Kirstin, you are welcome...I never thought there would be so much attention for something that just happened to slip into the picture. Anna - I actually don't have the name of the woodworker - he's a friend of a friend, and he does this as a hobby. I could probably do some digging and find out...don't know if it makes a difference that he is in Canada, a distance from you?

Since this has proved so popular, here are some other photos of his work that were originally sent to me...he also had a few variations with placement of the teapot and cover (not pictured):

Thank you very much! I like the dark brown ones the best (yours in particular, LOL)-very rich colorations.

Very windy today but was able to capture this....

Aquilegia alpina

Athyrium 'Ghost'

Rehmannia elate ... Chinese Foxgloves.

Though the plant isn't suppose to be hardy here in zone 6 without any protection... I started some from seed years back and they have slowly expanded through runners each year. I don't do anything for them in the winter.. and they made it through two of the worst winters in history.

ooh, I haven't seen that one before, Nevermore! I'll have to keep my eyes open. I love starting stuff like this from seed--a small investment for a fun experiment.

Bothergarm, is that 'lady of shallot' very fragrant?

Very nice everyone!

I have about 10-12 Austins and that one is in my top 2 or 3 for fragrance for sure

These look great today. Maybe some help on the first one? We've had it for a while, moved a bunch, and we just call it the "ground clematis"(?)

And another Austin is out, "Crown Princess Margareta'

The old standby: red geraniums in a pot. They look particularly healthy today.

This isn't flowering yet, but I love the way the foliage of downy skullcap (Scutellaria incana) looks this time of year. Later, after flowering, it gets a bit ragged.

This mixed pot of succulents made me smile today.

that looks so nice! about how many plants is in that group? I'd like to try that, maybe with Strawberry Fields gomphrena or that lychnis in white. Maybe 15?? COOL!

Gosh, IDK how many plants are in there. I left a gap between the azaleas and daylilies so both would have room to grow and the lychnis seeded in the of its' own accord.

Echinacea (Tennessee & Bush's) and lillies now:

Delphiniums, I just love these....they are so blue!

Peonies almost done

Salvia caradonna

We have mostly shade, so lots of green which is fine by me, although I do get a twinge of jealousy looking at everyone's beautiful blooms! Here is a new Nantucket Blue hydrangea which makes me smile everytime I turn in the driveway.

Lupine,planted last spring, with Geranium

With Clematis Asao

At David Tomlinson's Merlin's Hollow today.

Nectaroscordum siculum subsp. bulgaricum (Allium bulgaricum)

Babs, that lupine clematis combo is wonderful.

And speaking of combos I am so pleased with our one and only peony (with clemtis "Arabella" making an appearance). I planted this peony "Blaze" in 2015....it was so small. Got a couple of blooms last season but this year it grew so much!

Gorgeous plants and pics everyone. I have really been enjoying this thread!

Have painted daisies (Robinson's Pink) and pinks (Bath's Pink).

From tuber salvaged from the demolition of an iris bed in a public park 40 years ago.

I'm really enjoying seeing all the beautiful things my fellow gardeners have shared on this thread. Especially the things I can't grow myself, or things I could grow, but are not commonly found in local garden centers. Thanks for your photos everyone!

So many beauties! Makes me smile to see the all.

Sunnyborders, I believe I have that very same TB iris that was rescued 40 years ago in a public park. I'll try to snap a photo. I call mine, 'Arlington', because that is where I got mine about 30 years ago in an established garden (outside of Cambridge, MA, USA). I always enjoy them (blooming now -- from about 2 June -- ? 20+ June, zone 5a New England.

Today the prettiest thing in the yard would be this Asiatic lily 'Lollypop

So interesting, Petalique.

They really look similar to me!

I am a bit obsessive about plant names and it has always bothered me that I didn't have the name of such a pretty iris which I've gone out of my way to plant around.

Got mine in former "North York", Toronto, but I have fond memories of staying over several years on the border of Arlington and Alexandria, Va, while commuting into D.C.. So now my favourite iris is called Arlington and I'll be working on 'Arlington'!

Ours start to bloom about a week after yours. If we get hot spells, as we have now, the blooming period for tall irises doesn't last so long.

Thanks.

This honeysuckle over the garden path looks very nice today.

Geranium magnificum

No ID Hypericum

1 -Home grown echinacea cross that popped up in my back wild garden. All the petals twist in the same pattern. Kinda neat.

Above: so many lovely pictures.

I am loving seeing everyone's plants and gardens! That honeysuckle! Lilies already! Right now I still have some poppies, lots of salvia, and a few foxgloves.

Pretty in a highly phallic way - this is the first of my sauromatum venosums to bloom.

It split open yesterday and will go flaccid in the next few days, sending up its leaves shortly thereafter.

Thanks, Sunnyborders. I picked several 'old' perennials when I lived in that neighborhood; I couldn't find the variety or species name of most, so I dubbed them 'Arlington' this or that. It also helps me recall the exact plant and its origin.

'Arlington' pinks (extremely fragrant pink dianthus with a maroon eye; I think the darn voles/moles wiped out my last few -- I used to have rafts of them. Time for a trip back to fetch more ;-) )

Arlington "grape" TB iris -- smell like grape flavored gum drops & of the same color.

Arl old fashion fall mum. Blooms start in October & go until snow knocks the blooms down. Single, w white ray and yellow center. Leggy.

Everyone in the neighborhood seemed to have some of these perennials. That area used to be a sort of summer cottage retreat for people from Beacon Hill. It also was a horticultural or greenhouse area and had an enormous ice industry.

I like the luminescent quality of that iris and also the many and complex shades of purplish-pink. Your photos are more representative. Mine of that shoot are muddy.

The recent heat wave has been hard on most of my plants.

A few of the pretties that make me happy. I can rarely pick a favorite.

Beauty Bush and purple clematis

Hemerocallis middendorffi -- the very first dayliy to bloom, even before H. flava. It's so clean looking and also softly fragrant.

Pics from this week

Hardy Geranium sanguineum 'New Hampshire Purple' w/variegated Weigela--lots of rain today!

Green go. What's that green fuzzy ball looking plant on the left ?

Kirstin, how about a "What is the Prettiest Thing in your Garden Today?" (2)?

Echinacea beds blooming out.

I am envious of your spectacular Echinacea beds as we have no such plants. Thanks for sharing such photos.

I am a new to perennials. This is early sunrise coreopsis started from seed.

Hi quality photo 'fl'!

These Black-Eyed Susans (with a few Shasta Daisies in the back part of the bed) are the stars of my garden today.

Nevermore44,

The "fuzzy" flowers are actually seed heads of a Pasque flower.

well that's just down right interesting. Going to add that to my list.

Thanks

Thanks greengo!