New Cercidiphyllum japonicum/Katsura tree foliage

Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum *Mariesii*

shrub envy-it took me a couple of years to eliminate sorbaria-it was a running, ramping monster for me. just some geums

I am really enjoying this thread. Thanks to everyone contibuting!

I think I need to try some Geums, though many are borderline hardy here, I see that at least some are hardier than older varieties were.

And that Sorbaria sorbifolia 'Sem' is stunning! Does it only spread by suckering or also by seed?

Babs, not sure--maybe David can answer? It is so pretty--but I'm not putting it in the open ground--maybe a barrel planter when it outgrows the pot it's in...

catkin, the foliage on yours would almost make me try it again. like so many thugs the first two years were fine, the third it tried to take over a 10x10 area. seedlings i would hesitate to say because we were having a run of very severe winters. this is a seedling hawthorn i dug up from a neighbor's yard. it is so fine this year.

Thanks, David--maybe a pot for Sem? Pretty Hawthorne--can we have a closeup of that bloom? Love it!

Thanks, Dave! I saw this Hawthorne on another thread and it is beautiful!

My all time spring favorite, Euphorbia polychroma flanked by Geranium Biokovo which will bloom in about 2 weeks and a creeping phlox. Next Euphorbia bonfire, with Heuchera Peach Melba. and lastly Prairie Fire Crab with gaudy orange tractor.

Great pics!

My first bloomers....finally! (Well besides the hellebores).

Iberis-candytuft with grape hyacinth and tulips. Planted last year in several places and found I like it much more than anticipated....

a serious case of tractor envy!

Great pictures.

I'd particularly like to see pictures showing a number of perennials working together (as dave10 has shown). I think sections of beds could be very informative in order to see what variety of perennials can be maintain together over time; that is where perennial gardens have got going for the growing season..

A picture of one plant or shrub may be pretty (and informative), but it doesn't show anything about the possibilities of mixed perennial gardening.

Options are obviously zone and gardener focus related.

nice combos gazania. like the looks of euphorbias but am allergic and can't stand the smell. they are

colors and shapes that are hard to find. geum blazing sunset, flames of passion, and a nice iris. pics not in order sunset is single flower.

Along the south side of house 4 years ago. May 9

June 6

July 12

July 28

And this is June 8 of 2014

Nice to see some red, Dave.

Allergic to Euphorbia: to the latex-like sap?

Was getting sure I was allergic (contact dermatitis) to some plant(s); however, it apparently turned out to be to the "parfum" (proprietary ingredient) in many soaps.

Like shastra daisies, but don't like the smell of some of them.

Nandina Lemon Lime? pinky purple no ID deciduous Azalea, white Dicentra, Carex, Lime Marmalade Heuchera, purple Pansy

coreopsis jethro tull and geranium pyrenaicum

catkin, that's a wonderful photo with that rustic shed in the background. It looks like it should be in a magazine.

Euphorbia Bonfire

Snowball Viburnum flowers

That was nice of you to say, SS! I'm enjoying your photos!

Update the Stewartia--leafed out and Percy Wiseman Rhody's open blooms.

Mariesii Viburnums a little further along. Fave Euphorbia polychroma, native Bleeding Heart.

sandy, sorry to hear

about your hail disaster. beautiful mariesii.

Beautiful catkin!

Thanks! Very pretty, David! What are the first and second flowers? Is that a Salvia and some sort of Candytuft? Sweet!

Peony Bed

Front Door

Tulip in front of "plum pudding" heuchera & grape hyacinth

Veronica, Waterperry Blue

Eastern Redbud

Kirengeshoma palmata - yellow waxbells

I wish I could grow azaleas and rhodies, but they hate my alkaline soil. No one has them around here even though some have tried.

Thanks, Dave. Hail disaster is a good description. ....is that first pic Aethionema? I only have one left, but it's a cute little thing.

Kirstin, your peonies are pretty far along. I see buds already!

kirstin, good to see that spring is in chicago.

catkin, aethionema and self seeded salvias. the aethionema is my one and only. doesn't precisely flourish but hangs around.

sandy, people here try rhodies but between alkaline soil and water and cold, dry winters it's more a matter of slow murder. my sis lives in sandy and says she's never seen such a year.

You guys are posting some really pretty and colorful pictures up there. Here's a few from mine.

Salvia greggi and Spanish Lavender in foreground. Ephedra viridis at top of photo, yellow flowers of damianitia.

Damianitia in full bloom with a small Artemisia frigida to the left.

Mexican Feather Grass blowing in strong wind with Panicum 'Heavy Metal' coming up behind.

Rayless gaillardia G. suavis (perfume balls) in courtyard. I love this native.

Wide shot of area being massed in mostly native plants and grasses. This is a Little Bluestem hill in front but they aren't the main show yet.

beautiful tex, stipa tenuissima my favorite but the cats like it even more, so it's kind of a groundcover around here.

Am enjoying seeing everyone's photos. Reminds me that my plants will fill out in the months ahead and be lush again.

Dave, "just some " could be "gorgeous geums." Geums require a bit of work to do well in my gardens and I love them. The 'Blazing Sunset' were divided last fall and have come back robustly and am hoping for bountiful blooms. Hmm, don't remember seeing 'Cookie'. Will have to make a point to see if they returned.

Lots of beautiful trees and shrubs in this thread.

A different Bleeding Heart, Dicentra formosa Bacchanal. It doesn't die back as quickly or completely in summer.

In this pic above is Geranium Biocovo pink and white varieties, Nepeta Walkers Low, Weigela Midnight Wine and a tall orange Poppy in the background. This bed also includes a white daisy, Euphorbia Polychroma, bright pink creeping phlox and Sedum morchen, Weigela florida, Euonymus (burning bush). A Mugo Pine passed away last year. Here it is from above last spring.

gazania, beautiful all the way around.

Gorgeous setting Dave!

No ID hardy Geranium--first blooms this year!

post on the hosta forum and they will be glad to id. sandy is a great hosta info source. that pieris is the bomb.

catkin, your first hosta looks like it could be Whirlwind, but it's just a guess. Named or not, they both look good! .... and yes, if you ever want id's the people on the hosta forum are pretty good at it.

Thank you, dave. I love to see gardens/landscaping with little paths winding through extensive and varied plantings in shade and sunny areas as in your last posting. I do my gardening from a three wheeled scooter. The plan was that I could do most of the work in my 9 island beds if they were a max of 6 feet wide. Well, with twice yearly edging done by DH, all 9 beds have become too wide. That, along with my progressive weakness, I am no longer doing my part. DH is more inclined to do the 'mechanical' details of gardening so a lot of the general maintenance and primping has gotten away from me.

Thanks Dave and Sandy!
Fatsia

big box Lily

No ID Rhody

No ID evergreen Azalea

No ID fragrant deciduous Azalea

European Ginger bloom

Jack in the Pulpit

European Ginger foliage (a couple weeks ago I posted this foliage just emerging. )

everthang is just pretty. pics on this site are huge today. the salvia clevelandii cutting i did from a plant that committed suicide last year is growing-yay. it is one of those difficult plants that i am determined to grow.

kirstin and dave your Peonies look incredibly healthy! Do you do anything for them besides cleanup of old foliage? Thanks! Love the Jack in the Pulpit and Ginger!
Will the Ginger take shade?

Rhodo Jeanne Marie de Montague and Azalea Tutti FruttiRhododendron loderii, King George (fragrant and tree sized)

Couldn't resist adding to this great thread.

Catkin-I treat all my flowering shrubs and shrubby perennials to a bit of 'incredibloom' fertilizer at the beginning of the growing season, just to get them off to a good start. Other than that, cutting the peonies to the ground in the fall is all I do. They are in quite a bit of shade, but flower profusely every year in spite of it.

My Ginger is on the north side of the shed, with an Ash tree on it's east, and a Weeping Willow on it's west. In spite of the shade, it thrives.

Great pictures.

So nice to start seeing peonies, Dave.

Thanks for the info, Kirstin!

geum dbl bloody mary

Dave, your garden is coming along nicely! Giving up on Geums--not buying any more...yours are so happy! How would you describe the soil where they thrive? Thanks.