Veronica x spicata "Tickled Pink" is a new edition to the garden this season. We planted two and they have done well. Next year the bloom should be much thicker. Notice the Ostrich fern in the background.
Delphinium elatum "Blue Lace" is one of my favorite Delphiniums. It has been raining quite a bit lately and I wanted to catch it before the lower flowers were beaten to death. Normally, I'd wait until the entire flower spike is covered in florets before I took the picture.
A classic purple Iris. This is a very fragrant variety. It smells like citrus.
Another nice image of the the High Society Rose with Mock Orange blooming in the background.
A solitary Chinese Dogwood bloom.
Pink Peony.
Red Tree Peony Boreas (Paeonia suffruticosa). Named after Boreas, God of the cold North Winds. I'm not sure how rich red and pink hues would make one think of winter but there you have it.
Kerria japonica (Pleniflora) is a new edition this season. Its a member if the rose family but has no thorns. It has been celebrated in Asian art and literature and has quite a history. The 15th Century samurai, Ota Dokan, who served the Hojo Clan spoke of it.
Liberty Hostas have been a great performer. They're a little pricey but well worth it. They really standout in the garden. Our little trick to make them so large is to stick a houseplant fertilizer spike at the base of the stem when they emerge in the spring.
Azalea Exbury Gibraltar bloomed beautifully this season. The rich orange color is an odd sight in spring so it stands out against green very well. These are quite fussy but worth it when in bloom. It a took a few years for this one to settle into its location.
High Noon Tree Peony put on a show this spring. This isn't the best picture due to an overcast day. The yellow petals are much brighter and the color is very rich.
Clematis Nelly Moser finally reached the top of the fence and squirrels immediately started eating the blooms.
We planted a pink climber, Rosa High Society, a few years ago and it just sat there. This year It came alive and produced a few blooms. It's the pink bloom mixed in with Mock Orange (Philidelphus).
Speaking of Mock Orange, this is how they bloomed for us this season. Tons of flowers and a nice light fragrance. This is an image of two plants about 10 feet apart. Simply beautiful.
Sunny Knock Out Rose (Rosa Radyod) was added last season and has started to bloom. The flowers can be white, yellow or somewhere in between. Rose purists frown at patented commercial roses but they bloom heavily and are carefree. Whats not to like?
Love Delphiniums but they can be temperamental. They are not to fond of our humid summers. So far these have done well this season. The Delphinium elatum Pagan Purple was first to bloom. It's blue cousin is ready to bloom this week.
Scotch Broom Lena (Cytisus) survived the winter snow and is starting to bloom. The first bloom heads flopped over onto the grass.
Lilac Wonder (Tulipa bakeri), a hybrid of the original wild Persian tulip naturalizes very well in Zone 7. These were planted five years ago and continue to impress.
Korean Spice Viburnum was a new edition this season. Can't wait until they reach 10 feet, covered in flowers. I'd say they rival Lilac on the pungent aroma scale.... if there is such as thing.
Speaking of Lilac, the Declaration variety is blooming nicely this spring. It's still needs a few seasons to mature. I planted it with five classic French Lilacs so I'm hoping for quite a nose full in a few years.
Another new addition this season is Creeping Phlox. We planted about 10 interspersed with Petite Delight Bee Balm for multi-season color.
Good ol' Azaleas. Slow as molasses to grow but their spring display is hard to beat.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Peaches in bloom give Cherries a run for their money.
This is a Peach with Bridal Wreath Spiraea (Spiraea prunifolia) in the foreground blowing in the wind.
Yellow Emperor Tulips can't be beat. In zone 7, they are the hardiest of the Fosteriana group. This set was planted 4 years ago in partial shade and still comes back strong.
This is our first year with Korean Spice Viburnum (viburnum carlesii). The fragrance is strong but not overpowering. Think spicy gardenia without the heaviness. They get quite large so we will probably plant 5 or so this season to fill in the gaps and create a nice backdrop for a patio.
A pink Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra spectabilis) happy on a Spring morning. This is an unusual plant that grows quickly, blooms heavily, and dies back to the ground when the summer heat arrives.
Magnolia Betty flowers have a nice light citrus scent. Can't wait for this tree to mature.
Classic King Alfred daffodil. It doesn't get any better for color and size. The only hitch is that you must let them die back naturally or they wont produce abundant flowers. They also enjoy plenty of sun. In fact, these were planted behind our property in the woods. They get no care whatsoever and seem to appreciate the lack of human intervention.
Forsythia is always a colorful harbinger of the Spring awakening. It prefers full sun but will do fine in part shade. It just won't bloom as heavily.
The classic native American Plum in bloom. It has taken this tree a few years to mature but it is finally blooming heavy this season. This might be the first year it produces fruit.
The mystery plant has been identified. I was reading the latest email from Dave's Garden and there it was. It's called Ironweed (Vernonia baldwinii). It blooms late summer for us and attracts plenty of butterflies. Its a fast grower and reaches 10 feet in our garden. We see it on the side of the road but it only reaches about 4 to 5 feet without supplemental water.
