"Rose Person"

Every now and then, Tony says, "I never would have thought that you'd turn out to be a Rose Person." And he says it as though maybe that's not a good thing...


Singing in the rain;
Angel Face;
Sunny Sunsprite

"Bee Lover"

Another new iris bloomed for the first time today, and if the handwritten tag is correct, it's called "Bee Lover."
What I'm trying to show with these photos, is that it looks like silk... edged with gold. Metallic gold. We once talked to an iris hybridizer at a farmer's market who was trying to explain to us what causes this effect...

I believe that guy may have been from "My Wild Iris Rows", an iris farm on the east edge of Santa Rosa. It's near to the route we take to visit sister Karen in Calistoga, and we always go out of our way to drive by it, though we haveNEVER been there while they were open. I think this may be the year.

plants for chocolate lovers!

Do you go for plants with... unusual colors? Dark foliage, brown-ish flowers? Me, too.
A couple of years ago I got a chocolate cosmos at Harmony; it didn't return the next year, but I just got another one. Well, it seems now there's a nursery just for people like us:
The Chocolate Flower Farm. I would love to have most of the plants on their list! Here are some photos from their catalog.

Three for today

little Charisma; Honey Perfume; & Heritage-- or is it Heirloom? I can never remember. (it's Heirloom)

after the rain...

After a few days of serious rain (always appreciated), moments of sun. I believe this iris is called "Roman Song". (click on image for raindrops)

Celebration... and a Lament

Most of my rose are doing swimmingly-- like Golden Celebration here.
BUT, my favorite rose, my much beloved, most photographed Brandy, is dead.
WHY, WHY????

Easy Flower Gardening

click here, then click on your mouse, or click and drag, and watch what happens.
Via friend Wendy.

roses arriving

You may recall, as I left for a week away, i feared all the roses would bloom in my absence. It was a cool week, though, and most of them waited for me. They're covered with buds, and here are some of the early arrivals:





1) Honey Perfume: new last year. Love the color and fragrance, I hope it'll bloom more this year!

2 & 3) Sombreuil-- a highly regarded climber-- mine is in a space that doesn't do it justice. Also, I thought it would be more fragrant, but this one really isn't.

4) Golden Celebration!

5) a 'mistake' rose-- ie: not what it said it would be, yet I've come to love it just the same. Not a color I would have ever chosen intentionally. Red on the inside, white on the outside...probably Snowfire, or Fire 'n' Ice.

6) one of Joseph's Coat many buds. A very happy rose.

garden blog awards... who knew?

If you're not already a complete addict, and have a litttle more room in your life for the perusal of Garden Blogs, go here to link to this year's Mouse and Trowel Garden Blog award nominees...

while I was away...

...irises arrived with a vengeance.
Since I have often picked these up at small local plant sales, I don't usually know what they'll look like beyond, 'yellow/brown' or something similar. And often it's a complete surprise. I don't think the purple japanese & bearded irises bloomed at the same time last year, though. It's almost TOO much!

Dramatic Increases in Bird Activity!

Tony bought a couple kinds of bird seed, including this elegant finch 'sock' and wow!
(Now, if only I had a telephoto lens, I'd be dangerous).

what was I thinking?

Everything in the yard looks just about ready to BURST into bloom--- and I'm headed out of town for a full week!
What was i thinking? Well, it IS my spring break, and I'm sure it will be lovely. Tony will be holding down the fort; maybe he'll even take a few photos. And I bet I'll come home to a garden transformed by blooms. See you soon!

Already blooming:
bearded iris;
Teasing Georgia, part 2;
Joseph's Coat

Van Gogh painted euphorbias!

Since my recent post extolling the virtues of euphorbias, I feel like I've had heightened euphorbia-awareness. I'm seeing new varieties avilable for sale--variegated, and so on. And one day I noticed in the art department office at the college where I teach, this print of a Van Gogh painting (which I've seen there dozens of times) and I suddenly realized, those are euphorbias in that vase! What do you know. (click image to enlarge).

some of today's buds 'n' blooms

1) joe pye weed?
2) Teasing Georgia
3) Golden Celebration bud

the further reaches of flower arranging

Last weekend I was faced with a difficult decision: spend a day at the SF Flower & Garden Show; or visit "Bouquets to Art", at the DeYoung Museum.
My partners in crime-- er, flower-viewing helped make the choice, and we were off to view flowers arranged in response to artworks. My reflections on the experience are here.

crows courting as the full moon rises

blooming!

Japanese iris;
chinensis mutabilis rose;
Lady Banks rose;
lilacs!