Tuesday, June 11, 2013

The Iris are in BLOOM!

Hello!  It has been raining non-stop here in Northwestern Wisconsin, and it's been very cool.  I heard our average temperature this month has been twenty degrees below normal and we had over twenty inches of rain.  Wow!  We've all been a little grumpy because were all wet and cold and want sun and warmer temperatures!  My yard however looks like the amazon forest!  The perennials are loving all this wet cool weather.  The summer annuals which love heat and sun however, are not;  so those are slow to get going.  The weeds unfortunately are also really taking over my yard (SCARY!), but there's not much I can do about it with my busy full time work schedule, vacations, and the constant rain.  I am very upset about it, but it is what it is.

Now, onto my garden pictures:
Below is a picture of my Southern garden taken from the top of a hill.  That's two Viburnum (Snowball bushes) you see in full bloom, with a garden arch below.  I love these Snowball bushes!  They are so hardy, and so beautiful when in bloom and they really grow well here.


 The iris are just starting to bloom.  These violet ones are always the first bloom.  Look at all the lush beautiful green foliage it has for a backdrop!
 Here is more iris in the foreground and background with a Viburnum in the middle to set it off.
 I have several Ornamental Onions in my yard.  I really love them because they are so hardy, animals won't eat them, and they are very different and bloom at a time when there isn't much else in bloom.
 Cat mint grows in abundance in my yard.  I absolutely love it and I let it reseed everywhere.  The bumblebees love it too.  See him in the center of the picture?  Have you ever been stung by a bumblebee?  I have!  Worst sting I ever had!  I am highly allergic to any insect bite --- if I get a mosquito bite I swell up, itch and bleed for a week, so when I got stung one year by this little guy I was in pain and agony!  I think my arm swelled too twice it's normal size, and I couldn't even function I was in so much pain.  I'm not afraid of them though.  When they are busy like this, they don't bother you.  I was stung that one time because I happened to be out in the garden on one of those cool late summer days and the bee was 'asleep' and somehow crawled on me and stung me.  That's when they are dangerous.  I've since learned to stay out of the garden during those time periods.
 Here's a close up of the violet iris.
 This is one of my favorite iris in my garden.  It's a beautiful deep purple and has a wonderful, strong scent.
 One of my all time favorite ground covers.  It's very hardy, yet, not invasive like most ground covers.
 I brought these yellow iris home from my husband's grandmother's house in Waupaca, Wisconsin.  I love how flowers can become a part of your family's history.  That red brick house in the background is mine!
 Here's a close up of the yellow Iris.
 I have seen wild dame's rocket growing along the roads here ever since I moved here, and have tried for years to get them to grow in my yard.  They kept wanting to reseed on the OTHER side of my fence, and not in front of my fence.  Well, this year, they finally ended up on the right side of the fence. I know they are a wild flower, but my flower gardens are becoming more and more 'naturalized' every year, so I don't care.  Some people 'naturalize' their yards on purpose because they are better for the environment and easier to take care of.  I think that's what's happening to my yard.  It has evolved from a well maintained perennial garden into a  beautiful woodland meadow filled with wildlife (and lots of weeds).
 Here is a close up of the Dames Rocket.
 A faraway shot of my Iris in bloom.
 The ferns are just LOVING all the rain and cooler temperatures.  I usually have a hard time growing them in my yard because of all the dry hills, but I couldn't believe the size of them this year.  They look like they belong in a scene from 'Jurassic Park'!  I had to have my handsome son sit in front of them so you could get an idea of the scale of them.  They are just so lush, and big!
Have a great day! Amy

2 comments:

  1. Such beautiful pictures Amy. Everything is so green and gorgeous! And you have a very handsome son! The ferns do look huge next to him.

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  2. Love your pictures Amy and must say I felt a twinge of envy when I saw the size of your garden and landscape. I so love plants and growth and everythig about gardening. Awesome place you have!!
    hugs
    Glenda

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