Ninebark Diabolo with Goatsbeard is a Favorite Planting Combo in my Garden

 The Ninebark flowers are turning into their beautiful red seed heads.  I love this with the feathery plumes of Goatsbeard.

I replanted this small section in the fall of 2020 and am quite happy with its first year blooms.

It has been raining here for 5 days straight.  We needed the rain, but I need some nicer weather so I can get back to working in the garden.  I was on a roll removing one to two wheelbarrow loads of weeds, etc. every day.  I don't want to lose my gardening ambition just when my old muscles were getting conditioned!

My Very Bright Peony is in Full Bloom

 

The label on this peony called it Red.  I call it a very bright purple!

Ninebark Diabolo in Full Bloom, Zesting Lemons New Iris

 I love the blooms on this mature Ninebark.  If memory serves me right, this guy is about 8 years old and has never been cut back.  I find that I like Ninebark best when its limbs are allowed to grow and fall  gracefully in its natural form.

This is how it looks from my computer room window:

We are still waiting for a good rain to end a very early drought. Hence, the nearly dormant grass.

I was thrilled to see this gorgeous bloom on a new iris, Zesting Lemons. I purchased this from Breck's in 2019. It was part of a group package of 6 iris.  Unfortunately 4 of the 6 died off before I ever got to see the bloom.  I waited two seasons before contacting Breck's for a refund  as I know iris often do not bloom the first year.  I just emailed them today, so will see if they send a refund or  replacements for the 4 that croaked .  They have always been very good about standing behind their product.

Love, love this Blue Oat Grass with the blue orbs (bowling balls) and the Speedwell Sunny Border Blue ( which is actually purple).  I have never understood whey companies insist on telling us their flower is blue when it is purple.  Maybe they think we are all color blind.

Royal Purple Smokebush and Miss Kim Lilac are Performing so Nicely This Year

 Love this smokebush! It's about 10 ft. tall and in full bloom right now.

Miss Kim Lilac is also in full bloom and looking very lovely this year.

I have a bright pink peony planted in front of the Smokebush and it's about to open:

Now if we could just get some rain to get out of the severe drought we are currently experiencing.

Spring Recap of My 2021 Garden

 My garden is always a awash in hues of purple in early June.  This year is no exception.

I've had these old purple iris for over two decades.  They never disappoint me.

I also love the light purple of chive blooms.  I have quite a few chive plants.

Many gardeners look at this plant (sometimes called) spring phlox as a weed.  I think it has its place when kept controlled and not allowed to over take the entire garden.  I redid this area last fall and although I did not plant these, there must have been dormant seeds in the soil..  I decided they were perfect for now.

This Miss Kim lilac has only bloomed for me once (I have had it many years).  Last year I made sure to give it extra water -- even a few buckets of water with Miracle Grow and look at it now--TONS of buds about to burst--I am thrilled!

I have been weeding in the gardens for about two hours each day for the past week and I am finally making progress.  I will never get to the end, but I am feeling pretty good about what I've accomplished.  I just wish it would rain.  We are in drought status right now with a 95 degree temperature (unusually  HOT for lower northern Michigan this time of the year).  With temps like that I felt it was a good day to be inside trying to figure out how to make a post.   It seems like Blogger changes every time I decide to make one.

I bought some very unusual container plants for the deck this year.  I love containers that are different, so when I saw these I grabbed them!  Lemon coral sedum with begonias in the center:

I bought three of them.

In the bicycle centerpiece I put 'Forever Blue' Felicia...such a dainty flower in blue and yellow .

I am missing my pillows on the deck furniture.  I will have to go search the basement to find them.  Now that the avalanche of  pine pollen has finished, I can bring them out.

Inside I am enjoying this nostalgic bouquet of lilacs that I picked from the bush I planted 25 years ago from small clumps dug from my parents huge lilac bush that was on property once owned by my grandparents. 

 A lot of family memories in this bouquet.  What a treasure to have these lilacs in my yard!