the wedding. We'll look forward to your posts when you get back.

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  20. Congrats on the upcoming nuptials. Don't you just love a good wedding? I'm also loving your crabapples. So nice.~~Dee

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  21. Rose such wonderful signs that Spring has arrived in your garden! Such beauties! The parrot tulips and tulip 'Angelique.' takes my breath away!
    The flowering trees are stunning!
    You will always have this online journal to relive your Spring garden in full bloom when you return.
    Enjoy the wedding and I wish you a Happy Mother's Day!

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  22. I love all of your tulips and of course those beautiful crabapple trees. Enjoy the wedding!

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  23. So many priorities in our life, Rose, and that is sweetness. I "almost" feel guilty for not having the time to visit the blogs I normally do. Can you imagine someone being bored?

    You garden is beautiful, Rose. I hope you are having a wonderful Mother's Day weekend and that the upcoming wedding doesn't take too much energy. ;) Make sure to take time to smell all those blossoms.
    Happy Mother's Day

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  24. Hope you're having a wonderful time this weekend Rose. I'm sure the wedding was wonderful. Hope you have a fantastic Mother's Day - can't imagine a better way to celebrate it than with a daughter's wedding.

    Your garden looks gorgeous. LOVE those Angeliques!

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  25. Happy Wedding~
    Such a joy... a beach wedding sounds romantic.
    Your tulips are beautiful.
    This last photograph with all the rain drops is gorgeous....
    Sherry

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