Spring Blooms

April showers bring May flowers and more in June. Our wet and cool spring certainly inspired beautiful blooms that have begun to flourish these last few day. The first roses, First Prize and a unnamed rose in the court yard. Other's are ready to bloom. The peonies are glorious, too, especially since their garden bed has been cleared of the dead bushes. Another favorite, the allium always make me happy.

Iris have long been on my list of favorites. This is the dark, dark purple that I love so much. I have forgotten the name, The Dark Knight sounds good, but I don't think that is it's name.

This lemony yellow hasn't bloomed here often. I think I dug it up from one spot and moved it to another so it sometimes takes those transplants a while to bloom.

The camera really didn't quite capture the beauty of this lavender iris. Taken during the shady morning light probably made the color a bit off. It's still a pretty variety.

I thought you might like to take a stroll down the path in the center garden. I'll point out the new plantings along the way.

I have the grandsons this week. They always do a community service--rather a granny service for me. This time I will ask them pick up the pine cones out of the path. They make it hard to walk along the path. 

The hostas are really exciting this season. They are finally getting some size and will be beautiful all summer long unless they get hail. Hope not.

I finally broke down and bought two spring blooming, shade loving perennials, pulmonaria and a forget-me-not. I missed their blooms this spring, but next year they should be lovely.

On down the path we will round the curve to find a variety of columbine, or aquilegia.  I don't know how I ended up with several different varieties because I have never bought any. I never know what I will have from year to year. they are perfect growing beneath the aspen trees as the Colorado native, our state flower do, at higher altitudes where they bloom around the Fourth of July. 

This variety is the one that we know and love as our state flower.

These are the two new astilbes that we added to last year's that bloomed and even survived the winter, along with a spiderwort.

                    

The alliums have gone wild here, too, thanks to granddaughters breaking off the large heads a few years ago and generous sprinkling the seeds about. When you buy allium commercially, you buy the huge bulb. I never thought that they would reseed.

They grow in clumps now. They don't get as tall as the original nor do the heads get as large, but these are fun to watch bloom out with the hundreds of little star shaped blossoms on each head.

This one is right by the front step.

Lastly, a new favorite, the geum. 

I have another one planted on in the center circle and one more to plant. They are easy growers and come in shades of orange. The one added a color to an otherwise dull spot.

Summer is in full swing. The grandsons always come to visit the week after school is out. We have plenty to do to keep them busy. I think a movie late this afternoon. The hay will be cut today, too. The Head Gardener had a hard time finding some one who wants to cut small averages. The fellow who has done it all along for us decided that he didn't want to do these small parcels. It will rain for sure with hay on the ground.

Have a great week. And thanks for taking time to visit. 

Linking with Maggie at Normandy Life.