Pictures from Yesterday in the Garden

We had visitors here from the Dayton area yesterday to tour the gardens and had just a wonderful time visiting with them. I wish more of you could visit so we could show you the gardens in person rather then just by these pictures I post here.

The picture above, is a Japanese or Ensata Iris. Pure white except for the small bits of yellow. I think its name is Snowy Hills, an older variety, actually from 1954. The Ensate Irises are just now putting on their show and they are much better than last year when we were so dry. They like moisture, though not being too wet. I expcet that the Louisiana Irises will be good this year too since they don't mind wet feet.

This next picture is waterlily 'Almost Black'. It is actually a bit darker than this photo shows, all of the petals being more like the ones in the center. It had gotten quite cloudy and the camera insisted on using the flash, so I got some reflections on the outside petal. this one is a really dependable bloomer and spreads quite a bit, mostly taking over a 12 foot diameter pond at this point.



The Papaver somniferum have started blooming. These are always a favorite, especially among those visitors who haven't seen them before. They are annuals, but come up readily from seed. You have to plant the seed just as soon as it is ripe in late summer. It doesn't come up until spring, but needs to be planted right away, if only to keep it from just dropping where it is (or being eaten by birds). We have way too many of these this year since Hank just spread seed everywhere last summer.

I love these Peruvian Daffodils (not sure of the botanical name right now - I'll remember it eventually) that I have growing in a pot. I've had them in the pot for about 10 years ever since I received them as a bonus plant with a hosta order. Odd bonus since they aren't hardy here, but they have been happily increasing ever since and bloom several times a year, outside and in the greenhouse.

Last is a full picture of the blue flowered plant I am trying to identify. It starts out with a basal rosette when it first comes up, but once the bloomscapes grow, the leaves seem to be more on the stems. I sure hope this picture helps someone to recognize it. I've looked in all of my books and found nothing. That's the trouble with mixed packets of seed. You can get lovely things that you have absolutely not idea what they are.

Off to weed out more thistle until it gets too hot.

Jane