The State of the Garden - Early June

Things are coming along nicely after the cold spring and the frost which came after the last frost date of May 24. 

The tulips are all finished of course and I had a decent showing this year which I neglected to take a picture of.  I do need some more pink and mauve tulips.  I seem to have an over-abundance of red and yellow. 

So now what do we have?

The Princessy Columbine

Not its botanical name but how I think of it

 

Bearded Iris

The centre of this is a pale yellow on the edges and mauve on the edges of the other bits

 

Another Bearded Iris

Don't ask me the type because I can't remember

 

Perennial Cornflower

This is a pretty, delicate little thing, almost finished now

 

A mixture of Dianthus in with some white Forget-Me-Nots. 

The white FMNs were a treat this year; they don't always show up like the blue FMNs

 

 

More Dianthus

I have quite a few of these but I honestly don't remember planting them last summer.  They must be the annual type because I can't imaging I'd buy so many perennial ones.  Are they biennial or self-seeding? 

 

 

A lot of what I planted in the fall, like the Coneflower and Phlox and Poppy didn't come up which is a bit disappointing but I think I have a guarantee from the nursery so I might get replacements.  First, I have to find the receipt.

 

For annuals, I planted my three containers with red geraniums, an old stand-by, purple verbena and licorice plant which is a soft grey trailing thing.  Once they fill in, they should look okay. 

 

For the three containers in the back yard which is shaded with two massive oak trees, I just got some white impatiens and coleus, yet to be planted. 

 

And speaking of the back yard, the Fairies are back!

 

They've been back for a few weeks now but I've been trying to get a picture of them.  I went out at night a couple of times trying to catch a glimpse of them but they remain elusive.  I did get a picture of the entrance to their abode at the base of one of the oaks.

 

 

The door shows up mid- May or so when it starts to warm up, although they would have had a bit of a shock this spring, and disappears in October.  Where they go in the winter, I have no idea.  Maybe they just hibernate.  However, I suspect they bugger off to an oak tree in warmer climes.

  

So on this rainy Monday morning, I'll leave you with the Mad Wee Dog looking like the princess she is.

 

 Seriously?