We had strong storms last night and are supposed to get more tonight. The peonies do not last long in such weather, although most of them are in "cages" for support. Here are a few just opening today ( along w/ some other blooms.) This is Peony Nick Shaylor, a full double form.( very fragrant) Here is a peony named for a daylily hybridizer. This is 'Shirley Wild.' ( This was Gene S. Wild, who went by Shirley. He won the SSM for WINNING WAYS.) Last night's rain must have caused this to open one sided. These are huge 7" blooms when they open normally. Here is another favorite peony - 'Raspberry Sundae.' It grows taller than the other peonies here. It was hybridized ( I think - w/o looking it up) by Roy Klehm, who also hybridized daylilies. Single bloom shot: A better shot of the Clematis, The President. And another old favorite clematis, 'Henryi.' Very vigorous grower! I don't plant many annuals, preferring to concentrate on perennials. But there are hanging baskets all around the deck as well as some planters around the garden. And a couple roses. This one is a strange color, almost impossible to photograph. It is sort of a magenta fuchsia - 'Spellbinder.' Last one for now, a good old HT, 'Garden Party.' Scapes are appearing by the dozens. More daylily blooms soon!

AVEDON:They are all so pretty. I just love MALAYSIAN MARKETPLACEand My PINK HIGHHEELS, gorgeous, and that clump of Happy returns is really pretty, too,and DOUBLECLASSIC is so pretty,I se a couple buds on mine this morning, too.and myM.Marketplace has a lot of scapes and buds, too. gorgeous photos. jean

The hardscape on that right hand side garden was started in spring of 2007. Thats when the topmost curved wall went in. After that those two top sections of roses and daylilies and also the honeysuckle on the treellis' was planted. The rose section off to the very right, that I call floribundaville, was already there at that time, although I was still adding roses. Then the rest was simply hill going up covered in grass. Then last spring in put in that low stacked stone wall going accross the front of my property. Putting leaftover bagged leaves on the left had side killed any leftover grass but the right had side still had some grass which had to be cut with a weedwacker. Then last fall about September I think, I had the planterbox built and my stocktank pond dug inground and covered around it with rocks. This had to be done like that because the dirt from digging the stocktank inground was used to fill the planterbox up most of the way. Leaving about 6 inches at the top, which I had compost delivered and filled in. I do have a nice amount of summer color because the roses always seem to have something in bloom after the big mid june flush. Then the daylilies do their thing. But I want to have some earlier color so will be adding spring flowering bulbs this fall. I already added some lily bulbs to the planterbox between the daylilies.

Maryl, the climbing rose is double. It is an open pollinated seed from a multiflora rambler called Mister Bluebird. It blooms only once a year. We used to grow Chrysler Imperial and, indeed, it is fragrant. Years ago Bob and I would look for old roses in cemeteries and along roadsides. We did identify a few that we found (we took suckers or cuttings) but the red one was one that we couldn't identify. Apparently, years after old garden roses passed out of fashion and commerce, many were rediscovered in cemeteries and tentatively identified. Now, of course, so many cemeteries spray roundup around the tombstones, so about all we found are now gone. Such a shame!