Alive-o Again..and in the Garden

Well, I've coughed and honked my way through a dilly of a cold these last few days. I'm rather sick of it actually.

At least it didn't stop me from getting in the garden. I've spent hours out there this week.

A good thing too--it needed attention after almost a month of getting along on its own while I was in Italy. Everything exploded into bloom while I was gone. Remind me not to go away in the spring too often--its too pretty to miss!




The foxgloves and peonies and campanulas are in full bloom. But the red-leafed shrubbery in fromt of my kitchen window badly needs a haircut.

My favourite rose at the end of my driveway...sometimes a golden colour, sometimes almost pink, sometimes orange. A delicious smell too. I wish I knew what it was called.

Alas, the leafy green ground-cover and pink-flowered geraniums in the background of this photo are deceptively pretty and have to go. I have started a weeding/giveaway campaign to rid myself of these over-enthusiastic lovelies because they are choking other plants out. They are bishop's weed and Geranium 'Claridge Druce' respectively. I started to read up on them once I realized I was entertaining murderous thoughts about them.

I learned: Bishop's weed is a fast-growing ground-cover and lovely if you need to cover large area, but its very invasive and hard to get rid of-- it was popular in Victorian times as a border plant; according to the article I read there are plots of land abandoned a century ago where the only evidence there was once a garden are the thriving mounds of bishop's weed.

As for the geranium called 'Claridge Druce' (I was glad to find its name as I have so much of it), it is a very popular and hardy species, but if you live in the Pacific Northwest(which I do), its will go forth and multiply like a bunny. Okay, more like a weed I suppose.

It's so pretty I hate to pull it out...but my mind is made up. Mom, if you want more, bring me some pots. You can have as much as you like. Kim, Nell, anybody else?

Ah, more pictures of flowers in my garden.....

You know, while I was away I encouraged friends like Kim to come over and share my perennials.

Please! Take some! :The cry of the perennial plant gardener with too many plants.

Anyway, I came back from Rome, scanned my garden, and concluded nobody had taken me up on my offer....but they had!

My friend Kim said she came over THREE times (with helpers) to cart away plants for her newly-acquire flower garden space. Sure enough, I can spot the evidence of that in her yard.

But I missed nary a one.

The offer is still open: this week Spider Girl's Special Garden Give-Away is Japanese anenome, aka wind-flowers. They are pictured below....

I have scads of them! Scads, I tell you!

They are gorgeous, but they are not actually in bloom yet (these are from last year's crop). When they are, they will put on quite a long-blooming show. But until then they make a sea of foliage and I simply have too many for one yard.

Any takers?