Lovely Spring Show

Our spring is seasonable so far, and the flowers are out to show in grand array.

The Last Roses

This has been an extremely difficult season.  Gardening in Colorado is not for sissies under the best of circumstances, but the last two seasons we have had virtually no spring.  No spring means limited gestation of perennials, limited blooming and slow growth of annuals.  Add to this excessive heat, draught, the wind that follows it, and insects, not to mention rabbits and other burrowing creatures that I have not seen before in my gardens, and you have a disappointing and frustrating season.
 

Still as the Summer begins to cool, and the Autumn whispers with the chirping of crickets after sunset, Goddess sends a message. "I am here and always will be,"the blooming rose attests. Two of the last beauties of a season that saw so little of the rose: VaVoom – bright orange; Scentimental (so named for her rich, true rose scent) – red and white.

As Mabon, the 2^nd Harvest or Autumn Equinox approaches I hope for a better season next year.  I pray Goddess that the Winter will heal any damage done to Her green world by an brutal season.

This Year's Show

The Fairy Gardens

 

 

These are pictures of the Fairy Gardens, or what is left of them after a season of heat, drought and rabbits.  The tall tangled mass of colored stalks is Agastache, indigenous to the Prairie and other places.  On the hoop is Kinsley's Ghost, a new honeysuckle that I planted last season.  She blooms a pale, pale wraithlike flower and is very fragrant.  The grass is Rainbow Grass; her color is not very pronounced this season.  The mums, the phlox, the balloon flowers, the poppies, the tulips and the daffodils have not bloomed.  The lilies like the iris are sporadic at best. This is what happens when you go from 27 degrees at night in April to triple digits by mid June, or put another way, from February to August in just over six weeks.

 

 

The Daylily

This is the daylily.  They bloom from July through September here in Colorado.  They grow anywhere that they have plenty of sun, good water and drainage.  Their foliage looks like ornamental grass, so even when they aren’t blooming, they are very beautiful in the garden.  There are many, many varieties; see link below.

Abundant Daylilies

 

 

 

 

 

 

Portulaca

 

Portulaca, the Moss Rose, is an annual here in Colorado.  I put her in pots, because my ground does not lend itself well to the planting of most seeds.  In one way they are kinda-sorta perennials in that they reseed.  They also cross pollinate, yielding different color and varieties every year.

 

 

Little but Mighty

 

The miniatures are the first to come out to show. Carnelian rose  above is Crackling Fire; the gold and red to the right is Neon Cowboy; the pink and white to the left is Heartbreaker.