An view through the trees after a nice rainy day.
Mixed color Digitalis or Foxglove in the foreground with a Chinese Dogwood in bloom in the back.
Peony, geranium and in the back against the fence, two large Philadelphus (also called Mock Orange). They are lightly fragrant with a citrus scent.
The last Iris to bloom this season was Cloud Ballet.
This Iris was labeled Cloud Ballet as well. More purple than blue. Not sure if the soil causes the change or it was incorrectly labeled.
And finally, another labeled Cloud Ballet. Nice color but there was a mix up in the warehouse.
A pair of enormous Grace Smoke Tree blooms. They turn pale white but the dark pink phase is also nice.
Rosa Livin' Easy, a 1996 AARS Award winner in peak bloom. It was eaten by worms last year and didn't bloom well.
A dainty Aruncus dioicus bloom. These are similar to Astilbe but grow much larger.
An unknown pink Peony.
A yellow and white Peony Primevere.
A vivid Peony but we don't know its name.
White Peony.
A beautiful pair of Tradescantia Andersoniana Blue Spider flowers. Although marketed as a shade plant if planted in a place that gets plenty of supplemental water they can take more sun.
A pair of Niobe Clematis blooms in the sun.
The bold purple of Clematis Rhapsody stands out against the Huechera leaves.
An usual Clematis Henryi flower with green edges on two petals.
A closeup image of a large Digitalis.
A closeup of Cornus kousa chinensis or Chinese Dogwood.
A nice cluster of Bold Look bearded Iris. A prolific bloomer when happy.
The classic White Hot Iris is a spring favorite. This is one of the more fragrant available. It carries on the wind when the sun warms it up.
You couldn't ask for a better name than Best Bet. This Iris lives up to it very well. The contrast in color is a standout in the garden.
Iris Sunny Glow provides a nice orange contrast in the garden. It has a light pink center and rich, dark beards.
The most prolific and tallest Iris in the garden is Autumn Circus. It produces large clusters of flowers on tall stems.
The beautiful Dyke's Award Wining bi-color Edit Wolford Iris. Simply beautiful.
A perfect Regal Purple Iris is all its glory.
Vanhoutte spirea, commonly called Bridal Wreath and Spiraea thunbergii, commonly known as Baby’s Breath along the cedar shed.
The flower clusters of Bridal Wreath are round, very dense and pure white.
The clusters of Baby's Breath are less dense and have a yellow center.
The spectacular Weigela florida Variegata is a must have for the sunny garden. Although this one only receives about 6 hours of sun a day its a showy spring favorite. The flowers and leaves are multicolored so even when not in bloom it looks good.
A closeup of the flowers and leaves show the variation.
This hardy Nelly Moser Clematis found a home against a Beech tree and has been quite happy in a relatively shady setting.
Abelia mosanensis, commonly known as fragrant or Korean Abelia is not a showy plant but the fragrance is quite bold and remescient of Lilac.
A closeup of fragrant Abelia blooms. Definitely worthy of a place in your garden.
Listed as a premier Glenn Dale hybrid by the Azalea Society of America, this Buccaneer Azalea displays blossoms that are a brilliant orange-red with a dark brick-red center.
A unknown heirloom Azalea that was here when the home was purchased.
A Polygonatum multiflorum in bloom. The root's medicinal use dates back over 3,000 years to King Solomon. Impressed by the plant’s healing qualities he proclaimed it must be a gift from God and named it after himself.
This is a busy image but the focus should be on the orange Gibraltar Azalea.
Our first post of the 2015 season! Tulips, dicentra, spirea, lilac, and kerria are in bloom.
This is a side view with creeping phlox, bleeding hearts (dicentra spectabilis) and kerria.
This is Kerria Japonica Pleniflora in peak bloom. A native of Japan, China and Korea, its hardy to zone 4, quite tough and is a rose without thorns. It flowers on the previous year's growth so prune right after it blooms. It prefers sun but will still bloom in shady locations. It just won't be as robust. As you can see it's a spectacular spring showoff. I don't know why it isn't an alternative to forsythia in garden centers and landscape design.
This is a close up of kerria to show the flower density.
A closeup of the autumn blooming cherry (prunis subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’). It blooms twice a year, spring and late fall. We planted it about two years ago and it bloomed well this spring.
Plum (left) and peach (right) trees in full bloom.
The ground under our peach tree in the aftermath if wind, rain and an onslaught of pollinators.
Magnolia 'Betty’ is a cross between M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’ and M. stellata ‘Rosea’. It was developed at the National Arboretum in the mid-1950s. This is the heaviest it has ever bloomed.
Forsythia is a classic spring flowering shrub in our region. Dense, bright yellow flowers wake up the landscape.
Spirea prunifolia (Bridal-Wreath Spirea) gets better with age. It does best in full sun but will still bloom in light shade. This plant gets mostly late afternoon sun and does quite well.
A closeup of spirea above to show the tiny flowers.
The white flowering Dicentra spectabilis Alba is not as aggressive as the pink variety but it is worth a spot in your garden.
A large and highly fragrant Syringa x hyacinthiflora 'Evangeline' bloom. Lilac can't be beat for bold fragrance.
While lilac is probably the king of springtime fragrance, Korean spice viburnum comes close. Think of clove, gardenia and lilac rolled into one. Like lilac, it only takes a few flowers to perform the area. They prefer full sun but will bloom lightly in shady areas.
A dense cluster of hellebore (Lenten rose) in the spring sun.
Blue lithodora diffusa is a nice compliment to ground covers like creeping phlox.
