Tuesday Lily

Blooming in the garden today. A sure sign that summer has arrived.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Mother!

The Garden

July 7 Update: S sent me the names of the flowers I didn't know. They're appended below.

We had dinner with our friends B and S tonight. Among their many talents, B and S are incredibly good gardeners. Their yard is always a treat. And coupled with our first sunny day in forever the opportunity to sit amongst the luxurious greenary was one not to be missed. I took my camera along and now you can share some of the beauty as well. Click on the pictures to see them larger.

And by the way we had a lovely evening with our friends.


Clivia - this sits at the edge of their yard offering a splash of color to the dark greens of this shady spot.


I don't know the name of this one, which sits at the edge of the driveway.
Update: Nicotiana


I found this little one hiding under a bush in the front.


Day lily.


Pink roses and yellow primrose.


A delicate pink-purple frond.
Update: Astilbe


Purple blooms.
Update: Angelonia


This spiky red flower was a bit past its prime.
Update: Bee Balm (Monardia)


A bit of garden whimsy.


B reflected in Amy's sunglasses.

A Bit of Sun on a Gray Day

We added sundrops to the garden this spring, and despite the drenching we've been getting one has decided to bloom.

A closeup view, those are raindrops at the edges.

Lensday: Flower

Platycodon (balloon flower) bud.
This will turn blue and then burst open.

A sure sign that it's time for vacation (we leave Saturday).

See more Lensday here.

Garden Tour

As my neighbors will no doubt tell you, I am a bad gardener. My lawn is mostly weeds, the bushes are in need of trimming and there are still fall leaves scattered about. The one bright spot is the perennial garden. Situated in the sunny spot where our driveway curves down to the garage the perennial garden is thriving. At the moment it is a study in purple and green with a splash of pink. Soon yellow will join the mix. When I went out to take pictures of it today I discovered that one of the lupin, which I thought had all died, has survived, though I don't have pictures of it.

Another element on which I am a terrible gardener is that I don't have a good chart of my garden and can't remember what a couple of the plants in it are called.

Looking across the lavender, which is starting to think about blooming.

Purple flower (the name escapes me).

Sage

Salvia

Another one I don't remember the name of.

Coreopsis bud.

This pale weed is growing at the edge of the garden.

Unique's Photo Challenge: Trio

Our dogwood has been loaded with blossoms this year, providing a visual feast and drawing my camera on an almost daily basis. The blossoms are fading now.

See more Unique's Photo Challenge here.

PhotoSunday: Yellow

early spring daffodil

More PhotoSunday here.

See It Sunday: Bright

A bright orange flower in the bouquet Amy gave me on our anniversary in February.

More See It Sunday is here.

Photo Inspired Poetry

high in the mountains
amidst the boulders and stones
flower shouts hello
-------
stubborn alpine bloom
vibrant mountain top surprise
delighting the eye
-------
Is it lonely I wonder,
there on the mountain top
with only the rocks and stones
for playmates?

Miss Rumphius prompted us this week to compose poetry inspired by this image, taken on a mountain top in Tibet (not by me). Click the photo to see the other responses.

PhotoSharks: Delicate

My garden last summer.

Larger View: here
More PhotoSharks

Lensday: Flower

Larger view here.
More: LensDay

Thursday Challenge: Spring

More: Thursday Challenge